The first year of your baby’s life is a remarkable journey, where they develop from a powerless newborn to a lively toddler. The baby goes through various stages of baby development every three months, with milestones on various developmental stages. Often, new parents wonder what they should expect as their little bundle of joy grows older month by month. A broad guideline of these development milestones can be found below.
The first three months of life for the baby is very important, with their bodies thriving in the outside world. Not only is the body developing to acclimate to the outside world, but their brain is too. They will learn to smile (first to herself, and later with vision improvement, to the smiles of loved ones and immediate guardians). As her vision improves, she will also be able to track objects as they move across the room. By wheeling the baby bassinet to a room with foot traffic or a great view (such as a window) will encourage this and allow her to be occupied in the safety and comfort of the baby bassinet. She will also be able to reach or grasp items held above her, making a baby mobile or baby gym a great accessory. Tummy time in the likes of her baby bassinet can help with strengthening her neck muscles to help with raising her head and chest when lying on her stomach.
From four to six months of age, your baby will learn to interact with the world by mastering the use of her hands and using her voice to get what she needs. Your little bundle of joy will now have gone from being able to raise her head to being able to roll over from front to back and vice versa. She may also be able to hold her head and sit up with support. Laughter and babbling will an extremely entertaining development, with her attempting to imitate words you speak to her, (so we encourage you talk to her as much as possible).
Once your baby is able to sit up without support, she will become an active toddler trying to gain her mobility and independence. From seven to nine months, she may start to crawl, scoot (propelling on her bum), or army crawl (dragging herself on her arms) to get from one place to another. They may also start to stand up by pulling themselves up with support. Your baby may also start responding to her name with simple words such as “Ma-Ma” or “Da-Da,” or even respond to specific words you say such as No!
The last lap on the first year of baby development is fascinating as she may soon be move around by cruising (which involves holding onto furniture and walking) and even take her first steps. She will be able to point to objects when she wants something, and hold small objects in her hand (the pincer grasp). She may be able to feed herself too either picking food from her plate using a spoon. She may start pronouncing words better and with more confidence, and indulge in pretend play.
No matter which month babies are in, it is important to know that babies develop at their own pace and should not be pressured.
Image Credit: theintelligentnest
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