FOR THE 2 MONTH OLD

You’ve made it 2 months with your bundle of joy!  By now, you probably have a predictable schedule.  Things are seeming to get a bit easier and your baby is interacting with you a bit more, smiling and watching as you walk around the room.  At this point, you can breathe a sigh of relief.  Your baby should stay on a regular schedule of feeds every 2-4 hours throughout the day now.

Your baby is now safe to sleep longer stretches overnight, usually 4-5 hours.  But remember, they should still be sleeping in their crib without any padding, pillows or stuffed animals.  Be sure your baby is getting tummy time at least 3 times per day for 10 min each time.  This will promote neck strength and promote gross motor skills as well as help prevent flattening of the head.  Feel free to review my last two articles on Safe Sleep and Preventing a Flat Head for a quick refresher if needed.

In BC, 2 months is when baby gets their first set of vaccinations.  It is usually 3 shots in the thighs and 1 oral vaccine.  You can get these done at your local public health nurse’s station or your family doctor or pediatrician if they offer vaccines in their office.  Remember to keep track of your child’s vaccines.  It is ok to get the vaccines a week past the scheduled 2 month visit, however I would not suggest delaying the immunizations by much longer as it is easy to get behind on vaccinations, but troublesome to catch up.

Usually babies tolerate the 2 month vaccinations well.  They are often a bit fussy afterwards and may not feed as well as before and can even have a slight fever.  These symptoms usually only last 1-2 days.  You can give Tylenol prior to the vaccinations in anticipation of discomfort and fever or give it as needed based on how your baby behaves following.  Be sure to follow the Tylenol dosing on the bottle or ask your physician or pharmacist for appropriate dosing based on your baby’s weight.

**Disclaimer – Any information found in these blog posts is only for informational purposes and not intended to replace the diagnosis and care of a physician.  Should you have any specific concerns about your child, please consult with your family doctor or pediatrician.