The best policy is to wait until the baby is ready to swallow food from a spoon. An average infant may be able to hold her head up for long periods, and should certainly be able to hold it up for some period without bobbing. She may also be able to help maintain her own shape while sitting up. By the third month, normal infants may spend long periods lying on their back, playing with fingers or a mobile hung over the crib. They can grab one hand with the other and play with their hands as if they were toys.
Babies begin to understand that hands are extensions of themselves.
By the third month, an infant will be alert most of the day, with several daytime naps. Nighttime sleep usually lasts for 10 to 11 hours, although the infant may still require a nighttime feeding. Infant sleep also seems to run in cycles, with periods of deep sleep alternating with periods of semialertness, during which an infant may cry out, suck a finger, rock or bang his head, move about, and settle down again. It is not necessary to respond to all these noises. Most often the infant is not truly awake and begins to fall asleep again without assistance.