Reaching for objects

jenskurn

LO will be 16 wks on Fri. He focuses on toys and will smile and laugh at them. He can bring his hands together and purposely put them in his mouth and if I put a toy on his belly he will grab it and do the same. My concern in he doesn't reach out for objects yet. Sometimes he will smack them but it's more of an accident. Should I be concerned?

AmberLiz99

No need to worry. Dd will bat at things, but not reach for things at all or grab on purpose quite yet. She's almost 13 weeks.

Linnea503

They "gather in" with both hands for awhile before they start to just use one hand with intention. DS has just started trying sometimes to grab with one hand and he is four months.

UnofficiallyLO

DS is 12 weeks & he is beginning to knock things, seemingly on purpose, but grabbing is luck. ^ good to know turning them on their side is helpful

smushi

Sounds like your LO is doing all the right things.  Every baby runs their own race.  Can you try holding really interesting toys just out of reach (not shaking or rattling it) to let him begin to reach out towards them?  He can practice his hand eye coordination that way.  Mine is in the swat stage but eventually we'll graduate to the circling stage and then the purposeful reaching stage.  

jenskurn

Thanks everyone.  I feel better about it.  Great tip @MaiTaiBeth !  I have noticed that LO can grab a toy when its next to him and it never occurred to me to put him on his side so he can see what he is getting.  I will try that tonight :-) 

mooncusp22

My DD is in the same boat. She will be 4mths in 4 days. She will hold rattles if I put them by her hand, has picked toys ups that were right next to her but hasn't actually reached out to purposely grab something. I was worried too but keep reminding myself that every baby is different. She loves her "fluffy" which is a little baby blanket with a bunny, she is always holding it & will switch hands with it, pull on it, etc.

jenskurn

@mooncusp22 Same here.  He loves holding and playing with blankets and his "girlfriend" (DD's doll).  I vaguely remember having this concern with my 2 yr old and it turned out fine.  I think it maybe related to swaddling him.  I noticed he keeps his arms to his sides a lot like he's swaddled. 

heybulldog52

Ditto to every baby doing things at their own pace. My bubba will be 12 weeks on Friday- no signs of rolling anytime soon, swats at toys and will grab at toys I place on his belly. He also clutches onto his wubanub, my shirt, etc but no purposefully reaching and grabbing yet. I'm not worried, all in due time!