2 months wake window and smiling/talking

Question

hi mummies, my LO just turned 2 months but his wake windows are generally very short (avg 1 hour plus feedimg snd changing). i tried to keep him awake a little longer to do some activities however he gets fussy and will cry. i dont follow a strict routine and will just follow his cues but will still feed every 3 hours. LO also wsnts to be carried almost all the time and i find it difficult to do any activity with him. and cant tell if he wants to be rocked to sleep or he just wants to be carried all the time.also, i see alot other LOs cooing and smiling alot when their parents talk to them but my LO hardly coos and i still have not see him smile socially. is this 2 normal??? scared he is very developmentally delayed.

Anonymous · Answer

It is normal for a 2mo mummy:) my LO is 4.5mo now but her wake window is about 1.5hr too. Sometimes 1hr then she feels sleepy already! Their energy level largely depends on how well rested they are before that, and activities done (lots of tummy time and stimulation will tire them) Just sharing my personal experience and what works for me - after confinement ended and nanny left, me and hubs tried to establish a routine for bb. For eg waking her up at same timing every morning, sing a Good morning song (suggest to always sing the same song as bb can eventually recognise the is the wake up signal), wipe her face, change diaper, then we do tummy time first, after she gets fussy then only we feed her milk. U can gradually increase the tummy time duration according to bb’s age. If u see bb is still calm/ not sleepy after milk, then can do flash card or read books (basically any kind of activities that won’t make them move much and risk spitting milk haha) Same for bedtime routine, try to repeat the same actions around the same timing everyday for eg shower > milk > story time > on white noise/lullaby > off light > sleep. Babies thrive on routine! Having a routine will really help to tune their body clock, wean off waking up at MOTN for milk, and they will likely also appear less cranky during the day as they kinda know what to expect:) As for the preference for contact napping, yes it is normal at this age too as they are looking for sense of security (through the familiar smell on parents). It is a challenging phase…my bb used to wake up every single time the moment i put her down in the cot😅 I was so exhausted of rocking her to sleep and gave up in the end. I would just lie 45 degrees on bed and let her napped on my chest - I was stuck on bed and not able to do anything else for 2-3 hours. Lots of trying and finding bb sleeping preference - I realise that my bb likes to sleep on tummy and on the adult’s bed for naps! Happy to share that now at 4.5mo her koala bear phase is over haha and I can at least take a breather while she sleeps As for your concern on cooing and smiling, I am unsure if it is developmental delay. Best to check with a PD to clear your doubts and worries:)