2 month developmental milestones

A dad holding a newborn baby in his arms and kissing their hand

There are some key physical and communication milestones you will expect your 2 month old to reach. These milestones should be treated as a rough guide, as each child is unique and will develop at their own pace. It is often unhelpful to compare a baby to other babies or their siblings.

Explore the topics on this page:

Physical milestones

Communication milestones

Encouraging development

Developmental concerns

Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024

At around 2 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

when laying on their tummy, turn their head to the side
when laying on their back, wave their arms and legs, wiggle and squirm
when laying on their back, kick their legs
touch their face with their hand
briefly hold a toy when you place it in their hand
grab your finger when you place it in the palm of their hand
follow an object or person with both eyes

Communication

turn when they hear voices
deliberately maintain eye contact
smile when spoken to or when you smile at them
make cooing sounds such as ‘aaah’, ‘gah’ and ‘ooo’
make sounds back to you when you talk to your baby
cry when wet, hungry, tired or if they want to be held
smile or get excited

Encouraging development

Activities and games you can explore with your baby:

chatting or singing to your baby whilst nappy changing or feeding
talking to your baby about what they are looking at
using different voices and actions when reading, singing and playing
copying the sounds your baby makes
dancing with your baby and cuddling
placing your baby on their stomach whilst your baby is awake, alert, and happy (also called tummy time)

Mother and baby on floor with soft fabric ball. Baby is laying on their stomach on a rug, in a living room.

Babies do not need lots of toys or devices to have fun or to encourage development.

They learn a lot of early skills by playing and spending time with you.

Possible development concerns

Sometimes development can be slower than you expect, or you may notice something different about your baby. It's normal to feel worried but there is lots of support out there.

Contact the health visiting team if you notice your baby is:

not engaging in eye contact when speaking to them
not watching and following you with their eyes
not grasping objects when placed in their hands
not able to lift their head up for short period

If your child needs more help or has additional needs, you can visit our specific section for extra support.

Child development and growing up for additional needs

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's development, a health professional in our team will be able to offer advice and support.

You can email ccs.bedsandlutonchildrenshealthhub@nhs.net

You can call 0300 555 0606

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

Or you can text:

07507 331456 if you live in Bedfordshire
07507 331886 if you live in Luton

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 4:30pm (excluding bank holidays).

Need more information?

Local support

Information for babies aged 2 months old

Child development and growing up
Moving and being active

Learning to move

Babies are limited in the amount they can move. They're strengthening their muscles with small movements throughout the day. Many parents worry about their babies developing flat head syndrome. Babies spend a lot of time sleeping and travelling on their back. It is important for babies to move around during the day.

Two women kneeling down in front of their babies. The two babies are lying on their back. One baby is looking at the other, whilst the other baby is looking at the camera.

Child development and growing up
Speech, language and communication

Communicating with your baby

Babies can communicate from the moment they are born. As soon as they arrive, your baby is learning about speech, language and communication. When communicate with your baby, you are helping them learn to communicate. It's also important for you to understand how your baby is trying to communicate with you.

Sleeping newborn baby being held with an adults finger gently pulling down on their lower lip to reveal the baby's first tooth.

Child development and growing up

Hygiene for infants

It's important to try to keep your baby clean and healthy by bathing them and brushing their teeth. It can help your baby to build up their immunity to infections and stick to good personal hygiene as they get older.

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2 month developmental milestones

Explore the topics on this page:

At around 2 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

Communication

Encouraging development

Possible development concerns

Need more specific support for your child?

Who can help

Need more information?

Local support

Related pages

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