3 Month Milestones: What Most Babies Do at 12 Weeks (Australia)

The 3 month milestones most babies show around 12 weeks are steadier head control, a lifted head and chest in tummy time, hands brought together in the middle, real smiles and eye contact, cooing back at you, and, for many, a longer first stretch of night sleep. Every one of these has a wide normal range.

This page zooms in on one age. The wider picture, birth to 24 months, lives in our guide to baby milestones by age. The month before is covered in 2 month milestones and the month after in 4 month milestones.

What do most babies do at 12 weeks, by area?

The table below is drawn from the birth to 4 months band of the ACECQA developmental milestones(opens in a new window), the national reference used by early childhood educators in Australia. It is the same checklist the BabyLog milestone tracker records, so what you tick here is what the app tracks. The rows lean towards the skills that arrive in the third month rather than the newborn reflexes.

Read the whole table, not one cell. A baby pouring effort into tummy time can look quieter on cooing for a fortnight.

What is typical at 3 months?

Head control and mini push-ups

Most 12 week olds hold their head steadier when you hold them upright or help them sit, and many lift their head and chest off the mat in tummy time. The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) describes babies at 2 to 3 months resting on their forearms when on their tummy, with head control still emerging, and by 3 to 4 months pushing up on forearms or hands(opens in a new window) with the head held high.

That push-up is built on the floor. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) suggests short goes of tummy time that add up to at least 30 minutes across the day, always with you watching, and back to sleep every time.

Hands find each other

Around 12 weeks the fists open. The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) notes that at 2 to 3 months a baby's hands are open most of the time, and many babies enjoy opening and closing them and bringing them together. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby lists hands together near the middle of the body among the physical changes at 3 months, alongside reaching for objects and putting things in the mouth.

Cooing and turn-taking

Crying is still the main language at 12 weeks, and it usually has company now. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby describes more cooing and gurgling sounds when a 3 month old is calm and content. The Raising Children Network adds that by 3 months a baby might coo and even echo you, and by 3 to 4 months makes sounds like 'ah-goo', listens when you talk and tries to reply.

Those replies are the first conversation. Pause after you speak and let bub fill the gap.

Raising Children Network · Baby development at 3-4 months

When you talk, your baby listens and tries to reply.

Longer night stretches

Many families notice the first longer sleep around now. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) says that by 3 months many babies settle into longer wake times in the day and longer sleeps overnight, often a continuous 4 to 5 hour stretch. Plenty of healthy 12 week olds still wake for one to three feeds. What the change looks like month by month is in our guide to night feeds by age.

Why is my 3 month old still crying, and when does it ease?

Crying usually peaks before this age and eases through it. The ACECQA milestones describe crying peaking at about six to eight weeks and levelling off at about 12 to 14 weeks, and the Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) gives 12 to 16 weeks for any extra crying and fussing to settle. If your 12 week old cries a lot and is hard to soothe and that worries you, that is on the nurse's list, not a sign you are doing something wrong.

Two things can make a settled baby fussier for a few days at this age. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) notes that babies may have a growth spurt at about 3 months and want to feed more than usual. Straining or crying before a poo is also common at 3 months as babies learn to use their muscles.

One safety point sits with the new wriggling. A 12 week old may not roll yet, but they kick and squirm hard, so Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's advice is to never leave a baby alone on a change table or any raised surface.

Crying peaks around six to eight weeks and eases around 12 to 14. If you are reading this at 12 weeks, the worst of it is usually behind you.

Which child health check falls around 3 months?

Usually none exactly at 12 weeks. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) lists routine baby checks at birth, 1 to 4 weeks, 6 to 8 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months, so a 3 month old sits between the 6 to 8 week check and the 4 month check. Victoria's 4 month maternal and child health visit(opens in a new window) reviews growth, health and development, works through the parent development questions in the green book, and covers safe sleeping, immunisations and first foods. Each state runs its own schedule and record book, and our guide to baby health checks in Australia sets those out.

When to talk to your child health nurse

The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) both suggest a chat with your child health nurse or GP if a 3 month old:

• is crying a lot and is difficult to soothe, and this is worrying you
• is not looking you in the eyes, even briefly, or does not pay attention to faces
• is not smiling when you talk to or smile at them
• is not making sounds when you speak to them
• does not react to loud noises, or is not distracted by a rattle
• is not feeding well at the breast or bottle, or seems very tired
• keeps their hands in a fist most of the time
• is very floppy or very stiff, or is not moving their arms or legs

At any age, a skill that was there and has gone is worth a visit on its own. healthdirect(opens in a new window) puts it simply: most children learn these skills in the same order, but not always at the same time.

Keeping track at 12 weeks

The 4 month check asks what you have noticed, and three weeks is long enough to forget whether the first laugh came before the first roll to the side.

BabyLog's milestone tracking, part of Pro, uses the same ACECQA checklist as the table above. Mark a milestone as one to watch, then tap it when it happens. The moment is stamped with the date and your baby's exact age, and every caregiver sees the same list. For the check itself, a checkup report on Pro pulls feeding, sleep, growth and the milestone checklist for the stage you pick into one summary you can share as a private link or PDF.

Common questions