Yes, you should let your baby put their hands in their mouth; it's a normal, healthy developmental stage for self-soothing, exploring textures, developing oral motor skills (like for eating solids), relieving teething pain, and building body awareness, as long as their hands are clean and you provide safe things to mouth. This crucial "mouthing" helps desensitize the gag reflex and prepare for solid foods, so keep their hands and safe toys clean and allow this exploration.
As long as your baby's hands are clean, there is nothing inherently wrong with them sucking on their hands or fingers as a self-soothing technique or to help settle themselves to sleep. Most babies will grow out of this habit on their own.
It's perfectly natural for your baby to seek comfort or a way to communicate their needs by sucking their hands. Hand sucking is not usually a cause for concern. If your child continues hand-sucking beyond the age of 4 or you're concerned about their oral development, consult your GP or dentist.
Importance of Hand to Mouth Behaviour: It is one of the earliest developmental milestones which indicates that the bay is growing well. It helps form an early body image (body awareness and mapping) in the baby's brain. It is one of the first steps in establishing voluntary muscle control.
Very normal. Once he can pick up objects he will try to eat everything he touches. It's part of exploration and learning (the mouth is much more sensory than the hands) so that's really how they feel objects. It also does feel good in the gums to chew on things so keep a variety of chewy teething toys handy.
Yes, it is normal for babies to put their hands in their mouths during their initial months of life. Your baby uses hand-chewing to comfort themselves naturally and explore their surroundings.
This might include your baby stiffening their arms or extending their fingers at an angle. What if they're pointing and gesturing much less than their neuro-typical friends? It might mean your baby is developing differently, or it could be an early indicator that your child is on the autism spectrum.
SIDS is less common after 8 months of age, but parents and caregivers should continue to follow safe sleep practices to reduce the risk of SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death until baby's first birthday. More than 90% of all SIDS deaths occur before 6 months of age.
Separation anxiety, on the other hand, can cause much longer phases of clinginess. According to the AAP, many children begin having some feelings of separation anxiety around the time they're 8 months old, with the phase peaking between 10 and 18 months and mostly resolving by the time a child turns 2.
The 5-3-3 rule is a loose guideline for structuring a baby's sleep schedule: 5 hours of wake time before the first nap, 3 hours of wake time before the second nap, and 3 hours before bedtime.
Movement Milestones
That wide-eyed, round-mouthed “O face” your baby pulls isn't just for dramatic effect—it's actually part of newborn talking. This funny little expression usually means your baby's intrigued, alert, or trying to make sense of what they're seeing. It's their way of saying, “Whoa, what's that?”—without the vocabulary.
The hardest months of breastfeeding are generally the first few weeks/months (newborn stage) due to latch issues, constant feeding, and sleep deprivation, and a challenging period around 3-6 months when babies become more distractible and fussy due to developmental leaps (growth spurts, wonder weeks). The first month is a steep learning curve as you establish supply, while the 3-6 month "crisis" involves big developmental changes that can make nursing seem difficult again, often linked to growth spurts and increased awareness, but these phases usually pass as you both learn and adapt.
2-Month-Old Developmental Red Flags
No response to loud noises. Won't smile at people. Cannot hold head up while on tummy. Doesn't bring hands to mouth.
Here are some common signs of teething in babies:
If we had to pick, months two to four tend to be the toughest for most parents. The combination of prolonged sleep deprivation, increased fussiness, and developmental changes make this period particularly challenging. However, it's important to remember that every baby (and every parent) is different.
The 7-7-7 rule of parenting generally refers to dedicating three daily 7-minute periods of focused, undistracted connection with your child (morning, after school, bedtime) to build strong bonds and make them feel seen and valued. A less common interpretation involves three developmental stages (0-7 years of play, 7-14 years of teaching, 14-21 years of advising), while another offers a stress-relief breathing technique (7-second inhale, hold, exhale).
Early findings suggest that having a mother's smell nearby may support sleep regulation and help babies feel more settled. Other work is examining whether items carrying a familiar scent, such as clothing or bedding, can help infants feel comforted and ease the transition from wakefulness to sleep.
Infants are at the highest risk for SIDS during their first 6 months of life. Most SIDS deaths occur when babies are between 1 and 4 months of age.
Tummy Time for a Healthy Baby. Babies need tummy time! Although it does not directly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), tummy time is an important way to help baby grow and develop.
However, it can happen wherever your baby is sleeping, such as when in a pushchair or even in your arms. It can also happen sometimes when your baby isn't sleeping – some babies have died in the middle of a feed.
Around 90% of autism cases are attributed to genetic factors, meaning autism is highly heritable, with many different genes contributing, rather than a single cause, often interacting with environmental influences during early brain development, though specific environmental factors don't cause it but can increase risk. Twin studies show strong genetic links, with concordance rates between 60-90% in identical twins, and research points to complex interactions of many genes and prenatal/perinatal factors.
The "6-second rule" for autism is a communication strategy where a speaker pauses for about six seconds after asking a question or giving information, giving the autistic person extra time to process it without feeling rushed, which helps reduce anxiety and allows for a more thoughtful response, reducing frustration for both parties. Instead of repeating or rephrasing, which can be confusing, you wait, and if needed, repeat the exact same words after the pause.
Signs of autism in children