Development
Early days
Your baby is developing fast and
you'll notice at about two weeks of age she'll pay attention to your
face, and by six weeks she'll begin to recognise you and may also be
smiling at you.
You'll start to hear your baby use different
cries: one sort of cry may mean "I'm thirsty" and another may tell you
"I'm tired".
In
the first four weeks your baby will be sleeping between 15 and 16.5
hours in every 24 hours*, including up to four naps during the day...
though some can and do survive on as little as nine hours!
As
your baby reaches six to eight weeks old you'll hear sounds develop -
coos and chuckles join crying as a way to attract your attention.
She'll enjoy it when you 'pop-up' in a peek-a-boo game.
As she
reaches three months you'll notice she can hold her head up when lying
on her tummy and she may start to reach out for colourful toys you put
next to her.
Three to six months
Watching
your baby develop from three to six months, you'll see her start to
roll over, hold her head up when she's in a sitting position and take
hold of toys and other objects with her hands. Your baby will begin
putting toys, and anything else she can reach, into her mouth.
 Your baby will begin to experiment with two sounds
You'll hear laughter, squeals and your baby
will begin to
experiment with two sounds together, such as "ah-goo". If you sing
simple songs or rhymes, it will soothe your baby at this age.
Your baby will now be sleeping an average of
14 to 15 hours in every 24 hours with two to three naps during the day.*
The
six-to-nine-month stage
From
six months onwards your baby will be learning how to get around as
crawling begins. She may start by crawling backwards, or may not crawl
at all but bottom shuffle instead. She'll be able to sit without
support, and by the time she's nine months old she may be able to pull
herself up to stand using furniture or your helping hands.
You'll
hear repeated sounds like "dadadadada" as well as imitations of sounds
you make. These are the building blocks for first words which will come
along around 12 to 15 months of age.
Your baby needs to be talked
to in order to stimulate her own vocabulary - no matter how limited! If
you're concerned about your baby's speech development, it may be worth
talking to your doctor and asking for a hearing test.
One
way to gauge your child's progress and development is through her
height and weight. Regular weigh-ins at your clinic or doctor's surgery
will give you an idea of how well your baby is doing. And while babies
vary in how fast they gain weight, you will see the biggest gain during
the first six to nine months. Listening to nursery rhymes will delight
your baby. Singing or simply talking will also hold her interest.
At six to nine months of age your baby will
be sleeping around 14 hours in every 24 hours including two daytime
naps.*
Nearly a year...
As
your baby's first birthday approaches, you may see her standing without
support and beginning to walk. She may start anytime between the age of
ten and 18 months. If she's not walking by 18 months, contact your
health visitor or doctor.
Your baby may be able to throw an
object, point and even wave "bye-bye". Listen out for "mama" and "dada"
around this age as well as lots of babbling. She'll begin to understand
the word "no" at around 12 months of age.
Your baby will still be sleeping around 14
hours in every 24 hours but the two daytime naps may be getting a
little shorter.*
The
information provided should be used as a guide only. Children develop
at different stages, but if you're concerned, contact your doctor or
health professional.
* Source: Ferber, R (1985), Solve Your
Child's Sleep Problems, Dorling Kindersley.
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