24 Incredible milestones and changes during baby's first year

The first year of your baby’s life will undoubtedly offer something new and awe-inspiring every day. While pregnancy offered its own long list of changes and surprises, the rapid development of your child over the course of his/her first year will astonish you! Here are the 1st year baby milestones you need to know. 

What can you read in this article?

• Baby milestones timeline
• 1 year old milestones
• Tips for your baby’s 12^th month

Baby development milestones timeline

Here are a few month by month baby milestones you can watch out for as your baby grows.

Baby development milestones month by month

1 Month Old

1. Can notice faces
2. Can see bold patterns, especially black and white
3. Able to recognize the sound of your voice
4. Starts to coo and make sounds
5. Brings hands closer to their eyes and mouth
6. Moves head from side to side when laying on their stomach

2 Months Old

1. Starts following objects with his eyes and recognizes individuals from afar
2. Smiles at people
3. When lying on their stomach, they begin to push up
4. Raises their head
5. Can move their arms and legs more easily

3 Months Old

1. Can tell your face apart from others
2. Able to open and close hands
3. Can follow moving objects
4. Turns head to the direction of sounds
5. Enjoys interacting with others

4 Months Old

1. Giggles and laughs
2. Able to copy facial expressions
3. Can reach for a toy with one hand
4. Can keep their head still, unsupported
5. Able to push up onto their elbows from lying on their tummy

5 Months Old

1. Rolls over from tummy to back
2. Starts to explore toys by putting them in the mouth
3. Babbles and likes staring at oneself in the mirror
4. Can amuse themselves (in brief periods of time)

6 Months Old

1. Begin moving across the floor
2. Starts sitting unassisted
3. Begins to comprehend simple words
4. Responds when their name is called

7 Months Old

1. Enjoys dropping objects on the floor
2. Plays peekaboo and other simple games
3. Starts responding to “no”

8 Months Old

1. Pincer grip is developed (using the thumb and index finger)
2. Starts crawling
3. Holds on to something as he stands

9 Months Old

1. Has a set of preferred toys
2. Makes a variety of sounds, including “mamamama” and “bababababa.”
3. Copies other people’s sounds and movements
4. Points with his fingers towards several objects

10 months old

1. Shakes, bangs, and throws items around to see what happens
2. Begins cruising while holding onto furniture
3. Without assistance, gets into a sitting position
4. Improved hand-eye coordination

11 Months Old

1. Understand the concept of object persistence.
2. Crawls to the top of the stairwell (make sure it’s supervised!)
3. Makes sounds that vary in tone
4. Separation anxiety develops

There are so many developmental changes and milestones for baby’s first year that it’s difficult to quantify and note every single one of them during that crucial time period.

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However, these are 24 of the most incredible that you’ll notice over the spectacular 12 months of your newborn’s first year. Take look for yourself and let us know if you agree with the list:

1 year old milestones

1. Your love, care, and affection are the reasons for your baby’s brain development!
2. Half of the baby’s sleep in the first year is in so called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
3. After six weeks of birth, your baby will be able to achieve eye contact.
4. After six months after birth, your baby will begin to read lips.
5. Better prepare large stocks of diapers – newborns urinate approximately every 20 minutes, on average this is reduced to every hour until the sixth month.
6. On average, babies grow 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters every month. At month 12, babies have grown by 50%, or 9 to 11 inches, and their brain has developed to roughly 60% of its adult size.
7. Between the sixth and twelfth month, the pigment (melanin) in the eyes of babies are activated, and their color becomes permanent.
8. The first real smile on the face of your baby will appear somewhere between the fourth and sixth week.
9. Babies are born without kneecaps (actually their kneecaps are much softer). Fully firm kneecaps won’t be formed until the age of  12.

10. Babies can breathe and swallow in at the same time (until the seventh month, at least).

11. Baby’s weight doubles in the first five months of birth. As your baby’s activity level rises, their weight gain will begin to decline after an impressive one-year growth spurt.
12. Although many babies cry, they do not produce real tears. Real tears cannot be formed until around the first and third month.
13. Babies are born with about 10,000 taste buds. With time, half will fade away.
14. Your infant should be sleeping less during the day and more at night by the 1 year old. Most children at this age still require an afternoon nap, but their morning nap may have vanished or the naps have merged into a single lengthier nap in the middle of the day.
15. By the end of the first year, your baby will understand about 70 words.
16. Your baby’s vocabulary is rapidly growing. On a regular basis, you’ll undoubtedly hear words like “Mama,” “Dada,” “no,” or “uh-oh.”
17. It is easier for your baby to perceive music than spoken words during the first year.
18. In the first year, baby’s heart rate will be 180 per minute. This will reduce to 115 per minute in time.
19. At nine months, your baby will be able to wave.
20. 1-year-olds are capable of accomplishing a number of activities independently, including eating with their fingers and turning the pages of a storybook.
21. By his/her first birthday, baby’s brain will have grown by 60 percent.
22. Most babies lose their hair with which they were born by the month three or four.
23. “Baby talk” will perhaps irritate your friends, but in fact it is another way that you can stimulate and promote your baby’s development.
24. Your 1-year-old should be able to stand on his own or walk while hanging onto furniture. They might even have taken their first slow steps on their own. 

Tips for Your Baby’s 12th Month

As your baby grows to become more adventurous and are able to crawl, walk and grip onto objects on their own, make sure that they are safe and away from harm by baby-proofing your home.

1. Use unbreakable containers like plastics or wooden ones.
2. Gate your stairways.
3. When something is off limits, say a firm “no” and redirect your baby’s focus.
4. Make sure there are no blind wires dangling where your baby could reach them.
5. Move pots, plates and other heavy and breakable objects pushed back from counter edges.
6. Make sure household cleaners are safely kept and out of reach.
7. Always keep bathrooms locked or secured.
8. Find electrical outlet covers that are tight-fitting and cannot be tugged out by your baby’s tiny fingers.

What if my baby does not exhibit such milestones

If you notice any signs of possible developmental delay for your baby’s age, contact your child’s doctor or nurse and request a developmental screening.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children be assessed for general development at 9, 18, and 30 months, as well as for autism at 18 and 24 months or whenever a parent or provider has a concern, using standardized, validated methods.

Remember though that your baby can learn at a different pace and time as other babies. Try to wait it out, observe, and ask for professional help if it really bothers you.

Photo by PNW Production from Pexels

This article was originally published by Baby, Kids, and Parents

Sources:

CDC, Web MD, Today, The Bump