baby development month by month
Baby's first month
From birth, your baby has a handful of useful developmental skills at her disposal. He or she can hear, so will jump at loud noises and be soothed by the sound of your voice. And they'll have some vision, too - hence your baby will turn towards a bright light, or focus on your face - when you hold your baby in your arms this is he perfect distance for them to focus on your face. Your baby should also have a lusty voice - although their vocal abilities at this stage will mainly involve crying!
They might demonstrate some instinctive newborn behaviours, including the 'moro' reflex (they'll throw their arms out and arch their back if a sudden movement leaves them feeling suddenly insecure or alarmed); the rooting and sucking reflexes (your baby will turn toward and try to suck a nipple or anything else placed close to their cheek); the gripping reflex (they'll curl their tiny fingers around one of yours); and the walking reflex (hold your baby carefully upright with the soles of their feet on a flat surface, and they'll move their little legs in a walking motion). All very clever stuff. But they're skills your baby will soon lose their instinct for. They'll have to learn them again from scratch a bit later on!
Your baby at two months
Your one-month-old's development has already begun. Typically, he'll turn towards a bright light or focus on a face that's held close to his, and will stop to listen to loud or prolonged noises. If you lie him on his stomach, he should lift his head a little, and be moving his arms and legs around too, uncurling them from the scrunched-up position he was born in. You may also notice him making the beginnings of conversation this month, in the form of adorable coos and gurgles . And usually, from about six weeks, you can expect the best early milestone of all: his first smile
Please remember when you're charting your own little one's 'milestone' progress that all babies develop at different rates. And if your baby was premature, bear in mind that will affect his development, too - always measure a premmie's progress against his adjusted age, not his actual one. If your baby seems a very long way behind average, then it's a good idea to mention it to your health visitor or GP. But rest assured that in most cases it won't signal a major problem: he's just taking her own sweet time!
Your baby at three months
At two-months-old, babies will typically be holding their head up for short periods, reaching out with their arms, listening with interest to your voice, and keeping track of an object moved across the face from about 20cm away. He's probably started talking to you in his own sweet language, too, in the form of gurgles and coos. And chances are, you've also had your first smile by now.
Don't forget to take every opportunity to talk to your baby when he's awake and alert, to help boost the development of speech and language skills. Keep your face nice and close to his when you're ‘talking' - about 9" away - as he'll focus better on you at this distance in the first three months.
Your baby at four months
Your ever-developing baby is no doubt smiling for Britain right now, and communicating their feelings with a variety of noises such as squealing and cooing. Your baby should also be able to hold their own head steady for short periods when you're holding them. And they may be demonstrating some other new skills, too: batting and swiping at objects that are dangled in front of them, and trying to bear their weight on their legs for a moment or two when you're supporting them. If your baby is observing their fingers or putting their fist into their mouth, they've made a happy discovery: their own hands! And they might even be making their first attempts to roll over
Your baby's fifth month
You may have found by now that your baby has begun to babble as a way of making herself heard - repeating consonant sounds like 'ba' and 'ma'. Don't forget to listen and talk back when she babbles at you, to encourage her to keep practising! She's probably got enough strength now to sit up for short periods, well supported by you, or a mound of cushions. And some babies will be reaching an exciting milestone this month that makes getting around the room a distinct possibility: rolling over. Don't forget the safety implications of this: never leave your baby on a high surface or within reach of any obvious hazards. In fact, now is probably as good a time as any to start babyproofing your home
You can enjoy some simple play with your baby too - how about trying some baby mirroring, for example?
Your baby at six months
Your baby has no doubt grown a good deal in strength by now. A child of this age can often sit up if well supported, and may even be able to do so on their own for a little while. And your baby is probably trying to bear their own weight on their legs when held tightly by you - practising for the moment later on when they start standing and cruising. Your baby might be rolling over too. (But don't worry if they aren't - not all babies bother with this stage of getting around!) As for communication, you're more than likely to hear their first attempts at babbling before long, if you haven't already. Don't forget to babble back - it's the best thing you can do to boost speech and language skills. Or why not try some baby mirroring?
Your baby at seven months
By now your baby should be able to sit up with support, or perhaps on his own. His vision should be good enough for him to see across the room. And he should be expressing himself in the form of babbling joining vowel and consonant sounds together repetitively. (You may be delighted to hear him say ma-ma or da-da around now - truth be told, it's only because these are among the commonest sounds he hears, and the easiest for him to say, not because he knows it's your name!) He may also be mastering the arts of grabbing and grasping by now, and might even be gearing up for his first attempts at crawling getting himself on to all fours and wobbling with intent in one direction or another!
Your baby at eight months
Your seven-month old baby should be babbling loudly now, and able to grasp larger objects and pass them from one hand to another. She'll be attempting to bear her own weight on her legs for a little while, if supported by you, and is likely to have enough strength to sit up unsupported. And some babies will really start to be on the move from now on, either crawling or via some other method that gets them from one side of the room to the other: bottom-shuffling, commando-style wriggling, or 'bear-walking' on hands and feet. (Not all babies bother with these methods of locomotion, though: some will just wait until the time comes for cruisingand walking
Your baby's ninth month
Your eight-month-old baby should have pretty good vision by now - he'll be able to recognise familiar people and objects across the room and should carefully watch anything that's going on in front of him within a three or four metre radius. He can focus on much smaller objects, too, and as his grabbing and grasping skills are probably improving all the time, he might be making his first (very messy) attempts to hold his own cutlery and feed himself, and be able to get a grip on tiny items like peas or crumbs (and will more than likely try to put them in his mouth, so keep an eye out!)
Your baby at 10 months
Now that your baby is nine-months-old, they should be sitting up,babbling, and grabbing and grasping large and small objects. Chances are they're on the move in some way, either crawling or bottom shuffling their way from A to B and perhaps they've even begun standing or even cruising now - working their way around the room with support from any stationary object they can find. Let them practise all these wobbly movements as much as possible - it can be a bit nerve-wracking, but you should be able to divert any major mishaps by sticking close by! Your baby's understanding skills are no doubt coming on, too and they probably know the meaning of basic some words and phrases such as 'yes', 'no' and 'give it to me'. So keep on talking to them (and listening!)
Your baby at 11 months
Your baby's not far off her first birthday, and it's an exciting time for her development. She's likely to have mastered some way of moving across a room by now, and may be able to stand alone for short periods, or cruise around the room with lots of support from the furniture. A very small number of babies even make their first attempts at walking during this month or the next. It's perhaps the most exciting of the early milestones! Also in rapid development now will be your baby's speech and language skills. She should have a good understanding of basic words and instructions, and it may not be long now before she utters her own first proper word.
Your baby at 12 months
You've come a long way, baby. Your little one has grown from a helpless babe in arms to a strong, mobile child with a whole range of developmental skills and abilities. Some babies will even have passed the walking and talking milestones by now, but there's absolutely no need to worry if yours hasn't, yet (particularly if they were born prematurely). It's still early days for these things, and every baby is different.
Of course, if you're worried in any way, you should chat to your health visitor or GP about it. As a general guide, it's worth seeking advice if, by the end of this year, your baby can't do one or more of the following things:
Sit up strongly for long periods on their own.
Move across the room under their own steam in some way.
Respond to their name or other familiar words, or seem able to hear loud everyday noises.
Recognise people or objects they know from across a room.
Spot or pick up a very small object between their thumb and forefinger.
Manipulate larger objects and pass them easily from hand to hand.
Eat foods with lumpy textures or feed themselves from a good range of finger foods.
reed more at - http://www.netmums.com/baby/baby-baby-development
From birth, your baby has a handful of useful developmental skills at her disposal. He or she can hear, so will jump at loud noises and be soothed by the sound of your voice. And they'll have some vision, too - hence your baby will turn towards a bright light, or focus on your face - when you hold your baby in your arms this is he perfect distance for them to focus on your face. Your baby should also have a lusty voice - although their vocal abilities at this stage will mainly involve crying!
They might demonstrate some instinctive newborn behaviours, including the 'moro' reflex (they'll throw their arms out and arch their back if a sudden movement leaves them feeling suddenly insecure or alarmed); the rooting and sucking reflexes (your baby will turn toward and try to suck a nipple or anything else placed close to their cheek); the gripping reflex (they'll curl their tiny fingers around one of yours); and the walking reflex (hold your baby carefully upright with the soles of their feet on a flat surface, and they'll move their little legs in a walking motion). All very clever stuff. But they're skills your baby will soon lose their instinct for. They'll have to learn them again from scratch a bit later on!
Your baby at two months
Your one-month-old's development has already begun. Typically, he'll turn towards a bright light or focus on a face that's held close to his, and will stop to listen to loud or prolonged noises. If you lie him on his stomach, he should lift his head a little, and be moving his arms and legs around too, uncurling them from the scrunched-up position he was born in. You may also notice him making the beginnings of conversation this month, in the form of adorable coos and gurgles . And usually, from about six weeks, you can expect the best early milestone of all: his first smile
Please remember when you're charting your own little one's 'milestone' progress that all babies develop at different rates. And if your baby was premature, bear in mind that will affect his development, too - always measure a premmie's progress against his adjusted age, not his actual one. If your baby seems a very long way behind average, then it's a good idea to mention it to your health visitor or GP. But rest assured that in most cases it won't signal a major problem: he's just taking her own sweet time!
Your baby at three months
At two-months-old, babies will typically be holding their head up for short periods, reaching out with their arms, listening with interest to your voice, and keeping track of an object moved across the face from about 20cm away. He's probably started talking to you in his own sweet language, too, in the form of gurgles and coos. And chances are, you've also had your first smile by now.
Don't forget to take every opportunity to talk to your baby when he's awake and alert, to help boost the development of speech and language skills. Keep your face nice and close to his when you're ‘talking' - about 9" away - as he'll focus better on you at this distance in the first three months.
Your baby at four months
Your ever-developing baby is no doubt smiling for Britain right now, and communicating their feelings with a variety of noises such as squealing and cooing. Your baby should also be able to hold their own head steady for short periods when you're holding them. And they may be demonstrating some other new skills, too: batting and swiping at objects that are dangled in front of them, and trying to bear their weight on their legs for a moment or two when you're supporting them. If your baby is observing their fingers or putting their fist into their mouth, they've made a happy discovery: their own hands! And they might even be making their first attempts to roll over
Your baby's fifth month
You may have found by now that your baby has begun to babble as a way of making herself heard - repeating consonant sounds like 'ba' and 'ma'. Don't forget to listen and talk back when she babbles at you, to encourage her to keep practising! She's probably got enough strength now to sit up for short periods, well supported by you, or a mound of cushions. And some babies will be reaching an exciting milestone this month that makes getting around the room a distinct possibility: rolling over. Don't forget the safety implications of this: never leave your baby on a high surface or within reach of any obvious hazards. In fact, now is probably as good a time as any to start babyproofing your home
You can enjoy some simple play with your baby too - how about trying some baby mirroring, for example?
Your baby at six months
Your baby has no doubt grown a good deal in strength by now. A child of this age can often sit up if well supported, and may even be able to do so on their own for a little while. And your baby is probably trying to bear their own weight on their legs when held tightly by you - practising for the moment later on when they start standing and cruising. Your baby might be rolling over too. (But don't worry if they aren't - not all babies bother with this stage of getting around!) As for communication, you're more than likely to hear their first attempts at babbling before long, if you haven't already. Don't forget to babble back - it's the best thing you can do to boost speech and language skills. Or why not try some baby mirroring?
Your baby at seven months
By now your baby should be able to sit up with support, or perhaps on his own. His vision should be good enough for him to see across the room. And he should be expressing himself in the form of babbling joining vowel and consonant sounds together repetitively. (You may be delighted to hear him say ma-ma or da-da around now - truth be told, it's only because these are among the commonest sounds he hears, and the easiest for him to say, not because he knows it's your name!) He may also be mastering the arts of grabbing and grasping by now, and might even be gearing up for his first attempts at crawling getting himself on to all fours and wobbling with intent in one direction or another!
Your baby at eight months
Your seven-month old baby should be babbling loudly now, and able to grasp larger objects and pass them from one hand to another. She'll be attempting to bear her own weight on her legs for a little while, if supported by you, and is likely to have enough strength to sit up unsupported. And some babies will really start to be on the move from now on, either crawling or via some other method that gets them from one side of the room to the other: bottom-shuffling, commando-style wriggling, or 'bear-walking' on hands and feet. (Not all babies bother with these methods of locomotion, though: some will just wait until the time comes for cruisingand walking
Your baby's ninth month
Your eight-month-old baby should have pretty good vision by now - he'll be able to recognise familiar people and objects across the room and should carefully watch anything that's going on in front of him within a three or four metre radius. He can focus on much smaller objects, too, and as his grabbing and grasping skills are probably improving all the time, he might be making his first (very messy) attempts to hold his own cutlery and feed himself, and be able to get a grip on tiny items like peas or crumbs (and will more than likely try to put them in his mouth, so keep an eye out!)
Your baby at 10 months
Now that your baby is nine-months-old, they should be sitting up,babbling, and grabbing and grasping large and small objects. Chances are they're on the move in some way, either crawling or bottom shuffling their way from A to B and perhaps they've even begun standing or even cruising now - working their way around the room with support from any stationary object they can find. Let them practise all these wobbly movements as much as possible - it can be a bit nerve-wracking, but you should be able to divert any major mishaps by sticking close by! Your baby's understanding skills are no doubt coming on, too and they probably know the meaning of basic some words and phrases such as 'yes', 'no' and 'give it to me'. So keep on talking to them (and listening!)
Your baby at 11 months
Your baby's not far off her first birthday, and it's an exciting time for her development. She's likely to have mastered some way of moving across a room by now, and may be able to stand alone for short periods, or cruise around the room with lots of support from the furniture. A very small number of babies even make their first attempts at walking during this month or the next. It's perhaps the most exciting of the early milestones! Also in rapid development now will be your baby's speech and language skills. She should have a good understanding of basic words and instructions, and it may not be long now before she utters her own first proper word.
Your baby at 12 months
You've come a long way, baby. Your little one has grown from a helpless babe in arms to a strong, mobile child with a whole range of developmental skills and abilities. Some babies will even have passed the walking and talking milestones by now, but there's absolutely no need to worry if yours hasn't, yet (particularly if they were born prematurely). It's still early days for these things, and every baby is different.
Of course, if you're worried in any way, you should chat to your health visitor or GP about it. As a general guide, it's worth seeking advice if, by the end of this year, your baby can't do one or more of the following things:
Sit up strongly for long periods on their own.
Move across the room under their own steam in some way.
Respond to their name or other familiar words, or seem able to hear loud everyday noises.
Recognise people or objects they know from across a room.
Spot or pick up a very small object between their thumb and forefinger.
Manipulate larger objects and pass them easily from hand to hand.
Eat foods with lumpy textures or feed themselves from a good range of finger foods.
reed more at - http://www.netmums.com/baby/baby-baby-development