Baby’s Developmental Leaps Leap 2 – Understanding Patterns

Leap number two is the moment when your baby reaches the world of standards.

This leap occurs at around week eight, In this phase the baby starts to experience the world in a different way. The baby begins to recognize simple patterns around him and in his own body. This new discovery for your little one, happens in all senses, in sight, touch, hearing, taste, etc.

In leap number two, which we call UNDERSTANDING PATTERNS, the baby starts to discover his hands and feet and can spend hours practicing his ability to control a certain posture of his arms or legs.

In this phase, he starts to be fascinated with light and understands that it makes a shadow.

He becomes more observant, too. In the supermarket, for example, he will be more connected with the shelves following an ordered pattern, and with his voice, he will also train sound patterns such as: “ah, uh, eh.”

At this point, the baby is already discovering shapes with contrast and also has a firmer neck, so he can be placed face down to further stimulate his development.

With these changes from leap one to two, your baby will increasingly be surprised and want to practice new skills. However, as in leap one, the baby may have some changes in appetite, sleep and be more irritated by these changes.

This discovery of the patterns of sounds, touch and the identification of patterns in objects can make the baby anxious, although fascinated.

JuLeap mp two occurs about in the second month or at eight weeks,as we mentioned above, and, because of this anxiety, the baby will need to feel safe and usually asks to nurse more to feel safe while breastfeeding.

Besides Leap two, babies have gone through another 9 developmental leaps before.

Let’s understand what Developmental Leaps are and how it is possible to help babies enjoy this phase smoothly.

What are developmental leaps?

For those who have a baby at home, it’s easy to see how quickly they change and develop, isn’t it?

Babies seem to adapt very easily to the world outside the womb and, suddenly, when everything seems like roses, they cry and have trouble sleeping, eating, etc.

Some babies’ mood changes are due to their developmental process. It is very possible that the baby is going through what we call a developmental leap.

Developmental leaps are those times when the baby is learning a new skill. These moments are accompanied by some behavioral stress in babies, which we can say is normal, since the baby may be anxious about a new discovery, or feel afraid.  We can say that all changes in life bring discomfort, fear and anxiety, and, with the little ones, it is no different.

Babies’ behavior in the face of developmental leaps can vary from one child to the other. Babies are interested in the things that happen around them, or, in other words, in the sensations they feel with new discoveries, however, each baby expresses this in his own way. There are babies who are fascinated by everything they see; other babies prefer to hear sounds. There are those who like warmth and affection all day long. Each baby is unique and will act differently for each sensation.

 

However, we can simplify this process that babies experience and understand what is happening to the baby. Parents can help their child develop and also go through the leaps of development more smoothly. Just identify which jump your child is at the moment and follow the tips we have for each phase of your baby.

Second Leap Features – Understanding Patterns

As we mentioned above, in this phase of the patterns babies start to discover the patterns, be it in speech, in objects, in times of eating, in the time that their body works to be hungry and pee and poop and also in how their hands the little feet.

 

We will understand each step of this leap and how your baby expresses himself in this moment of new sensations and learning.

 

Visual patterns

During leap two, the baby begins to be fascinated by the colorful images, by the contrast of trees with the blue color of the sky, by the cat’s coat and objects with textures, the prints of striped, polka dot or highly colorful clothing. This phase leaves babies perplexed. They begin to understand color images, however simple they may be, for the first time and want to understand them.

Facial preferences

In the phase of leap one, the baby begins to observe the facial contours, now in phase two, his preference is to look at the eyes, mouth and scalp. This is the perfect time to exchange looks with the baby. He will want to understand the way you look, and he will have a lot of fun with it.

The circumference of your baby’s head

The circumference of the baby’s head grows very fast between six and eight weeks of life. The brain waves also change rapidly as the circumference changes. In the leap two phase, your baby will lose some automatic reflexes and his movements will become purposeful with his own body.

The sounds of your baby

Many moms report that their baby is singing. So it is! In this phase, your baby also recognizes the pattern that the sound of your voice can make. He is so fascinated with this discovery that he starts to create speech patterns and constantly trains this new skill. At this stage, it is common for your baby to make sounds like “uh, ah oh” following repetitions, sometimes sounding like he is singing.

The first conversations

At this age, your baby already realizes that he can communicate. He will answer conversations and will have very pleasant grumbles between one speech and another. You will notice that, when you talk to your baby and finish talking, he grumbles as if he is responding. The baby understands that he is actually communicating with you, even without understanding the words.

Uncovering hands

During the start of leap two, your baby discovers his hands. He begins to make rigid and robotic movements, learning how to control his hands and feet. The baby can spend hours moving his feet and arms to observe the pattern of his own body.

 

How to help the baby during the Second Leap – understanding patterns

Here are some tips to help your baby go through leap two in a more beneficial way for his development and also with more security about the changes that the little one has been undergoing.

Tip 1: The mother’s face

Babies at this stage are fascinated by facial expressions. The tip is to make funny faces for your baby and stay with him for a while. This tip is a fun workout for your baby. He will try to recognize thepatterns of his expressions and will want to imitate. In addition, this game will bring many fun moments for both of you.

Tip 2: The hands

In leap two, the babies begin to recognize the hands. It is still too early for him to be able to hold an object, but he already reaches out to things and can spend hours trying to understand the patterns of the objects and the ability of the hands to get to things. In this phase, you can show your baby your hands, turn him over on several sides, let him touch and gradually discover the patterns of your hands.

Tip 3: Baby Teething

Use the teething ring to encourage your baby to keep trying to pick up an object. He loves trying to get his hands on and trying to do what he still can’t do on his own. Your encouragement will help to develop this skill and stimulate the baby’s learning and persistence.

 

Tip 4: Your voice is important

Now that your baby has discovered the pattern in his voice, he will love to make several sounds and also hear sounds with patterns. Use your voice to imitate the baby and also respond when the baby makes a sound. This interaction is very important for the baby to feel safe with the new discovery and also learn to interact.

 

How do you deal with the changes and the setbacks of each leap?

As we mentioned above, during each leap, the baby may have some not very pleasant changes in appetite, mood and some setbacks in sleep.

It’s par for the course, isn’t it? Even we adults have some difficulties in dealing with the new and with changes.  Imagine for the little ones who don’t know anything in this world.

See below some tips that can ease the insecurity and irritability of the baby during these phases of change and be able to enjoy his development in a more peaceful way.

Tip 1 – In these phases of change, babies try to feel safe, even though the new discoveries are fun, they are afraid, and, because of this, many babies may need more holding. That way he will feel less discomfort at this stage;

Tip 2 – Babies feel safe when they hear their mother’s heartbeat. This sound is familiar to them and brings warmth and security, so you can use a kangaroo or sling to keep your baby closer and bring more comfort to him.

Tip 3 – Stimulate your baby’s skills with every leap. That way he will develop with your support, will feel more relaxed with the changes and will have a lot of fun with the new discoveries.

Tip 4 – Be patient with the changes your baby faces. As difficult as it may be to start a new leap, over time he will adapt and get through it.

What are the other leaps in development and when do they happen?

 

The leaps in development happen more or less at specific times. Of course, each baby will have his own time, so we cannot say the exact moment, because each baby is unique. However, we can analyze approximately by the baby’s age and also by his behavior. So, it is important to observe the changes that your baby undergoes, whether in humor or also in the new things he has been doing.

 

In addition to leap number two that we described above, there are 9 more leaps in development. Let us understand below what they are and when they occur:

 

 

• 1st Leap – Discovering sensations: Leap one happens more or less in the 1st month. At this point, the baby is already discovering the sensations of his body and also what is happening around him. The touch of his mother’s hands, the sounds, and many other things.

 

 

• 2nd Leap – Understanding patterns: Leap two happens more or less in the 2nd month. At this point, the baby is already discovering shapes with contrast and also has a firmer neck, so it can be placed face down to further stimulate his development. This phase requires a little more security for the baby than he will seek from his mother and during breastfeeding.

 

 

• 3rd Leap – Improving skills: Leap three occurs approximately in the 3rd month. In this phase, the baby can see objects clearly and should gradually try to follow them. He already tries (and many are already able to) move eyes and head in the direction in which the object is moved. At this stage, the baby can also play with a rattle and hear the sound. He may also start to cry louder than usual.

 

• 4th Leap – Recognizing sounds: Leap four happens more or less in the 4th month. In this phase, the baby starts to emit more high pitched sounds, and when the father and mother are not around, they can make sounds in order to call them. This phase can also bring more crying, but it is the phase when the baby starts to play more time by himself.

 

• 5th Leap – Making relations: Leap five happens more or less in the 5th month. In this phase, the baby begins to become more curious to know what happens to some things, such as throwing an object on the floor, pulling clothes tags, earrings, etc. He will also show dissatisfaction when the parents are absent. This phase can make the baby more uncomfortable, crying more. Holding the baby and breastfeeding are great allies in this phase.

 

• 6th Leap – Starting to integrate: Leap six takes place at around the 7th month. At this stage, the baby already begins to understand words and demonstrate that he understands some of them. At this stage, he also starts to clap and wants to crawl. He will show more affection for the mother and want to be closer.

 

• 7th Leap – Curiosity about what things are and what they are for: Leap seven happens at around the 10th month. At this stage, the baby already begins to understand that objects have specific functions, and he tries to use them in the right way. For example, a ball that is to kick, a spoon to eat, etc. In this phase he also starts to show more of his will, to eat, not to sleep, to play, etc.

 

• 8th Leap – Playing with objects: Leap eight happens at around the 11th month. At this stage, your baby begins to use creativity. He starts to pick up objects and play with them. A spoon can become an airplane, a TV remote control can become a phone. In this phase, he also observes what adults do and tries to do what adults do and tries to imitate them. This phase also brings some changes in sleep and the baby may express more the desire to not sleep.

 

• 9th Leap – Desire for independence: Leap nine happens at around fourteen months. At this stage, the baby starts to want to dress alone, will also test his emotions and begin to negotiate. This phase is also the moment when he starts not wanting to go with people other than the mother.

 

• 10th Leap – Control of his body: Leap ten happens at around eighteen months. At this stage, the baby already knows how to control his desires and also understand his parents’ will more clearly. However, the baby’s way of expressing (wants and needs) is still difficult. He may lose his appetite a little and also have nightmares at this stage.

 

Now that you understand how the 10 developmental leaps work, take the time to learn more about the other leaps we mentioned above. The more you understand how each jump works, the easier it will be for the baby (and also for you) to go through the changes in a calm and advantageous way. Each new step in development that your baby takes is fun for him, and he has the desire to improve and train new skills. Just encourage and congratulate him so that he can advance more and more.