How time flies!! Just a few days ago, you delivered the tiny little bud and now your baby is already two months old. Your munchkin is no longer a newborn. Indeed, these two months have been a rollercoaster ride for you with continuous feeding burping sleeping and repeat. As soon as your baby turns two months it is time for the baby’s 2 month checkup. Time to visit the doctor again.
The second-month baby checkup is essential as your baby is going to have quite a number of important vaccines this time. So be prepared. Here is what can happen during the 2nd month baby checkup including the physical checkup, vaccination shots, and expected developmental milestones.
In This Article
- What Can You Expect From a Baby’s 2 Month Physical Checkup?
- Developmental Milestones Expected From a Two Month Old Baby
- List of Vaccines Your Baby Might Get in Second Month Checkup
- List of Questions to Ask Your Doctor
What Can You Expect From a Baby’s 2 Month Physical Checkup?
You can notice a lot of physical development in your baby by this time. Your baby will seem a little bit taller by now due to your effective mustard oil massages and stretching of the arms and legs. Your baby will gain weight and appear to be cuter and chubbier. Most babies also go through their first growth spurt during their second month of life.
Your doctor will do a thorough physical and health checkup to measure whether everything is going accordingly or not. The doctor will tick the results in the baby’s growth chart and notify you if anything is unnatural.
The pediatrician can also ask you a few questions such as
- Is your baby getting enough tummy time?
- Does your baby change position while sleeping?
- Does your baby smile when looking at you?
- Do you have any concerns regarding your baby’s vision and eye focusing?
- Do you feel any stress, anxiety, or depression while looking after the baby?
[Read : Growth Spurts in Babies]
Developmental Milestones Expected From a Two Month Old Baby
By this time the senses of your baby will be much more developed. Your baby will become more aware and accustomed to the world around them.
Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following are the developmental milestones expected for a 2-month-old baby.
- Smiling back at your smile (this is going to be one of the most blissful feelings)
- Making cooing sounds other than crying
- Stopping their crying the moment they hear your voice
- Giving spontaneous responses against loud sounds such as turning the head towards the source of the sound, crying, or quieting
- Moving eyes as you pass them
- Kicking in full energy while lying on my back
- Opening hands briefly
Note that the development milestones will not be the same if you have a premature baby who comes out much before the due date or has to be put into the NICU.
In the case of preemies, the development milestones will be calculated according to the days or months the baby arrives before its due date. Also, each baby is different when it comes to milestones, some babies may reach their milestones on time while others may be a bit delayed. It is important for mothers not to compare their babies with other babies of the same age. In case there is cause for concern, your doctor will point it out to you during the 2nd month checkup and mention what you can do about it.
List of Vaccines Your Baby Might Get in Second Month Checkup
Your baby will get some important vaccines in this checkup. Do not miss these vaccines are they are essential for your baby’s health and immunity.
Vaccinations recommended by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) for a 2 month old baby are as follows
- IPV (Inactivated Poliovirus)
- DTap (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis or whooping cough)
- Second Dose of Hepatitis B(If you missed getting it in first month checkup)
- HiB (Haemophilus influenza type B)
- RV (Rotavirus )
- PCV13 (Pneumococcal)
This is a lot of vaccines, but the good thing is that they do not require separate shots to inject the vaccine. Your doctor can give the 6-in-1 vaccine to your baby to avoid the pain of each injection for each vaccine.
[Read : Polio Vaccines for Babies]
List of Questions to Ask Your Doctor
Do not hesitate to ask the doctor questions or clear your doubts no matter how silly you consider them. Remember that the doctor is bound to assist you with all your queries. The questions you can ask during the 2nd-month baby visit are
- Is the development of my baby on track?
- What developments should I look for after now?
- Is spitting normal for babies of this age?
- How to handle fever in my baby after the vaccination?
- When can I introduce formula to my baby?
- What is the best formula for babies?
- Will formula milk cause gas?
- What toys do I need to provide my baby for encouraging cognitive development?
Besides these questions, you are free to ask any question that may appear to you important to know. In the end, do not forget to ask for the dates of the doctor for the fourth-month baby checkup.
