At eight months old, your baby is starting to make some amazingly cute noises throughout the day. She’s busy discovering her vocal chords and experimenting with the sounds she can make. She’s also busy working out to build her strength ready for the mobility she’s working so hard to achieve. Your baby is busy developing a personality and is probably quite fun to be around these days. Here are some of the 8 month milestones your baby might reach this month:

Splat

Your baby has been working on her hand control and dexterity this month and, unfortunately for you, she’s likely to discover the endless fun of dropping things. You should expect to spend most of this month bent double picking things up from the floor. The good news is, your baby is not only learning to improve her hand control, she’s also figuring out a little bit more about object permanence. If she starts playing this game with her dinner, try not to get too frustrated. It’ll be a short phase and she’ll soon figure out that dropped food doesn’t make it’s way back to her plate. To protect your floors, put down some wipe clean mats before each meal.

On the move

Your eight month old is probably desperate to be on the move. She’s been working hard at developing her strength and is busy plotting her escape routes. Your baby may already be crawling but if she’s not, don’t worry. Your baby will master these skills in her own time. At around this time, your baby may start using her upper body strength to pull herself up whilst holding onto bits of furniture. She’s probably not ready for cruising just yet, but she’s thinking about it.

Coordinated attack

Your baby’s hand-eye coordination is constantly improving and you can help her to develop this skill further by offering her finger foods to eat at mealtimes. Small foods like peas or beans may be a challenge at first, but your baby will soon master the pincer grip necessary for eating smaller foods.

Hold me

Your baby may develop separation anxiety at around this time. Thanks to her newfound understanding of object permanence, she now knows you exist even when you’re not in front of her. You may notice she’s clingier than usual and cries when you leave the room. It can be frustrating, but it won’t last forever (even if it feels like it will). Remember, this too shall pass.

Eight months is a pretty cute age. What’s your favorite thing about eight month olds?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Your baby has come such a long way from the eat-sleep-poop newborn to this little ball of energy who is starting to sit and maybe even wanting to crawl. He can roll around, and pass objects from hand to hand. He may not be able to pick up tiny objects yet, but he can rake things into his hands. He’s doing so many new things, so fast.

Babies around six months old …

… can see in full color, have improved distance vision, and can track moving objects well.

… can react to their own names, and tell your emotions from the tone of your voice.

… can find partially hidden objects, and will toil to get objects that are out of reach.

Six-month-olds are sociable – they love playing and cuddling with caregivers. Your baby will enjoy repeating sounds you’re making, and may even babble away all day long – especially if you’re providing feedback! Mimicking your baby’s expressions and sounds will help her learn about body language and the art of conversation. Talk, read or sing to your baby as much as you can – it’s the start of language learning.

Provide a safe area for baby to explore. Be sure you’ve started childproofing your home, since your baby will soon begin exploring every corner. Babies this age will put everything in their mouths – from fuzz they find on the floor, to dog food, to the button you didn’t know fell off your coat. Be sure that small and fragile items are out of reach. Gate any stairs and close doors where you can to keep baby contained.

Get down on the floor and play with your baby every day. Place toys just out of his reach once in a while, and allow him to strengthen his upper body, and gain more balance and coordination, by reaching for them. Toys your baby might like at this age include:

• Any kind of ball: Soft balls and open balls are easy for tiny hands to manipulate. And textured balls will give your baby different tactile experiences. Your baby will love rolling the ball back and forth with you and chasing after those rolls that miss the target.
• Anything with mirrors: Babies love looking at faces, and looking at his own in a shatterproof mirror allows him to develop his sense of self.
• Toys that are made for manipulation: Any bead maze, activity gym or busy board gives babies opportunities to use logic skills and to learn how moving parts work on a very basic level.
• Books: Soft fabric books or board books should be available for baby to handle. Read to your baby every day. Literacy learning can start even before six months. The great thing about the fabric books is that they’re washable; and since he likes to put everything in his mouth, they won’t get destroyed in the same way board books might.
• Teethers: Around this age, your baby will start getting teeth. But even before those pearly whites appear, baby may need something to soothe sore gums. Teethers with nubs and textures, as well as ones that can be chilled, are good options.
• Cooking and kitchen supplies: You don’t need to spend tons of money on specialty toys. Babies will play with just about anything. Consider filling a low cupboard in the kitchen with plastic bowls or containers with lids, wooden spoons, and measuring cups. Then allow baby to clean out the cupboard while you’re working.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Your baby will soon be a year old. So much has changed over the last several months! Here’s what you can expect around 9-months-old:

On the Move

Your baby has likely been crawling for a while now, and may be trying to pull to a standing position. Once standing, he may enjoy cruising around the furniture. Hold your baby’s hands and allow him to walk across the room and back with your support! If your baby is a climber, make sure you teach him to climb back down safely. Gate stairs and close doors to keep baby safe.

Your baby can also change positions pretty easily now, from crawling to sitting and then on the move again. Be sure your home is safe for baby to explore. Childproofing is an ongoing battle – just when you think you’ve got it all taken care of, baby reaches another milestone! Crawl around with your baby (who will think it great fun) and check for any hazards.

Other motor skills are improving, too. Your baby has probably mastered the pincer grasp (grabbing small objects with the thumb and forefinger), and can move toys from hand to hand (and then straight to the mouth). Toys that allow them to manipulate objects – stacking cups, sorting toys, building blocks, etc. – will give your baby a chance to work his mind as well as practice his fine motor skills.

Making Conversation

All day long it seems like your baby is talking to you, though you don’t really know what he’s saying. By answering his babbling, you’re teaching him how to converse. Throughout the day, name objects around the house, on your walk, in the grocery store, at the park, etc. Your baby will likely begin to mimic your sounds, eventually saying simple words like ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’

Even though he can’t talk yet, he will be able to understand many words, as well as gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice. Your baby will also start to understand the word ‘no,’ and you may find yourself saying it more often. Setting limits can begin even at this early age.

Stranger Anxiety

Your baby may begin to be wary of new people, and maybe even people he knows but doesn’t see often (like grandparents or a sitter). He may be clingy with you, and may fuss when you try to leave. These are normal changes related to your baby’s growing brain – his awareness of self and others, his memory, and the idea of object permanence are all maturing. Separation anxiety is always worse when baby is tired, hungry or ill. It usually peaks between 10 and 18 months, and is usually gone by age 2.

Mealtime Fun

Your baby is probably a little gourmet, having started solid foods around 6 months. Your baby may enjoy small, soft pieces of food he can feed to himself. He can start to have cheese and yogurt around this time, if you haven’t already introduced them. Breastmilk or formula should still be your baby’s main source of calories, though. He might like to try using a spoon – though he won’t be very good at it yet.

Your baby may also enjoy learning to use a cup around this time. Try to find a cup with handles, which will be easier for your baby to manipulate. Most parents opt for ‘sippy cups’ with spillproof spouts. But you can teach your baby to drink from a straw or even an open cup, too. Simply fill the cup with water and let your baby experiment with it. It will take a while before he’s proficient enough to take all his liquid from cups.

Written by Michelle, childbirth instructor, lactation consultant, and mother to 4 busy kids

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice.  All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.