Parents are constantly looking forward to baby milestones. The transformation of a helpless newborn baby to a rambunctious 1-year-old toddler is amazing. Watching your baby’s amazing achievements and changes every month within the first year is heartwarming and exciting for all parents. But is there a way to know if your baby is truly acquiring skills and abilities appropriate for their age?
Are Baby Milestones Based on Due Date?
While knowing how your baby grows is important, the concept of “due date” can be confusing. Your doctor or midwife may tell you your child is reaching developmental milestones based on your due date, but what does this mean?
Is there a way to determine whether your child is on track for their age?
The answer is yes! Let’s take a closer look at how we can use our due date as an indicator for development.
The first thing to understand is that your child will go through different stages as he or she grows. For example, at birth, your baby will be in the neonatal stage, which refers to the time between birth and 28 days. Over this period, he’ll develop strong muscles and reflexes (such as sucking), start to breathe independently and sleep more soundly than when he was in utero.
Baby Developmental Milestones Month by Month
Here is a month-by-month developmental milestone checklist to help you figure out what to expect in your baby’s first year.
1 Month old
Your 1-month-old baby should be able to stare and focus on your face; stretch his body and his fingers and limbs; hear things quite well and identify your voice, and raise his head slowly while lying on his stomach.
2 Months old
Your two-month-old baby should be able to smile and track an object with her eyes when it is held inches away from her face. This month, you’ll also hear her delicious gurgles and laughs. She may also make excited and happy noises, kick her legs and wave her arms repeatedly. See if she can also grasp a finger automatically when placed on her palm.
3 Months old
Your 3-month-old baby might be trying to roll over. He might also be swiping or batting at objects in front of him, trying to bear weight on his legs when supported, and sucking on his fists and fingers.
4 Months old
Your 4-month-old baby should appear to listen intently to what you are saying, begin babbling, be able to completely roll over and try to pull herself to sit up. And don’t be surprised if you catch her trying to suck her toes!
5 Months old
Your 5-month-old baby should be aggressively reaching out for different objects. He might also be able to blow raspberries, roll over and push up his body using his arms, and hug you or stuffed animals tightly.
6 Months old
Your 6-month-old baby should be able to play and enjoy peekaboo. Since she can see across the room by now, she will probably raise her arms whenever you are around. Your baby also might be able to drink from a sippy cup and sit up without any support.
7 Months old
Your 7-month-old baby should be able to grab larger objects; babble loudly; attempt to crawl by shuffling and wiggling. She may also be able to stand up by grabbing onto something.
8 Months old
Your 8-month-old baby can probably hold his own bottle. He may also attempt to feed himself using his hands or cutlery and try to pick up small objects using his fingers.
9 Months old
Your 9-month-old baby should be able to say simple syllables, bottom shuffle across the room if not crawling, clap hands, stand up unsupported for a few seconds, climb up furniture and stairs, and respond to her name being called.
10 Months old
Your 10-month-old baby should be able to understand “yes” and “no”, and cruise around the room by grabbing onto furniture, and waving. He might even try to take a few steps alone!
11-12 Months old
Your 11 to 12-month-old baby should be able to hand an object over to you, especially if you ask for it; follow basic directions; put objects in containers, and drink from a cup. She might even be able to use a few words to identify certain objects.
Remember, some kids hit their baby milestones earlier while others are late bloomers. Avoid comparing your child to other babies to prevent depression or panic. If you are worried about your baby’s development, see your paediatrician.
How to Track Baby Milestones
Tracking baby milestones can be a fun way to bond with your child. It’s also an excellent way for you to keep track of how their development is progressing and make sure that they’re on track with their peers.
Here are some tips for tracking your baby’s milestones:
Write down all the information about each milestone in a diary or logbook. Include what happened, who was there, and other relevant details. This will help you remember important information if it slips your mind later.
Create a list of all the skills your child has mastered and those they have yet to achieve. Record these on index cards or sticky notes so you can easily see them at a glance during playtime or when reading stories together before bedtime.
You can also take photos with an app like Storyboard (available for Android and iOS) that allows you to add text captions to images just by tapping them with your finger; then share them via email!
Several apps available today allow parents to track their children’s development using photos taken with their smartphones. The app then compares these photos to a database of images of babies at different ages to determine when a baby has reached certain developmental milestones.
READ MORE:
Baby Milestones: At What Age Can Baby Roll Over?
Spending More Time In Nature Can Help Children Hit Developmental Milestones Faster
Speech Development Milestones: 5 Ways to Encourage Baby to Start Talking
Why Is Tracking Baby Milestones by Month Important
Tracking baby milestones by month is a good way to keep track of your baby’s development. It also helps you identify potential developmental delays, which can be resolved with early intervention.
Babies are constantly changing and growing during their first year, so parents need to know what to expect at each stage of development. By tracking your baby’s milestones by month, you’ll know what to look out for at each stage of their development and if anything seems off or different than expected.
If you notice something abnormal in your child’s development or behaviour, talk with their paediatrician immediately! They can help you determine a problem and provide treatment options if necessary.
When to Talk to a Pediatrician About Your Baby’s Development
When should you first talk with your paediatrician about your baby’s development? Well, it depends.
As a parent, you probably want to know how your child is growing and developing right from the start—and you’re not alone. Many parents want to compare their child’s growth with other children at the same stage of development (which is fine), and some even want to get an expert opinion on whether or not their child is doing things in the “right” order (which isn’t always possible).
So when should you visit your paediatrician? Most experts recommend that you make an appointment soon after birth if:
- Your child was born prematurely or had a condition that requires extra monitoring;
- You have questions about your baby’s physical or mental health; or
- Your baby was born at full term but did not seem to meet developmental milestones as expected for his age group (i.e., rolling over at 4 months old).
Updates by Pheona Ilagan
Here at theAsianparent Singapore, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advice or medical treatment. theAsianparent Singapore is not responsible for those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend consulting your doctor for clearer information.
