Your baby, 4 months 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 and older

At this point, your baby can recognize familiar faces. He can distinguish his mom from his dad and knows who they are. Many babies have favorite toys and you may have found a book or song that your baby seems to like the best. By now, he probably likes to play with toys on a mat or blanket on the foor. Exersaucers are good choices for baby to play in. Steer clear of baby walkers. They are dangerous and should not be used.

It is important to respond quickly and calmly to your crying baby. When you respond quickly, your baby will develop a sense of security and develop trust in you. You will have to do less to soothe a distressed baby if you respond quickly. Many people are under the impression that they will spoil their baby if they respond to every whimper and whine. This is not true. You can spoil a child, but not a baby. A baby of this age can not be disciplined and is not able to understand your commands. Continue to be loving and gentle to foster a good relationship.

Your baby can most likely roll from side to side and possibly from her tummy to her back. Be careful not to leave her unattended-she may roll off and get seriously injured. Babies should be placed on their tummies to develop strength and muscles needed for sitting, crawling and walking. Encourage your baby to roll over and help her sit up with support. It is much more interesting to sit up and look at things vs. laying down and staring at the ceiling. At this age, your baby is probably grasping objects and putting them straight into his mouth. Make sure all of his toys are safe and clean.

Your baby may begin to get upset if you take a toy away or stop playing with her. She coos, babbles, smiles and laughs when you interact with her. She may be able to click her tongue and cough by now. Playing with your baby is important for development. Continue to read, sing, play and play games with your little learner. Talk to your baby in regular words-do not use baby talk because it does not sound clear to your baby and may confuse him. Praise your baby for jobs well done! Introduce your baby to new sights, smells, sounds and textures often. This is how he will learn the most about this new exciting world around him!

Around four months of age, your doctor may give the go ahead on solid foods. You will know if your baby is ready. He should sit well with support and be able to hold his head steady. If she is still pushing the food out of her mouth with her tongue, she may not be quite ready to start solids. Start with cereal and then try fruits and vegetables. When using a highchair, make sure that it is safe. Your high chair should not have any broken pieces and should be sturdy. Always use the seat belt and lock the tray on snuggly. Make sure you watch your baby closely while he is in the highchair. Do not feed your baby directly from the jar, unless you are certain he will eat all of it. Just because your baby is consuming solids does not mean she doesn't still need formula or breatmilk-she does!!

Developmental Milestones 4 Months Old

Physical

• Your baby's stomach has grown larger, so he does not need to feed as often
• Rolls over
• When laid on stomach, your baby will lift his stomach and shoulders high offf the ground
• Your baby's tongue-thrust reflex is fading, and your baby may be ready to start solid foods now
• Can reach out and grab objects-he still may miss his mark on the first try
• You will notice alot of drool-some babies start teething around this time

Intellectual

• Feedings can get difficult as your baby likes to see what is going on at mealtime
• Your baby is easily distractable
• Once the baby grasps ahold of an object, he will put it straight to his mouth
• Your baby likes a vairety of toys and objects-give her different toys with different responses
• Babies begin to understand cause and effect
• Begins to understand all basic sounds of language
• Begins to develop the ability to make vocal sounds-`ma-ma` `da-da`-although he does not connect sound to parent
• Color differences are clearer and your baby probably prefers bright primary colors
• Can laugh out loud and squeal in delight

Emotional

• Likes to be interacted with-play with your baby as often as possible
• Some babies like to play alone at this time
• May participate in back and forth imitation games-imitate your child's faces and sounds
• Your baby will respond to your voice and gestures by kicking legs or waving arms
• Baby will show you when she is no longer interested

Age Appropriate Toys

• Bright colored books
• Posters
• Activity gyms and play mats
• Musical toys
• Lighted toys
• Mirrors
• Teething rings
• Plastic toys to chew on
• Toys to grasp
• Brightly colored soft blocks
• Stuffed toys

Comments:

Comments 51-75 of about 13379 for month 4
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teacherpam - Saturday, 7 Nov
Thanks for the responses, it makes me feel better. I know that rolling over isn't a true milestone since some babies do it at 1 month and some at 7. I just wanted to make sure...haha! PG-my baby is the same. She's close though as she can roll from back to side, but she's not really close at all when she's on her belly. She just looks around and lays down. HAHA. She'll get it though!

PGFirstTimer - Saturday, 7 Nov
Teacherpam - my DD is 5 months and 4 days and still hasn't rolled over either. She sort of has the idea, and if I help just a little she goes over easily, but either she's lazy or she's just working on her verbal skills right now :-)

excited4june - Saturday, 7 Nov
Just had our four month apptmt and Genna weighs 18.7 lbs and is 28 inches long!! She is a very healthy girl!! Lol she started at 9 lbs 9 oz and 21.5 inches so she had a good start! :) I did all my Xmas shopping for her already... My husband thinks I went overboard but she is our first!

phatbaby57 - Saturday, 7 Nov
jnj-it would depend on my circumstances ie the hours i would need you, the cost, your baby's behavior. I would definitely want to meet you and the baby if I were considering it. If I were you would target ladies with nontraditional hours that wouldn't be able to use daycare, keep your cost reasonable and plan meeting with them when baby is most calm and relaxed. maybe as a back up i would start putting out applications for other employment. good luck on whatever you chose to do.

lucijas77 - Saturday, 7 Nov
my dd is 5 mo tomorrow and is not rolling over

teacherpam - Friday, 6 Nov
My lo is 5 months in 9 days and still has not rolled over. I know they all go at their own time, but has anyone else's LO not rolled over yet? She has a lot of tummy time and can lift her head well, just has no desire to roll! We even practice! Haha! Just want to see if we're the last to roll or not.

AidensMom6176 - Friday, 6 Nov
savvy make sure when you do her food you pour what you think she would need in a bowl and feed her that way cause i think if you feed out of the jar if there are leftovers they don't stay good as long since the baby's saliva will be mixed with it

onebaby - Friday, 6 Nov
Most baby food can be kept for 48 hours after it's been open if it's kept in the fridge:)

Savvy - Friday, 6 Nov
Hi Guys, I have a question. I am about to start my baby on solids and I am wondering when a jar of baby food is open, how long can I keep it without trowing it out?. I mean can I put the remains in the fridge and use it again the next day? Pls help

Savvy - Friday, 6 Nov
My baby Emily (Emma) is 4 months old today. Wow, she is growing up, but I still see a wee little baby when i look at her, everyone else sees she is growing, but I can't. Mind u she is gaining weight and growing normal, but I can't see it. Am I a little 'crazy' ? or in denial?

jnj1stbaby - Friday, 6 Nov
I have a question about childcare and would appreciate input. QUESTION: would people consider paying a person to come to their home and watch their kids if she brings her own baby??? I have been a nanny for two different families totalling close to 5 years of experience. I also have studied child development in college and have a BA degree, I've been cpr and 1st aid certified and also fingerprinted. I stopped working when I had my 1st baby, and she is nearly four months old now. My home is too small to open a daycare but I need income. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to solicit business here, I was just wondering if this is something I should consider, or if I should look into getting another job and putting my baby in daycare.

NavyMommy09 - Friday, 6 Nov
Wow, I think I'll hug my son too. He goes down around 8 and sleeps for an hour, then he's up for about 20 min and he's out for the night usually by 9:30, and he'll sleep until about 7:30, sometimes even later. We've had him on a night time routine schedule since day 1 and it's really paying off. He's fed at 6:30-7, bathed around 7:30, and quiet time the rest of the evening. Sometimes though, he'll wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning, and we just put him in bed with us and he sleep the rest of the night, or sometimes we can just give him is pacifier and he'll go back to sleep.

MieKitty - Thursday, 5 Nov
This is what we did to help Kenji sleep through the night: We moved him into his own room so he wouldn't wake up to my hubbys alarm for work. We set a schedule and a bedtime for kenji. We start his routine (bottle,pjs, diaper change, bed, music) at 6:30 and in bed by 7pm and he sleeps till 7 or 8am. Just make sure to start a routine BEFORE the babies get sleepy. And the music box helps calm Kenji down and makes him sleepy. Usually a later bedtime will make a baby sleep less fitfully and actually s/he might wake earlier/more often. I hope that helps!

ivy-62209 - Thursday, 5 Nov
So Sophie is 5 MONTHS today!!! My little one isn't so little anymore. Will be moving on, but will continue to straddle both months to keep up with everyone!

ivy-62209 - Thursday, 5 Nov
firefighterwife - LOL, oh what I would give to go back to the 1x a night feedings!

ennazus - Thursday, 5 Nov
I just hugged my little one. Didn't realize how good of a sleeper she was. She goes down about 10:30PM(DH and I are night type people) and sleeps through the night. Gets up about 7:30, and often takes a bottle and lays with me (asleep) until 9 or so.

phatbaby57 - Thursday, 5 Nov
luci-i figured it was b/c your dh got home late. mine is normally in by 7:00. i try to have dinner done by then and then he does the dishes. typically by 8:30 or so he's ready to sit down and unwind. i pump around 9:00 gather up a sleeping baby and head to bed. this also gives dh a little alone time. where both introverts and need a little time to ourselves. i get mine in the morning. neither me or the hubby are happy when lo wakes before 6:30 b/c dh has to get up earlier and my alone time is interupted. until the baby came i never went to bed w/o hubby but he can't go to sleep that early and i can't stay up any later. maybe one day we can go back to normal. until then i try to make it through final jeopardy while he is doing dishes...occasionally i don't make it.

firefighterwife - Wednesday, 4 Nov
glowingmommy2be, thanks for you comment. I do feed her right before she goes down. But, looking at the other posts it seems I should not be complaining about only having to get up 1x a night with my little one!

ivy-62209 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
BYU-Mommy - I'm not sure that that's all that unusual. My LO goes down around 10:30 and is up about 3-4x a night between then and 7:00 am. We cosleep and breastfeed so all I have to do is pull her next to me and pop the boob in her mouth. We then usually fall asleep together, until I wake up again and put her back into her cosleeper (which is next to the bed). I spend the entire night moving her back and forth. It can be exhausting, but I'm getting pretty used to it and dont feel sleep deprived anymore. I think we'll consider sleep training when she's at the 6mos mark.

ivy-62209 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
desiree79 - You can start by cutting out all cow's milk dairy from your diet (assuming you're BF). It can take up to 2 weeks for it to leave your system, so you may not see immediate results. This is what I had to do to deal with sophie's bad gas problem, but after a few weeks she was fine. She still toots, but its not painful gas. I stay away from ALL milk products, including yogurt, cheese, cream sauces, ice cream, etc. I do still eat things with milk cooked into them (like baked goods) but that doesn't seem to have any effect on her. If that doesnt' work, then consider eliminating all soy products, then wheat. Those are the most common allergy triggers. (or you coudl try cutting them all otu at once, and slowly add back in. That will also help you locate the trigger)

lucijas77 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
phatbaby, your schedule is my schedule, after i leave for work, my dh takes care of her till he brings her to day care around 10 am, so he spends a lot of time with her every day, which i am glad

lucijas77 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
phatbaby, my dh comes home every day around 8.30-9 pm, we eat dinner, clean kitchen,i take shower, pump, little tv and snuggle on the couch and it's 12.30 before i know it. we live like this since we are together and did not do any adjustments after the baby came (only pumping), she is usually sleeping through the evening

phatbaby57 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
byu-i do all the night time feedings too. last sunday though dh took our lo from the room after his morning feeding and let me sleep in bed all by myself. it was amazing even if it was just two hours. and believe it or not i woke up before he needed another feeding even if it was just barely. also amazing to wake on my own with no baby or alarm making me. my lo goes to bed between 8:00 and 9:00 is up at 12:00, 2:00, 4:00, 5:00 and then my alarm goes off at 5:30 so I feel your pain. the 12:00 and 5:00 are new since I went back to work. after I get up lo typically will sleep until 6/7 and then husband gets him and himself ready before work.

phatbaby57 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
luci-is there a reason you're waiting until midnight to go to bed? I used to go between 10:30 or 11:00 but now I try really hard to go by 9:30. I have to be up by 5:30. I tell dh if I don't try to get 8hrs I won't get 6hrs.

lucijas77 - Wednesday, 4 Nov
my dd sleeps from 7 pm till 12 am and then she starts waking up every 2-3 hrs for feeding,i go to bed at 12 and i get up at 6 so i get about two 2 and half hours of sleep. the dr. says she sleeps through the night but it does not seems so to me.

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