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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Can a 3 week old smile?

17 replies

LadyOfWaffle · 12/09/2008 21:19

I know they do windy smiles but today DS really grinned when I smiled at him and did it for a while - a few times. His eyes looked smiley too... or is it just wind? He was 13 days late so he is sort of 5 weeks and I think they smile about 6 weeks? [hopeful]

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

poppy34 · 12/09/2008 21:23

yes.. I think they can -but I may be a very biassed mum

BoysAreLikeDogs · 12/09/2008 21:24

DS2 did at 17 days.

DS1 was 6 weeks on the nose.

Original poster

LadyOfWaffle · 12/09/2008 21:25

OP posts:

avenanap · 12/09/2008 21:27

ds did at 2 weeks, he could also giggle in his sleep. It was really odd!

idontbelieveit · 12/09/2008 21:43

dd did at 3 weeks, she was 15 days late.
One of the first things the midwife said to me was that late babies smile earlier.

Kaybeeand2boys · 12/09/2008 21:46

my ds2 did around 3 weeks too, and he was 14 days late

fryalot · 12/09/2008 21:48

dd2 smiled very early.

The midwife saw her and said "that is not wind. That was a smile"

She was about 2 weeks I think.

Ime, if it looks like a smile and is in response to something likely to make them smile and it doesn't look like the usual windy shapes their mouths make, it is a smile, be they 6 hours, 6 weeks or 6 fecking months old.

congratulations, you have a smiler

seeker · 12/09/2008 21:48

One of mine did - the other didn't. People will tell you it's wind - but you can tell the difference. Isn't it AMAZING when they do!

notnowbernard · 12/09/2008 21:48

Didn't know that about late babies!

DD2 was 10 days late and DEFINITELY smiled at me at 3wks. I remember because it had me blubbing And the smile lasted for ages, too

So lovely, the first smiles

Peachy · 12/09/2008 21:49

yes they can

SingingBear · 12/09/2008 21:56

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SingingBear · 12/09/2008 21:57

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Wade · 12/09/2008 22:06

Of course!! I would like to know where the myth came from that babies can't smile until they are 6 weeks?!

LuLuMacGloo · 12/09/2008 22:11

I swear that dd smiled in response to something at about five days - no 'windy lips' - the smile reached her eyes - it was a lovely, no wind, grin in response to me grinning at her.

On the other hand ds (who was a bit of a grumpy sod as a baby) didn't genuinely smile until he was about 8 months.

Horses for courses.

kittywise · 12/09/2008 22:17

indeed they can!

LynetteScavo · 12/09/2008 22:19

Definately!

I have DS1 on film chuckling at 5 weeks.

DS2 smiled at a our friend (not me!) for the first time at 3 weeks.

gauly · 13/09/2008 20:27

Babies can imitate smiling as soon as they are born but it's quite hard to see. I've got a book that shows babies less than 15 minutes old sticking their tongues out when someone does it to them, and kind of smiling (just a little raising of the corner of the mouth but visible). I think they did it in that "Child of our Time" program too with some poor newborn having Robert Winston grinning at them.

It does work too - we did some experiments on one of our daughters just after she was born!! What's weird is how much better they get at smiling at about 5 or 6 weeks - it goes from hardly visible to a big grin at about that time. Don't know why that is, maybe just better muscle control?

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