Children grow up so fast. Are you keeping up with your child’s milestones? Check out our guide for baby development stages month by month.
What can you read in this article?
- Baby development after birth
- Baby milestones month by month
- What if my baby is delayed with her milestones?
Observing our baby’s development month after month is certainly a great source of joy to all parents. But do you know exactly what to expect across all realms of your little one’s growth and health – physical, social-emotional, speech and language, cognitive, and nutrition?
As you go through these crucial baby development stages month by month — from the moment your baby is born right up until he or she is ready to start preschool – are you aware of red flags you need to watch out for?
Yes, it’s a lot of work and research… and it can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve done the legwork for you.
As you scroll down, you’ll find links to 51 articles (the first month is broken down by week) spanning birth to age four. Each article gives you a detailed description of your baby’s overall development after birth, including developmental milestones you should watch out for, vaccination reminders, and when you should bring your baby to the doctor.
Let’s start with your baby’s first year of life.
What can you expect in your baby’s first year of life?
Baby Development Stages Month By Month: Zero to 12
When looking at baby development in your baby’s first year, an astonishing amount of growth and development takes place.
Within the first couple of months, you’ll see your baby’s beautiful personality play peek-a-boo. Your heart will melt with love as that first gummy smile is flashed at you… and it’ll keep melting at every little adorable thing your baby does.
One of the main things you’ll notice about your little one in their baby development stages month by month (zero to 12 months), is their rapid growth in both height and weight.
Most babies double their birth weight by five to six months of age. And by the time they are a year old, their birth weight has usually tripled.
A baby’s brain also undergoes immense growth during this period, and for the first six months, much of it is fueled by the best brain food in the world: your breast milk!
In this first year, many significant “firsts” will be achieved, such as your baby’s first taste of solid food, first smile, and probably their first steps and words! Who’s proud now?
For an in-depth read of baby development stages month by month, from week one to 12 months, just click on the relevant link below. Don’t forget to read about when vaccinations are due:
From those first tentative steps at around 12 months, be amazed at how mobile your baby gets by age 24 months!
Baby Development Stages Month By Month: 13 to 24
What?! Who’s this big baby and where is that tiny newborn? That’s right – your sweet baby is growing up right before your eyes.
You now are officially the mom and dad of a toddler! As we follow your baby’s development by months, this year of your little one’s life heralds many more exciting changes.
By the time they are 24 months old, your baby will most likely be able to walk and run. They’ll be speaking the most adorable baby talk and their personality will shine through clear and bright.
Your little one’s sleep should settle into a predictable pattern this year, and they’ll develop their own quirky tastes when it comes to food and drink.
Remember their brains are still developing at a speedy pace, so you want to fuel this with plenty of nutritious food, and emotional and cognitive stimulation.
Let’s take an in-depth look at baby development stages month by month, 13 months to 24:
Why hello little chatterbox!
Baby Development Stages Month By Month: 25 To 36
Hello Terrible Twos! Welcome to the year of tiny and not-so-tiny tantrums, big personalities, and an abundance of love!
Much has been said and written about toddler tantrums. So much, in fact, that you might feel anxious about managing your little one’s emotions this year.
And while it’s true that sometimes they can be extreme, most of the time a toddler who’s having a tantrum can easily be calmed down with a few tricks. So don’t stress yourselves too much, parents.
Tantrums aside, in summary, this year will see further rapid holistic development in your tot. They might have lost that characteristic baby chubbiness by now and will have long limbs and strong bodies.
Their gross motor skills are quite advanced but you’ll still need to help them hone their fine motor skills, such as grasping and using a pencil correctly.
Read about your toddler’s exceptional development across all areas this year, month by month:
Your babies are growing so fast! Soon, they’ll be ready for preschool.
READ MORE:
24 Incredible milestones and changes during baby;s first year
Cellphone-distracted parenting can hinder your child’s brain development, says study
Mom of an Independent Toddler Shares 3 Tips on Helping Child Reach Her Milestones
Baby Development Stages Month By Month: 37 To 48
Congratulations, moms and dads! You’ve done an amazing job of raising your baby so far. You’ve weathered through the worst of those tantrums (and are probably pros at handling them by now). Moving forward, you can be prepared to be rewarded with a calmer and more rational behavior from your mini-me.
This year, your little one will most likely start preschool. They’re regular little chatterboxes and will happily ask you a zillion questions each day. From a helpless newborn to a proper little person — look at how far they’ve come!
Want to know more about how they’ll develop every month this year?
Moms and dads, your little one’s journey to greatness have just begun and you’re doing such a great job at nurturing them so they develop into wonderful people. Remember along the way, if you have any doubts regarding your child’s health, you should always consult with a pediatrician.
What if my child hasn’t hit his milestone yet?
As your child grows, you’ll notice that he learns so many things and becomes more independent and self-sufficient. A big part of this is being able to hit developmental milestones. But what if your child is a bit delayed in reaching them? Does this mean something is wrong with him?
Not really. There are different factors that can influence a child’s development such as genetics, environment, and even nutrition. But not hitting milestones along with the rest of his peers does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with your child.
“There’s really no specific age or specific month in child development,” said Dr. Michiko Caruncho, a developmental pediatrician from the Makati Medical Center. “It is a range – there are kids who are slow, and there are kids who are early. In sitting for instance. There are kids who learn how to sit early, and kids who are a bit late,” she explained in Filipino.
For instance, boys are usually more advanced than girls when it comes to walking or standing, but it is believed that girls learn how to talk earlier than boys. Again, as Dr. Caruncho stressed, it is a range.
However, if your child has not reached his milestone or learned a skill that is expected for a particular age, it is possible that he has a developmental delay. Diagnosing this is not that simple, and according to Dr. Caruncho, it requires a lot of observation on the parents’ part and bringing the child to an expert to get evaluated.
“It’s not just one area of development, it should be full. You have to make sure the delay is significant and if there are any risk factors. Is the child premature? Are there any possible neurologic problems?” she said.
The articles above would include what milestones to look for according to your child’s age. However, keep in mind that for babies who were born premature, you need to refer to their adjusted or corrected age when measuring developmental milestones.
Seeing our child grow and reach his milestones makes us proud and gives us the assurance that he is on track in this development. But remember that this is just a guide, and nothing is more important than giving your child the proper care, love and support that he needs in every stage of his life.
If you have questions about your baby’s milestones and wondering if he is developing accordingly, don’t hesitate to consult your child’s pediatrician.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. TheAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.