by When Do Babies Lᴀᴜɢʜ For The First Time
You’ve heard the ᴄᴏᴏs ᴀɴᴅ ɢɪɢɢʟᴇs, now get ready for the adorable Lᴀᴜɢʜter. Find out when babies Lᴀᴜɢʜ for the first time and how you can make it happen. If you thought it was exciting to see baby smile that big ɢᴜᴍᴍʏ ɢʀɪɴ, just wait until you hear the first Lᴀᴜɢʜ. Wondering when it’s going to happen?
What Causes Baby’s First Lᴀᴜɢʜ?
While infants are too young to get belly Lᴀᴜɢʜs they can get the ɢɪɢɢʟᴇs from seeing a funny face or hearing a sɪʟʟʏ voice. “Early Lᴀᴜɢʜing is ʀᴇFʟᴇxɪᴠᴇ,” Gerosa says
which means that first Lᴀᴜɢʜ may just come out of ɴᴏᴡʜᴇʀᴇ. But as babies get older, Lᴀᴜɢʜter happens as more of a physical reaction to something that feels good, like when you tickle them or blow raspberries on their belly. And get this: Baby doesn’t only Lᴀᴜɢʜ when she’s awake. When you put your infant down for a nap, don’t be surprised if you hear a few little Lᴀᴜɢʜs coming from the baby monitor.
Babies Lᴀᴜɢʜ in their sleep for the first time around 9 months, though it can happen as early as 6 months, says Stan Spinner, MD, chief medical officer of Texas Children’s Pediatrics in Houston.
When Do Babies Lᴀᴜɢʜ For The First Time?
By the time they’re about 3 or 4 months old, most babies will let loose their first real Lᴀᴜɢʜ—and the moment you hear it, you’ll likely Lᴀᴜɢʜ right back. That’s just what baby was hoping for. Besides loving the sound of their own voice, baby will get a ᴋɪᴄᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏf ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ he gets when he uses it. And it’s good practice for him. Over time, interacting with people like this helps baby develop key social skills.
How Baby’s Lᴀᴜɢʜ Changes
Listen closely to baby’s Lᴀᴜɢʜ as he grows: “Vocal tone changes over time as the ʟᴀʀʏɴx develops,” Gerosa says. “It will drop and change in intensity, tone and pitch.” When babies reach about 9 to 12 months of age, their Lᴀᴜɢʜter will also have more intent behind it compared with that of, say, a 4-month-old, because they’re able to understand more. 12 months, they start to differentiate between familiar and unfamiliar people, and can develop stranger anxiety,” Spinner says. So if you crack baby up but a friendly stranger makes him cry, it’s totally normal and you’ll know why.
How To Get Baby To Lᴀᴜɢʜ
Want to tickle baby’s funny bone? Try a physical trigger like tickling her toes, gently bouncing her up and down on your lap, blowing raspberries at her or on her, or playing a game of pat-a-cake. And don’t forget classic moves like making funny faces and sɪʟʟʏ sounds—both foolproof ways to set off ʜʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴄs.
“The more vocal and ᴠɪsᴜᴀʟ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ you can provide, the better,” Spinner says. So prepare to perform your playtime antics over and over for your captive audience. Also make sure that baby is well-rested and fed—just like an adult, she’ll find your attempt at humor much funnier when she’s in a good mood.
What To Do If Baby Isn’t LᴀᴜɢʜingIf baby hasn’t giggled yet within the traditional time frame, not to worry: Babies develop at their own pace, and it’s perfectly normal for some to start later. And like with baby’s first smile, remember that some babies are just more serious than others. It may also take a while to figure out what baby finds humorous. Keep pulling different tricks out of your sleeve—something is bound to trigger that funny bone sooner or later.
Not Lᴀᴜɢʜing before age one isn’t necessarily a concern, Spinner says, as long as baby is cooing, smiling and generally interacting in a social way with others. But if you do have any concerns, don’t hesitate to bring them up with your doctor at baby’s next well checkup.
