Your Baby’s Development During The 1st Year

Every new parent watches their child closely to make sure that they are doing the things that they should be doing throughout their first year. Are they rolling over, trying to walk or talk when they ought to be? Are they advanced or are they behind schedule? Be ready for your relatives and friends to ask you these questions, they want a report.

Bear in mind that every baby is different and will progress at their own rate. However most babies do develop within time frames enough of the time, to give us an indication of when they should be doing what. It is always best to talk with your pediatrician if you have any anxiety about your baby’s development. The safest rule is to follow how your baby is progressing over time, instead of getting concerned if they don’t follow a month by month graph. But here are some general guidelines you can go by:

Newborns: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics babies should be responding to noises by startling, blinking, crying or being calmed, by one week. They will begin to follow movement with their eyes, and fix on your face. This is when you start to facilitate their growth by playing, talking, cuddling, and singing to them.

Month 1: Your child may seem a little fussier at this stage; they are probably remaining awake for more than 1 hour at a time, and sleeping longer (3-five hours at a time). They will more than likely start to raise their heads as well. If they seem unhappy, you can help by cuddling and holding them.

Month 2-3: They may delight you with a smile at this stage, and not one that is the result of gas! Now they can see the world, and how they influence it by their behaviors. This is a cognitive developmental milestone. If you coo at your child, they will start to react to that stimulus. Your baby will begin to lift their upper body and head. Give your child stimuli at this time, by laughing and singing to them.

Month 4-5: This is when your baby may begin to coo more, stretch for objects and roll from their tummy to their back. This is when you should establish a bedtime routine for your child.

Month 6: By this time most babies are sitting up without assistance. They are starting to develop their motor skills by grasping objects, and putting them in the mouth, or transferring them from hand to hand. They may start trying to drink out of a cup at this stage.

Month 7-9: Alright, now things will be moving along. Your child may try to form words (such as mama or dada), and will become much more verbal now. They will start to crawl and pull themselves up to an upright position. Your baby is continuing to develop their fine motor skills. They may also have their ‘first’ tooth about months eight-nine. To promote development at this point, reading and playing games with baby is advised.

Month 10-12: Your child may be walking by this time, but do not worry if this doesn’t happen until about month fifteen. They will be attempting to feed themselves with their hands, wave good bye, search for items, and begin saying some words other than mama, and dada.

Have an awesome time with your baby throughout the 1st year. Make use of these guidelines, but keep in mind that no two babies are alike. Your baby will acquire all of the skills, and grow at their own pace with your help and encouragement. If you are worried, always speak with your pediatrician.

By: Susan Carranza

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Susan has been a nurse for 30+ years with expertise in many areas, including newborn and neonatal ICU. She has 3 children and 15 grandchildren. Provide your baby with everything for their senses-get the best for your baby Also Your baby can tell you what they need. Find out about baby sign language