3 Months Milestone
The magical fourth trimester complete - hello social butterfly!
Is your baby approaching this milestone?
Calculate their exact age to track development stages and get personalized milestone reminders
Is your baby approaching this milestone?
Calculate their exact age to track development stages and get personalized milestone reminders
Day 90 of your baby's journey
Development Milestones
Track your baby's physical, cognitive, and social development at this milestone
Physical
- ✓Raises head and chest when lying on stomach
- ✓Supports upper body with arms when on tummy
- ✓Stretches legs out and kicks when on back
- ✓Opens and shuts hands deliberately
- ✓Pushes down on legs when feet placed on firm surface
- ✓Brings hands to mouth with increasing accuracy
- ✓Swipes at dangling objects with hands
- ✓May begin showing signs of rolling from tummy to back
Cognitive
- ✓Watches faces intently and follows moving objects
- ✓Recognizes familiar objects and people at a distance
- ✓Starts using hands and eyes in coordination
- ✓Begins to imitate some movements and facial expressions
- ✓Shows boredom if activity doesn't change
- ✓Develops more predictable sleep patterns
- ✓Shows interest in mirror images
- ✓Begins to babble and imitate sounds
Social
- ✓Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
- ✓Enjoys playing with people and might cry when play stops
- ✓Becomes more communicative and expressive with face and body
- ✓Imitates some movements and facial expressions
- ✓Laughs out loud for the first time
- ✓Shows excitement by waving arms and kicking legs
- ✓Recognizes and prefers certain people
- ✓May begin to show stranger awareness
Development Tip
The 3-month mark represents a major developmental leap. Your baby is becoming more interactive, with improved head control and emerging hand-eye coordination. This is when many parents report feeling their baby's personality emerging. The 'fourth trimester' is complete, and your baby is ready for more complex interactions.
Parenting Guide
Expert guidance and activities for nurturing your baby's development
Daily Care
At 3 months, babies typically feed 5-6 times per day and sleep 14-16 hours total, with more consolidated nighttime sleep. Many babies can now go 5-6 hours between nighttime feeds. Tummy time should increase to 20-30 minutes daily in short sessions. This is a crucial period for establishing routines.
Recommended Activities
- Extended tummy time with toys placed just out of reach
- Gentle bicycling of legs to strengthen muscles
- Reading colorful board books together
- Playing peek-a-boo and making funny faces
- Offering different textured toys to explore
- Baby massage with songs and rhymes
- Mirror play to encourage self-discovery
- Gentle dancing while holding baby
- Rattles and toys that make noise when shaken
Parent Guide
Your 3-month-old is ready for more structured play and interaction. Create predictable daily routines that include active play, quiet time, and plenty of conversation. Respond to your baby's attempts at 'conversation' with babbling - this back-and-forth interaction is crucial for language development. Consider starting a bedtime routine if you haven't already.
Celebrations & Memories
Cultural celebrations and memory-making ideas for this special milestone
Cultural Significance
Three months marks the end of the 'fourth trimester' concept popular in Western parenting, recognizing baby's adjustment to life outside the womb. Many cultures view this as when the baby becomes truly 'awake' to the world.
- End of maternity leave celebrations in many countries
- First professional photo sessions often scheduled
- Introduction to religious communities in some traditions
- First outings to social gatherings
- Beginning of mommy-and-baby classes
- Celebration of surviving the newborn phase
Memory Recording
Photo Ideas
- First genuine laugh captured on camera
- Tummy time achievements and head lifting
- Discovering hands and feet
Memory Tips
- First belly laugh story
- Favorite toys and how they play
- Sleep routine changes
Cultural Note
The 3-month milestone is significant across cultures as babies become more socially engaged and families often feel ready to venture out more. This often coincides with the end of traditional confinement periods and the beginning of more public life with baby.
Recording Suggestion
Create a video montage of your baby's different sounds and expressions at 3 months. Record their first laugh and the situation that caused it. Document their daily routine with photos showing morning wake-ups, playtime, and bedtime rituals. This is a great age for comparison photos showing their growth.