Hey there, it’s Brydee again! Watching your baby hit milestones in their first year is one of the most exciting parts of being a parent. From smiling and laughing to those precious first words, every moment is magic. While every baby has their own unique timeline, these developmental milestones give you a general idea of what to expect. Just remember, if your little one was born prematurely, they might take a bit longer to reach these markers. Patience pays off, and most kids get there in their own time.
One to Three Month Baby Milestones
Months 1 to 3: Your baby starts to track objects with her eyes around six weeks. This is a great time to introduce some high-contrast toys. You’ll also notice her using both eyes to focus more effectively and giving you that heart-melting first smile.
She might be able to hold her head up briefly when you gently pull her to a sitting position. And don’t be surprised if she grabs your fingers; it’s a reflex, but it feels like she’s holding your hand. As she approaches three months, she’ll start reaching out towards objects, which means it’s time to bring out the sensory toys.
By three months, she can keep her head raised when lying on her front, although not for very long. She might even surprise you by turning from back to front. During this time, you’ll see her gripping objects like a rattle and maybe even giving it a little wave before dropping it. Her arms and legs will wave excitedly whenever she hears your voice, and you might catch her turning her head towards you when you speak. She’ll start making vowel sounds like “ah” and “oh,” developing quite the little voice, though actual words are still a way off.
Four to Six Month Baby Milestones
Months 4 to 6: At four months, your baby will grab for toys, smile, and laugh more easily. Bringing her hands together in front of her becomes a favourite activity. She might roll from front to back and lift her head up nice and high when she’s on her tummy. Holding her head steady and even bearing a bit of weight on her legs when you hold her up will become more common, along with lots of gurgling and babbling.
By six months, you can expect her to roll both ways – front to back and back to front. She might start sitting without support and blowing raspberries. Pulling objects towards herself becomes a fun new skill, and she might be on the verge of crawling or at least lunging forward from a kneeling position. Occasionally, she might even try pulling herself up to a standing position.
Seven to Nine Month Baby Milestones
Months 7 to 9: Your seven-month-old might start crawling or lunging forwards, searching for dropped objects, and babbling away. She’ll work hard to grasp out-of-reach toys and might play games like peekaboo. She could get to a sitting position from lying on her tummy and start walking while holding onto furniture. Waving goodbye and saying “mama” and “dada” without fully understanding are common.
At eight months, crawling becomes more efficient, and she’ll often stand up with your support or by holding onto the sofa. Moving from lying on her tummy to a sitting position will happen more smoothly.
By nine months, she’ll likely use a palmar grip to hold objects in her palm under her fingers and may start using a pincer grip. Sitting unaided for up to ten minutes and possibly saying “mama” or “dada” will be wonderful achievements. Gathering balls thrown to her, throwing objects herself, and pointing to things she wants are also milestones. Crawling and pulling herself up to standing become more common, and she might take a step or two with help, clap hands, and make a two-block tower.
Ten to Twelve Month Baby Milestones
Months 10 to 12: Around ten months, you’ll hear her say “mama” and “dada” to the right people and respond to her name. She’ll be able to stand unaided momentarily and walk with help. At eleven months, playing happily alongside others, imitating your daily activities, putting objects in and out of a container, and using gestures to show what she wants become part of her daily routine.
By her first birthday, she might be saying a few words besides Mama and Dada, stacking three objects in a tower, taking some steps alone, and drawing with crayons. She’ll shake her head to say no, stand steadily alone, and may even drink from a cup by herself.
Summarising Baby’s First Year Milestones
Sight Development: After spending nine months in the cosy darkness of your womb, your baby’s eyesight takes a bit to adjust to the world. Initially, she’ll be drawn to light and movement, focusing on objects within 20-30 cm of her. By around four weeks, she’ll begin holding her gaze longer and might start following objects from side to side. By five months, her colour vision will improve, and she’ll be able to see more clearly.
Sleep Progress: Once your baby hits four months, she might start sleeping for longer stretches. Around six months, you could enjoy six to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep as her need for night feeds decreases, especially if she’s gaining weight as expected.
Smiling and Laughing: Most babies start giving their first smiles between six and twelve weeks. By around four months, these smiles turn into laughter in response to things that amuse her.
Grasping and Reaching: From birth, those little hands will grasp reflexively. Around three to four months, she’ll start reaching for toys and holding objects more purposefully. By six months, she’ll be putting everything in her mouth and trying to hold her own bottle or sippy cup.
Talking and Babbling: Your baby will begin communicating with gurgles and coos around three months. By six to seven months, she’ll be making simple sounds like “ba” or “da.” Her first proper word might come around her first birthday, and her vocabulary will steadily grow from there.
Mobility Milestones: Rolling over usually starts between two and four months, followed by sitting up around three to four months. Crawling typically begins between six and 10 months. Standing might start around nine to 12 months, with walking often following by 16 months, though some start earlier or later.
Encouragement Tips
Encouraging these milestones can be a fun bonding experience:
- Use toys and activities to promote physical and cognitive development.
- Provide plenty of tummy time to build strength for mobility.
- Talk, sing, and read to your baby to stimulate language development.
Celebrating each new milestone is such a joy. Enjoy every moment and cherish these precious firsts as they come!
Take care, Brydee
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