Look for reassuring signs that your child's language skills are on track by watching her behavior as well as listening to her words. Among the language-related skills expected between 24 and 36 months:
If you feel your child is not on schedule with speech or has suddenly stopped progressing or regressed, tell your doctor. An audiology screen and evaluation by a speech-language pathologist can determine if there's something wrong (such as hearing loss) and design an early-intervention plan to help.
Many parents think about having another child when the first one is winding down the preschooler months. There's no ideal spacing, but an advantage to a two- to three-year difference is that the children can be playmates as they grow. It's not a good idea to tell your firstborn about an expected baby until the first trimester has safely passed (so you won't have to explain miscarriage, since that's when the risk is greatest). Although it's fine to share the news in the second trimester, you may want to wait until you're 8 or 9 months along – when you're visibly changed and the wait won't be too long – to talk up the impending arrival.
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AAP. 2015. Language developmental: 2 year olds. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/Pages/Language-Development-2-Year-Olds.aspx [Accessed August 2016]
CDC. 2016. Important milestones: Your child at two years. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-2yr.html [Accessed August 2016]
Mayo Clinic. 2016. Should I be concerned that my 2-year-old doesn’t say many words and is hard to understand? http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/toddler-speech-development/faq-20057847 [Accessed August 2016]
MedlinePlus (ADAM). 2016. Developmental milestones record—2 years. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002012.htm [Accessed August 2016]
Zero to Three. 2010. Language and literacy skills from 24–36 months. National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1289-language-and-literacy-skills-from-24-36-months [Accessed August 2016]