11 week old baby

Your baby's development at 11 weeks old

As your baby gets nearer three months old, you’ll probably notice how interested they’re getting in the world around them. Before, it was you who fascinated them most – but now they’re looking around constantly, almost drinking in the sights and sounds that make up their daily life.

It’s a good time to make their environment visually stimulating: perhaps hang up a baby-safe mirror in their cot or where they play, hang mobiles up near a window so that they swing in the breeze when the window is open. 

Visiting new places

Now that you probably feel more confident taking your baby out and about, enjoy visits to new places like the park or local green space to stimulate all your baby’s developing senses. They may be too young yet for the swings and slides, but they’ll love watching the older children and gazing at the leaves moving on the trees. Point out the birds, dogs, flowers and other interesting things: no, they won’t understand yet, but they are gaining language skills every day at this point, even though you won’t realise it until they start speaking their first words in seven or eight months’ time.

At this point, a little bit of stimulation goes a long way, so 15 or 20 minutes in the park at a time is probably enough so your baby doesn’t get overtired.

Reaching out

Your baby has probably been batting the dangling toys on their baby gym for a while now but now their movements are becoming smoother and more co-ordinated they will manage a bit more accuracy. They are also beginning to work out the basics of cause and effect: if they hit the hanging toy, it moves.  

If your baby is managing this new skill now, perhaps progress to putting a toy just within their reach during daily tummy time. See if they can reach out and grab it (don’t make it too difficult as they’ll lose interest). You may have to help them close their fist around the toy to activate the grab reflex.

When they’re sitting in their bouncy chair or on someone’s lap, hold a toy out near them and see if they can reach out and grasp it.

Chew on this

Don’t be surprised if your baby explores every new object by putting it in their mouth – this will last until they’re two years old or even longer. From their perspective it’s a great way to investigate the feel and texture of something, as well as its possible taste. The movements they’re making with their mouth, lips and jaw are also good practice for speaking and chewing later on. Just make sure there’s nothing small enough to choke on within their grasp.