Your baby: 11 weeks old

Just beyond their grasp

Your baby has likely been reaching for objects for a few weeks now, and they may soon be able to grab what they’d like—though it’s still more often hit-or-miss at this point. You can help your baby develop their mobility during tummy time by placing favourite objects just beyond their arms’ reach and seeing if your baby can stretch and wiggle to get it.

You’ll likely find that your breastfed baby is far more efficient at nursing by now, some even taking their fill in just five to 10 minutes, and maybe lasting longer before the next meal. Bottle-fed babies (whether on formula or expressed milk) are also taking bigger meals, and most babies overall are sleeping longer at night before waking up hungry again—though relatively few are actually sleeping through the night, no matter what you may have heard.

At nearly three months old, your baby delights in stimulation—when you are talking to them, when they’re kicking or batting a toy and when they’re splashing in the bath. But have you spotted overstimulation as well? Babies can be overwhelmed by too much of a good thing, and learning the warning signs can help you figure out when your baby has had enough.

Your baby’s senses are well developed by 11 weeks, which makes a trip outdoors more rewarding than it used to be. There’s so much for your baby to look at and hear as you take a trip to the park or down the street, and they will often show their delight with increasingly coordinated waves and kicks.

Your baby can typically lift and turn their head to look around and follow interesting objects with their eyes, heads and even voice, responding to the world around them with coos and screeches. If you have two or more little ones, this may be a good time to invest in one of the best double travel strollers.

You've likely gotten everything off your newborn checklist and zipped through hundreds of diapers by now. Looking to the future, it's time to consider:

• Investing in a convertible car seat that will last through about age 5
• Claiming your free box of Amazon baby items and other free stuff from Amazon
• Sleep training
• Laundry detergents for sensitive skin if you're moving away from baby soaps

Benefits of your postpartum body

Nearly three months after giving birth, you may be lamenting some of the ways that your body refuses to return to its pre-baby state—shall we count the ways? But wait, aren’t there a few things you love about your new body? Whether it’s larger breasts, a butt you’ve always wanted or a hormonal boost that has given you great hair and nails, your new body has some benefits, too.

Ashlee Wells Jackson

"I had developed this ability to ignore my body from my breasts to my knees, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks: I was buying into the media standards of what bodies should look like—what makes you whole and what makes you worthy. And that's the day I said, 'I'm going to change this.'" —Ashlee Wells Jackson, founder of the 4th Trimester Bodies Project and mom of Xavier, Nova and Aurora

Read Ashlee's Q&A: Postpartum body: Ashlee Wells Jackson found beauty in grief>

"I feel more comfortable in my own skin than I did growing up. I had a lot of body issues—being a performer and a dancer, I was always criticizing my body or looking at it as an object. Using it to produce life kind of gave it greater meaning and made me stop nitpicking." —Raechele Lovell, mom of Emett

Read Raechele's Q&A: Postpartum body: I always criticized my body, but not anymore>

"Having had a girl makes me much more aware of how accepting I need to be of who I am and the body that I have so that it doesn’t influence her when she grows up. My mom has always been cautious about how much she weighs and how she looks, and that fell on me. I don’t want her to grow up the same way, focused on the number on the scale." —Brie Jepson, mom of Olivia

Read Brie's Q&A: Postpartum body: I want to be body-positive for my daughter>

"I do have days where I feel really insecure. I grew up in a really broken home, and there are some days where I feel like I’m not worthy. I’m working on that and going to counselling to work through the childhood trauma. But I feel confident and thankful for my body—that I could nurse and be pregnant. I can’t bring myself to shame my body when I look at my kids." —Jessica Birak, mom of Noah and Declan

Read Jessica's Q&A: Postpartum body: My beauty and worth aren't defined by how I look>

"I did have a lot of acne when I was pregnant—all over my body, all over my back—and it scarred. They say your stretch marks are your tiger stripes and you earn those for being a warrior, but I also have these awesome leopard spots on my back, so I feel double fierce." —Kayla Tumangday, mom of Henry

Read Kayla's Q&A: Postpartum body: My scars tell a story>

"After I gave birth I got the belly hang. Even though I was always bigger, I’d never had a big belly. All of a sudden, there’s this hang that goes over my underwear. When I started working out again, I lost everywhere else, but still not that hang. So I’m just learning to accept that that hang is OK." —Samantha Garcia Gagnon, mom of Estelle and Joseph

Read Samantha's Q&A: Postpartum body: Learning to be OK with the belly hang

The combination of baby expenses and a drop in income that many new parents experience during mat leave is a recipe for serious financial stress. But there are ways to ease the burden, whether it’s saving up ahead of time, getting the most out of your benefits package or trying to earn a little on the side.

Moving a sleeping baby

It’s the most delicate dance of parenthood: trying to move a sleeping baby from the car seat, stroller or, let’s be honest, your chest to the crib without waking the little screamer. Tiptoeing, rocking, swaddling, a warm hand gently lifted away, millimetres at a time? Discover all the tricks of the trade.

If baby could blog

Ever wonder what your baby is thinking at night, as they awaken and cry? A dark and hilarious look at a night-time nursing session, from a baby’s perspective: My mom is a heartless harpy.