Birth to 3 months

Every baby is different. These are things most babies (at least 3 in 4) do by the end of this stage. If your baby was born more than 3 weeks early, take the weeks they were born early off their age, and use that age here until their 2nd birthday.

What to expect

Listening and understanding

Reacts to loud sounds
Turns or looks toward voices
Calms down when you talk to them or pick them up
Seems to recognise the people who care for them

Making sounds

Makes sounds other than crying, by about 2 months
Coos, with sounds like "ooo", "aah" and "mmm"
Sounds different when happy and when upset
Makes sounds back and forth with you

Playing and connecting

Looks at your face
Smiles when you talk to them or smile at them
Seems happy to see you when you come close
Watches you as you move

Eating and drinking

Turns toward the breast or bottle and opens their mouth
Latches on, then sucks and swallows

Food and drink at this age

This is general guidance, not a milestone to check. Your baby only needs breast milk and/or formula. No water, other drinks or foods for about the first 6 months. Watch for hunger signs (hands to mouth, turning toward the breast or bottle, smacking lips) and fullness signs (closing their mouth, turning away).

Growing up with two languages

Speak to your baby in the language or languages you're most comfortable using. Research with newborns whose mothers regularly spoke Tagalog and English during pregnancy found they were interested in both languages and could already tell them apart, so hearing two languages doesn't confuse babies.

About hearing

Newborn hearing screening doesn't pick up every type of hearing loss, and some babies with hearing loss still react to sounds. If you're worried about your baby's hearing, ask for a check even if they passed.

Get medical help straight away if, during a feed, your baby:

has difficulty breathing (for example grunting, or sucking in their tummy when they breathe); has lips, tongue or skin turning blue, grey or very pale; or is choking and their cough is silent or they can't breathe in properly. Call your local emergency number.

If your baby is choking: follow the first-aid steps for babies under 1 on the NHS choking first-aid page.

Talk to a professional if your baby...

Isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage
Often coughs during or after feeds
Arches their back or cries during most feeds
Brings up more than ordinary spit-up
Often loses milk from their mouth while feeding
Is often very sleepy during or after feeds
Is having any trouble breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. You don't need to wait.

When to talk to someone

You don't need to wait until several things are missing. Talk to a professional if your baby isn't doing many of the things on this page by the end of this stage, if you have any one specific worry (such as their hearing, losing skills they had, their communication or their feeding), or if you're simply worried. You know your baby best.

Who to talk to

Your midwife, health visitor, GP, paediatrician or a speech and language therapist. Weight gain and wet nappies are checked by your midwife, health visitor or doctor.

Help your baby

When your baby makes a sound, look at them, smile and answer. Copy their sounds and see how long you can keep the back-and-forth going
Talk, read and sing to your baby, including during feeds, nappy changes and bath time
Notice when they want to "chat" (looking at you, making sounds) and when they need a break (turning away, yawning, getting fussy)
Keep screens to video calls with family. Babies learn language from people, not devices

Where this information comes from

Research references

Byers-Heinlein, Burns and Werker (2010), The Roots of Bilingualism in Newborns, Psychological Science