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 76-100 of about 21733 for month 4
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lilyxox19 - Wednesday, 1 Feb
@mzdallas Lol I've been commenting in the 3 mo for a while too. HAhaha. This forum was so dead before. Yeah we are all moving over here!

mzdallas06 - Wednesday, 1 Feb
Why was I still commenting in the 3 months forum? My LO has been 4 months for like 2 wks...uuugghh I need some sleep :(

dre28 - Wednesday, 1 Feb
yeah my LO still drips some out of the side of her mouth and the first time she was gulping to keep up but now she does well with it! try again and see how it goes :) good luck!

lilyxox19 - Wednesday, 1 Feb
I tried using a medium flow nipple a couple of weeks ago but Taylor was drowning in it lol. It was pouring down his mouth and he was gulping. So I switched back to slow flow nipples. I was actually planning on trying it again today.

dre28 - Wednesday, 1 Feb
lily--I'm so sorry you're having these troubles! random question--are you using a slow or fast flow nipple on the bottle? My LO has one bottle of formula a day as well and would either fall asleep or get frustrated when i used the slow nipple--so she wouldn't eat very much. I switched to a fast flow nipple and she sucks it back now (8 oz) and keeps focused....just an idea!

dayna22 - Tuesday, 31 Jan
lilyxox19- I think some babies/kids are forever snackers. lol. i bf my now 4 yr old on demand for a year. Even when he started on solids he barely ate much. He even lost weight between 6-12months.. today he is still a snacker.. he eats healthy but he needs at least 3 snacks because he doesn't eat a lot in one sitting.. My 4 month old sleeps good at night.. but i feed on demand all day.. she never eats for more than 5 minutes.

lilyxox19 - Tuesday, 31 Jan
Oh and he will eat anywhere from 2-4oz per session. Our doctor told us he is a snacker and to try to get him to eat more at a time. I try but he will either start gagging or he will use his hands to knock away the bottle then refuse to open his mouth . And if I shove it in there, he will just gum it, not eat. PS he did that when I breastfed too. I use to keep his head pressed to me so he couldn't pull back, and then he figure out that if he used his hands he could simply my boob in and away from his mouth. I've also tried just giving him his pacifier instead but he will keep spitting it out and cry until he gets his bottle. I've also tried not sleeping in his room and even co-sleeping. None of that has worked on changing his sleeping/eating habits either. Oh and I've also tried not giving him any breastmilk and did only formula. We did this for 2 whole days (i had to pump and dump because of an anti-nausea medicine I took in the ER). And that also did nothing to change his pattern too.

lilyxox19 - Tuesday, 31 Jan
Actually I do supplement with formula :( and it does't make a difference. His eating habits seriously have not changed since he was born! I gave up nursing when he was 1 month old because I could handle the lack of sleep and free time. I exclusively pump and I get an oz an hour. So in a typical 24 hours he will eat 24oz of breastmilk and 6-8oz of formula. He also won't eat more than 4oz in one sitting-he will refuse to take the bottle. I have tried giving him 4oz of formula right before bed but it doesn't make a difference in how long he sleeps.

JSmummy - Tuesday, 31 Jan
hi lily- i think every two hours feeding is bit hard on you, maybe you should talk to your gp about this, if you are still BF maybe you need to supplement little bit of formula. As i always read your comments it seeems to me he is not getting enough nutritions just from your BF. I am not saying to stop BF!! Maybe 3 times BF and £ times formula. By this time he should be going longer periods between his feedings. Than again i am not a doc i am telling thid from my personal experience. Hope this helps!!

lilyxox19 - Tuesday, 31 Jan
Okay I know I kept telling myself not to get discouraged if Taylor doesn't take to eating rice cereal right away, but I give up! Its only been 4 days. I was too bummed out this morning that I didn't offer any to him. I'll start back up in a couple of days. But right now I'm putting it in his bottle before bed. I have to. I'm going insane!! For the last two nights, he has been eating EVERY 2 HOURS ALL NIGHT LONG!!! And dh isn't here to help so that means I'm having to do it all! I can't handle this!!

lilyxox19 - Monday, 30 Jan
thanks

dre28 - Monday, 30 Jan
lily--i think its normal too---my LO usually only poops once a day now!

ajoke - Monday, 30 Jan
Today my big girl is 14!!! and my baby girlis 4 months!

JSmummy - Monday, 30 Jan
hi lily- it is complete ly normal for you baby to poop less often, you will notice that he poo wolume will change as well so instead of many small ones he will do 1-2 big ones. I think at this point their stomach growes larger and they will start eating more formula/B milk. This is completely normal.

lilyxox19 - Sunday, 29 Jan
Here is a question for you ladies. I'm sure I'm overreacting and maybe this is just a one time thing. But does our lo's start to poop less often? My son usually poops almost after every feeding except at night. So during the day I will change about 6 poopy diapers. BUT today he had just 2 poopy diapers the whole day! Since he poops so often I never had to change any pee pee diapers because it doesn't fill up the diaper. Today was the first day that I've had to change pee pee diapers. Is this normal??? Or do you think this was just a one time thing?

lilyxox19 - Sunday, 29 Jan
I will let my son cry it out but for only 5 mins, then I will go back in put the pacifier in his mouth, rub his head and tell him to go to sleep, then I leave. After that he goes straight to sleep. I have just had to start letting him cry it out for 5 mins because he refuses to take his pacifier in the beginning(he comfort sucks for a few mins to fall asleep). But after letting him cry for 5 mins, he is ready for his pacifier and sleep. I can also get him to fall asleep if I walk around the house holding him, but I will not do that unless he just got his shots. It hurts my back to carry him for so long, and I also don't want him to rely on t

Marine Baby Number 2 On The Way - Sunday, 29 Jan
Has anyone started letting their 4 month old 'cry it out' or cry themselves to sleep? if so how do you go about doing it? do you let them cry for 15 mins then go in and say its ok i'm here or what? dr said its ok to start doing it but i cant imagine letting my daughter just cry and cry i feel so bad. any advice would be great. thanks ladies!

dayna22 - Saturday, 28 Jan
lilyxox19- for nap.. i'll usually rock her to sleep, either in my arms.. her swing or her chair. But for bedtime.. she goes to bed no problems.. we have ceral at around 7pm.. at 8pm I nurse her .. swaddler her up tight, but leave her arms out.. put her in her crib, put on this fisher price fish music thing. (forget the actual name) and she babbles and hits at the toy for a few minutes and then fall asleep on her own.

hannah7860 - Saturday, 28 Jan
Hi ladies, not been on for few weeks, thot i-d log in to see how u all are, not much talking going on here, wel nice to see u al doing well. My son is 17+1week old and weening is going so well, he's now rolling over and he be in one spot to another, always smilling and laughing and he loves babbling away with any1 and every1, and when I go out the door he starts screaming and crying and wen he sees me hes al smiles. He loves his sister alot and crys when he sees his brother lol, he enjoys beeing in his walker and goes backwrds, he's also teething and I can just see the tip of his 2bottom teeth, sleep is good he wakes up once, he loves beeing with me and I love cuddling him. So thats our lil story. Hope to see u al in month5 as I wnt be on til then t.c x

lilyxox19 - Friday, 27 Jan
@dayna What do you do to get your lo to fall asleep at night or during nap time if the soother doesn't work? I've tried giving him a tiny blankie but that doesn't work, neither does a small stuff animal. I don't know what to do. He will take the soother but only after crying for 5 mins straight (ya and I WISH mine was sleeping thru the night, he still eats every 3 hrs all day and all night)

dayna22 - Friday, 27 Jan
lilyxox19 - my lo stopped taking a soother and started doing the same thing. At night she goes to bed and sleeps thru the night no problems.. during the day once i get her to sleep..i can rarely get her to sleep more than 20mins.. The other day she had 3 10min naps. that's it.. I usually have to put her in the swing for naps if I want to get anything done around the house.

lilyxox19 - Friday, 27 Jan
Is anyone having a harder time to put their lo's down for a nap? I use to be able to get Taylor to fall asleep for a nap so easily, but this past week or so, he has been getting very difficult. He is also starting to reject his pacifier. When he was tired or at bedtime, I would put him down and pop his pacifier in his mouth. After sucking on it for a bit he would fall asleep. Now he screams anytime I put it in his mouth. So I've been having to have him cry it out for 5 mins, then I walk in there and give him his pacifier (which he will finally take) and off to sleep he goes. I hate that I have to make him start crying it out, but its the only thing that is working

lilyxox19 - Wednesday, 25 Jan
I'm officially over here, well actually since the 21st. My son got his shots yesterday. Everything was fine until 10:30. He woke up in so much pain screaming. The shots always hurts him bad later on. Gave him tylenol and eventually he fell back to sleep. Taylor weighs 12 lbs 8 oz and is 23.5 in long.

redding2009 - Tuesday, 24 Jan
marinebabyonway: don't feel bad for feeling the way you do..it is completely natural; any time something unexpected happens ( especially a suprise pregnancy) it takes a little while to adjust and we kind of go through a 'mourning process'; letting go of certain expectations.Do NOT feel bad at for feeling the way you do...it does not make you a bad person or mother in any way.Don't feel guilty about it! I can't imagine what you are going through...I can't imagine being pregnant right now! Pregnancy is huge and life-changing and it is completely natural to feel the way you do. The fact you are so concerned with your daughter shows what a wonderful mother you are to your daughter and you will be to your new baby. I have a good friend who has a sister 13 months older than herself ( so her Mom also got pregnant at 4 months!) and she told me that they are super close! She said that being so close in age really made them have a special bond. Also, depending on how many children you and your husband want to have, you will a) soon complete your family with the birth of your 2nd or b) be one step closer to having the number of children you and your husband want. It will no doubt be a huge change, but at least you will still be in 'baby-mode' when your 2nd is born..I hear from parents who have more than one child already that it can be challenging when you have a 3-year old and then go to having a 3-year old and a newborn, because you havn't had to take care of an infant in so long. Also, your daugher will have a lot easier time adjusting to a new sibling than say an older child, I imagine. Since she won't really know what life without her brother or sister is like, she wont ever miss it!It is great your husband is happy about the new baby; having the support from hubby makes a HUGE difference. Lean on him while you go through your pregnancy. And while I can't imagine being pregnant right now myself ( I have a 3-month old), sometimes my husband and I do joke around about getting pregnant again and I have to admit that sometimes I already long for another lol. Anyways...soon being pregnant again will become the new normal and you will soon find yourself very excited about being able to shop again for those tiny little newborn clothes;) Anyways..Im not pretending I have all the answers; just want to give you some encouragement!

julier - Tuesday, 24 Jan
I am so scared of getting pregnant again. But I feel like when someone gets pregnant while on birth control that baby is meant to be here for whatever reason. Goodluck I dont have much advice to give you but if you need someone to talk to im here.

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