What to Know about your Baby at 4 Months Old
The baby is slowly becoming more alert, more active, and clearly showing interest in what is going on in its immediate surroundings.
But it also becomes more clingy because it learns to distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people.
While the baby has previously cried for company and attention when waking up, mothers are now often surprised to find the baby awake and peacefully playing with itself.
The baby is now able to play with his hands and grasp and hold simple toys with his hand
The baby should now be given a small selection of different toys.
This can be something soft like a comfort blanket or a fabric picture book, a rattle, a colourful mug, and also ordinary items from the kitchen such as a wooden spoon.
The little ones can deal with that for quite a while.
However, too many toys should not be offered at this age because the baby is easily overwhelmed by them.
Strong colours are important for toys. Babies can only recognize the colour m blue from the age of 6 months, which is why popular pastel blue toys are usually left behind.
The baby loves it when someone explains the world to him. If the baby is in your arms during a tour of the apartment, objects should be shown and named again and again.
Also, fingerplays and rhymes first now bring fun to a baby’s everyday life.
Don’t forget the continual vaccination
The first vaccinations will now be given at the latest. Whereas in the past there was no vaccination if the baby was sick, it now depends on the type of infection.
If the infection and fever begin, the baby will not be vaccinated. If the infection is already subsiding or if the baby only has a slight cold, the vaccination will still be given.
Most babies tolerate the vaccination without problems, sometimes a little fever, and the baby is more restless than usual.
Babies prone to atopic dermatitis show the first symptoms at this age. Early treatment is now important to keep the excruciating itching at bay.
Ointments containing cortisone are sometimes necessary for acute attacks. Between relapses is good skincare important.
The doctor often prescribes urea-based products that provide the skin with plenty of moisture. Oily creams are also used, depending on the condition of the skin.
Baby food Nutrition
Most mothers will find that the baby can get by with fewer meals each day. This is because the stomach can now absorb more milk. You no longer have to breastfeed every two to three hours.
Now, however, another problem can arise with feeding. The baby is easily distracted by outside influences.
When breastfeeding, it lets go of the breast again and again, for example, to turn into a source of the noise.
Discreet breastfeeding amid a crowd becomes virtually impossible.
It is therefore better to retreat to a quieter place to breastfeed instead of wanting to continue participating in conversations.
A breastfeeding meal doesn’t take that long. After that, there is still time to get back to action.
Bottle-fed children also often forget to drink because the barking dog or the neighbour who is just telling an anecdote is much more interesting than the drinking process.
Baby Colic
Annoying three-month colic and screaming for hours in the evening are now slowly a thing of the past.
The evenings and nights are a little quieter for the parents from the fourth month onwards.
On the other hand, teething can now begin in some babies. Although there are usually no teeth to be seen before the fifth or sixth month, the babies are already starting to drool heavily and chew on everything.
You can already feel the pressure released by the upward-pushing tooth. In most cases, however, no further complaints can be identified and the baby is not whining. That comes later, shortly before the tooth erupts.
During this time, the babies not only chew on objects because of their teething, but the so-called oral phase begins.
The mouth is currently the baby’s best organ for touch so that the texture, surface, and much more of the various toys and other objects can be perceived and stored in the brain.
Because the baby puts everything in its mouth, small parts that can be swallowed, poisonous flowers, and the litter box belong out of the baby’s reach.
