Your baby’s development at around 12 months

As baby is becoming more mobile, her view of the world changes dramatically. You will be able to see how quickly your little one outgrows babyhood while developing into a more independent, righteous and active toddler. Be prepared for more to come as temper tantrums and the dawn of negativity approach.

Your baby’s physical development

By twelve months, your baby will be able to walk safely while holding on to furniture (so-called cruising). When lying down, she can rise confidently into a sitting position. Similarly, when sitting she can rise into a standing position when holding on to people or furniture. Baby may even be able to stand alone for moments until falling back onto her bottom. She has certainly found ways of moving about quickly, such as crawling on her hands and knees, bottom-shuffling or moving around on her hands and feet (walking like a bear). Some babies may also be able to walk a little with one hand held.

She will be able to play patty-cake (clap hands) or rolling back the ball and wave bye-bye. By this age, baby can safely crawl up the stairs and maybe even come downstairs backwards. Her ability to grasp tiny objects with her thumb and a finger (so-called pincer grasp) is becoming more defined because she has been practising a lot. Baby can point with her index finger at familiar persons and objects of interest. She can also handle toys in a more controlled way, i.e. drop or throw an item deliberately. Baby has a clear preference for one hand over the other but she will still use both hands equally. She can purposefully take an object from one hand into the other and release it into someone else’s hand. Baby starts to arrange toys and experiments with different shapes and sizes. Stacking toys will be a great addition to her toy box at this stage! Imitation is a very strong teacher so you may find more and more things that baby is eager to learn by imitating. By now, she can see nearly as well as an adult and her sight is still improving.

Your baby’s emotional development

Baby’s ability to recognize and to remember is already remarkable as she may find items that were mislaid. She can also recognize familiar objects by touch alone: months of analysing and testing have helped to memorize patterns, materials and other useful information about objects.

Her newly found independence causes her to discriminate between foods by taste, smell and look. Baby shows a clear preference for sweet, salty and fatty tastes. She also enjoys watching television and listening to music. By now, baby’s moods may change spontaneously; she is still dependent on the reassuring presence of a familiar adult, while she may be shy around strangers. Some babies at this age love their comfort blanket or teddy. Baby is very affectionate towards familiar adults and loves to socialize during mealtimes when joining in conversations. Her independence will lead her to learn how to feed herself and to help when getting washed and dressed.

There are a lot of games and activities that he will enjoy now. Take a look at our activity list for some inspiration here.

Your baby’s development at around 9 months

By now, your little one will be busy crawling or shuffling on his bottom whilst trying to reach everything that is of interest. More than ever it is important to remember baby’s safety at all times and as baby becomes more active, you will have to safeguard your home. Please read our baby’s safety articles for more tips and advice.

Your baby’s physical development:

Unsupported, your baby can sit steadily with a straight back for up to 15 minutes. He can turn his body to reach an object and will look for dropped toys. His interest in objects encourages him to work hard in order to get to the desired toy that is out of reach. At this age, baby can already pull himself up however, he cannot yet lower himself. Some babies may be able to walk around furniture (so-called cruising) and others will make their way across the room by rolling, crawling or wriggling on their stomach. A few babies may already take a couple of steps if held with both hands. His ability to pick up tiny objects with his thumb and his finger (so-called pincer grasp) is becoming more proficient (keep all dangerous objects out of baby’s reach). Baby can manipulate objects by poking and squeezing whilst passing them from one hand into the other. He can also willingly open his hand in order to drop a toy though putting it down voluntarily must still be learned.

By now, baby can play games such as peekaboo or patty-cake (clap with hands) and wave bye-bye. Some babies may even be able to play rolling back the ball and drink from a cup independently.

He can watch a toy which is being hidden and then look for it. This is very interesting as baby shows that he knows that the object still exists even though it is not visible. This is commonly called object permanence.

Your baby’s emotional development:

At around 9 months, baby can understand the word “no” but his urge to explore and discover may be much stronger than his willingness to obey. Baby can recognize familiar faces on pictures by showing real excitement. By now, he also understands his daily routine and knows what to expect after dinner, for instance. Baby loves songs and rhythm which he can show by clapping his hands or moving his upper part of the body when sitting down. Some babies are happy to play by themselves for longer periods of time but most still prefer to be near to a familiar adult. He has started to show his likes and dislikes at meal times which can result in lots of mess at the table!

Baby still loves to take objects into his mouth in order to “feel” them and he may start becoming attached to a comfort toy such as a blanket or his favourite toy. He likes to make lots of noise by banging and throwing so a wooden spoon is a great addition to baby’s toy box.

There are a lot of games and activities that he will enjoy now. Take a look at our activity list for some inspiration here.

Your baby’s development at around 8 months

At this stage, babies are very busy practising their skills and learning more. They are very happy playing, discovering and exploring their surroundings. If you are worried about your baby’s development, rest assured that she will reach milestones at her own pace.

Your baby’s physical development:

She can already bear her body weight on her legs when standing and is eager to learn to feed herself with whatever finger food is available. Baby will try to get to an object which is out of reach and can grasp it in her fist. She also notices when an object is dropped and where so she will look for it. When hearing a voice, she will turn her head towards the source. Baby can pass a toy from one hand to the other and is busy improving her dexterity in her fingers whilst playing. She likes to stand whilst holding on to someone or something and she can also get into a sitting position from lying on her front. Baby will love to play peekaboo!

Some babies can already crawl or shuffle around in order to move towards an object of interest. Pulling herself up into a standing position from a sitting position is a more challenging task she learns. Since she was 6 months old she may have been practising hard to pick up small objects with her thumb and fingers (please remember to keep dangerous objects out of baby’s reach) and she is still learning to master it. By now, baby can open and close her hand at will to drop and throw things.

A few babies may even be able to play patty-cake (clap with their hands) or wave bye-bye. If your baby is confident in standing whilst holding on to furniture, she may not be far away from trying to walk around them (so-called cruising).

Objects are fascinating and baby learns to understand how they relate to one another. She can identify smaller and bigger objects that fit into the other and she can show you the picture of an object you hide.

Your baby’s emotional development:

She has already discovered that she has her own will so you will certainly find out just how much she can object when, for example, her toy is being taken away. Fortunately, baby understands the word “no” which can prove to be quite helpful. She will watch others closely and start mimicking their moods by, for instance, starting to cry when her sibling does. This does not mean that she actually feels the same but she is learning to empathize.

At this age, many babies already show signs of separation anxiety when less familiar faces or strangers are around. There are many different theories of how to deal with baby’s anxiety to be away from mummy or daddy. We don’t believe in “training” baby to understand that mummy or daddy will always come back by leaving her with a less familiar person. This phase is typical for baby’s development and allows her to assess the situation, the people and how her own parents deal with them. She learns a lot by watching first before trying it out for herself.

Baby is also learning about the concept of cause and effect: by banging, dropping, throwing and shaking her toys, she discovers that her doing can result in a rattle to make a noise for instance. So if you find yourself picking up the same toy over and over again for her, don’t despair!

There are a lot of games and activities that she will enjoy now. Take a look at our activity list for some inspiration here.

Your baby’s development at around 7 months

The La Lèche League advises to exclusively breastfeed baby for at least 6 months. You can continue to feed your baby exclusively after this time, if you wish so. However, many babies develop a desire to try solid food or they need filling up more. Banana or baby rice are a great choice for starting baby on solids. Your baby can also try pureed fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked. They are easy to digest and taste great. He will also enjoy nibbling a bread crust or rusks. Please read more tips about baby’s first food baby’s first food here.

Your baby’s physical development:

Baby should be able to hold an object in his hand and feed himself i.e. with a cracker. He smiles often and confidently when being interacted into play and talk. Baby can sit without support and bear some weight on his legs when held standing. He may also be able to pull himself up into a standing position when sitting. He will object if you try to take his toy away from him and also try to reach for a toy by moving towards it. Baby is becoming more independent by the day – and more confident. He looks for a dropped toy and tries to pick up an object in his fist. When hearing somebody baby turns his head towards the direction of the voice. Peekaboo is now a great game!

He may already be able to creep or crawl by now and pass an object from one hand to the other. Maybe he can also get into a sitting position from lying on his front. Waving bye-bye and clapping hands is another challenge which some babies may have already learned. A few babies can also pick up tiny objects with their finger and thumb and walk whilst holding on to the furniture (so-called cruising).

Your baby’s emotional development:

At this age, baby is learning about cause and effect: when his hand releases the ball it will fall onto the floor. This is an important discovery and will take some more months and plenty of experiments to understand.

Slowly, baby starts to understand the meaning of often repeated words, such as “no”. This little word has a strong meaning and will thus be picked up quicker than other words.

Baby simply loves social interaction: play, talk and cuddles are all important for developing his confidence and trust. He is keen to imitate sounds, simple movements and facial expressions. This helps him to communicate as well as to get to know his physical abilities. He loves attention, especially when he feels frustrated about not being able to reach his favourite toy. Baby can express his anger very strongly now and your duties as parent will shift from caring to taking a standpoint when being confronted with his strong emotions.

There are a lot of games and activities that he will enjoy now. Take a look at our activity list for some inspiration here.

Your baby’s development at around 6 months

At this age, many babies protest loudly when they feel frustrated about not getting what they want and not being understood. Your baby will already show her frustration with tantrums – it is certainly not easy to be so little!

Your baby’s physical development:

Some babies get their first tooth at around 6 months.

Every day baby learns to develop her body movements and to coordinate them. If she is lying on her back, she will be able to roll over onto her front. A step closer to physical independence! Supported by her arms and hands, she can lift her head and chest when lying on her front. Baby can put almost all of her weight on her legs when held upright and hold her back straight. Some may even be able to stand while holding on to someone or something. She also holds her back straight when held sitting. Some babies may already be able to sit without support, however, if not, she can hold her head level with her body when pulled into a sitting position. She may even be able to creep or crawl at this age or pull herself up from sitting to a standing position. When lying on her back she can lift her legs and grasp one or both feet with her hands. She loves kicking her feet and can communicate with her arms when baby wants to be lifted up by stretching them out or similar. She is eager to reach for close objects and will find a way to move towards it. She will also look for dropped toys. Baby can reach and grab when a toy is offered to her and use her whole hand to pass an object from one hand to the other. She can also use her index finger purposely to examine objects and materials. Baby will take most of the objects she can get hold of into her mouth to “get a feel” for its shape, form and material. Visually, she is extremely alert and will follow an object or a person’s activity closely. When baby hears a sound she turns towards the source.

Your baby’s emotional development:

For some time now baby has learned to grasp very small objects with her fingers. This helps her now to feed herself so try giving her a piece of bread or similar. She will love taking control of her meal time!

Baby can offer a toy to someone else and she also understands the difference between familiar faces and strangers. This increased awareness may cause her to be extremely cautious with people she does not know as well. Baby’s emotional development will make her feel vulnerable when mother leaves the room and she can show distress. Baby is eager to imitate expressions which are a means of communicating as well as helping her understand complex communication strategies. She is more aware of other people’s feelings, too, which can result in her crying when a sibling is upset or laughing when others do. Again, this way of communicating feelings shows that baby can recognise an emotion which does not mean that she actually feels the same emotion.

There are a lot of games and activities that she will enjoy now. Take a look at our activity list for some inspiration here.

Your baby’s development at around 2 months

By now, numerous nights with little sleep are compensated with the most gorgeous baby smiles! Your baby can recognize your face and shows real excitement when you talk to him by moving his arms and legs. The little fists open and close while he may already be able to hold a bite ring in his hands. When baby is on his tummy, he can also hold his head up for a few seconds. Though baby trains his neck, tummy and back muscles very hard, it is still necessary to hold his head when lifting him up.

Baby may already be able to imitate facial expressions, such as movements of the mouth. Try to stick out your tongue and see what happens – if nothing else, you will certainly get a big smile!

Baby’s understanding of the world starts slowly to become structured into moving versus static things and people versus things. He is now capable of concentrating and focusing on something, such as a moving rattle or a bell. He can also follow things of interest with his eyes and turn his head.

By about 2 months, baby’s so-called “oral phase” begins as baby takes everything, including his fingers and hands, into his mouth. Developmentally, this phase is plausible as baby’s senses are strongest in his mouth. So even if you worry about hygienic standards, this part of baby’s development is essential in order for him to understand what is going on around him.

If your baby starts sucking his thumb, let him do so. This is also part of his development and calms him. The choice of dummy is only the second best option as parents are constantly on the look out for the lost dummy – not to mention the times they have to get up at night in order to give baby his dummy back.
And even dentists agree that sucking the thumb does not necessarily cause the teeth to deform!

For more articles and parenting inspiration visit http://www.babysbest.co.uk

Your 2 week old baby – what is best for baby now

Though we live in an informed society, many still believe that a baby can be “spoiled rotten”. However, baby’s physical and emotional needs are still so basic that they cannot possibly be spoiled too much! Infants have basic needs such as food, warmth, love, tenderness and the feeling of security which can hardly account for educational measures. You cannot give enough of these essential requirements so do not let your newborn cry for food for too long, even if you are very tired.

Putting baby in his crib in his own room, is a modern way of thinking in which babies are thought to be separate units from their parents. Yet, historically and as it is naturally intended, babies should always stay near the family: either carried in a sling or in a moses basket where mother or father is. Numerous studies have shown that those babies who are actively taken into everyday family life are much happier, cry much less and have a better chance of becoming more content and self-confident adults. If you still worry that your precious angel does not get enough sleep with all the background noise, think again: babies get used to all the noise and in fact, it calms them because they know that there is always somebody there to look after them.

Baby’s food

Breastfeeding is best for baby. Human milk is not only nutritionally optimised for baby’s needs, the close contact to the mother creates a deep bond which nurtures a very special relationship. However, breastfeeding can be accompanied by lots of difficulties so it is important to know somebody you can turn to if it gets tough going.

If you cannot breastfeed or you decide not to breastfeed: do not worry! Artificial formula has nutritionally very high standards and companies are trying their best to create formula that is as close to human milk as artificially possible. Nonetheless, formula milk can be dangerous for baby if it is not prepared in a clean setting with good standards of hygiene. So please make sure that your hands are clean before you prepare a bottle and the feeding equipment is sterilized in order to minimize the risk for baby.

When baby is breastfed he wants frequent feedings – day and night – so be prepared to feed up to 10 times in 24 hours. This can be particularly demanding when baby has a growth spurt of which there is one during the first few days at home, another one at around 7 to 10 days and one at 2 to 3 weeks. Please make sure to allow yourself plenty of rest: sleep when baby sleeps!

When baby is bottle fed he is likely to feed up to 8 hours in 24 hours. Artificial milk tends to be more filling and can intervene with baby’s natural sleep pattern so make sure to keep baby close at all times so you can respond quickly if necessary. When baby has a growth spurt prepare yourself for more unsettled nights!

Keeping baby clean

In our modern age of allergies it is important to help baby build up immunity by using as little bath supplements, soaps, etc as possible. Baby’s skin is extremely delicate and does not require any perfume, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers etc. In fact, a newborn only requires a weekly bath with clear water! Scientific studies reveal that babies are born without the protective acid mantle, thus giving baby a daily bath can be more damaging when baby’s skin protection is still developing.

Baby’s bottom can be cleaned effectively with warm water and soft cotton wool dipped in some vegetable or olive oil. Change your baby’s nappy frequently to prevent nappy rash. Let him kick his feet with his bare bottom for at least 15 minutes so his skin can breathe a little. If he has nappy rash, use ointments that contain zinc: they are reliable helpers as they support the healing process and keep the skin dry. If you breastfeed you can also put some breast milk on his bottom – it speeds up the healing process!

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When did I become a parent?

It struck me the other day: I picked up my little ones from nursery, just after lunch, which I always do. We went home and got ready for bed when my 2 year old monkey decided to make a scene. She threw herself on the floor, crying and whining. I kept absolutely calm and actually smiled. I was slightly surprised about myself because I remember those early days when both my youngest baby and my still very young daughter cried from the top of their voices and I was running around in despair trying to calm them. What a stressful time that was! I certainly didn’t feel in control then and it took me some time to manage both. But when did I become the “role model” of a parent? When did I become the parent that I always wanted to be: calm, in control, knowing what to do, fighting off other well-meaning parents with ease and simply devoted? Certainly, those early days displayed a completely different picture of me and I wouldn’t have blamed anyone criticising me for how I dealt with stressful situations because frankly, I had no experience.
Becoming a parent does not happen overnight though. It may technically be so but certainly not in reality. It takes a lot of time to grow in confidence by getting to know your baby and more about yourself through your baby.
To start with, baby’s developmental stages are challenging: they grow from being 100% dependant on their parents to wanting freedom to explore. Though as parents we grow too: from understanding the kind of care they need around the clock to finding out how much freedom we feel we can give to them. It is a balancing act to learn what we as parents feel most comfortable with. While some are happy to let their little toddler climb onto the table others will quickly take them off it again. Every little discovery seems to become an addition to the balancing act as the parent-child world expands into the real world.
Another question is how to control the baby’s ever changing behaviour? Some are likely to resolve the issue loudly while others try to explain everything with great patience. This again is a moulding process: we understand different aspects of our characters through our children. The continuous interaction allows us to discover an appropriate way of how to deal with them: a way that we feel comfortable with because we see that it works for all of us and a way that our children feel happy with, at least in the long term.

For more information about myself and inspiring articles visit www.babysbest.co.uk