In his first year alone, your little one will triple in weight, increase his length by 50%, double the size of his brain and create every nerve cell he will ever have! By the time the year is out he'll be well on the way to becoming an inquisitive, talkative and lively toddler. Here are some of the developmental milestones you can expect from your baby over the next 12 months:
At 1 month old your baby may be able to lift his head up briefly when he is lying on his stomach. Your baby can recognise you from your smell and sound of your voice, responding when he cries will make your baby feel loved and secure.
At 2 months she'll like lying on a mat, kicking her legs, let her spend short periods on her front too as it will help develop back and neck muscles. She may even give you her first smile, usually around 6 weeks - don't forget to smile back!
At 3 months your baby's muscles are becoming stronger and his head control will be improving. Some babies can roll over by around 3 months so never leave them unattended. He'll love trying out new sounds and may start to laugh and squeal.
At 4 months your baby should cry less during the day and sleep more at night. Your baby will show greater interest in what's going on around her and recognise familiar people and places. She'll become more sociable too and put together a combination of sounds.
At 5 months your baby may be able to sit up without support and use hand-eye coordination to grasp objects. He's expressing his feelings through movement and facial expressions, and can concentrate on playing with a toy for a short time.
At 6 months she's ready to move onto solid food and may be able to hold her own bottle. Her personality will also start to assert itself! She'll make noises to get your attention, babble, and may start to understand ‘yes' and ‘no'.
At 7 months he may be able to feed himself simple finger foods, as well as hold onto a spoon. He'll enjoy the company of other children, will smile frequently and respond to his name. Dropping objects for you to pick up and hand back is a great game!
At 8 months your baby may be preparing for crawling by getting into position and rocking backwards and forwards. As she sits she will be able to lean forward and reach for a toy. Her leg muscles and coordination will also be improving and she may start pointing at objects.
At 9 months your baby will probably start to crawl, but some prefer to wriggle on tummies, or bottom shuffle. He may also be able to pull himself up to a standing position. He'll continue to be vocal, letting you know when he's happy or annoyed.
At 10 months her physical confidence continues to grow and she'll probably be able to stand with support, and ‘cruise' - walking while holding furniture. Your baby understands more and may even be saying ‘mama' and ‘dada', and be able to wave goodbye.
At 11 months his manual dexterity is improving, perhaps being able to turn the pages of a book or roll a ball towards you. As well as saying simple words and animal noises, your baby may also nod or shake his head and start to imitate simple actions.
At 1 year old there will be no stopping your baby - she'll be crawling, perhaps even walking. She's more independent and new skills mean she can play games. She will have a few words she can use with meaning and increasingly understands what you are saying to her.
