15 Week Old Baby Development

15 Week Old Baby Milestones 👶

Baby's right on the cusp of some very exciting milestones right about now! If he hasn't already, he'll be rolling over and babbling very soon.

Rolling over

Your child will soon be a pro at rolling from front-to-back and back-to-front... he may even start rolling across the floor!

Here are some tips for helping your child reach the rolling over milestone naturally:

1. Trust baby. The best thing to do is to sit back and allow his natural development to unfold. (If your baby isn’t rolling over by 7 months, consult your pediatrician).
2. Don’t prop baby up. This lets baby practice using those muscles to balance.In fact, Dr. Emmi Pikler, the famed Hungarian pediatrician, found that babies who were allowed to naturally develop (meaning not put into positions they couldn’t get into themselves) were stronger, more stable, and more confident in their movements.

Once baby starts rolling over, be sure to transition them out of the swaddle (if you haven't already). This is also a good time to think about transitioning baby to a crib (if applicable), since a bassinet doesn't provide much room for baby to roll.

To ease the transition, try putting baby down horizontally rather than vertically, so it feels more cozy. You can also try a nested bean sleep sack—a small weight on the chest gives baby that same comfort the swaddle did, but in a manner that's safer for babies that are rolling over.

Babbling

Just as rolling over is the foundation for other motor skills, babbling is the foundation for all other forms of speech. It's baby's first foray into language (besides crying, of course!).

Babbling generally combines a consonant and a vowel or two vowels to produce a single syllable (i.e. oo, da, or ba). Although it might not sound like much yet, respondto your baby’s babbles. This provides encouragement and helps him learn new sounds and sound patterns.

You at 15 Weeks Postpartum 👩

It’s been nearly four glorious months since giving birth to your precious little one. So what’s going on “down there?” Do you notice when you sneeze, cough, or even just let out a good belly laugh, you get a little “pee surprise!” to accompany the moment? Yep, welcome to motherhood. It’s called pelvic floor weakness, and it’s super common.

Your body has undergone some dramatic changes, stretching large enough to give birth to your sweet baby. Perhaps you experienced some tearing during delivery or developed diastasis recti as well. These conditions will add to the healing process. If any of this sounds familiar to you, there’s help on the horizon, mama.

These muscles can strengthen back up with some strategic pelvic floor exercises that prevent more pelvic-floor weakness, urinary incontinence, or organ prolapse in the years to come.

Here are some exercises you can try with the approval of your doctor or midwife:

• Kegel Exercises
  Note: Though they’ve gotten a bad rap lately, they can definitely help when done in combination with other pelvic floor exercises. (Doing kegels alone may contribute to more imbalance.)
  • Empty your bladder
  • Contract the muscles you’d use to stop peeing (it’s a squeeze and lift feeling)
  • Don’t pull in your tummy, squeeze your legs together, tense your buttocks, or hold your breath—focus on just using those pelvic floor muscles
  • Squeeze for three seconds, then relax for three seconds
  • Aim for three sets of 10 kegels, three times a day
• Pelvic Tilts
  • Stand with feet shoulder width (or slightly wider) apart
  • Bend your knees so that you’re standing in a partial squat
  • Tuck your pelvis forward by arching the pubic bone toward the ceiling, then gently sweep your tailbone back toward the ceiling behind you
  • Repeat this rocking motion for three sets of 10, three times a day to strengthen the pelvic floor and your thigh muscles
• Squats*
  • Stand tall, take a big inhale, and prepare to sit back into your hips
  • With your feet slightly turned out, think about squatting “between” your legs
  • Squeeze your glutes as you stand, exhaling as you come up
  • Aim for two sets of 10 squats daily

Your body has been through so much to get to where it is today. Don’t ignore the part of your body that helped birth your beautiful child. By doing these simple pelvic floor exercises daily, you are showing your body some much needed love and attention!

*If you already have a prolapse, full squats can increase the pressure on your pelvic organs so it's best to avoid them. If you're concerned about a prolapse, speak with your healthcare provider. As a reminder, never start a new exercise routine until you are cleared by your healthcare provider to do so.

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Try This With Your 15 Week Old Baby

Create a 'yes' space for baby, allowing them to move freely on their own (think baby gates, lots of pillows, and cubbies or risers where they can easily grab toys they're interested in)