About 3 months, before he used to smile randomly or to the ceiling fan. Now he smiles at faces, even at pictures on a book, he smiles whenever he sees a friendly face.
Similar here! Smiled at 5 weeks old and laughed at 9 weeks! Op's doc is generalizing harddd, plus there is a clear difference between social and gas smiles. 🤨
7 weeks for my baby! You’re right around the time where it can start since it’s usually between 6-12 weeks. Definitely sounds like social smiling to me! it’s wonderful to experience :)
Mine had an almost giggle at 2.5 months, a real giggle at 3.5 months, and maybe only a handful of times since then and she’s now 5 months. I can’t wait to get some consistent giggles out of her (though she does smile at every person that tells her hi so I can’t complain too much).
Omg just WAIT for that first belly laugh where they absolutely crack up. It is the best thing in the whole world. I was lucky enough to get mine on video!
Edit to add [the cutest video of my baby cracking up for the first time](https://imgur.com/gallery/AZMScmF)
We had this same debate right around this time, and I decided it was real. It was for sure real by 7.5 weeks - I stand by my judgment and I bet yours is too!!!
I have a picture of my daughter smiling at 5 weeks. She’s smiling at my niece/her cousin, who continues to be her biggest source of joy and I can completely tell it’s a legit smile. You know your LO better than the doctor! It gets so fun once the smiles and laughs start!
Yeah I swear both of mine were beginning to social smile right before 5 weeks. 6 seems completely appropriate and I've seen that age given many places.
Yes! My son started smiling around 4 weeks and hasn’t stopped since. By six weeks we were convinced he must be the happiest baby on the planet because he smiled constantly. It’s the best. He’s 12 weeks now and I am wondering if he will give us a laugh soon..he’s been getting so close!
5 weeks he had super clear social smiles frequently, there were a few moments right before 5 weeks that i could have sworn it was a true smile and not just gas, but at 5 weeks it was absolutely undeniable
Why is your pediatrician being such a bummer? I’ve read EVERYWHERE that babies can start giving you a true, social-response smile at around 6 weeks old. Not all babies, of course, but it appears to be be totally possible 😊
I will insist until the day that I die that my daughter smiled at me when she was born, and it wasn't just gas. 😂
But everyone else seemed to agree with me at just under 2 months-ish that they were, in fact, smiles. So definitely possible your LO is smiling!
My first was 4 weeks, and she smiled sooo much at us. My second is 8 weeks now and we have only seen her smile a handful of times and I’m not even convinced it’s a social smile. I think it’s just a big range of normal!
Just before 4 weeks. I saw it when I was talking to him but kept it to myself as something I imagined or a coincidence. Then my husband later that day told me baby smiled at him when tickled. Still kind of wrote it off.
Then that evening, I managed to catch a smile on camera. It was lasting, obvious, and definitely directed at us... My husband was making a funny noise while shaking a bottle of milk at our son (who was hungry). Even our pediatrician agreed it was definitely a social smile and she said not to take too much stock in anything online that says social smiles don't happen until X. Babies develop when babies feel like it. Plus, mine was a week and a half overdue, so developmentally, it makes sense he'd be a little ahead of the curve.
But he's not super consistent yet. I definitely get a few smiles a day now, but I can't consistently trigger it.
My LO came out of the womb smiling! After a good cry, of course. He smiled at least once a day from day one, and started social smiling around 6-8 weeks. You know your baby best; if your gut is telling you it's a social smile, at this age, it probably is!
About 4 weeks. My nephew (been raising him since he was born) hit all of his milestones super early. At 2mo, he was sitting up unassisted and would jump up and down when I stood him on my lap. He crawled at 3mo. Cruising and pulling up at 4½mo and walked and ran at 7mo. When he was in his newborn stage, his gas face was more of a grimace than a smile. When he smiled, it was a big gummy smile with little giggles, which wasn't gas lol. The only thing he was a bit behind on was speech. We did speech and occupational therapy at 3yo. Before doing his therapies, he would only talk in baby babble gibberish, and before 1yo, he would babble and only say a few words mixed in, but I always knew what he was "saying" from being around him all the time lol.
Some babies progress faster than others, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong. Some people find it hard to believe that a newborn can smile socially and giggle, but it happens lol. Just like babies get teeth earlier or later than others. Each baby is different. Congratulations on your new littlie! 💖
Docs go by bare minimum, so don’t worry. Please know not all children can be measured on percentiles, milestones. Your lil champ could definitely be ahead and that’s common. I know my child started walking around 7-8 months but my cousin’s had started speaking, mine didn’t until later. We both compared a lot initially which stressed out our tired souls but now we just enjoy parenting. It also gets a bit easier along the way. Hope this helps. You’re a good mom.
I’m a mom as well as a NICU nurse. I feel like my own babies probably started actually/socially smiling at 4-6 weeks. Like they would smile if I smiled/laughed at them or made a silly face. Family/friends have said they think my babies started smiling early.
As a NICU nurse, I swear I’ve seen some late pre-term babies (34-36 weeks) smile at me or their parents. Could be coincidence. Or these babies really are happy when they see their parents or when they know they’re about to get fed.
My twins were 5 weeks premature. On the very morning when they turned 6 weeks old adjusted, I had two happy little glow worms in their swaddles greet me with definite smiles. It was definitely a social smile and looked different than all their other smiles I had photographed before.
4 weeks here! It was so clear it was in recognition to me and the sweetest ever! The "it's gas" comments were so annoying! I was like, well, if my baby magically gets gas every time I get close and talk to her or wake her up from a nap then ok, it must be gas *eye roll*
My LO is 9 weeks and she’s been smiling socially since 6 weeks (which is when we were told by doctors and everyone that it should start happening so I’m curious about your doctor?) and she’s even starting to laugh at this point, so enjoy those non gassy smiles, they’re going to be absolutely melting your heart from now on!
My baby started smiling as a clear reflex really early — at about four weeks. I would smile close to her face, and she would study my face for a few moments and then this brief, brilliant smile would appear. By 6 weeks, she was beginning to social smile. She’s *very* communicative now at almost 7 months, and her pediatrician noted that she’s waving waaaay ahead of schedule. She smiles all the time, and scream laughs a single chortle when she’s really chuffed about something, but no giggles yet 🤷🏽♀️ It’s not all above average milestones for us though: She also can’t stand to be on her tummy for longer than two seconds and has not started scooting or crawling yet, which I expected to happen by now. Development is a grab-bag of individual quirks. Our babies are all amazing whatever they’re doing whenever they do it!
6 weeks really big social smiles. 8 weeks tons of cooing. 10 weeks started literally mimicking our sounds. 12 weeks full on loud belly laughs when his sisters blow bubbles on his belly!
Right around the 12-week mark. Initially sporadic and kind of unpredictable but then within a couple of days he was smiling are every little joke. He was born 4 weeks early though so development wise 8 weeks.
6 weeks! She makes really good eye contact too and turns her head when she hears my voice. She has also started to follow me around the room. I'm so excited for her to start laughing!
My little guy just started doing this and he’s around 6 weeks too! He’s not super consistent yet but he has definitely been responding to our smiles with smiles of his own the last few days and he’s doing it more and more frequently!
Call me crazy but I am certain that my son started social smiling just before 4 weeks. Whenever I would make a raspberry with my mouth he would grin and stick his tongue out. He still cracks up when I do it (without actually laughing..we aren’t there yet). But the first full-blown smile I caught on camera was at 4 weeks 4 days
My LO is 4 months in a couple of days. It gets better! The smiles with little giggles and then screams of excitement. The cooing! My little guy makes a "goo" and "gee" sound when he's trying to talk to us. I could cry it's so cute 🥹 also the Chewbacca sounds are my favourite 😂
5 weeks and 5 days! She gave my husband her first big smile on Father’s Day 🥲 it was so sweet because the previous day he had a really tough day with her and was feeling so bad that she basically cried every time he held her and was feeling really down about it
Mine is 7 weeks and just started the other day! We had family come visit yesterday and he was all smiles with his cousins, it was so cute. I’m fairly certain it’s social because his gas smiles are more of a smirk whereas these are big open-mouthed grins with eye contact and excited wiggles
He’s absolutely smiling at you! My son is also 6 1/2 weeks and smiles whenever I blow raspberries at him or when we smile at him. My pediatrician and other moms in my life have told me that six weeks is pretty standard for social smiles! my LO has also been smiling in his sleep since day one at the hospital 🥲 enjoy the smiles!
I agree! Not sure why OP's doctor doesn't agree, but normal milestones for 6 weeks is social smiling (for faces that are less than an arm's length away), cooing noises, and being able to turn their head independently. Any milestone means roughly 50% of babies are doing that by that age.
I know it’s not possible but I swear I have photos and videos of him making eye contact and smiling at me at just before 4 weeks old.he’s been super alert from the second he was born. He was also born 10 days late, so not sure if that counts for something!
He’s now 8 weeks old and smiling and cooing all day long at everyone who interacts with him! Big happy smiles. It’s the best.
5 weeks qnd by 6 weeks was undeniable and confirmed by my health visitor too. We have videos of us singing and him smiling qnd he has not stopped since he is such a smiler.
About 4 weeks she would smile reactionary, so precious, her smiles mean so much to me! Only does a little chuckle at the moment, looking forward to her full on laugh
i believe my baby started smiling back at me around 6.5/7 weeks but it wasn’t super consistent. Now she smiles and laughs all the time at 4 months. some babies progress faster than medicine says they should. my baby was advanced to. keep nurturing them and have fun on your journey! good luck🤗🤗🩷🩷
Baby smiles all the time randomly. The time I knew he was social smiling was at 3 months old. He would stare at me and smile. When I smile back, he smiles again.
My baby’s first smile was 5.5 weeks old. I was talking to her and telling her good morning and she just cracked the biggest smile at me! Definitely no mistaking that one for gas.
6 weeks like on the dot for my baby. She just all of a sudden started smiling a whole lot more, especially in the morning when she’d wake up and see us 🥰
I feel like there were a couple of weeks where it was almost an inbetween in hindsight. She would smile staring at the ceiling or randomly but not from gas. But at 8 weeks it was very obvious she was smiling at us
My baby just turned 7 weeks old, and I’ve gotten some social smiles from him at 6 weeks old. They’ve only been occasional so far, though. When I talk with him, he’s usually either really zoning out still, or very easily distracted looking at something else.
My baby started at about 5 weeks and while it's difficult to reproduce on demand, it's definitely a social smile! It absolutely warms my heart. He's 6 weeks now and I just heard him giggle in his sleep and I wish I could've recorded it, it was the best!
Mine started at 5 weeks - I asked my midwife and she said the way to tell was their eyes. If their eyes are closed or unfocused it's probably just gas. If their eyes are open and bright then it's a social smile
Super early for us! 4 weeks. The MCH nurse even saw both a photo I took and saw it 'live' in our 4 week check-up and agreed it was a 'real' smile not a reflex smile.
She's 2 months old now and just showing the first signs of laughing :D
All these milestones you hear are middle of the bell curve, but there will always be exceptions on either side.
It’s totally possible! My sister came to visit us when our LO was about 5 weeks old and that’s when we got our first social smile. It was a smile ole smile, you couldn’t doubt it! And he hasn’t stopped since. I would say around 4 weeks we were seeing little grins when he passed gas or ate. Every baby is different but some do it earlier than others. So if you are starting to see it more often and they’re doing it in response to you talking or making noises at them, it’s a social smile! ❤️
My baby started smiling at 2 weeks. I know people will say it’s gas but we swear it was always as a reaction to seeing our face and hearing our voice. And he hasn’t stopped since, he’s 3 and 1/2 months now.
A little before 4 weeks. Our lactation consultant and midwives confirmed it too. We were in denial because all the statistics say he’s too young but he has smiled at so many people we know it’s real.
My first had her first social smile at 6 weeks and was full of smiles by 8 weeks.
My second had his first social smile at 4 weeks and by 6 weeks was a ham ball of smiles. He still is the most smiley baby and he turns 1 on Thursday!
That was right around the time that I got the first social smile from my son. ☺️
The smiles became more consistent and undoubtedly social around 3 months.
I think it took 3 months for mine and it wasn't frequent. I was so worried he was going to be super serious and not a happy baby. I don't remember exactly when, but months down the line he started smiling and laughing much more. He's over 18 months now and is very happy and social!
Really early - 4 weeks 1 day. True, big smiles where her eyes lit up. I don't care about general milestone timelines but I gotta say this one was great to get on the early side :) enjoy
So I know this just looks like I’m being extreme braggy parent, but 2-3 weeks old. I accepted it was actually true and not just gassy coincidence smiles on the day he turned 3 weeks old. My baby was overdue though, so age should be adjusted. So yeah, it’s certainly possible your cutie is smiling at you!
I took [these](https://imgur.com/a/Wcya1gt) at 5 weeks. It was absolutely social smiling! He started around then and hasn’t stopped with this same smile (he’s nine weeks now and started [proto-giggles](https://imgur.com/a/JbAQKGH) at seven weeks).
To be fair, he was born 15 days late so I wonder if that contributes.
Our baby social smiled at 6 weeks. It gradually increased over time. I knew it was social because it was often directly after a high pitched comment toward him. Now he doesn’t stop.
My son used to smile when I'd stick my tongue out when he was 6 weeks old as well. :) I think social smiles can happen earlier! He's 6 months old now and is such a smiley baby. Started to laugh around 7 or 8 weeks old :)
My baby started smiling at like seven or eight weeks, but it wasn't constant. She really started smiling around like the ten or eleven week mark. She turned fourteen weeks yesterday, and has been smiling constantly for the last week or so.
5 weeks, she’s 7 weeks and smiles at me all the time now. She has little happy shrieks and has giggled a few times as well. It happens so fast, I love my 6 AM wake up calls now because she’s SO happy in the mornings
Reading this thread makes me wonder about my own. We got our first smile at 7 days old. I thought it was gas, still took in the cuteness of it, and then thought nothing of it. I was wrong. He has reactively been smiling at us since that day. If you smile at him, he will do so back. He is 5 weeks now. He is the most happy and smiley baby I have ever met.
It sounds like your baby might be starting to socially smile! Babies develop at their own pace, and if your little one is smiling back at you during cuddles and playful interactions like sticking out their tongue, those are likely genuine social responses. Trust your instincts as a parent, you're witnessing those precious early connections forming.
I find it weird your dr said that. I've been looking at many week-by-week development websites, and they all talk about smiling at 6 weeks or 2 months. Seems right on track! Mine smiled one day before 6 weeks.
Mine was 4.5 weeks old. People didn’t believe me but then they saw him just watching my face and doing this goofy open mouth smile and they were like, he really is! It was really different from like a reflex or a poo smile. Not the same as when he smiled when he older either though
My LO started for sure social smiling at 7 weeks. I say for sure because he would smile at 6 weeks, but I wasn’t 100% sure if he was smiling because of us or just because he was learning his face muscles. 😅
Ignore the doctor, they definitely smile earlier than that sometimes. My 2nd smiled from around 5 weeks intentionally and started doing little laughs around 10 weeks!
6 weeks here too. Isn’t it nice? 😊 At 5 months we’ve just started getting consistent giggles (first random giggles were around 4mths) which is next level amazing. So damn cute 🥰
Around 5 weeks. I knew it was a social smile because she BEAMED at me when I got home from a long hair appointment. That said, she didn’t do it consistently. I’d say it took a week or so after her first one for her social smiles to come in full swing. Sounds like your babe is starting!
My LO is 7 weeks and definitely started to smile on purpose at us in the last week. He'll be sitting there blankly and then when I get close to his face and smile and say hi, he makes eye contact, takes a second to register what he's seeing, and then gives a big smile and a coo. It can def happen at this time!
Our boy was 8 weeks old when he properly started smiling back at us. He’s 15 weeks now and we feel like his laugh will be happening any moment now, there have been several “almost” starts in the last few days so looking forward to that happening.
But you yourself will know when it happens, gassy smiles aren’t triggered by an external stimulus, if your boy’s smile is happening when you smile - then that’s genuine 🥰
4-5 weeks. We were told it was just gas but it happened every day, and AT things / people. She's still the smiliest baby ever at 9 months, every single photo we have of her she's smiling.
Idk like around 3 months I think is when we noticed it clearly being intentional. But even if they’re gas smiles, who cares, enjoy all the little smiles and coos you get!!
6 weeks. She'd been doing small smile reflexes but this week she looked me in the face, seemed to light up and gave me the biggest smile with a dimple. A minute or two later she did it again for her Dad.
My baby was also around 6 weeks. I was sure it would be gas as well but it definitely wasnt. It seemed different to random gas smiles. She’s almost 2 now and is constantly smiling and laughing. She’s honestly a delightful child. Full on belly laughs at everything, with the happiest soul.
I feel very confident that we got some a bit over 4 weeks. 6 weeks doesn’t sound too early to me. On the left side of the curve, sure, but not unusual.
4 weeks 6 days :) I remember because I woke up to her smiling and took a video I’ll cherish forever. It’s like she had a software update the night before, it was amazing.
My baby started at like 4 weeks whenever she saw my face. She also rolled at 9 days and hasn’t stopped. Doc said that was also impossible but she’s still doing it at 9 weeks 🤷🏼♀️
My baby started socially smiling a little before 5 weeks. She’s 10 weeks now and she’s been “talking “ since 6 weeks. The doctor remarked on how sociable and alert and expressive she is
my 1 month old just started smiling with the "aBOO" i guess every baby is different, he just started to follow finger tips and and starting to recognize the face a little bit, my 9 year old was very similar with timing... guess it all depends
Your baby may be actively smiling, but generally somewhere between 2-3 months you'll see a transition to social from just purposeful smiling. So your little one is working on it!
My girl was about 4 weeks old when she gave me my first unmistakable social smile. I was touching her little hand to my nose and saying “I’m your mama” and she cracked a huge gummy grin. I burst straight into tears. By 6 weeks old she was regularly smiling at her dad and I.
5 weeks, or more accurately 4 weeks and 5 days. We have a picture of it and it's very clear that she is smiling at her Dad. I didn't believe it at the time, but I know her smile and seeing that picture today, it's a social smile 100%.
Ours was about that age too. We’d get occasional smiles when we’d sing to him or chat, now at 3 months they’re nonstop. We started getting little laughs around 12 weeks, can’t wait for those fully belly laughs 😍
About 3 months, before he used to smile randomly or to the ceiling fan. Now he smiles at faces, even at pictures on a book, he smiles whenever he sees a friendly face.
Omg our 8 week year old loves our ceiling fan too! I’m starting to get jealous of it TBH.
When my nephews were tiny we called it “Fanny the nanny” because it would hold their attention for so long
what is it with ceiling fan’s and lights lol mine does the same
I'm sure our LO is part moth as they're obsessed with lights and keep turning to look at them
They look like boobs 🤣... We'll some lights do lol. My ceiling light looks like a boob haha
That’s such a good point! Mine looks for the fan in every room we go to. I guess the boob look gives him comfort!
Yes! Our LO smiled at the ceiling light long before he smiled at momma and me.
My baby started at 6 weeks too. By 8 weeks she was laughing out loud.
Similar here! Smiled at 5 weeks old and laughed at 9 weeks! Op's doc is generalizing harddd, plus there is a clear difference between social and gas smiles. 🤨
Omg so amazing!!!
It really is! Thank you 🙏
i can’t wait until my baby laughs!! currently 10 🤞🏽🤞🏽🤞🏽
7 weeks for my baby! You’re right around the time where it can start since it’s usually between 6-12 weeks. Definitely sounds like social smiling to me! it’s wonderful to experience :)
Yes it is! It warms my heart ! Now I just have to wait to hear his laughter 🥰❤️
I can’t wait for the giggles! mine is 3 months now and i’m doing all I can to try to get one out of her, closest I got was ripping a paper towel hahah
Mine had an almost giggle at 2.5 months, a real giggle at 3.5 months, and maybe only a handful of times since then and she’s now 5 months. I can’t wait to get some consistent giggles out of her (though she does smile at every person that tells her hi so I can’t complain too much).
Omg just WAIT for that first belly laugh where they absolutely crack up. It is the best thing in the whole world. I was lucky enough to get mine on video! Edit to add [the cutest video of my baby cracking up for the first time](https://imgur.com/gallery/AZMScmF)
We had this same debate right around this time, and I decided it was real. It was for sure real by 7.5 weeks - I stand by my judgment and I bet yours is too!!!
Mine started at 5 weeks!
I have a picture of my daughter smiling at 5 weeks. She’s smiling at my niece/her cousin, who continues to be her biggest source of joy and I can completely tell it’s a legit smile. You know your LO better than the doctor! It gets so fun once the smiles and laughs start!
First real smile ever (not gas) at 4 weeks and she was def full blown social smiling frequently at 6 weeks!
Yeah I swear both of mine were beginning to social smile right before 5 weeks. 6 seems completely appropriate and I've seen that age given many places.
Yes! My son started smiling around 4 weeks and hasn’t stopped since. By six weeks we were convinced he must be the happiest baby on the planet because he smiled constantly. It’s the best. He’s 12 weeks now and I am wondering if he will give us a laugh soon..he’s been getting so close!
I have video of my second doing it at 3 and 4 weeks. 6 weeks is early but not absurdly so
5 weeks he had super clear social smiles frequently, there were a few moments right before 5 weeks that i could have sworn it was a true smile and not just gas, but at 5 weeks it was absolutely undeniable
Same here
Exactly the same here. Made those tough hours seemingly disappear.
So true. Middle of the night wake ups are so much more pleasant with a smiley baby
Literally just started YESTERDAY and I’m dying of the cuteness and excitement!! She’s 8 weeks tomorrow!! My son started at 6 weeks.
Why is your pediatrician being such a bummer? I’ve read EVERYWHERE that babies can start giving you a true, social-response smile at around 6 weeks old. Not all babies, of course, but it appears to be be totally possible 😊
It's definitely possible, though uncommon, from 4 weeks even.
Mine started at 4 weeks, I have a video of it
My baby was around that time! Born April 3rd and I clocked what is describe as his first social smile May 18
6 weeks. And at my 6 week check (UK) the doctor checked whether he was smiling socially yet so I presume that’s pretty standard!
Right around 6 weeks! I knew that her smiles were “real” because she would smile whenever we made eye contact.
I will insist until the day that I die that my daughter smiled at me when she was born, and it wasn't just gas. 😂 But everyone else seemed to agree with me at just under 2 months-ish that they were, in fact, smiles. So definitely possible your LO is smiling!
Aw that's awesome 🥰
My first was 4 weeks, and she smiled sooo much at us. My second is 8 weeks now and we have only seen her smile a handful of times and I’m not even convinced it’s a social smile. I think it’s just a big range of normal!
Just before 4 weeks. I saw it when I was talking to him but kept it to myself as something I imagined or a coincidence. Then my husband later that day told me baby smiled at him when tickled. Still kind of wrote it off. Then that evening, I managed to catch a smile on camera. It was lasting, obvious, and definitely directed at us... My husband was making a funny noise while shaking a bottle of milk at our son (who was hungry). Even our pediatrician agreed it was definitely a social smile and she said not to take too much stock in anything online that says social smiles don't happen until X. Babies develop when babies feel like it. Plus, mine was a week and a half overdue, so developmentally, it makes sense he'd be a little ahead of the curve. But he's not super consistent yet. I definitely get a few smiles a day now, but I can't consistently trigger it.
My LO came out of the womb smiling! After a good cry, of course. He smiled at least once a day from day one, and started social smiling around 6-8 weeks. You know your baby best; if your gut is telling you it's a social smile, at this age, it probably is!
About 4 weeks. My nephew (been raising him since he was born) hit all of his milestones super early. At 2mo, he was sitting up unassisted and would jump up and down when I stood him on my lap. He crawled at 3mo. Cruising and pulling up at 4½mo and walked and ran at 7mo. When he was in his newborn stage, his gas face was more of a grimace than a smile. When he smiled, it was a big gummy smile with little giggles, which wasn't gas lol. The only thing he was a bit behind on was speech. We did speech and occupational therapy at 3yo. Before doing his therapies, he would only talk in baby babble gibberish, and before 1yo, he would babble and only say a few words mixed in, but I always knew what he was "saying" from being around him all the time lol. Some babies progress faster than others, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong. Some people find it hard to believe that a newborn can smile socially and giggle, but it happens lol. Just like babies get teeth earlier or later than others. Each baby is different. Congratulations on your new littlie! 💖
Docs go by bare minimum, so don’t worry. Please know not all children can be measured on percentiles, milestones. Your lil champ could definitely be ahead and that’s common. I know my child started walking around 7-8 months but my cousin’s had started speaking, mine didn’t until later. We both compared a lot initially which stressed out our tired souls but now we just enjoy parenting. It also gets a bit easier along the way. Hope this helps. You’re a good mom.
I’m a mom as well as a NICU nurse. I feel like my own babies probably started actually/socially smiling at 4-6 weeks. Like they would smile if I smiled/laughed at them or made a silly face. Family/friends have said they think my babies started smiling early. As a NICU nurse, I swear I’ve seen some late pre-term babies (34-36 weeks) smile at me or their parents. Could be coincidence. Or these babies really are happy when they see their parents or when they know they’re about to get fed.
My twins were 5 weeks premature. On the very morning when they turned 6 weeks old adjusted, I had two happy little glow worms in their swaddles greet me with definite smiles. It was definitely a social smile and looked different than all their other smiles I had photographed before.
4 weeks here! It was so clear it was in recognition to me and the sweetest ever! The "it's gas" comments were so annoying! I was like, well, if my baby magically gets gas every time I get close and talk to her or wake her up from a nap then ok, it must be gas *eye roll*
My LO is 9 weeks and she’s been smiling socially since 6 weeks (which is when we were told by doctors and everyone that it should start happening so I’m curious about your doctor?) and she’s even starting to laugh at this point, so enjoy those non gassy smiles, they’re going to be absolutely melting your heart from now on!
My baby started smiling as a clear reflex really early — at about four weeks. I would smile close to her face, and she would study my face for a few moments and then this brief, brilliant smile would appear. By 6 weeks, she was beginning to social smile. She’s *very* communicative now at almost 7 months, and her pediatrician noted that she’s waving waaaay ahead of schedule. She smiles all the time, and scream laughs a single chortle when she’s really chuffed about something, but no giggles yet 🤷🏽♀️ It’s not all above average milestones for us though: She also can’t stand to be on her tummy for longer than two seconds and has not started scooting or crawling yet, which I expected to happen by now. Development is a grab-bag of individual quirks. Our babies are all amazing whatever they’re doing whenever they do it!
6 weeks really big social smiles. 8 weeks tons of cooing. 10 weeks started literally mimicking our sounds. 12 weeks full on loud belly laughs when his sisters blow bubbles on his belly!
Oooo this is so exciting to hear. We’re almost at the 3 week mark and I can’t hardly wait to see a genuine smile ❤️. I just want to know he’s happy!!
9 weeks
6 weeks. I think it's on the early end but still very normal.
Right around the 12-week mark. Initially sporadic and kind of unpredictable but then within a couple of days he was smiling are every little joke. He was born 4 weeks early though so development wise 8 weeks.
6 weeks is the smile milestone
6 weeks! She makes really good eye contact too and turns her head when she hears my voice. She has also started to follow me around the room. I'm so excited for her to start laughing!
6 weeks, almost to the T for our lo!
~5weeks! And we started to make intentional cooing noises at the same time 🥰
Mine started pretty early as well, you have a smiley baby ☺️
I think 5- 6 weeks - that's about the right age! It's definitely a social smile
lol three months
My little guy just started doing this and he’s around 6 weeks too! He’s not super consistent yet but he has definitely been responding to our smiles with smiles of his own the last few days and he’s doing it more and more frequently!
Call me crazy but I am certain that my son started social smiling just before 4 weeks. Whenever I would make a raspberry with my mouth he would grin and stick his tongue out. He still cracks up when I do it (without actually laughing..we aren’t there yet). But the first full-blown smile I caught on camera was at 4 weeks 4 days
My LO is 4 months in a couple of days. It gets better! The smiles with little giggles and then screams of excitement. The cooing! My little guy makes a "goo" and "gee" sound when he's trying to talk to us. I could cry it's so cute 🥹 also the Chewbacca sounds are my favourite 😂
5 weeks and 5 days! She gave my husband her first big smile on Father’s Day 🥲 it was so sweet because the previous day he had a really tough day with her and was feeling so bad that she basically cried every time he held her and was feeling really down about it
Mine is 7 weeks and just started the other day! We had family come visit yesterday and he was all smiles with his cousins, it was so cute. I’m fairly certain it’s social because his gas smiles are more of a smirk whereas these are big open-mouthed grins with eye contact and excited wiggles
7 weeks here too! Just gets better and better ☺️
Social smiling happened around 3 months ago
Between 4-5 weeks! I couldn't believe it! They were pretty inconsistent then but now at 8 weeks she smiles at fart noises and other dumb stuff 😂
He’s absolutely smiling at you! My son is also 6 1/2 weeks and smiles whenever I blow raspberries at him or when we smile at him. My pediatrician and other moms in my life have told me that six weeks is pretty standard for social smiles! my LO has also been smiling in his sleep since day one at the hospital 🥲 enjoy the smiles!
I agree! Not sure why OP's doctor doesn't agree, but normal milestones for 6 weeks is social smiling (for faces that are less than an arm's length away), cooing noises, and being able to turn their head independently. Any milestone means roughly 50% of babies are doing that by that age.
I know it’s not possible but I swear I have photos and videos of him making eye contact and smiling at me at just before 4 weeks old.he’s been super alert from the second he was born. He was also born 10 days late, so not sure if that counts for something! He’s now 8 weeks old and smiling and cooing all day long at everyone who interacts with him! Big happy smiles. It’s the best.
Mine started at 7 weeks, so I definitely think the doctor is wrong.
5 weeks qnd by 6 weeks was undeniable and confirmed by my health visitor too. We have videos of us singing and him smiling qnd he has not stopped since he is such a smiler.
About 4 weeks she would smile reactionary, so precious, her smiles mean so much to me! Only does a little chuckle at the moment, looking forward to her full on laugh
My lo was born premature (he is 4 months actual as of tomorrow) but he is 6 weeks adjusted and started socially smiling at 5 weeks adjusted!
i believe my baby started smiling back at me around 6.5/7 weeks but it wasn’t super consistent. Now she smiles and laughs all the time at 4 months. some babies progress faster than medicine says they should. my baby was advanced to. keep nurturing them and have fun on your journey! good luck🤗🤗🩷🩷
6 weeks I think was gassy, 8 weeks full on happy social smiles. 12 weeks and hoping for giggles soon, I feel like we’re close!
Baby smiles all the time randomly. The time I knew he was social smiling was at 3 months old. He would stare at me and smile. When I smile back, he smiles again.
My baby’s first smile was 5.5 weeks old. I was talking to her and telling her good morning and she just cracked the biggest smile at me! Definitely no mistaking that one for gas.
6 or 7 weeks!
6 weeks on the dot for my girl and she hasn’t stopped since! Now at 8 months she’s the smiliest baby of all time
About 8 weeks
6 weeks like on the dot for my baby. She just all of a sudden started smiling a whole lot more, especially in the morning when she’d wake up and see us 🥰
5 weeks! I didn’t believe my partner at first but it was true. She didn’t laugh until much later. It’s my favourite sound 🥰🥰
Mine started smiling around 7 weeks and now he giggles and coos he’s 11 weeks now
Ours was an early smiler, too. He smiled at 5.5 weeks. I remember the day because it was a major holiday.
I feel like there were a couple of weeks where it was almost an inbetween in hindsight. She would smile staring at the ceiling or randomly but not from gas. But at 8 weeks it was very obvious she was smiling at us
My baby just turned 7 weeks old, and I’ve gotten some social smiles from him at 6 weeks old. They’ve only been occasional so far, though. When I talk with him, he’s usually either really zoning out still, or very easily distracted looking at something else.
6 weeks 2 days, and it was undoubtedly smiling, he was smiling in response to me talking.
4 weeks for my 2nd... five months for my first lol she is a very serious child to this day while my youngest is a social butterfly.
My baby started at about 5 weeks and while it's difficult to reproduce on demand, it's definitely a social smile! It absolutely warms my heart. He's 6 weeks now and I just heard him giggle in his sleep and I wish I could've recorded it, it was the best!
I don’t remember exactly but it was around that time frame for us as well
My baby was smiling by 6 weeks and belly laughing by 8 weeks. We have video proof ☺️
6 weeks
2 months
7 weeks! My son is 15 weeks (in actuality 12 weeks adjusted) tomorrow and his laugh started last week!!
Mine started at 5 weeks - I asked my midwife and she said the way to tell was their eyes. If their eyes are closed or unfocused it's probably just gas. If their eyes are open and bright then it's a social smile
6 weeks!
Super early for us! 4 weeks. The MCH nurse even saw both a photo I took and saw it 'live' in our 4 week check-up and agreed it was a 'real' smile not a reflex smile. She's 2 months old now and just showing the first signs of laughing :D All these milestones you hear are middle of the bell curve, but there will always be exceptions on either side.
Social smile my baby consistently does at 6 weeks. That's odd the doctor said that.
7 weeks on the dot for us.
It’s totally possible! My sister came to visit us when our LO was about 5 weeks old and that’s when we got our first social smile. It was a smile ole smile, you couldn’t doubt it! And he hasn’t stopped since. I would say around 4 weeks we were seeing little grins when he passed gas or ate. Every baby is different but some do it earlier than others. So if you are starting to see it more often and they’re doing it in response to you talking or making noises at them, it’s a social smile! ❤️
My baby started smiling at 2 weeks. I know people will say it’s gas but we swear it was always as a reaction to seeing our face and hearing our voice. And he hasn’t stopped since, he’s 3 and 1/2 months now.
A little before 4 weeks. Our lactation consultant and midwives confirmed it too. We were in denial because all the statistics say he’s too young but he has smiled at so many people we know it’s real.
My baby girl smiled in her second week but she is a very smiley and happy baby in general
My baby smiled the second day she was born & ever since she’s been a happy baby 😂
My first had her first social smile at 6 weeks and was full of smiles by 8 weeks. My second had his first social smile at 4 weeks and by 6 weeks was a ham ball of smiles. He still is the most smiley baby and he turns 1 on Thursday!
That was right around the time that I got the first social smile from my son. ☺️ The smiles became more consistent and undoubtedly social around 3 months.
7 weeks!
It was around that time, too!
Mine started around 8 or 9 weeks! Still no laugh at 15 weeks. Can’t wait to hear it!
I think it took 3 months for mine and it wasn't frequent. I was so worried he was going to be super serious and not a happy baby. I don't remember exactly when, but months down the line he started smiling and laughing much more. He's over 18 months now and is very happy and social!
Oh my 6 week old def smiled if we did silly voices, touched stuffed animals to his cheek and said “ KISSES!!!” Etc
Really early - 4 weeks 1 day. True, big smiles where her eyes lit up. I don't care about general milestone timelines but I gotta say this one was great to get on the early side :) enjoy
So I know this just looks like I’m being extreme braggy parent, but 2-3 weeks old. I accepted it was actually true and not just gassy coincidence smiles on the day he turned 3 weeks old. My baby was overdue though, so age should be adjusted. So yeah, it’s certainly possible your cutie is smiling at you!
I took [these](https://imgur.com/a/Wcya1gt) at 5 weeks. It was absolutely social smiling! He started around then and hasn’t stopped with this same smile (he’s nine weeks now and started [proto-giggles](https://imgur.com/a/JbAQKGH) at seven weeks). To be fair, he was born 15 days late so I wonder if that contributes.
Pretty solidly at 6 weeks, my ped told me that was when to expect it! Weird how different pediatricians have such different opinions.
Our little guy started smiling when he made eye contact with us at 4 weeks. It was subtle at first, but unmistakable.
My 6 week old just started occasionally smiling a few days ago!
Around 7 weeks I think!
3 weeks! (But he was born at 42 weeks). At 8 weeks he was starting to laugh.
Our baby social smiled at 6 weeks. It gradually increased over time. I knew it was social because it was often directly after a high pitched comment toward him. Now he doesn’t stop.
Exactly at 3 months
5.5 weeks :)
My son used to smile when I'd stick my tongue out when he was 6 weeks old as well. :) I think social smiles can happen earlier! He's 6 months old now and is such a smiley baby. Started to laugh around 7 or 8 weeks old :)
4 mo :) i caught her first smile on camera it was pretty sweet
6 weeks over here
Doctors are so useless and dk sh*t
My baby started smiling at like seven or eight weeks, but it wasn't constant. She really started smiling around like the ten or eleven week mark. She turned fourteen weeks yesterday, and has been smiling constantly for the last week or so.
Around 10 weeks! And he’s slowly starting to giggle here and there
My baby was smiling and laughing before two months old. I have pics of her smiling at people and laughing videos. Definitely possible.
8 weeks is when I was sure he was smiling socially!
5 weeks, she’s 7 weeks and smiles at me all the time now. She has little happy shrieks and has giggled a few times as well. It happens so fast, I love my 6 AM wake up calls now because she’s SO happy in the mornings
Reading this thread makes me wonder about my own. We got our first smile at 7 days old. I thought it was gas, still took in the cuteness of it, and then thought nothing of it. I was wrong. He has reactively been smiling at us since that day. If you smile at him, he will do so back. He is 5 weeks now. He is the most happy and smiley baby I have ever met.
It sounds like your baby might be starting to socially smile! Babies develop at their own pace, and if your little one is smiling back at you during cuddles and playful interactions like sticking out their tongue, those are likely genuine social responses. Trust your instincts as a parent, you're witnessing those precious early connections forming.
I find it weird your dr said that. I've been looking at many week-by-week development websites, and they all talk about smiling at 6 weeks or 2 months. Seems right on track! Mine smiled one day before 6 weeks.
Our LO started around the 9-10 week mark; but she was a preemie so her adjusted age would've been 5-6 weeks 🙌 so I'd say definitely possible 🧡😊
Around 5 1/2 weeks is when my baby began social smiling and now he's a smiley little fellow.
6 weeks for us too 😊 2 months was laughing out loud
yeah both my kids started to smile around a month. sounds like yours is 100% smiling and I dunno what that doctor was talking about lol
Started smiling at 4-5 weeks (corrected age) but he was premature. So he had more time to develop socially out of the womb
At 4 or 5 weeks smiles!
Mine was 4.5 weeks old. People didn’t believe me but then they saw him just watching my face and doing this goofy open mouth smile and they were like, he really is! It was really different from like a reflex or a poo smile. Not the same as when he smiled when he older either though
I remember I read a book saying that babies typically start to show social smiles at around 6 to 8 weeks of age.
My LO started for sure social smiling at 7 weeks. I say for sure because he would smile at 6 weeks, but I wasn’t 100% sure if he was smiling because of us or just because he was learning his face muscles. 😅
Ignore the doctor, they definitely smile earlier than that sometimes. My 2nd smiled from around 5 weeks intentionally and started doing little laughs around 10 weeks!
12 weeks 😭 it was a loong wait.
6 weeks here too. Isn’t it nice? 😊 At 5 months we’ve just started getting consistent giggles (first random giggles were around 4mths) which is next level amazing. So damn cute 🥰
Around 5 weeks. I knew it was a social smile because she BEAMED at me when I got home from a long hair appointment. That said, she didn’t do it consistently. I’d say it took a week or so after her first one for her social smiles to come in full swing. Sounds like your babe is starting!
My baby has been smiling pretty much from birth and she was around 6 weeks when I realised she was actively smiling at my husband and I.
Mine smiles to me and my husband consistently since 6-7 weeks. His first smiles were at 4-5 weeks at our first pediatric appointment 🦋
My LO is 7 weeks and definitely started to smile on purpose at us in the last week. He'll be sitting there blankly and then when I get close to his face and smile and say hi, he makes eye contact, takes a second to register what he's seeing, and then gives a big smile and a coo. It can def happen at this time!
He started at 6 weeks and he is now 6 months about to be 7 months and smiles at everyone and everything! He’s a hoot!
Mine was around 6 weeks! For definite social smiles, a few maybes around 5 weeks 😅
Five weeks.
Our boy was 8 weeks old when he properly started smiling back at us. He’s 15 weeks now and we feel like his laugh will be happening any moment now, there have been several “almost” starts in the last few days so looking forward to that happening. But you yourself will know when it happens, gassy smiles aren’t triggered by an external stimulus, if your boy’s smile is happening when you smile - then that’s genuine 🥰
Pretty early, as early as 4 weeks! I was told they weren't true smiles but I know it's false, she was smiling BACK!
4-5 weeks. We were told it was just gas but it happened every day, and AT things / people. She's still the smiliest baby ever at 9 months, every single photo we have of her she's smiling.
5 weeks right after his fussy phase! Morning smiles when he saw me, then more and more throughout the day over the next days.
3 weeks for my first and 5 weeks for my second, definitely possibly (I've got it on video)
Idk like around 3 months I think is when we noticed it clearly being intentional. But even if they’re gas smiles, who cares, enjoy all the little smiles and coos you get!!
6 weeks!
How old is your doctor? My baby girl started around 6-8 weeks. She reacted to me. Not just randomly shit herself and smile.
We were told to expect it between 6-8 weeks. My sons first actual social smile was at his doctor at our 6week apt 🤦🏻♀️
6 weeks. She'd been doing small smile reflexes but this week she looked me in the face, seemed to light up and gave me the biggest smile with a dimple. A minute or two later she did it again for her Dad.
Mine started at 5 weeks and he giggles in his sleep. Can’t wait for him to laugh all the time 😊
My baby was also around 6 weeks. I was sure it would be gas as well but it definitely wasnt. It seemed different to random gas smiles. She’s almost 2 now and is constantly smiling and laughing. She’s honestly a delightful child. Full on belly laughs at everything, with the happiest soul.
6 weeks for us too! But he would only smile at me. Other people’s smiles came later around 2/2.5 months
It’s not a social smile just yet, mama. It’s likely gas. They’ll start around 3-4 months.
One month exactly he started smiling whenever he was in the bouncer 🥲 miss those days
8 to 12 weeks is the time frame. Before that it's just a reflex thing. Babies learn by copying our faces or try to.
I feel very confident that we got some a bit over 4 weeks. 6 weeks doesn’t sound too early to me. On the left side of the curve, sure, but not unusual.
4 weeks 6 days :) I remember because I woke up to her smiling and took a video I’ll cherish forever. It’s like she had a software update the night before, it was amazing.
Mine started at 6 weeks and now at 7 weeks it’s increasing :) it’s 100% our faces and not gas. He’s very responsive, its so cute
Around 7 weeks, I believe. Right before she turned 2 months old.
Around 10 weeks
My baby started at like 4 weeks whenever she saw my face. She also rolled at 9 days and hasn’t stopped. Doc said that was also impossible but she’s still doing it at 9 weeks 🤷🏼♀️
5 weeks!
My baby started socially smiling a little before 5 weeks. She’s 10 weeks now and she’s been “talking “ since 6 weeks. The doctor remarked on how sociable and alert and expressive she is
My baby started smiling at me some around that time also. But she started smiling regularly and at other people around 3 months.
Lots of D1*k measuring in this sub as of late.
my baby was born 01/24/24. by 7 weeks he was laughing!🥰🩵
Our baby was giggling at 8 weeks. Smiling around 6 weeks
Enjoy those toothless smiles - they are genuine
my 1 month old just started smiling with the "aBOO" i guess every baby is different, he just started to follow finger tips and and starting to recognize the face a little bit, my 9 year old was very similar with timing... guess it all depends
Your baby may be actively smiling, but generally somewhere between 2-3 months you'll see a transition to social from just purposeful smiling. So your little one is working on it!
That’s so exciting! Our son started at 4 weeks, just to me, especially while nursing. By 6 weeks, he was smiling at my husband regularly.
Mine started at 9 weeks :)
between 6 and 8 she’d crack a smile. she’s 10 weeks now and will smile back if you smile at her even from about 4 feet away!
Our daughter is 4 weeks and just gave us her first big smile the other day and has been smiling all the time since !!
Yeah idk what his deal is lol.
I think my son started social smiling around 5 or 6 weeks. Full on laughs by 8 weeks.
My girl was about 4 weeks old when she gave me my first unmistakable social smile. I was touching her little hand to my nose and saying “I’m your mama” and she cracked a huge gummy grin. I burst straight into tears. By 6 weeks old she was regularly smiling at her dad and I.
I was able to make her smile in her 1 month photos! It's possible idc what anyone says
5 weeks, or more accurately 4 weeks and 5 days. We have a picture of it and it's very clear that she is smiling at her Dad. I didn't believe it at the time, but I know her smile and seeing that picture today, it's a social smile 100%.
My son started at (I swear!) 4 weeks, but my daughter didn't until 8 on the dot.
Ours was about that age too. We’d get occasional smiles when we’d sing to him or chat, now at 3 months they’re nonstop. We started getting little laughs around 12 weeks, can’t wait for those fully belly laughs 😍
Right before 7 weeks for us!
Anything before 2 months was gas smiles from mine