Three months is an important stage in a baby's life. At this age, the baby has already ceased to be a helpless newborn. He begins to be actively awake, to get to know the world around him, tries to master new movements. Some babies are already rolling over from their backs onto their stomachs by the age of three months and even make their first attempts to crawl. The child begins to sleep less, but the quality of sleep improves significantly.
Three months is an important period in the life of any baby.
What is the mode for?
Getting the right schedule for a 3 month old baby is very important because:
- Children of the third or fourth month of life, observing the daily regimen, get sick less;
- The correct alternation of sleep and wakefulness helps the child always feel vigorous and rested;
- Feeding on the clock improves digestion and appetite, because the baby develops a reflex, and he begins to want to eat at the same time;
- When a child lives on schedule, it is easier for parents to plan their vacation and free time.
Changes in the 3 month old baby regimen
When a baby turns 3 months old, he begins to sleep less during the day, the night sleep, on the contrary, becomes longer, because the baby is less likely to wake up at night for feeding. Also at this age, you can increase the duration of winter walks and the duration of evening swimming. Artificial babies have fewer feedings. The amount of milk (mixture) consumed per meal increases. Complementary foods at this age are not yet introduced. The regimen of a 3 month old baby mainly depends on the intervals between feedings.
Periods of uninterrupted wakefulness increase significantly
Accustoming the baby to the regime
In order to teach the baby to do everything on time, it is necessary to lift and lay the baby at the same time from day to day, and also to distribute the total daytime sleep time into several doses at regular intervals for active wakefulness. In this case, adults should take into account both their own needs and the needs of the baby (how many hours a day a particular child can sleep).
Approximate mode for a baby-toddler
An approximate daily routine for a baby who is already 3 months old may be as follows:
- 6 30 - getting up, feeding, massage and gymnastics, active wakefulness, an hour of daytime sleep;
- 9 00 - getting up, feeding, active wakefulness and developing games, sleeping on a walk (in the warm season);
- 12 30 - eating, massage and hardening, sleeping at home;
- 15 00 - feeding, staying awake, games for development and gymnastics, sleeping while walking;
- 18 30 - eating, feeding and bathing before bedtime;
- 21 30 - preparing for bed, feeding and night rest.
At night, the artificial person is fed 1-2 times, the baby can wake up more often. If the baby asks for breast several times a night, you should not refuse him. Experts say that when breastfeeding at night, a nursing mother produces the hormone prolactin in the body, which stimulates the active production of breast milk. That is why you should not neglect night feeds - they are good for lactation.
At this age, babies continue to feed on demand, but the number of feedings may be reduced
Artificial toddler mode
If the infant is formula- or mixed-fed, the walk should be planned in such a way that he does not get hungry while outdoors. It is not recommended to take artificial food with you for a walk in summer, because in hot weather the mixture can quickly deteriorate. In winter, feeding your baby outdoors is not worth it, because the baby can swallow cold air. Otherwise, the mode of the artificial is no different from the daily routine of the breastfeeding.
Organization of sleep at 3 months
In the mode of a three-month-old baby, sleep occupies an important place - day and night. To provide your baby with a comfortable rest, you must:
- Do not massage and gymnastics before bedtime, because they excite the baby;
- An hour before bedtime, refrain from noisy games, turn off the TV and loud music;
- Ventilate the nursery before placing the baby in the crib;
- It is convenient to dress the child so that he is not hot, since at this age children still have imperfect thermoregulation mechanisms, and it is very easy to overheat the baby. You should not panic if the baby sleeps a little less or a little more than the prescribed time. However, do not let your baby sleep too long in the evening, otherwise it will be difficult for him to fall asleep at night.
It is best if the baby has the opportunity to sleep in the fresh air.
At this age, the child usually sleeps four times during the day and twice in the evening (each time for an hour, then six hours). The duration of the night rest is 11-12 hours. Some children sleep 3 times during the day, in which case each day's rest lasts 2-2.5 hours, the night's sleep may be less (for example, 10 hours).
Feeding features
A three-month-old baby should not receive any complementary foods. As with a newborn, the only food is breast milk or adapted formula that is age-appropriate. Between meals, while awake, you can give your baby water.
The nuances of breastfeeding
Children on gv eat more often and digest food faster than artificial ones, so feeding and changing diapers will take a lot of mom's time. This must be taken into account when planning walks or trips to the clinic.
Growing baby starts consuming more breast milk
The nuances of artificial feeding
Much in the daily routine of a 3 month old baby depends on the type of feeding. Babies eat more often, respectively, the number of feedings during the day increases. Artificialists, on the other hand, eat less often, because formula takes longer to digest breast milk.
Wakefulness mode of a 3 month old baby
There are many options for a 3-month-old baby's regimen, but they all consist of the same types of activity, only time shifts, because children, like adults, are divided into "owls" and "larks." It is imperative to include in your daily routine:
- Stay in the fresh air (the more the better);
- Water and hardening procedures;
- Massage. Mom can do it, but children suffering from any diseases may need a professional massage at the clinic;
- Age-appropriate educational activities and games.
It is advisable to alternate active and calm games to avoid overexcitation, otherwise the baby may have serious problems with falling asleep and sleeping.
Walking
At three months, the baby still does not know how to sit, so it is better to combine a walk with sleep. The length of time spent outdoors in summer can be 2-2.5 hours (until the next feeding), in winter it is advisable to reduce the walk to 30-40 minutes. If there is wind or heavy rain outside, it is better not to go out into the fresh air (you can limit yourself to a short "walk" on the balcony).
You will need a comfortable stroller for walking
Classes and educational games
When the baby is actively awake, it needs to be occupied with something. At this age, for practicing with a baby, you can use the simplest toys - rattles. The kid follows them with his eyes, tries to take them in his hands, listens with pleasure to a thundering or rustling sound. Also, the child can be shown beautiful soft toys (but not in hand), balls and pyramids. Children listen with pleasure to the simplest songs and nursery rhymes, dance in the arms of their parents. All this develops the intelligence of the crumbs, coordination of movements and ear for music.
Gymnastics and massage
The correct regimen of a 3 month old baby is unthinkable without massage and elementary gymnastic exercises that encourage the baby to move actively. For gymnastics at home, you should choose exercises that stimulate the baby to roll over on its side, from back to stomach. If the child is already rolling over, he should be encouraged to do so. Also, the daily set of exercises includes flexion and extension of the legs and the implementation of the "bicycle" movement. This movement promotes better gas release and improves the digestion of the crumbs.
Attention! It is recommended to carry out gymnastics and massage half an hour before meals or one hour after meals. In no case should you engage in the physical development of the child immediately after feeding, since active movements can provoke profuse regurgitation and intestinal colic.
Bathing
The day regimen of a child at 3 months necessarily includes daily bathing. This procedure has both a hardening and developing effect. Traditionally, it is believed that the water temperature during water procedures for a three-month-old crumbs should reach 37 degrees. Indeed, in such water, the baby feels comfortable, he completely relaxes. However, Dr. Komarovsky says: “In order for the baby to move actively while bathing, it is recommended to lower the water temperature by one or two degrees. Then the baby, in order not to freeze, will begin to actively move the arms and legs, this is an excellent exercise ”.
The duration of water procedures should not exceed half an hour, otherwise the baby may freeze and get tired. If bathing has an exciting effect on the child (this happens quite often), it is better to bathe the baby not an hour, but two hours before going to bed. If you do this, the baby will have time to rest and sleep peacefully.
It is advisable to carry out daily bathing before bedtime, as this procedure has a calming effect
Violations of the daily routine
It happens that the baby is out of schedule. The most common problem is that the baby goes to bed late and gets up late. It also happens that children sleep for a long time during the day, because of this, the duration of night sleep is reduced. It is not difficult to deal with these difficulties, the main thing here is patience and the correct sequence of actions.
If the child began to confuse day with night, you need to take it calmly. Parents should establish a children's schedule gradually, each day shifting the time of waking up and going to bed by 5 minutes until the schedule becomes convenient for the parents and the baby. In this case, the return to the usual regimen will be absolutely painless. The time for feeding and walking also gradually shifts, depending on the time of sleep. After about a week, the baby is “on schedule” again, and if parents are consistent in getting used to the regimen, such problems will not arise again. In no case should you introduce drastic changes in the daily routine, otherwise the baby can experience severe stress, because stability is very important for babies at this age.
To arrive at a normal schedule, it is necessary to put the baby to bed early, the next day - to raise early
Attention! In order for the baby to sleep well at night, in the dark, you cannot turn on bright lights and loud music in the nursery. Quiet monotonous noises do not interfere with children sleep. On the contrary, they lull the baby to sleep. If the baby woke up at night for feeding, or it is necessary to change the diaper, do not talk loudly with the baby, otherwise he will wake up and begin to be actively awake.
To train an infant to be on a routine, parents must be consistent in their actions and try to do everything at the same time. The kid himself will tell you which schedule to choose. Experts say: "The regimen brings stability to the life of children and adults, which is so important for good physical and psychological well-being." A measured, orderly life helps children and adults feel comfortable - adults are less nervous, the baby develops better and faster.
