Baby Feeding at Month 4
Your four-month-old baby should still be feeding on breastmilk or formula exclusively. Other parents opt to supplement breastmilk with formula.
In the fourth month, your child will eat less frequently, usually four to five times a day. However, your little one may eat more mid-month when they experience a growth spurt.
At each feeding, your four-month baby will eat four to 6 ounces.
If you are unsure whether your baby is eating enough, track their diapers. A well-feeding child will have five to six wet diapers each day.
At this age, some parents introduce solid foods to their babies. According to the AAP, it is safe to introduce solid foods to babies, but one should always get the go-ahead from their kid’s pediatrician.
A 4-month-old baby is read to eat solid foods if;
- They can hold their head up
- They try to move foods from a spoon to their mouth
- They open their mouth when near food
- They have grown to at least double their birth weight
- They no longer push everything out of the mouth with their tongue
However, you should only feed them soft foods that they can mash with their gums. The first foods for a baby include sweet potato, banana, and avocado. Also, introduce a solid food at a time to observe any allergic reactions.
Sleeping Schedule for a 4-month-old baby
Your four-month-old baby will sleep for approximately 1 to 16 hours a day. Usually, a 4-month-old child will have four naps of about three to four hours. Also, your baby will wake up one or two times at night to feed.
Ensure that your baby still sleeps on its back on a flat surface with fitted bedding to avoid SIDS.
During this stage, your baby may also suffer sleep regression because of the associated growth spurt they are undergoing.
Baby Development at Month 4
Baby’s Physical Growth
Your 4-month-old baby is bigger and heavier, despite recording a slightly slower growth rate than in previous months. Your child will gain between ¾ and 1 ½ lbs in the fourth month. Their body may also have doubled by the end of the fourth month. Also, the baby’s head circumference will increase by approximately ½ an inch.
At 4 months, your baby girl should weigh between 10 and 19 lbs and measure between 22 and 26.5 inches tall. Your baby boy should weigh between 11 and 20 lbs and measure between 22 and 27 inches tall.
However, it is completely normal for your baby to weigh or measure less or more than usual. If so, it is not a call for you to panic as long as your baby’s doctor is okay with their growth rate.
Associated Movement
Baby’s physical growth contributes to their improved motor skills.
At 4 months, your baby’s newborn reflex begins to fade and ‘fidgety’ movements come in. Your baby is actually moving to exercise coordinating their large muscle groups.Your baby will push up with their elbows of hands when on their bellies to exercise their arm muscles. The exercises prepare your child for rolling in the long run, move in circles, and move forward or backward.
When lying down on their back, your 4 month kid is likely to lift their head and shoulders straight ahead, resting on their arms and hands. By the end of the 4th month, your baby will also have achieved good head and back control. The milestone is critical for other motor skills such as sitting, walking, and crawling.
Your baby is also most likely to sit steadily for longer, roll in different directions, and others can stand with a little of your help.
Sensory Development
Your baby’s senses development progresses in the fourth month, enhancing the growth of their motor, social, and mental skills too.
At 4 months, your baby will use their mouth to investigate an object as it is more sensitive than their fingers. Put clean and safe toys at your baby’s sight to explore to aid in their sensory development.
Your baby’s hearing abilities also improve greatly during their 4th month. Your child becomes quiet and turns their head when they hear your voice. Your kid is also likely to focus on a particular object as a form of exploring their environment.
Finally, your baby’s vision will improve immensely at age 4. They can now focus on bright-colored objects, look at distant objects, and improve their hand-eye coordination.
Mental Development
Your baby’s mental growth continues to grow in the fourth month. Their language skills improve and try making sounds that you make towards them. Your child may also begin laughing out loud, either self-induced or as a response to something they find humorous.
Social Development
At 4 months, your baby’s social skills broaden. Your baby can now recognize you and other family members, becomes more social to elder siblings and even strangers-they are yet to develop stranger anxiety
Baby Vaccination On the 4th Month
At four months, your baby should receive the following vaccines;
- Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis) – 2nd dose
- Haemophilus influenzae type b disease (Hib)-2nd dose
- Polio (IPV) – 2nd dose
- Pneumococcal disease (PCV13) – 2nd dose
- Rotavirus-2nd dose
Fourth Month Milestones
According to unicef and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the important milestones for your baby at 4 months are;
- Your baby will smile spontaneously
- They will try imitating your movements and facial expressions
- Will enjoy playing with others, fussing when playtime stops
- Your child will cry differently when they are hungry, tired, or in pain.
- Your kid will copy sounds
- Will put their hands in the mouth when hungry
- They can hold their head up without your support
- They may be able to roll over onto their back
- They can shake the toys they are holding
- Will push to their elbows when on their tummy
- Will push down on their legs when their feet are on a hard surface.
- They will reach for toys with one hand
- They engage in back and forth conversations (with their language) with you
- They seat while supported because of their steady head