The MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network showcases trusted, easy-to-use health and wellness resources from Alberta Health Services and Alberta-based partner organizations. The network is led by MyHealth.Alberta.ca, Alberta’s source for consumer health information. Our partners are committed to helping Albertans better manage their health and wellbeing. Health experts across Alberta make sure that the information on these sites is accurate and up-to-date.

MyHealth.Alberta.ca Network
I'm a Parent
Your Newborn Baby’s Growth & DevelopmentNewborns: Birth - 2 Months

Introduction

Newborns change and grow every day and the changes are amazing! On this page, you’ll find the developmental tasks and milestones that your newborn is working on as they learn to trust and form a secure attachment.

Learn about your newborn’s developing brain and discover the types of serve-and-return interactions that make your baby’s brain cell connections stronger.

Newborns

A new baby means many changes for parents, whether this is your first child or you’ve been a parent for a while. There’s a lot to think about. The first few weeks of your baby’s life will bring many surprises for you, like how fast your baby changes, how much they cry, and the feelings you have for them. A newborn needs gentle care and patience. At first it may seem that your days and nights are a continual cycle of feeding, sleeping, diapering and cuddling. You’ll soon learn what your baby’s cues mean, and begin to see their personality emerge. Over time, you’ll start to feel more confident and comfortable in your role as a parent.

Newborn lying on their back on a bed while parent, looking into newborn’s eyes, brings newborn's feet to parent's mouth.

Right from the start, newborns are able to send you cues by fussing or crying to let you know when they’re hungry, tired or need to be held. Newborns are able to hear you and see you. By the end of the first 2 months, your baby will be smiling and cooing and following you with their eyes. As you take care of your baby, you’ll get to know each other better. Your baby needs to know that you’re there to care for and comfort them when they need you. When you give your baby love, time and attention, they start to recognize you, learn to trust that you’ll be there for them, and build an attachment with you. This is how you build a secure attachment with your child.

“One thing I loved about my new baby was her smell. Surely there’s a science to the pheromones of it all…but I’d rush home just to smell her.”

~Khoi, dad of one child

Developmental milestones

Birth–2 months: The ‘being’ stage

Tasks

During this stage, your newborn is learning to:

  • trust: knowing that good, dependable and loving care is always there for them
  • form a secure attachment: a close emotional bond between you and your baby, and how you relate to each other

Milestones: Physical

  • kicks, grasps and sucks, based on reflexes
  • has weak neck muscles and a heavy head. At first, their head turns by reflex. As your baby gets older, they’ll turn their head with more control and purpose.
  • feeds and sleeps with no set pattern—this becomes more predictable over time
  • discovers their hands and brings them to their mouth
  • starts to lift up their head when on their tummy
  • starts to make smoother leg and arm movements

Milestones: Emotional

  • fusses or cries to tell you they need something
  • begins to quiet more often when comforted, but may still have times when they cannot stop crying
  • depends on you and others to cope with their emotions
  • feels safe when their needs are met

Milestones: Social

  • smiles to show pleasure by 2 months
  • begins to recognize familiar voices
  • looks at faces and prefers familiar faces

Milestones: Cognitive (thinking and communicating)

  • continues the learning that began before birth
  • is startled by loud noises
  • begins to make pleasure sounds like ‘coos’ and ‘goos’
  • prefers people to toys
  • starts to turn and follow things with their eyes
  • begins to try to get and keep your attention

If you have concerns about your child’s development, call Health Link at 811 or talk with your health care provider. You can also visit your nearest Family Resource Network and ask about the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). To find your local Family Resource Network, visit Government of Alberta – Provincial Family Resource Networks – Service Provider Search

Your newborn’s developing brain

Brain development

Your baby is changing and growing daily. All areas of your baby’s development are interconnected. Development in one area affects the development in all other areas. Your newborn baby’s development is guided by their brain.

When you know how the brain works, it’s easier to understand what you can do to support your child.

The names of four interconnected areas of development – physical, emotional, social, and cognitive – surround an image of a brain.
Tap or click image to expand

Even though babies are born with billions of brain cells, only some of them are connected at birth. Every time your baby hears your voice, smells your scent, sees your face, feels your touch and is cared for, brain cell connections are formed. The more often an experience happens, the stronger the connection gets and the easier it is for signals to start passing from one part of the brain to another. These day-to-day interactions are also building attachment between you and your baby.

Whether you’re a mom or a dad, your brain and your baby’s brain are designed to work together. Your baby tries to get your attention by looking at you, cooing, and flapping their arms and legs. Parents all around the world, in every language and culture, try to connect with their baby by getting close to their baby’s face, making their own face look happy and gentle, and by using a gentle, higher-pitched tone of voice. This is the way you get to know each other while your baby’s brain starts its rapid development.

Brain cell connections become stronger when you and your baby engage in serve-and-return interactions. As this is a new experience for both of you, here are some ideas on how to start:

  1. Watch your baby and notice what they are doing.
  2. Copy your baby’s movements and then wait for them to take a turn. Have fun and talk about what you and your baby are doing as you take turns.
  3. Notice how your baby responds.
  4. Repeat what you did if they seem to like it. After a few turns, try something new.
  5. Stop when your baby tells you they’ve had enough (e.g., turns away, stops looking at your face, starts to squirm or fuss).
  6. Let them have a rest, and wait for them to try to engage you again.

You can also access printable activities for serve-and-return with your newborn baby.

Serve-and-return interactions

Examples of serve-and-return interactions: Birth–2 months

Your baby serves when they:You return their serve when you:
  • look at your face
  • look at their face and smile while you’re feeding and caring for them
  • start to fuss and suck on their hands
  • talk to them about how they’re feeling. While you get ready to feed them say “You’re hungry, aren’t you?
  • kick their legs and flap their arms
  • push gently on the soles of their feet and let them push back against your hands
  • dangle safe objects near their hands for them to touch or bat when you’re playing together
  • make contented noises like coos, gurgles, sighs and squeals
  • copy the sounds they’re making
  • rub, pat and gently touch their tummy, back, arms and legs
  • stop to see what they do. They’ll let you know to stop or to do it again.
  • pay attention to your voice
  • talk to them about what you’re both doing during the day
  • notice whether they like a gentle voice or a lively voice

Learn more about the developing brain.