What should babies be doing at 3 months?

You might have noticed that your 3-month-old no longer has ‘grasp’ and ‘stepping’ reflexes, because at rest their hands are loosely open and they’ll sag at the knees if you hold them in a ‘standing’ position with their feet on a hard surface. They can hold a simple toy but have yet to develop hand-to-eye coordination.

Sight, hearing and awareness

Your baby’s three-dimensional sight has developed so they are visually very alert, especially gazing at faces and adults nearby. They can focus on a dangling toy about 20cm in front of them and will follow it from side to side in a semi-circle. Also their hearing is improving and they’ll show they’re excited when they detect nearby voices, footsteps, a bath running (time for some fun!) or that a feed is on the way.

Social, emotional and communication

Your little one is a full-on social animal and will charm you and your visitors with lots of eye contact, hand gestures, smiles and delighted baby ‘talk’ when they are happy and when you take turns in a baby conversation with them. You might even be rewarded with your baby’s first chuckle!

Of course there are still everyday ups and downs and your baby will be sure to let you know when they’re annoyed or uncomfortable by crying. If they have been suffering from colic in the first three months you may have been struggling with a lot of crying and fussiness, especially in the evenings, but you’ll be relieved to learn that colicky symptoms usually start to ease off around now.

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Most 13-month-olds have about 14 hours of sleep a day, made up of a night-time sleep of 11-12 hours plus one or two short daytime naps. Over the next month or so it’s likely that your little one will start to spend a bit less time napping in the daytime and make that up by sleeping through for a bit longer at night – good news for you and your partner! 

It’s common for babies to drop the morning nap altogether and just rely on a good sleep in the afternoon for a couple of hours or so and your little one may have done this already. Many parents come to rely on this child-free break in the middle of the day when they can get on with a few essential tasks! If you’re out and about in the afternoon most babies are content to doze as you take a walk or in their car seat as you drive back from the shops. You’ll certainly have a grumpy baby if they miss their afternoon shut-eye altogether, so plan your day around that all-important naptime when you can! 

Your 13-month-old baby and food

Good eating habits learned now last a lifetime so aim for three balanced meals a day plus a couple of healthy snacks and the usual vitamin A, C and D drops. 

Your child’s diet every day needs to include food from the 4 main food groups: starchy foods, protein – rich foods, fruit and vegetables, and milk/ dairy foods. Starchy foods include bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Each meal should contain food from this group. Include at least five portions (about 40g each) of different fruit and vegetables every day.  Dairy products include milk, cheese and yoghurt and your child should be offered 3 portions of dairy each day. Children under 2 should always be offered full fat milk and dairy products as their energy requirements are greater.

Protein rich foods include meat, fish, eggs, lentils, beans and tofu. A portion of these foods should be offered to your child as part of each main meal.

Offer water to your 13 month old with meals, snacks and in between  and avoid any sweetened drinks.  Avoid giving your child foods which are high in sugar and fat such as crisps, sweets, chocolates and cake. These should only ever be given occasionally as they are high in calories but provide little nutrients for your little one. Sugary foods are also the cause of tooth decay.

There’s a lot you can do in these early years to help your little one develop a healthy relationship with food, for example avoid giving them food as a reward or to soothe. Try to sit down together as a family to eat meals, if possible round a table, rather than eating alongside other activities, such as watching TV.  Also remember children learn by example and they will quickly learn to copy you if you don’t eat your greens!

What colour are your baby’s eyes? Have they changed since they were born? The chances are that the colour they are now is the colour they will stay for the rest of their life. 

Movement

Early walkers may be able to walk forwards or sideways a little while holding onto your hand, or may take one or two wobbly steps on their own. Learning to balance on your own is an important part of walking so try not to rush to the rescue when your little one falls over, unless they’re hurt of course. Encourage them to get back up on their feet so that they develop the confidence to know that they can walk, fall and stand up again by themselves. There’s no rush though and most babies can’t do this yet – more likely you’re finding them clinging to your legs for support wherever you are in the house! 

When they do take their first steps there’s certainly no need to rush out and buy your toddler their first shoes, even though many proud parents understandably find that difficult to resist! Even early walkers don’t need baby shoes until they’ve been walking for at least 6 weeks, because walking bare foot or in socks on safe ground will help their feet develop with strong arches and lower leg muscles first. 

When playing together with bricks, your 13-month-old can gently hand one to you, enjoys banging them together to make a noise and may be able to build a tower of two bricks.

Senses, communication and emotions

Early talkers may have one or two words they can say now, probably not very clearly though! Most haven’t reached this milestone yet though their non-verbal communication will more than make up for that – for example they’ll tug your clothes to attract your attention, point at what they want, push away what they don’t want, or wave their arms and shout with frustration until you guess correctly what it is they’re after!  They’ll also continue to experiment with strings of sounds of different syllables – ‘maba’, ‘gana’ and so on – and combine sounds with gestures. 

Rest assured your little one already understands a great deal of what you say to them. At between age 1 year and 2 years, a child can understand about five times more words than they’re able to say themselves.

• Show them how to build a tower of two bricks and encourage them to copy you
• Name and point to different parts of the body – eyes, head, nose, toes, tummy and so on – before long they’ll start to point to them too when named
• Talk to your baby all the time about what you’re doing
• Give them pots and pans or a drum and encourage them to make lots of noise! 

• Explores things in different ways, for example throwing, banging together, shaking and throwing
• Recognises familiar songs and tries to join in the singing and simple actions
• Stands and clings to your legs for support
• Has favourite things and people
• Is absorbed by toys

• May start to dribble less
• Build a tower of two bricks when you show them how
• Object to having to lie still when you change their nappy
• Say ‘Mama’ and ‘Dada’ to the right person

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At this age you’ll find that your little one still sleeps most of the time, when you’re not feeding, changing or bathing them that is!On average a 1-month-old baby needs about 14 to 17 hours of sleep a day, usually split roughly equally between day and night;there isn’t a regular sleep pattern but it’s quite common for babies to be awake in the evenings.However every baby is different and some need more or less sleep than others.

Your 1-month-old baby and food

All your baby needs is milk for their first six months and ideally that should be breastmilk. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, your little one should have a daily vitamin D supplement (8.5 to 10 micrograms).

The average 1-month-old baby drinks about 660ml to 840ml of milk a day spread over seven to 10 feeds. 

At this young age your little one is unable to sit up alone, move around or roll over. When lying on their back for a nappy change you might notice that they keep their head to one side. If you place them on their tummy they might try to lift their head up at first, but they’ll soon allow their head to turn to one side and bend their arms (elbows outwards) and legs with their bottom slightly sticking upwards. Their arm and leg movements are uncoordinated and jerky.

Your 1-month-old still has the basic reflex movements they had as a newborn (called ‘primitive reflexes’). For example if you touch their cheek near their mouth they’ll turn to try to suck your finger (‘rooting reflex’); when held ‘standing’ on a hard surface they’ll press their feet down in a kind of walking pattern (‘stepping reflex’).

Right now your little one has very little head control, so it is important to always support your baby’s head and neck when carrying them and while feeding

Sight, hearing and awareness

Your baby is attracted to light and will stare at a sunny window or lamp for example. If you hold your face or a bright toy about 20cm in front of their face they’ll focus on that and can follow slow movements in and out and side to side with their eyes. At this age your little one finds it easiest to see high-contrast black-and white toys.

In the last few months of pregnancy your baby could hear some background sounds while still in your womb, such as music, your voice or a vacuum cleaner. Now that your little one is born they might find these familiar sounds soothing, sometimes turning their head towards the source of the sound; they’ll also notice the gentle jingling of a small bell but wouldn’t be able to home in on where the bell is. However your baby will instinctively react to sudden noises with a ‘startle reflex’ by stiffening their body, blinking, reaching out with their arms and legs with fingers and toes splayed, and sometimes crying.

  

You’ll be well aware that your baby can whimper, moving on rapidly to loud crying when hungry or uncomfortable! At this age it’s normal for babies to cry for anything from 1 to 6 hours a day but this should settle down in a few weeks. At other times when contented they’ll make little ‘throaty’ grunts and noises.

Your little one already prefers social contact to other stimuli so will maintain eye contact with you, recognise your face close up and stop crying when you pick them up or talk to them. You’re already seeing early signs of that all-important first smile.

 

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• Talk to your baby about what’s going on around them for example: Are you hungry? Let’s change your nappy. Do you want some milk?
• Make baby noises together to encourage your little one to listen and learn about turn-taking conversations
• Make faces and maintain lots of eye contact.
• Give your baby some tummy time every day by placing them to lie on their front for a few short minutes. Not all babies like this at first so maybe lie with them and talk, sing or wiggle a bright toy – just a minute or two daily helps to strengthen their back and shoulder muscles.

• Beginning to smile at people
• Recognises a familiar face or bright object up close, following it with their eyes and maintaining eye contact
• Primitive newborn reflexes are still present, for example startle response, rooting reflex, stepping reflex, hand grasp

They will probably also:

• Try to lift their head briefly when lying on their tummy 
• Notice sounds around them
• Make little ‘throaty’ noises when contented

Find out what to expect from your baby at month 2...

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Remember if your baby can stand up in their cot now, not only will they be terribly excited and pleased with themselves, it’s only a matter of time before they manage to haul themselves out on their own so be prepared!  Close top and bottom stair gates securely at bedtime and don’t leave stuff lying around within reach in their room or nearby – a curious 10-month-old can cause havoc with that large tub of nappy cream with the missing lid that you forgot to put back on at the last nappy change!

If their cot has a height-adjustable mattress, give yourself another month or two by adjusting it to the lowest setting. Even if you’re able to delay their intrepid escape tactics, watch out for dangling curtain/blind cords and other choking hazards and make sure all windows have child locks.

On average a 10-month-old baby needs about 13 ½ and 14½ hours of sleep a day, probably including a short (20 to 30 minutes) morning nap and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap, but no two babies are the same and your little darling may need a little more or if you’re unlucky a lot less!

Does your tiny one have any little bedtime habits to help them doze off such as sucking on a dummy, their thumb or their fingers or tugging on a comfort blanket? Babies find these rhythmical actions wonderfully soothing so it’s not long before they drop off. Some children develop the strange habit of head-banging for the same reason, rhythmically banging their head against their cot, but don’t panic if this happens! It’s hard to believe because it can look so alarming but your baby really is doing this to get to sleep, so unless they’re actually injuring themselves it’s best not to try to stop them – they usually grow out of this rather weird phase by the time they’re two! 

10-month-old baby food schedule

Of course some days your little one will eat more than on others, but generally they’ll have settled into a regular daily feeding pattern now and you’ll know what foods they wolf down keenly and which ones they dislike. There will also be times when they turn down everything you’ve lovingly prepared for them and you just can’t win – don’t take it personally as it’s quite normal! They’ll eat when they‘re hungry so let them decide and never force them. 

It’s not unusual for babies of this age to start to refuse spoon-feeding even if they’ve been unfussy eaters up till now. Keep their meals varied so they don’t get bored and let them tuck in with their own spoon or fingers if they want to take more control at mealtimes. 

It’s important to note that while your little one may not appear to enjoy vegetables at this age and may even spit them out, you shouldn’t give up trying. While it’s important not to force feed your child anything, it may take 5-10 times of offering the vegetable before your child will eat it. Persistence is key!

Your baby should be able to enjoy bigger soft chunks of food now and a wider range of finger-foods, so if they still prefer pureed foods ask your health visitor for some advice.

There’s no change to your 10-month-old’s milk needs – about a pint (500ml) of milk (ideally breastmilk) a day, usually as three feeds in the early morning, after lunch and at bedtime.  If they’re using a free-flow cup easily now, it’s time to move on to using an open cup (with no lid) so they learn to sip rather than suck drinks. 

Until your child is 5 years old don’t forget that they need daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they’re drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day. It's also important to note that your 10 month old baby's food schedule may differ to others and that's okay.

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Carry on putting your little one to sleep on their back as usual but really don’t fret if they roll themselves over to their tummy in the night because the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is minimal from about 8 months old;  most babies by 11 months can roll in both directions easily anyway and some just seem to prefer to sleep tummy-side down.

You’ll know very well by now that there’s no such thing as an ‘average baby’ in real life, but typically an 11-month-old needs about 14½ hours of sleep a day, probably including a short (20 to 30 minutes) morning nap and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap. If you’re fortunate your little one will regularly be sleeping through for up to 12 hours at night, but more than one in four at this age don’t even manage eight hours in one go – it just depends what’s normal for your tiny sleeping beauty.

Most babies who wake in the night do so because they’re either uncomfortable, for example with teething pain, from being too hot or too cold or because they’re hungry. Making sure your little one is getting three good meals a day so they’re not hungry at night can be the key to that wonderful (for you both!) first night of sleeping through.

Your 11-month-old baby and food

Encourage your baby to try new foods with different tastes, textures and flavours regularly, even ones they don’t seem to like the first few times, so that they get used to them in their own time.

They still need roughly a pint (500ml) of milk (ideally breastmilk) a day, usually as three feeds in the early morning, after lunch and at bedtime, or as two larger feeds.  If you haven’t already, encourage your little one to use an open cup (with no lid) so they learn to sip rather than suck drinks.  You should also give them daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they’re drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day.

How much is too much milk?

If your little one is regularly downing more than about a pint of milk a day, there’s a danger they’ll fill up on milk and then be a light or picky eater during the day. Not only is this frustrating for you but it also can have the knock-on effect that hunger will strike again in the dead of night, causing your little monster to get you out of bed for a milk top-up feed! Of course then they’re not hungry at breakfast-time, and so it continues!

If you recognise this pattern, cut out the night-time feed (or replace it with water) – it won’t be an easy night because your little one will be expecting milk and will be upset when none is offered, but they should be ravenous at breakfast time. Just a few nights of this should re-set the pattern of three good solid meals, daytime milk and no night-time waking which will make life a whole lot easier, especially if you’re back at work! 

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Typically your 12-month-old will need about 14½ hours of sleep a day, sometimes including a short (20 to 30 minutes) morning nap and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap. The chances are that they’ll be sleeping through on at least some nights now. 

If your baby has slept in a sleeping bag up till now it’s probably time to switch to using a sleepsuit with a baby quilt or blanket, which gives more freedom to move around in the cot. 

Meal preparation should be simpler now because your baby can eat the same healthy foods as the rest of the family – only in smaller portions – and they’re old enough to have honey, “  runny eggs ( provided they are stamped British Lion eggs and cows’ milk in their diet. As well as their three meals a day they might also want a couple of healthy snacks like fruit, veg sticks, wholegrain toast or plain yoghurt.

Avoid filling up on too much milk – as a rule of thumb a maximum of about 400ml (just under a pint) of milk a day is about right, including drinks and any milk on breakfast cereal. This could be breast-milk or full-fat cow’s milk (full fat should be continued until your child reaches 2 years of age). There’s no need for toddler milks (also called growing up milks or goodnight milks). 

Keep going with the daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D.

Physical developments for your 12-month-old baby

When you look back at your newborn photos it’s astonishing how much your tiny bundle has grown already! From their growth chart you’ll see their fastest weight gain was probably around 6 to 9 months old but will gradually be slowing a little now that they’re active and mobile. Don’t be tempted to compare growth charts with other mums – all babies are different, even siblings and cousins – though boys tend to be a bit heavier and taller than girls and have a slightly different growth pattern.

Soon after your child’s first birthday they’ll be due to have their next immunisations- MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella), Hib/Men C (Haemophilus Influenza B and Meningococcal C), PCV (Pneumococcal) and Men B (Meningococcal B)

Movement

Your baby’s helpless newborn days feel a lifetime away and they love being in control of their own movements. They can shift from a lying position to a sitting position easily, sit without support for as long as they wish, pull to stand and carefully sit back down again. One way or another your little love is mobile now – whether crawling, creeping, cruising, shuffling or rolling – and you need eyes in the back of your head!  Early walkers may even take a few steps alone without holding on.

There’s some super hand-eye coordination happening, for example your little one can reach out for something and grasp it while actually looking the other way, or hold three objects at once (one in each hand and a third tucked into the crook of their arm. By the way, have you noticed your baby is truly ambidextrous right now? That’s because they won’t become right- or lefthanded for another six months or so. 

Senses, communication and emotions

Your baby shows you all the time just how much they understand of what you say and do by following simple fun instructions like ‘Clap hands!’, ‘Pick up teddy!’, ‘Wave bye bye!’ and so on. Early talkers might have mastered a couple of words of their own by their first birthday too.

If you’ve joined a mum-and-baby music group (if you haven’t, give one a try as they’re always a giggle) you’ll have overcome any fears of singing in public by now! Your 12-month-old will recognise familiar songs and try to join in. 

What activities and games will help my 12-month-old baby develop?

• Play with ‘put-the-shape-in-the-right-hole’ toys and name each shape as you play 
• Play imaginary games, for example chat on a toy telephone, pretend to feed toys etc
• Reward good behaviour with lots of hugs, kisses and praise! 
• Scribbling and mark-making on paper with crayons (but watch out for your walls!) 

Learn more baby milestones that your little one may achieve at 12 months old...

At a glance: your baby at 12 months

The key milestones for your 12-month-old baby are:

• Is fully mobile, whether by crawling, creeping, cruising, shuffling or rolling 
• Understands simple instructions
• Enjoys joint playtime with adults and can switch their attention from adult to toy and vice versa
• Understands how to use specific everyday objects, for example brushes hair, drinks from a cup, holds telephone to ear

They will probably also:

• When shown how, puts objects into a container and takes them out again
• Is shy or nervous with strangers, and/or cries if you leave the room
• Quickly finds toys hidden from view
• Hands you a book or a toy spontaneously or if you ask

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Around about now the quality of your little one’s sleep starts to mature. They’ll still sleep for about the same amount of time (about 14 hours a day in total) but their sleep cycles will change so that they sleep more soundly, especially over the first half of the night. They’ll still have periods of lighter sleep when they’re more likely to stir but these will be shorter and happen more often towards the end of the night (this is why we tend to dream in the morning before we wake up). 

One practical benefit of a more mature sleep pattern is that you can more easily stay out a little longer into the evening when visiting friends or family instead of rushing back early for bath and bedtime.

Your 14-month-old baby and food

Your child should have three meals a day that include all the major food groups plus a couple of healthy snacks and about 400ml of milk. The milk can be to drink, cooked into meals like rice pudding, poured onto cereal or any combination of these. This eating pattern will keep them healthy and neither underweight nor overweight. Children naturally stop eating when they’re full so if they wolf down two meals and only pick at the third that’s fine. 

Does my baby eat enough?

Some parents worry that their child doesn’t eat enough but even the pickiest of eaters at this age are still probably eating and drinking enough to grow well. Remember that although they‘re eating the same food as the rest of the family now they need much smaller portions that you do!

For example a toddler weighing about 10kg on average needs about 950 calories every day and they’ll get about 370 of those calories from milk (breast milk, cow’s milk or a combination), so that only leaves 580 calories to be obtained from all their meals and snacks each day. It’s not a good idea to try to count your little one’s calories though – it would be impossible anyway as so much food ends up on the floor (or in the dog!), in their hair and smeared all over! So long as your child is putting on weight at a reasonable pace there’s no need to worry. You can always ask for them to be weighed at a mum-and-baby clinic and now that they’re over 1 year old, if all else is well, you shouldn’t need to do that any more often than once every 3 months.  Always ask your health visitor for advice if you have concerns about your child’s weight gain.

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Every young baby has different sleep needs but on average a 4-month-old needs 14 to 16 hours of sleep a day, including daytime naps, and may have twice as much night-time sleep as daytime sleep. Some babies now sleep for eight hours or more uninterrupted at night, although most still don’t.

You’ll find that your 4-month-old is naturally more tired in the evenings, so it’s a good idea to set a bedtime routine with a regular bedtime of about 7pm or 8pm. As for daytime naps it’s important to recognise that your little one will have their own routine of sleep and feeding and this is perfectly normal.

While sleep training methods have been popular with parents and parenting gurus for some years although some sleep experts now say that young babies may find them stressful; usually children learn to fall asleep by themselves when they are developmentally ready, regardless of any ‘sleep training’.

Your 4-month-old baby and their food and feeding schedule

At 4 months old your baby only requires milk, for their first six months and ideally that should be breastmilk. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your little one should have a daily vitamin D supplement (8.5 to 10 micrograms).It's also important to remember not to compare your 4 month old baby's feeding schedule with anyone else as your little one is unique.

Physical developments to expect from your 4-month-old baby

When your baby is 16 weeks old it’ll be time for them to have their third immunisations, it’s very important that you don’t miss these appointments as they are vital to your child’s wellbeing.

Movement and head control

During tummy time your baby can now rest on their forearms for a few minutes and this is a great strengthening exercise to prepare them for crawling later on. Around about now your little one will also surprise themselves by rolling over from their tummy onto their back for the first time – make sure to give them lots of praise! Their legs are growing stronger and if you hold them in a ‘standing’ position they’ll be able to push down and support their own body weight briefly. 

Hand-to-eye coordination has improved so your baby can see and reach out for a toy with one hand.

From about 4 months you may see your baby’s first signs of teething – dribbling, sore and red gums, red cheeks – though you probably won’t see that important first tooth appear for another month or so.

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There’s no fixed amount but on average a 5-month-old needs 14 to 16 hours of sleep daily, including two or three daytime naps. Some days your baby will want their usual late afternoon nap, but on others they won’t be tired and will skip it and it won’t be long before they drop that third nap altogether.

Your 5-month-old baby and food

Your baby still needs just milk and ideally that should be breastmilk. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your little one should have a daily vitamin D supplement (8.5 to 10 micrograms).

The average 5-month-old baby drinks about 720ml to 1200ml a day.

Physical developments for your 5-month-old baby

Movement and head control

Your baby can lift and hold an object but can’t unclasp and let it go at will yet;they may also be able to use their thumbs separately to their fingers which allows them to hold objects more precisely in a ‘claw-like’ fashion.They especially love shaking toys that make a lot of noise (for example a rattle)!Now that they’ve perfected their hand-to-mouth coordination they’ll forever be putting things in their mouth, sucking and chewing to taste and explore because their mouth is more sensitive than their fingers.(Check all toys for buttons and loose parts that your baby might bite off and be in danger of choking.) They can also hold objects in two hands and suck their feet when you change them at nappy time. 

All that tummy time is paying off because your little one can now lift their chest and legs off the floor at the same time (which is a great trunk-strengthening exercise, and if you hold their hands when they’re in a sitting position their upper back will be strong and upright instead of curved. 

Sight, hearing and awareness

Your baby’s control of their eye movements and eye-body coordination is continuing to improve and most 5-month-olds have good three-dimensional vision with a sense of depth and distance. They probably also have a good range of colour vision now, from bold and bright to lighter colours.

Social, emotional and communication

You may have noticed that your little one is starting to coo less often as they experiment with making more complex vocal sounds, for example they make ‘bubbly’ sounds by putting their tongue against their lips and can ‘blow raspberries’ by vibrating their lips together.

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Most 15-month-olds need about 14 hours of sleep a day, made up of a night-time sleep of 11-12 hours plus one or two short daytime naps.

Even if your sleeping prince or princess has always been a great sleeper and self-settler, it’s around now that bedtimes sometimes become more difficult if they start to protest or cry when you put them in their cot and leave the room (see ‘Senses, communication and emotions’ below).  It can help if your child has a favourite toy to go to bed with and, most importantly, keep the same bedtime routine every night so that it feels familiar and comforting. 

Your 15-month-old baby's food and feeding schedule

Your child will be well used to their three meals a day plus a couple of healthy snacks, about 400ml of milk and the usual vitamin A, C and D drops.  The milk can be to drink, cooked into meals like rice pudding, poured onto cereal or any combination of these. They shouldn’t have salt or sugar added to their food – salt’s not good for their kidneys and sugar causes tooth decay – so when you’re preparing family meals remember not to add salt to cooking water for example.

Does your toddler sometimes eat all of one item on their plate and then leave the rest? Or you might notice they seem to be getting through lots of eggs and cheese one week and then switch to craving pasta and other carbs the next week? Food phases like this are common and although it is important to always offer your child balanced meals containing starchy foods, protein foods, fruit and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy sweets, biscuits and all sweetened drinks.  

Physical developments for your 15-month-old baby

Movement

Probably your child has learned to walk a few uneven steps without help now, often with their arms spread to help them balance, although there’s absolutely no need to worry if they’re still crawling or bottom-shuffling. Early walkers will usually revert to crawling when they’re in a hurry anyway. You certainly need stairgates now because your little explorer can creep upstairs and go downstairs again backwards pretty speedily!

Being able to kneel with no help or only a little support appears around this age. 

Senses, communication and emotions

You’ll probably have noticed for the past four or five months that your little one has been becoming increasingly clingy or anxious when you leave the room and shy with unfamiliar faces. They might also become jealous of other children or siblings when having to share your attention, or struggle to settle at bedtime (see ‘How will your 15-month-old baby sleep?’ above). Aunties and uncles who visit only occasionally can get upset when they move in for their usual cuddle only to find that your little one wriggles and screams for you instead! This is called ‘separation anxiety’, it’s a normal development stage that babies go through and it often peaks around now. Your little one genuinely feels distressed that you’ve left them but rest assured they’ll soon grow out of this phase as they gradually learn that you’re close by and feel comforted. 

Your baby chatters away all the time using the nonsense music and pattern of speech; however they might also be able to say a few recognisable words, usually between two and six words but it might be as many as ten. These first words are unlikely to be very clear though and some children won’t utter a single word yet – this is perfectly normal too so don’t worry!

It’s almost certain that your little one is learning some new words every week, whether or not they’re actually able to say them yet, and they’re experts at telling you what they need in a huge variety of other ways – by pointing, pushing away, bouncing, laughing, tugging, throwing, giggling and kicking for example!

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There’s no change in your 16-month-old’s sleep routine – they still need about 14 hours of sleep a day, made up of a night-time sleep of 11-12 hours plus one or two short daytime naps.

If your little one wakes up in the night and seems thirsty offer water from a cup.

Your 16-month-old baby and food

Continue with the pattern of three meals a day plus a couple of healthy snacks and about 400ml of milk. The milk can be to drink, cooked into meals like rice pudding, poured onto cereal or any combination of these. If you’re breast feeding the 400ml rule is not rigid- mums may continue to breast feed and express milk and their child’s intake will adapt naturally to what they need.

Keep offering new foods and try not to make it a big deal if they turn their nose up – a fussy toddler can need to have foods presented to them at least 15 times before they’ll try it! 

Most 16-month-olds are alert enough to take notice of what others are eating so they may be more tempted to try new foods if they observe their parents and other children tucking into something healthy. Of course that works both ways – if you treat yourself to a slice of Victoria sandwich and give them a healthy rice cake or slice of apple you’ll have a protest on your hands! 

Physical developments for your 16-month-old baby

Movement

If your child is walking confidently now, possibly even running a little in short bursts too, you need to watch them like a hawk at all times. Being able to walk independently combined with their intense curiosity will cause your toddler to wander off at any time and at this age they have no sense of danger to keep them out of trouble – that self-protective instinct won’t start to develop for a few more months. They’ll be strongly attracted towards water and have no fear or understanding of it – be especially careful around swimming pools, ponds, at the beach, even a paddling pool in the garden or the bath at home – never leave your little one unattended or unwatched. 

Starting to walk may also reveal any potential leg issues that may need attention in the future, such as bow legs (knees that don’t touch when ankles are together), toes that point inwards (more likely to fall over) or flat feet (ankles rolled inwards). Actually most toddlers can show a little of any of these three tendencies when they first start to walk but the features usually disappear completely over the next few months as their leg, ankle and foot muscles strengthen.

Senses, communication and emotions

If it isn’t already ‘No’ will soon become your toddler’s favourite word! Being constantly curious, into everything and testing boundaries is natural for little ones.  These are just ‘cause-and-effect’ learning games and impulses to your little one and they don’t have the emotional maturity yet to choose to be naughty or defy you (even if it seems like it when they empty all the clothes out of their drawers or put their toys in the loo!).

These power struggles can occur over the simplest things, like refusing to sit in the car seat or high chair or not wanting to get out of the bath. Remember that your child is looking for your reactions to their actions, so it’s wise to choose your battles carefully and reserve saying ‘No’ for when their behaviour puts themselves or another child in danger.

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Now your baby has reached the 6 month milestone you may wish to consider moving their cot to their own bedroom.

All babies differ but on average a 6-month-old needs about 14 to 16 hours of sleep a day, including two or three daytime naps, and they’ll have about three-quarters of their sleep at night time. Hopefully your baby will be regularly sleeping for eight hours or more without needing a night-time feed but many will not. Even if your baby is usually a ‘good sleeper’ you’ll still get disturbed nights from time to time caused by teething, growth spurts, illness or being too hot or too cold. 

Your 6-month-old baby's food and feeding schedule

You can start weaning your baby now by offering them some first solid foods once a day, which will slightly change your 6 month old baby's feeding schedule

Weaning your baby at 6 months old

Start off with soft finger foods like bananas and other vegetables that they can pick up and feed themselves with; mashed or pureed fruit and vegetables and yoghurt on a baby spoon are also good. At this stage your little one won’t actually eat very much and is just becoming used to tastes, textures and how to swallow – it’s going to be messy but fun! 

The amount of milk your 6 month old baby will need

Your baby still needs the same amount of milk and ideally that should still be breastmilk – the average 6-month-old baby drinks about 720ml to 1200ml a day spread over four to seven feeds plus their solid food.They can also have water that has been boiled and cooled again to drink but only after they have had their usual amount of milk. For daytime drinks start encouraging your little one to practise using a free-flow cup instead of a bottle.

From now on until they’re 5 years old all children (whether they are breastfed or formula-fed) need daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they are drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day

Physical developments to expect from your 6-month-old baby

If your baby has been showing the signs of teething for the past month or so – dribbling, red cheeks, grizzly, sore gums – they’ll probably be rewarded with their first tooth around now. As soon as their first teeth start arriving it’s important to introduce your little one to teeth brushing and the dentist.

Movement and head control

Although they’re still a little wobbly your baby can sit up on their own for a minute or so now and hold their head up strongly without help. They can also roll from their back onto their tummy – some babies can roll back and forth so well that they manage to make some progress around the room so make sure they have plenty of space around them on their floormat! At night if your little one rolls over onto their tummy in their sleep gently turn them back onto their back. 

Other babies can creep or shuffle around on their tummy or on their bottom and it’s amazing just how fast they can get around – now’s the time to introduce extra home safety measures such as stair gates and electrical socket covers.

Arm movements are smooth and your little one can pass an object back and forth from one hand to the other.Not only that but they can also coordinate their feet with their hands to hold things, a temporary skill which they’ll lose again in time.

Your baby has lost their primitive reflexes and instead mature ‘protective reflexes’ are beginning to develop, for example if toppling sideways your baby will put their arms out to the sides to prevent falling.

Sight, hearing and awareness

Around now 6-month-olds develop understanding of ‘object permanence’, which means that they will look for an object they’ve dropped or that’s fallen out of sight. Object permanence awareness makes games of peek-a-boo even more hilarious now that your baby will giggle with anticipation of your face reappearing from behind your hands!

Your child’s sight has improved sufficiently for them to enjoy toys with more complex features such as doors, push-buttons, winding handles and turning dials. They’re getting pretty good at judging speed and direction too as they can grab a moving object accurately.

Social, emotional and communication

By now your little one is becoming expert in pulling your strings! They’ll hold their arms up to be picked up, cuddle you when they want to stay with you, and arch their back when keen to be put down. Because they have a reasonable long-term memory of a few days up to 10 days they can remember and anticipate nice experiences, for example when getting ready for a nice bath they might kick their legs, squeal and shake their head excitedly.

Your baby is more fascinated than ever to touch your face and continues to copy your facial expressions.

What activities and games will help my 6-month-old baby develop? 

• Show your baby how to use an activity centre with mirrors, winding handles, twisting dials, push-buttons, bells and so on.
• Give them toys that they can pick up and move around to improve dexterity
• Swimming
• Playing in a baby bouncer is great for building leg muscles by jumping, spinning and bouncing as well as being loads of fun!

• Will search for a toy dropped out of sight (object permanence)
• Rolls over front to back and back to front
• Passes an object between hands
• Protective reflexes are emerging
• When supported to ‘stand’ will bear weight and bounce

• Recognise the sound of a familiar voice across a room
• Recognise repetitive games, songs and rhymes and anticipate actions
• Make vowel sounds at different pitches and of one or two syllables
• Distinguish between a stranger and a familiar face
• Respond to others’ emotions

What to expect from your baby at month 7

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All babies have different sleep needs but on average a 7-month-old baby needs about 14½ hours of sleep a day, including a short (30 to 40 minutes) nap in the morning and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap. Most 7-month-olds no longer need a third nap in the afternoon.

Many parents set a bedtime for their little one at around 7pm or 8pm. At night some will sleep for eight to 12 hours straight through without waking, but many will not. Teething, discomfort or hunger will wake a significant number of babies at night. If you and your partner are still losing sleep at night it might help a tiny bit to know that you’re certainly not alone – more than one in four babies don’t sleep for eight hours regularly until they’re over 1 year old and more than one in ten babies under 1 year old don’t manage five hours without waking at night.

Your 7-month-old baby and food

Weaning is well under way now and your baby can manage mashed foods with some small soft lumps; they can also improve their biting and chewing skills by feeding themselves with simple finger foods such as soft fruit, toast or strips of meat and fish. Gradually increase the amount and range of food you offer your baby to eat with the aim of reaching three meals a day over the next few weeks. They can also have plain tap-water to drink – there’s no need to boil it any more – using a free-flow cup instead of a bottle. 

The average 7-month-old baby has three milk feeds a day (ideally breastmilk) – usually in the early morning, after lunch and at bedtime – plus their solid food. If your little one isn’t managing to eat three meals of solid food a day yet they’ll probably want more than three milk feeds a day still possibly including a night-time feed.

Until they’re 5 years old all children (whether they are breastfed or formula-fed) need daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they are drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day.

Physical developments for your 7-month-old  baby

Movement

Your 7-month-old sits very easily in a high chair now for feeding and may be able to tell you when they want to get down by lifting their arms up and arching their back.

When lying on their back they’ll try to lift their head and shoulders up to look around; when on their tummy they’ll reach out for a toy nearby and try to ‘rake’ it closer. Although their two-handed grasp is pretty reliable your little one will drop one toy in order to hold another in preference.

Any time now your little one will start to crawl and may learn to crawl backwards before they can crawl forwards. However if your baby is a bottom-shuffler they may well miss out a crawling stage altogether.

Senses, communication and emotions

 Most babies start to become a little ticklish around now, but remember not to overdo the tickling as your little one can’t move away or tell you to stop at this age.

Your baby babbles away to themselves as well as to you and enjoys repeating sounds over and over in a tuneful sort of way. They might combine vowel sounds (‘aah’, ‘ohh’, ‘ehh’) and consonant sounds are starting to appear (‘m’, ‘b’) too. They can also shout for attention instead of crying.

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It’s likely that your 17-month-old will continue to need roughly 14 hours of sleep a day but most toddlers drop their morning nap now if they haven’t already some time ago. At night on average they’ll sleep for 11-12 hours and their afternoon nap is commonly 1½ to 2 hours but it won’t be long before their afternoon snooze shortens a little too.

Your 17-month-old baby and food

As usual you’re aiming for three meals a day that include all the major food groups plus a couple of healthy snacks and about 400ml of milk. Remember that your child needs breast milk or full-fat (whole) milk, not skimmed or semi-skimmed until they’re at 2 years old. 

Toddlers are notorious for being fussy eaters and can suddenly turn their noses up at things they’ve always wolfed down happily before. Experiment with different textures and the visible appearance of food as it might be that your little one prefers their pasta sauce on the side instead of over their spaghetti so they can see some of the separate ingredients. Avoid toddler plates with different sections or they’ll create a fuss every time the carrots touch the broccoli on a standard plate in future! 

Chat to your child while you’re preparing meals and let them see what your doing with the different ingredients as this might help too. 

Physical developments for your 17-month-old baby

Movement

 Walking is increasingly confident and steady and your toddler can probably stop, bend over to pick something up from the floor, stand back up again and continue walking without help. They’ll also have the strength, balance and coordination to sit on and ride a toy vehicle. 

Senses, communication and emotions

 How’s the talking coming along? If your child has a few recognisable words that they use with meaning, at first they’ll use them all the time using the same word for similar things. So ‘woof’ can mean dog, cat, cow or any other four-legged animal! They’ll soon widen their vocabulary though!

If ‘No’ is still their response to everything offer them lots of choices, for example ‘Do you want to wear the red top or the blue top today?’, ‘Shall we have banana or peach for our snack?’, ‘Do you want the yellow cup or the blue one?’. Choices help your toddler to feel in control and also improve their vocabulary. 

We don’t like to admit it but toddlers are capable of aggressive behaviour and violence and around now will hit, shove, push, snatch and even bite to compete and get their own way. We are primates and this is a normal development stage, nevertheless if your little love bites another child at toddler group the shock, stigma and victim’s parent’s anger can be real and not easy to deal with!

However your child is not trying to hurt, and aggression at this age is not pre-meditated, they’re simply focused on getting the toy and they’ve found a way that works. Over time they’ll learn from you what is and is not acceptable social behaviour; in the meantime you need to gently manage situations for them because they’ll not be able to understand the concept of sharing until they’re about 2½. Right now the best you can do is say something like ‘No, biting hurts’, distract and remove them from the situation and apologise to the aggrieved parent. Punishments like the naughty step or taking them home are useless at this age because your child can’t associate that with what they did and won’t be able to understand until they are at least 2½ to 3 years old. 

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Continue to offer your child three meals a day that include all the major food groups plus a couple of healthy snacks and about 400ml of milk. As part of this encourage them to taste at least five different fruits and vegetables every day – the recommended fruit and veg portion size is 40g. 

This feeding plan will set your child up for a lifetime of healthy eating.

Your little one has enough coordination now to sip a little water or milk from an unlidded cup and can place it down safely again instead of crashing it down or just dropping it on the floor when they’ve had enough! They’ll be able to hold the cup with their two hands securely around it as well.

Physical developments for your 18-month-old baby

Movement

By 18 months even the later walkers are usually on their feet and once they start they’ll make quick progress – this is because they’re more aware of themselves and their surroundings so less likely to fall over than a younger walker would be. However if your little one isn’t walking on their own by now do get in touch with your health visitor or GP as a check-up may be required.

Full-on bottom-shufflers are the exception and they may well not take their first steps until they’re as old as two – the reason for this is that they’re just not motivated to stand up because they can see all they want to from their upright sitting position as they shuffle along! 

Children who’ve already started walking will be increasingly steady and controlled and may be able to walk upstairs, one step at a time, while holding your hand. They’ll also walk around well with a toy doll or teddy held under their arm and no longer need to use their arms for balance. They’ll love climbing and will be able to climb into and sit themselves down in an adult chair. Early walkers may be able kick a ball. 

Senses, communication and emotions

Just like late walkers, most late talkers say their first word by 18 months old. Even though they’ve held off talking until now rest assured that they’ve been developing their understanding and vocabulary all along and will quickly become a full-on chatterbox!

If your child has not said their first word or if you are concerned that your child doesn’t engage with you when you speak by smiling, looking at you and babbling get in touch with your health visitor or GP.

Your child’s vocabulary should increase between now and age two, with most children who are talking using about 10 to 20 words, including people’s names. They may also start to use two words together eg “Night- night” or “All gone”.

Your child can also understand many more words than they can say and can follow simple instructions such as “ Pick up the ball” or “ Wave goodbye”

You’ll be relieved to learn that at 18 months old your child is gradually developing the ability to think things through a little so they should start to lose some of their baby impulsiveness and be a little less unreasonable and unpredictable –they’ll still keep you on your toes though!

Your little sweetheart will show and bring you things that they think you may like or be interested in; this is one of the first signs that they’re learning kindness for others.

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There’s no one-size-fits-all but on average an 8-month-old baby needs about 14½ hours of sleep a day, including a short (30 to 40 minutes) nap in the morning and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap.

Many parents set a bedtime for their little one at around 7pm or 8pm. At 8 months of age the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is minimal, so still lay your baby to sleep on their back but there’s no need any longer to turn them back onto their back if they roll onto their tummy in the night. Try to get into the habit of saying ‘night night’, give your baby a kiss, lay them in their cot and then leave the room – if this is the same every bedtime your little one will be less likely to become anxious in a couple of months’ time when some babies develop ‘separation anxiety’.

Some babies will sleep at night for eight to 12 hours straight through without waking, but more than one in four babies don’t do this regularly until they’re over 1 year old. In fact all babies wake a few times at night normally but most learn to doze back off again (self-settle) uneventfully each time without their parents ever being aware that they had stirred, so it may be that your little one simply needs some practice at self-settling. However if your baby is struggling with teething pain, is uncomfortable or is simply hungry they’ll need your attention because self-settling is not going to be on the cards! 

Your 8-month-old baby and food

The average 8-month-old baby has three milk feeds a day (usually in the early morning, after lunch and at bedtime) plus three meals of solid food a day. Make sure you include some foods rich in iron, for example meat and green vegetables. It’s extremely important to try to introduce new foods and flavours as much as possible – and remember, don’t be disheartened if your little one doesn’t take to the flavours straight away, simply keep trying and you’ll get there. With this in mind, it’s also essential that you don’t give your baby too many sweet things to eat as this can lead to negative eating habits in the future and damage your little one’s new teeth.

There’s no escaping the fact mealtimes are full-on messy now – this is not so helpful for you with the cleaning up afterwards but is just what your little one needs to help them learn new eating skills and to develop a lifelong healthy and relaxed relationship with food. 

Until they’re 5 years old all children (whether they are breastfed or formula-fed) need daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they are drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day.

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Every baby is different but on average a 9-month-old needs about 13½ to 14½ hours of sleep a day, including a short (20 to 30 minutes) morning nap and a longer (2 to 3 hours) lunchtime nap. There may well be some days when your little one is particularly full of beans and doesn’t need their morning snooze at all. 

At night many 9-month-olds will sleep for nine to 12 hours straight through without waking.However as many as three out of ten babies of this age won’t manage eight hours uninterrupted yetand most of these little treasures will still be getting their exhausted parents up at night when they’re over a year old! 

Your 9-month-old baby and food

The average 9-month-old baby has about a pint (500ml) of milk (ideally breastmilk) a day – usually as three feeds in the early morning, after lunch and at bedtime – plus three meals of solid food a day. Introduce as much variety as possible and include three or four servings of carbohydrates (potato, rice, bread), three or four of fruit and vegetables and two of protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy) plus a healthy snack or two. This is pretty much how they’ll be eating until they’re about 2 years old and their finger-food skills will be improving all the time. Now’s a good time to let them try feeding themselves with a baby spoon – of course it will be slow and messy at first! 

All children under 5 years old need daily vitamin drops containing vitamins A, C and D unless they’re drinking a pint (500ml) or more of formula milk a day.

Physical developments for your 9-month-old baby

When they’re between 6 and 12 months old your baby will be due their second health review, with your health visitor but it might be with your practice nurse. The review includes checking your little one’s sight, hearing, weight, height, language and learning, feeding, movement and behaviour.

Movement

Your baby can probably crawl now and may also be strong enough to pull themselves up to a standing position and stay standing while holding on for a few moments. They may also be able to manoeuvre themselves into a sitting position although most babies who are early standers need help to be able to sit back down again from a standing position.They’ll still be putting everything in their mouth so take care to check what’s within their reach anywhere in the room now. 

Senses, communication and emotions

Your little one can use gestures to communicate like pointing at things with their index finger. Even though they can’t talk yet they can understand a lot of what you say to them and might cooperate with everyday activities, for example raising their arms to put on a jumper or holding out their hands for drying after washing. 

Your baby’s eyesight has improved further and they can see up to 4 metres away so will recognise you across the room and enjoy looking at things when out and about in their buggy or in the car. They’ll also watch an object as it falls or rolls along.

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Your little one will need around 13½ hours sleep, which is usually spread out over an uninterrupted night-time sleep of 11½ hours and then an afternoon nap of between 1 and 2 hours. Aim for a bedtime of between 7 and 8 pm.

You don’t have to follow this routine, or put them to bed before 8pm – you should do whatever works for you and your little one. But bear in mind that if your child is running around like a crazy thing in the evening that doesn’t mean they’re not tired. It may be quite the opposite, as over-tiredness can lead to a release of adrenaline and give them lots of energy. If you notice that your baby finds it difficult to wake in the morning, is very tired during the day, or always falls asleep in the buggy or car, then it’s a sign that they are not getting enough sleep. 

Your 19-month-old baby and food

Carry on with the schedule of three meals a day, two healthy snacks and 400ml of full fat milk - not forgetting that it can be less than 400ml if you’re still breastfeeding.

And don’t worry if you are still breastfeeding at this stage – if it works for you and your baby then carry on for as long as you like. In fact, the World Health Organisation recommends that all children are breastfed for up to two years or longer.

Be aware that if your baby sucks on a bottle of milk they may develop tooth decay. By this age your little one should be very capable of using a cup and giving bottles is not recommended. Nevertheless, a 6 monthly dental check up is worthwhile throughout childhood and a good habit for your little one to get the hang of. And if you spot brown patches on their teeth then you must see a dentist, as they are probably cavities.

Physical developments for your 19-month-old baby

Movement: You could have a little Usain Bolt on your hands by now, so be careful! Your baby may delight in escaping from you and running off. And long straight stretches – such as in supermarkets, hotels and on trains – are going to prove particularly tempting.

In addition, they may be so happy with their newfound freedom that they sometimes refuse to hold hands. So, it may be a good idea to use reins when you’re near roads, or simply keep them safely strapped in the pushchair until you reach somewhere safe where they can run around.

Senses, communication and emotions: Your baby should be able to say a few actual words now. But you may also hear them happily chattering away in gobbledegook, which is basically them practising speaking.

Your little one is now starting to develop an ability to play and may pretend to feed a favourite dolly or stuffed toy. They will also know what some basic objects are – like a cup, chair and phone – even though they can’t necessarily say the words.

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All babies grow at different rates but as a rough guide here are the development milestones to look out for your baby at 21 months old. Don’t worry if your little one doesn’t match this pattern exactly – they might be a few weeks ahead on some things and slightly behind on others and it usually evens out over time. However if you’re concerned that your child has missed out one or more important milestones altogether speak to your health visitor or GP.

Your child still needs a total sleep time of 13 hours – spread out over a lunchtime nap of 1½ to 2 hours and an uninterrupted nighttime sleep of 11 to 12 hours.

You may be experiencing a few problems with regards to sleeping, such as your little one waking during the night, waking early, or trouble settling down to sleep at bedtime. If this is happening occasionally then don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal.

To encourage better sleep build up a good bedtime routine. Try to stick to the same bedtime and waking up time every day of the week. A night time bath followed by reading them a story with the room lights dimmed can also help your baby relax and be ready to sleep.

Your 21-month-old baby and food

You are now at a stage where eating may be seen as an interruption to the important business of playing and tearing about. Therefore, your baby may stop eating because they are bored – rather than full – so some encouragement could be necessary.

A good way to do this is to eat at the same time as your child and have the same thing. If that’s not possible, then at least try and sit with them while they eat, as this will stop them wanting to play up to get your attention.

Your little one will be pottering around confidently by now and will be able to use their hands to explore and use toys and other objects. For example, they can probably use a handle to open a door, and thread a bead onto a piece of string.

Senses, communication and emotions

Most children start throwing tantrums long before they turn 2, so don’t be surprised if you are facing fits of rage at 21 months. This happens because your toddler gets frustrated because they can’t do, or have, or say, what they want. And this boils over into anger.

To cope with it and help your child, try to remain calm – as if you get angry yourself then you will just prolong the situation. So, try and find a bit of inner Zen and give them some love and attention, as that’s what they need. But be careful not to give in if they want something they shouldn’t have – like a snack when they’ve already had one, for example. Giving in is an immediate solution, but will cause long-term problems as your child will start to see tantrums as a way to get what they want. But do try and explain why they can’t have what they want – e.g. ‘you know you only have one snack now, so you can’t have another.’

Tips to stop a tantrum include looking for distraction – such as pointing out a train or animal – and simply holding them tight until it passes.

Try popping things into boxes and containers, then let your little one empty them out. They will enjoy this game and it also helps them develop hand-eye coordination.

You can boost vocabulary by singing nursery rhymes and leaving a word out for your baby to complete. For example, ‘Baa Baa black sheep, have you any ____’

At a glance: your baby at 21 months

The key milestones for your 21-month-old baby are:

• They are interested in other children and what they are doing
• Can now understand two part requests, such as ‘put down your toy and get into bed.’
• Will pull at you to get your attention and show you something
• Ask for something particular, like a favourite toy or food[

They will probably also:

• Copy the things they see you doing around the house, such as hoovering or washing up.
• Play at dressing up

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All babies grow at different rates but as a rough guide here are the development milestones to look out for your baby at 20 months of age. Don’t worry if your little one doesn’t match this pattern exactly – they might be a few weeks ahead on some things and slightly behind on others and it usually evens out over time. However if you’re concerned that your child has missed out one or more important milestones altogether speak to your health visitor or GP.

Your 20-month-old should be getting around 13 hours sleep in total, split into a nighttime sleep of between 11 and 12 hours, and a lunchtime nap between 1½ and 2 hours.

Your 20-month-old baby and food

In addition to three meals a day, your baby can also have a couple of healthy snacks. This can be an opportunity to introduce new foods into their diet. Cubes of cheese, unsweetened rice cakes, slices of fruit – such as apple, banana or pear- and carrot or cucumber sticks are all good snack ideas. 

With teeth coming through, it’s important to be even more aware of sugar intake. Remember that frequency is more of a factor than amount. If you think your baby is hungry offer one healthy snack mid-morning and one mid-afternoon. Avoid all sugary drinks including fruit juice or “juice drinks”.

You may encounter some resistance to wearing a bib at meal times at this stage. One way around this is to sneakily put an old-t-shirt over them a few minutes before meal time, so they don’t even realise it’s a bib.

By this stage physical ability is mixing with curiosity, so you may often hear yourself saying, (often with an exasperated sigh) – ‘they are into everything’. You’ll find your little explorer is wandering around and pressing buttons, for instance, so keep an eye on what they are doing.

Movement

Your baby should be able to walk and run around alone by now, and may be able to climb steps (although they probably can’t climb back down). Some children will be able to jump.

Senses, communication and emotions

Your child should be able to understand simple instructions from you – e.g. ‘pick up your toy’ or ‘go to sleep’. Whether they actually do what you want them to do is another matter, as by 20 months you are approaching tantrum territory! Although it’s called the ‘terrible 2s’ the tantrum stage often starts much earlier, so don’t be surprised if you are sometimes met with tears and refusal when you want them to do something.

Reading picture books and ‘labelling’ the things in them can really help your little one, as it encourages speech. For instance, say ‘where’s the dog’ and let your child point to it.

20 months is also a good time to introduce the concept of manners, by teaching them to say ‘please and ‘thank you’. It is still too early to insist on this, but you are at least building the foundations.

You can also introduce counting – as your budding mathematician may mimic it if they hear it often enough. But they won’t properly begin to understand numbers until about 30 months. 

At a glance: your baby at 20 months

The key milestones for your 20-month-old baby are:

• Able to take off clothes with a bit of help
• Understands simple one-step instructions
• Can run about unaided

They will probably also:

• Be fascinated by the toilet and want to play around in there (so don’t be surprised if you go in to find a mass of toilet paper with a baby underneath)
• Is starting to jump – either on the spot or off a step

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Your toddler is newly equipped with a range of skills, which they are increasingly adept at – walking, running, picking things up, turning handles etc. But what they haven’t yet got is a clear sense of danger, so you need to be very aware of what they are up to.

Front doors especially can be a danger and toddlers have been known to unlock doors that have the keys hanging from the lock. So, to ensure they can’t escape onto the road, it’s a good idea to store your keys somewhere out of reach of little hands after you’ve locked the door.

Senses, communication and emotions...

Your child will know quite a few words by now, but remember that they will understand far more than they can actually say. So, talk to them about whatever is going on – such as what you are cooking for them, or telling them where you are both off too when you leave the house.

At this stage it’s also worth keeping an eye on how they play with their toys. Look for more complex actions, such as pushing things around, taking things in and out of boxes, and ‘cause and effect’ games – like pressing a button to make a noise. If play only involves basic actions – such as throwing and banging – it could indicate learning difficulties. If you are worried, then talk to your health visitor.

What activities and games will help my 22-month-old baby develop?

Your child will be able to make simple things, such as constructing a small tower out of blocks. So encourage your budding builder through play that involves putting things together and taking things apart. This helps them practice their motor skills and also teaches them to persevere to get something done.

Your toddler is becoming more adept with crayons and paint brushes, so will enjoy doing arts and crafts activities with you – such as painting, drawing and sticking. This helps develop creativity, imagination and fine motor skills.

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When it comes to sleep, you should carry on aiming for around 13 hours sleep each day, split into 11 or so hours at night and a 1½ to 2 hour nap during the day. Some children may start to nap less during the day at this stage, or even refuse to nap at all. But it’s good to keep it going as it helps them get enough sleep, so try and have a really active morning so they are tired around lunchtime and ready for a nap.   

You may also be contending with another problem that can wreak havoc with sleep – teething. Even if your little one has been a great sleeper, when more teeth start to come through this can all change and they may well start waking in the night due to the pain. If this keeps happening don’t be afraid to give them a painkilling medicine like Calpol (which contains paracetamol) when they wake, as this will help them get back to sleep.

Your 23-month-old baby and food

Official guidelines say that, as your child approaches 2, you should aim for them to have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day.

If it’s already proving difficult to get fruit and veg into their diet, this may send you into a mild panic! But, bear in mind that portions are smaller for children. Also, you don’t have to follow any set rules as to when they have their healthy food - as a rough guide, one portion is the amount they can fit in the palm of their hand. A bit of sliced apple as a mid-afternoon snack may work – or try and sneak in some veg in the morning, when they are nice and hungry. 

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Your baby can broadly tell the difference between day and night now so they’ll naturally be starting to sleep more at night than in the daytime; they may also be starting to sleep for longer stretches at night before waking up for a feed. Every baby is different but on average your little one needs about 14 to 17 hours sleep a day including three or more hours of daytime naps. 

Some infants wake at night just once for a feed at this age while others will need to feed twice or three times during the night. It’s just the luck of the draw – about half of mums have an 8 week-old that already sleeps uninterrupted for five hours or more at night, but the other half are still being woken up several times a night. Remember that night-waking is normal and healthy during early infancy – hang in there as things will improve soon

Your 8-week-old baby and food

All your baby needs is milk for their first six months and ideally that should be breastmilk. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding your little one should have a daily vitamin D supplement (8.5 to 10 micrograms).

The average 2 month old baby drinks about 720ml to 960ml of milk a day spread over six to nine feeds. It's also important to remember that every baby will have a different feeding schedule at 2 months old, so try not to compare your little one to others.

Physical developments to expect from your 8-week-old baby

Your GP will give your baby a full physical examination at 6 to 8 weeks which includes checking their eyes, heart, hips and testicles (for boys). Then at 8 weeks it’ll be time for your baby’s first scheduled vaccinations – these are important to protect your child against pneumococcus, rotavirus, meningitis B, diphtheria, hepatitis B, Hib (Haemophilus influenza b), polio, tetanus and whooping cough (pertussis). 

During tummy time your little one will probably be able to hold their held up at a 45 degree angle and is beginning to try to push themselves up (as if they’re attempting to do a miniature press-up!). They’ll also have better control over their arms and legs and will be able to wriggle, wave and kick more smoothly.

Your baby will be starting to lose their ‘grasp reflex’ by now, so they won’t always grip your finger or an object instinctively but instead will start to grasp and unclasp objects more purposefully.

Sight, hearing and awareness

Your baby pays close attention to people’s faces and may also be able to recognise people and brightly coloured objects further away. Whenever you’re near they will try to look at you and they can also tell what direction a sound is coming from.

Social, emotional and communication

You can tell by now that your baby’s crying sounds different depending on whether they are hungry, tired, bored, emotional, uncomfortable or in pain. Generally the amount of crying should be starting to lessen too, as your little one gets better at expressing themselves. On average a 8-week-old may cry for as little as 40 minutes a day or as much as 4 hours a day. >They’ll also be able to vocalise in other ways like cooing, gurgling and humming. Crying, cooing and making other sounds are vital for language development as your baby is learning how to control their lungs, vocal chords and muscles used in speech.

Have you noticed your baby sometimes sucks on their hand? This is your little one learning how to calm themselves briefly and is another reason why they might not feel the need to cry so often these days.

You’ll also be aware that your baby can let loose a well-formed smile on people now.

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• Smile and act excited when your little one makes sounds; copy their sounds sometimes but also use clear language so they can start to learn words
• Talk, read and sing and look at pictures together
• Play peek-a-boo
• Daily tummy time
• Encourage your 2-month-old to reach for toys
• Let your baby look at herself in a baby-safe (i.e. non-glass) mirror.

• Holds their head up when lying on their tummy

• Turns head towards sounds and to look at you

• Smiles and pays close attention to faces

• Follows an object with eyes

• Calm themselves by sucking on their hand

• Recognise people at a distance

• Making sounds

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