Baby’s First Year Milestones

Your baby’s first year is one of the most exciting times. In the space of only 12 months, your baby will grow and develop rapidly, constantly meeting new milestones and surprising you every day. Here are just some of the baby milestones you can look forward to the first year.

 

1 Month – Talk Away

Even in these very early days of your baby’s life, they are already learning and taking everything in, like language skills. Your little one’s hearing is fully developed, and not only will they start learning language skills, but your voice is also soothing to them. 

After nine months in the womb, your baby will be stretching out and working all these new muscles. Every stretch and wiggle is helping their muscle development and growth. 

(Read Your Baby at 1 Month article)

 

2 Months – Time to Smile

Your little one’s eyesight is still developing, but at two months, they can see the details of your face better and learning to differentiate between people, so don’t be afraid to get up close and personal and with loads of smiles. This is a time they are also starting to imitate, so they may even give a big grin back!

(Read Your Baby at 2 Month article)

 

3 Months – Build Those Muscles

At three months of age, your baby will be ready for playtime on the tummy. They are still developing these muscles needed to stay up, so only a short amount of tummy time is needed to help strengthen those muscles that will help them soon learn to roll over and crawl.

Your little one is also discovering more about their hands and starting to work on that hand-eye coordination. They will be looking and playing with their fingers a lot – which will also inevitably end up in their mouth! 

(Read Your Baby at 3 Month article)

 

4 Months – Lots of Laughs

There is nothing better than the wonderful sound of little laughter coming from your baby, which you can expect to hear at around four months of age. 

In addition to the sound of laughter, your baby will be working on different sounds as they babble away. They will even be trying to mimic you, so keep up those conversations with your baby to help them learn.

(Read Your Baby at 4 Month article)

 

5 Months – So Emotional!

Your baby will be expressing themselves and showing their personality now more than ever at five months. They are curious creatures and will be using those stronger neck muscles to get a better look at things, although their eyesight is still not quite fully developed yet!

Your bond is simply growing stronger, and your baby will express their dismay if they can’t see or hear you if you’ve left a room. Come back into the room with lots of smiles for them.

(Read Your Baby at 5 Month article)

 

6 Months – Time to Eat

Halfway through your baby’s first year, and they have already come leaps and bounds from their first weeks. 

At six months, your little one is ready to try solid foods for the first time. It will be messy, but that’s just part of the learning and sensory process that comes with weaning.

And is that a tooth making an appearance? Get plenty of teethers and gum soothing gels!

(Read Your Baby at 6 Month article)

 

7 Months – Word Association

Your baby has been learning language skills from day one, but now this language development is happening at a rapid pace. They will be able to associate words with people and objects, like “mummy”, “daddy”, their own name and even the pets. 

Your baby might also be ready to start to move around a lot more at seven months. They can start to crawl or even scoot along on their backsides. However, every baby is different, and it’s perfectly okay if they’re just not quite ready to move around yet, but you can encourage this by putting a toy just out of reach that they have to move to in order to get.

(Read Your Baby at 7 Month article)

 

8 Months – Let’s Get Moving

At eight months, your baby will be increasingly eager to get moving by rolling, crawling and even pulling themselves up more. Once they start, they won't stop! Your time chasing after them starts now, so make sure that your home is “baby-proof” with the appropriate safety measures. 

Also at eight months, your baby’s eyesight is finally as developed as an adult’s now, allowing them to see at distance. They will also start to show favouritism towards certain toys and/or blankets. 

(Read Your Baby at 8 Month article)

 

9 Months – Finding Independence

Nine months of age is a fun time for everyone, as baby becomes much more talkative and interactive. Although it may still sound like a lot of babbling still, your little one is actually trying to communicate with you, so be sure to talk back, and with lots of smiles too. 

Independence is also growing at this age. Your baby is able to do a lot more for themselves now. Try giving them a safe space to explore on their own.

(Read Your Baby at 9 Month article)

 

10 Months – First Words

All that babbling and chattering is starting to turn into recognisable words at ten months, so be listening and encouraging the words to come out. It certainly is a special baby milestone for parents to hear “mum” or “dada” for the first time! 

If your baby is starting to pull themselves up, those first steps could happen any day now. You can help give them the confidence they need by holding onto their hands for a short walk. 

(Read Your Baby at 10 Month article)

 

11 Months – Time to Get Messy

Sensory play is important at this stage in your baby’s life as they discover more textures (and tastes!). Don’t be afraid to get messy with them as they explore different textures. This is also the perfect time to encourage them to use imagination and creativity during play, such as with dolls or stuffed toys. They will love playing with you too!

(Read Your Baby at 11 Month article)

 

12 Months – Happy Birthday!

Wow! What an incredible 12 months this has been for both your baby and you! Your little one is not as little as they were a mere year ago, having grown in stature and confidence. They are a little chatterbox with their growing vocabulary and maybe taking steps. But even though they have developed into a little person now with their own personality and growing independence, they will still very much be looking to mummy and daddy for comfort and reassurance. 

It is important to remember that every baby will develop at their own pace. Everyone is different, and that’s okay! If you are ever unsure of your baby’s development, always consult your doctor.

(Read Your Baby at 12 Month article)

Beautiful Bambino is there for you every step of the way during baby’s first year and the exciting journey beyond. We offer an exciting variety of products parents can depend on for their baby from those first few days to a few years with our range of nursery furniture, pushchairs, accessories and more. Discover more of our exquisite collections over on our website or visit us in-store today.