When your baby is 3–4 months old they will have a health and development visit with the Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse. Find out about things to think about before the visit.
Remember to take your baby’s My Health Book with you to the visit.
What happens at the visit?
At the 3–4 months visit, the nurse will:
- ask about breastfeeding
- measure your baby’s weight and head size and check their hips
- check that your baby can see and hear well
- check your baby’s development
- ask if your baby has been immunised
- talk to you about how you are, how you are getting on and being a parent – including breastfeeding and moving on to solid food, your mood, smoking in the house, family violence, etc.
Your baby’s development
You know your child better than anyone else does. In order to be sure that any problems are picked up early, at this visit the nurse will ask some questions about your baby’s learning, development and behaviour. This may include questions about how your baby:
- makes sounds
- uses their hands and fingers to do things
- moves their arms and legs
- gets along with others.
If there are problems, finding them early and supporting you to deal with them can make a big difference to you and your baby.
Before the visit
Before your baby’s check, read through the 3–4 months check pages in the My Health Book. Think about how well your baby can see and hear.
Can your baby see well?
Do they:
- close their eyes against a bright light?
- stare at people’s faces when they are up close?
- turn towards light?
- smile at you without being touched or spoken to?
- look at their own fingers?
Can your baby hear well?
Do they:
- blink or cry when there is a sudden noise?
- stop crying or sucking when you talk?
- wake or stir to loud sounds?
- coo or smile when you talk?
- turn their eyes towards voices?
- seem to like a musical toy?
- stop moving when there is a new sound?
- seem to know your voice?
Talk to your nurse or your doctor if you think your baby is not seeing or hearing well.
Things to talk about at the visit
The visit is a good time to talk with the nurse about your baby and being a parent. You could talk about:
- your baby’s feeding
- sleep – safe sleeping for your baby; sleeping patterns
- what your baby’s behaviour means (eg, crying)
- ways to play, have fun and be active with your baby – and early learning at home
- teething and enrolling your baby with the Community Oral Health Service
- immunisation
- knowing when your baby is sick and what to do about it
- being smokefree
- keeping your baby safe – at home and while out and about
- car seats and car safety
- your feelings about being a parent and where to get help if you need it
- whānau relationships
- returning to work
- choices for daycare, preschool and kōhanga reo, and enrolling in time.
Related websites
Early learning – Ministry of Education
Information about finding, choosing and starting out at a daycare, preschool or kōhanga reo.
