Is this acceptable social smile for 8 week old baby?

[vgahdmi123]

I raised my concerns in other topic that I have a boy born in 38+3, overall healthy and achieved all milestones for 2 months, but not smiling socially.
When I talk to him he is staring at my eyes and face, making grimaces, making O with mouth and moving arms and legs happily. I also notice happiness on his face, but still we did not get real ear-to-ear smile.
The max we got is like in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/X23uKy6C6tk

Is this acceptable social smile for 2 months old baby to consider that social smile milestone is achieved?
Is there anyone else who did not get social smile by 8 weeks?

Of course it's acceptable. Do yourself and your mental health a favour and not read up on milestones or if you must limit it to twice a year. Enjoy your baby he is absolutely gorgeous and seems very happy.

8 weeks?!

Kindly, chill out.

reading milestones is killing me, it is literally making me depressed and destroying my day and night since comparing my kid with milestones advised online i find impossible.

the biggest problem is that all of them advise to immediately contact pediatrician if no milestone is achieved

The people who post 'expert opinion' about milestones online are making money out of getting you to click on their websites. Most of their 'advice' is a load of rubbish designed only to make you anxious so that you will keep clicking.

The baby in the video is just making all sorts of faces and sneezing while being poked in the face. It doesn't mean anything.

Get yourself and lovely baby out of the house to some activities. Meet other parents and babies and you'll see how different they all are in real life.

Hi OP, I've been similar with my 9 month old and I'm currently getting therapy for anxiety and post natal depression.

What I've found helped me deal with hese worries and wean off the doom scrolling on google was noticing when a site was US based. They tell you to go see someone for a lot less than the NHS guidelines do. I assume because of money! That helped out things in perspective for me so may for you too?

My boy has reached each milestone so far not too long after my anxieties about them spiralled. They all do things in their own time and if your little one is otherwise doing well, try to not worry, which is easier said than done I know.

Is this your first child? I wouldn't take too much notice of milestones unless you notice anything out of the ordinary. They all develope at different times.

Step away from the milestones and enjoy your baby.

Speak to your HV about your feelings though if you find it hard to move away from them.

I've never even heard of "social smile". These so called experts have a lot to fucking answer for.

Chuck the books in the bin, all of them, and enjoy your gorgeous baby.

This is so true. I'm in a bumpers group for mums with babies born in the same month as mine. One from Reddit and one from Mumsnet. The one from Reddit is mostly US based and there are constant posts from mums getting their children physical therapy or a speech therapist or this or that if they haven't hit X milestone by Y date and it really stressed me out because my son was late hitting most major milestones. What a waste of energy. They do things in their own time, and even if there is something the matter with your baby it's very unlikely that the signs would already be there at 2 months old.

Milestones are estimates OP

When's your health visitor next due? You can discuss with them or send a clip of your baby. Around 8 weeks is when they started for me, so if by week 12 you're not getting baby smiling when they see you I'd call the health visitor x

Congratulations, your baby is absolutely gorgeous 💗

Just remember your gorgeous baby hasn’t read the books .. these are all approximations … if you can find it try looking for a Peter Kay sketch … he talked about learning to walk .. people talk about what age they walk at but you never see a grown man crawling to a party I never learnt to walk … obviously funnier told by Peter Kay.. but you get the drift

Of course that's a smile.

You have got to stop worrying this much.

Don't wait this precious carefree time.

I literally have no idea if my baby smiled by 8 weeks!!! That’s an insane amount of pressure you are putting on the situation. Remember it’s very early days and hormones are wild!!! Xx

What a lovely normal open mouthed smile. Gorgeous.

That poor baby being prodded in the face

I stopped reading about milestones as they were stressing me out. I have a 17 month old now and somehow she just naturally learnt everything she was meant to learn. Don't worry, try to enjoy the moments with your baby as they grow so fast.

My DS didn't smile until 10 weeks. We were referred to a paediatrician (Australia). I was beside myself with worry. Once he started he didn't stop and he is 6 now and my smiliest child 😁 They are not on preprogrammed schedules, it's all based on averages. I absolutely remember this anxiety though and send you love!

Ps he is beautiful ❤️

Just remember that he was born 2 weeks earlier than those born on their due date or later, and social smiling is from 6 weeks after due date. Also they can’t see very clearly at distance so bringing your smiling face closer to his may provoke a smile. They can only focus on your face from breast level. He looks gorgeous and is behaving normally in the video. Please try to relax and enjoy him (easier said than done on little sleep). 🌻

I think you need to stop looking up milestones and enjoy your smiley boy. The health visitor will check with you on those. If you are really so anxious maybe have a chat with her?

DD1 had the best smile. A child really couldn't have had a more expressive smile. She has autism, moderate learning disabilities, and at almost 18 can't be left alone at home. Milestones are not all that sensitive (they don't pick up every case where there is a problem) and they aren't all that specific (failing to meet a milestone don't necessarily mean there's a problem).

Try to enjoy your baby. If there are problems down the road they'll be evident and if they aren't evident they're not problems.