15 weeks

Behavior and development

How does the baby develop?

By the third week of the third month, your baby can:

Keep your head steady when in an upright position;

Breast lift when lying on your back with arm support;

Flip (one way);

Grabbing objects;

Focus your attention on small objects like raisins (but remember not to keep them within children's reach);

Children begin to make their own judgments about the world around them and look at everything around them including themselves with very curious eyes.

What do you need to do to support your baby?

Keep a mirror next to your baby or sit in front of it while you are preparing in the morning. Your baby won't recognize himself in the mirror, but it doesn't matter. Your baby will enjoy seeing himself or anyone else reflected in the mirror. Your baby will be excited and put on a lovely smile.

Your baby may stop sucking his fingers or suck the bottle to hear your voice. Coo with your baby or make sounds and describe things while you are doing chores around the house. This not only creates connections between your baby and you, but also encourages him to express himself. Wait and see if your baby shows signs of responding or reacting.

When you are with friends, keep them nearby so they can hear rich interactions between everyone. Your baby will enjoy watching other babies play, older children learn to walk, watch pets ... However, please be vigilant because they still do not know how to keep themselves safe. Anything within reach of your baby will become a toy. Babies are very good at handling things, so give them some toys: easy-to-hold toys, plastic or rubber rings for baby to use with both hands, sounding toys or stuffed animals. Absolutely keep unsuitable toys out of reach of babies.

Your baby will start using one hand for a while and then move on to the other. But at this point, you can not determine which hand-handed baby until the baby is about 2-3 years old.

Health and safety

What should mom discuss with the doctor?

Most doctors won't schedule a routine checkup for your baby this month. But you can always call your doctor if you have any questions and can't wait for your next visit.

Mother should know more?

Oral thrush

Oral thrush is a yeast infection in the mouth caused by the yeast Candida albicans. If you notice that your child has white spots on the inside of his lips and cheeks or on his tongue and wipes it off forever (looks like a vomit), this could be a sign of oral thrush.

Yeast grows in warm, humid environments. In this case, that environment is inside the baby's mouth. If you are breast-feeding your baby, your nipples can also contain yeast when your baby sucks. After that, your nipples may feel dry, sore and painful while nursing. You will be more susceptible to a fungal infection if you are facing stress and weak resistance. The yeast can also pass through the baby's digestive tract and pass through the anus, causing a rash or vaginal yeast infection.

Talk to your doctor about an antifungal prescription for both you and your baby. If you are breast-feeding, both you and your baby must be treated to stop infecting each other. The treatment process usually takes several weeks. During treatment, wash your hands often, disinfect toys and pacifiers in boiling water. Apply an antifungal cream (clotrimazole) to your nipples and use it in combination with anti-inflammatory medication. Some babies with oral thrush will become more irritable and lazy to eat because their cheeks and gums will be sore.

Swollen penis

You may be scared too much when you see a swollen penis, but sometimes the baby is just diaper rash. Diaper rash is very common and can sometimes cause swelling of the penis, which in turn makes it difficult for your baby to urinate. Treat diaper rash for your baby, and let your baby soak in warm water if your baby has difficulty urinating. If you use cloth diapers, switch to disposable diapers. If your baby's condition persists and disappears after two or three days of home treatment or if your baby has severe difficulty urinating, call your doctor.

Spastic movements

Even though it has come a long way since birth, your baby's nervous system is still immature and incomplete, so your baby's brain still can't handle all the problems. Sometimes your baby will point his hand towards an object, but only reach the object close only. This lack of coordination is very normal in the development of motor function in infants. Soon, your baby will be able to control his actions better, and move with a clearer and more skillful purpose. If you are still concerned, talk to your doctor during the next visit.

Mother's concern

What things should mother care about?

Wake up to breastfeed at night

In newborn babies, nighttime feeding helps to provide adequate nutrients for the baby. Although some babies will no longer breastfeed at around three months of age (and sometimes earlier), most babies two or three months, especially those who are breastfed, still need a breastfeed. up to twice per night.

However, feeding 3 to 4 times per night is not a necessity. Slowly reduce the number of feedings to give you more rest and help your baby sleep better. Here's how:

Feed your baby more at each time;

Wake your baby to breastfeed before he wants to feed;

Make sure your baby is getting enough milk for the day;

Increase the interval between feedings;

Reduce feed intake at the time you want to cut back;

Feed your baby more at the time you want;

Do not wear diapers at night unless absolutely necessary;

Consider spatial distance. If you are sharing a room or sharing a bed with your baby and don't want to keep letting your baby sleep together, now is the time to consider letting your baby sleep separately. Being around you can sometimes be the reason your baby wakes up more often and that's why you need to pick up your baby more often.