Week Thirteen
The end of the 4th Trimester!
As your baby turns three months old, we mark the end of this period informally known as The 4th Trimester. This gentle introduction to life outside the womb has supported your baby through this most vulnerable period. Like a bridge between womb and world, they are now more ready to begin exploring the world.
Some babies have already unintentionally rolled from their tummy onto their back. You can claim bragging rights if you like but it is working out how to do it when you want to do it which is the milestone! Typically around 3-5 months, the central nervous system develops far enough down the spinal cord to allow your baby to move their arms intentionally and to transition from a prone (tummy) position over on to their back. Some babies can roll from back to tummy in the same period, which they don’t appreciate as much - and you won’t either as you constantly need to help them back over like a stranded tortoise!
The coming months will see your baby work steadily on refining these skills and you will also see them begin to pivot in circles on their tummy and even wriggle short distances as they squirm about. The key to all of these exploration is opportunity. “Container babies” are a group of infants identified as not having enough floor time due to always being contained in various devices designed to hold babies. Baby seats, bouncers, swings, car seats etc all hold the baby in a semi-reclined position which restricts movement and reduces opportunities to develop typically. “Container Baby Syndrome” identifies babies with delayed milestones, flat heads and tight necks. Ideally babies should spend their days either held in arms, carried in an ergonomic baby carrier, sleeping on a clear flat surface or lying on the floor. Car seats should only be used for transport in, to and from the car and are not intended for long periods of sleep or restraint. Baby seats, bouncers, swings etc can be useful when you need two hands to prepare or eat a meal but time should be limited and balanced by free play on the floor. It should be noted that babywearing does not have the same concerns as babies are actively supporting their body and have full movement of their head, neck and shoulders.
This stage in your baby’s life is a bit of a calm before a storm as there are some bumpy stages coming up. Four Month Monsters are just a few weeks away and you might even be seeing some indicators of this stage already! Hang in there - its all normal and part of the rapidly developing brain adapting and changing on an almost daily basis. Never again will your baby grow and develop as rapidly as these past three months and ahead you will see the complex growth of a human brain. Your baby will soon be double their birth weight and they are now covered in layers of healthy fat . Weight gain will slow down and even plateau for a period around now as focus moves onto brain growth in preparation for the mobility development in the second six months. Your baby has some new applications to download updates to install. They are rebooting the whole operating system! Good luck with that!
