The delicious sounds of your baby's mouth, lips, tongue and throat working together
Your baby’s first sounds were reflexive – ones that didn't require control, like crying, coughing and burping. They will have been exploring the movement of their mouth and tongue as well as developing physical skills and control of their mouth as they sucked to feed and to explore their hands.[1] Now you might notice that they move their mouth, lips and tongue in different ways and might begin to explore making a wider range of sounds.
Ooh, ahh... what your baby's cooing may sound like
Your baby will have been listening to people talking since before they were born and might have started to make some sounds when they were comfortable and content. As their control of their mouth and tongue develops they will start to make some different sounds, moving their mouth, lips and tongue in different ways to explore the sounds that they can make.
Reaching out for objects and your baby's growing accuracy
Your baby will have started to move their hands towards objects a little while ago. Now as they develop control and the ability to think about their movements they will reach out and grab objects when lying on their back.
How grasping supports lots of other development
Now that your baby's hands are open more often, they are also likely to be showing interest in toys and objects as their vision and physical skills develop. When you give them a toy, they will hold it in their hand, but they don't yet have the physical control needed to drop the toy when they want to, so they will probably just let go when they are tired.
The stages of reaching to hit an object with their fingers
As your baby gains more control over their movements, you might see them reach out and hit an object that is close to their fingertips. This is the linked control of their arms and hands in action: your baby needs control of their arms to position their hands, as well as to provide support when they have the control to hold and move objects.[1]
Your baby's hands and arms will move with more purpose
When your baby was born, their hands will have been closed for much of the time, but around now you might notice that they are starting to have their hands open more often. They will also begin to open their hands in different ways, perhaps bringing their fingers towards their thumb or looking like they are pointing with a finger. Let's take a closer look...
Your baby's opening hands and greater arm control
Your baby developed the palmar grasp reflex before they were born, and they will still curl their fingers around an object that is placed in their hand. However, they are beginning to gain control of the movement of their hands, so although they will still often hold them in a closed fist position, you might see that they are starting to hold their hands open, or slightly open more frequently.
Mouth exploration started in the womb and will continue to help them
Your baby’s brain began to develop soon after conception and will continue to do so into adulthood. Around the third week after conception, your baby’s brain will have started to develop, with cells dividing to make neurons and glia, which are the building blocks of the brain and nervous system.[1]
Catching your baby's attention... and returning it
It's well known that babies begin life with an interest in, and preference for, social stimulation.[1] Your baby finds other people fascinating and, even before they can talk, are able to interact and communicate with you and others. Such interest and interaction depend on early forms of social cognition.
Capturing attention
How you and your baby are already conversing with sounds
Your baby has been listening to you speak since before they were born and has been moving their mouth and developing control of their movements and their breathing for a little while now. They continue to communicate by crying, but as they watch you and listen to you speak they will begin to engage in turn-taking with sounds that sound more like speech.
