Development isn’t a race. It’s a flow. 

Every baby—and parent—is figuring it out at their own pace.

Instead of milestones, we encourage you to focus on this amazing moment.

Your baby’s brain makes more than one million neural connections per second in these first three years. Simple, consistent interactions with baby today can have profound, lifelong benefits.

Here’s how baby’s brain is developing this month, and how you can support their progress. 

Developmental Highlight

Every time baby’s involuntary reflexes spasm, so does their gastrointestinal tract, causing reflux and discomfort. Baby’s digestive system, immune system, and nervous system are part of one whole system maturing at the same time. The glial cells that refine connections in the brain are actually derived from immune cells. It’s all one big Neuro-Gastro-Immune system, and its main job is to take in information about the world and remember it.

Learning, eating, and immunity are all tied together. So feedings stimulate both immunity and the pruning of brain connections. As baby learns to digest and connect with you, their immune system is growing stronger to better defend them from germs. 

Brain-Building Activity

Activity name: Tummy Time

Routine: Playtime

Tummy time is a key way to stimulate the Neuro-Gastro-Immune system and support baby’s development. Regular tummy time:

• Helps baby develop strong neck and shoulder muscles, activating cranial nerves known as the Social Engagement Network, which will be essential for higher cognitive functions, like social connection, attention, and emotional regulation.
  
  
• Activates spinal cord nerves that set the stage for more advanced motor development—rolling over, crawling, and eventually walking.
  
  
• Prevents positional plagiocephaly, flattening of the head caused by long periods on the back or side.

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Baby may not like tummy time at first. Fortunately, there are several ways to practice. The most important thing is to start slowly and eventually progress to 3-5 minutes at a time. 

• Floor tummy time: Place baby on their tummy on a clean blanket or mat. Bring your face down to baby’s eye level and reassure them. Try using interesting objects to stimulate baby into lifting their head and pushing down on their arms.
  
  
• Cradle tummy time: Hold baby face down in your arms, cradling their belly, and carry them around. This will allow baby to practice lifting their head and arching their back without triggering uncomfortable reflexes.
  
  
• Cuddle tummy time: Sit on the floor with your back reclined. Position baby tummy-down on your chest. Being close to you will motivate baby to work their head and back muscles, so they can lift their head to engage with you.
  
  
• Assisted tummy time: Sit cross-legged and position baby’s tummy on your elevated thigh, reducing the impact of gravity and making it easier for baby to lift their head and bear weight with their arms.

You’ve Got This

The baby blues are very common at this stage. Over 80% of women—and many partners—develop symptoms, which usually pass on their own. 

However, if intense feelings of sadness, irritability, impatience, and tearfulness last more than several days without a break, or interfere with your ability to perform everyday tasks, you may be experiencing a more serious condition, like postpartum depression or anxiety. Both are treatable medical conditions.

Remember that taking care of yourself is an essential part of taking care of baby. Contact your OB, your child’s pediatrician, or the Postpartum Support International (PSI) hotline at 1-800-944-4773, if you need help.

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