Your baby is already learning and growing! Continue to encourage them as they begin to smile at people, notice sounds, and pay attention to faces. Your baby is probably also sleeping a lot—up to 18 hours per day.
Scroll down to learn more about your baby’s development, get support for your family, and find free activities to go to together.
Brain Building
Learn through life's everyday moments
See what your child is learning
Your voice is your child's favorite sound. Even if they can't talk back yet, they're listening to your words. Stretching out your words and using a sing-song voice makes it fun. This also helps their brain connect sounds and the ways we use our mouths to make them. You may not see it, but inside their brain they are practicing talking with you.
Milestones
Skills babies develop as they play, learn, speak, act, and move are called milestones. Learn about milestones to help you understand your baby's development and act early if you have concerns.
Around 2 month olds, many babies:
-
Social
- Begin to smile at people
- Briefly calm themselves
- Try to look at parent
-
Communication
- Notice sounds
- Make noises like vowel sounds, squeals, gurgles, and coos
-
Learning
- Pay attention to faces
- Begin to follow things with their eyes and recognize people at a distance
- Begin to act bored by crying or fussing if an activity doesn't change
-
Physical Development
- Hold head up and begin to push up when lying on stomach
- Make smoother movements with arms and legs
-
Health
- Get needed nutrition from breast milk or formula
- Feed 8 to 12 times per day
- Steadily gain weight
- Sleep up to 18 hours per day
- Stay on schedule with shots
Act early by talking to a doctor, teacher, or social worker if your child:
-
Act Early
- Doesn't respond to loud sounds
- Doesn't watch things as they move
- Doesn't smile at people
- Doesn't bring hands to mouth
- Can't hold head up when pushing up while they're on their tummy
Programs
Get the support your family needs to thrive
Home visits for new moms
Newborn Home Visiting Program (NHVP)
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene
New moms can get home visits from health professionals to help with breastfeeding, health and safety tips, and connections to community resources.
Healthy food for families
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
NYS Department of Health
Free healthy food, counseling about healthy eating, breastfeeding support, and referrals for women, infants, and children under five.
Sleeping safe & cribs for babies
Safe Sleep Initiative
NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene/NYC Administration for Children's Services
Families can get information on creating a safe sleep environment for their baby and may qualify for a free crib.
Events
See what your family can do for free in NYC