Understanding Each Stage Of Your Baby’s Development

Being a first time parent can be very daunting, often with people having opinions on your every decision. Ensuring your baby is safe, happy, and healthy is one of the most important responsibilities as a parent. This can be exhausting but this time is exciting and there are many things to look forward to. Perhaps you are already thinking about your child’s first steps, smile, laugh and word.

Areas Of Development

Development refers to the learning and mastering of new skills within four categories: physical, emotional, mental, and social. Although, separate they are all linked and occur simultaneously. How your baby behaves, thinks, moves, and speaks are all signs of their development. Every child is difference and develops are their own pace. But there are certain skills that a child should meet by a certain age, known as developmental milestones.

 

Physical – this includes motor skills for instance standing, walking, rolling, sitting. In addition, to balance and changing of positions. Physical also encompasses the hands for grabbing, eating, drawing, playing, and writing.

Emotional – skills that include reactions to events and occurrences around them. For instance, giggling, sadness, crying and anger.

Cognitive – mental skills involve the mind such as understanding, learning, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering. Often these skills are learnt within an academic setting.

Social – this involves how a child personally interacts with people, developing and maintaining relationships around them. For instance, as parties and gatherings, with family, friends, and teachers. Social skills are all around how a child interprets their social world.

Stages Of Development

With every day, week, month, and year brings a whole new exciting development as your baby grows and experiences life. All babies are different and develop differently. To aid you what to expect and potentially when, Nipper Nappies have gathered together a guide of the first 12 months of your baby’s life.

0 To 3 Months

Congratulations baby has arrived and welcome to parenthood if this is your first child! You now might be feeling as though you are in a non-stop cycle of eating, sleeping, crying, and pooping. Feelings of exhaustion and being overwhelmed are completely normal. These first few weeks, your baby is getting used to the surroundings and being outside the uterus.

 

Around 1 month old your baby might be able to hold your gaze. Research has shown that new born babies are able to visualise large shapes and faces that are close to them. In these early days, the most time spent interacting with your baby the better for their development. At 1 month most babies are able to respond to sound, turn towards light and see black and white patterns.

 

It is at this stage. Tummy time can be introduced to your baby, by lying them on your chest when you're wide awake. Once baby is ready this can be moved to the floor. This helps baby develop their muscles in their back, neck, and shoulders. All of which they will need for sitting and crawling later on.

 

Upon reaching 3 months, your child will have shown real developments in their language, speech, and communication. These might showcase as gurgling sounds, smiling and potentially laughing. Exhibiting excitement for sounds such as familiar voices, running bath water and footsteps.

4 To 6 Months

At this age your baby is able to see in 3D and can focus their eyes a little further. They are able to show emotions such as excitement, their likes and dislikes for things and recognise your name. Your baby will be able to communicate through babel and begin to copy your expressions and movements.

 

Additionally, the excitement but sometimes hard time begins as they start to teeth. This often towards the 6 months end but they may start sucking and chewing. Furthermore, this is often when weening begins, and soft finger foods can be introduced. Lastly, some children might roll over from tummy to their back all by themselves.

7 to 9 months

Let’s get moving! Be ready to start following your baby everywhere, these few months start the crawling and shuffling stages. This is when you need to ensure your house is ‘baby proofed’ enabling a safe place to explore. This includes cupboards and doors being made safe for small fingers as they pull themselves up.

Over these few months your child will begin to sit for themselves without support, reach out and start to point at things. Their fine motor skills develop enabling them to poke, grasp and grab. Beware of your hair at this point!

Some children may begin to say their first words which can be simple from no, bye, hi, and yes. Also, start reacting to certain questions such as ‘where is Mummy?’.

10 to 12 months

At this stage you may see your child start to wave and respond by shaking their head to questions. They may also start to find their feet, often pulling themselves up on furniture and around anything they can hold in the house.

Perhaps they have decided what their favourite toy is and have started to deliberately drop and throw items. This stage is all normal and is there to test you as a parent and your boundaries.

Once 12 months hits, they will now be able to understand the use of some common household items. 

Nipper Nappies

As a family run business, we have been there through all the stages, some smoother than the others. Whilst bringing up our own children we started our birth to potty nappy business. Using organic cloth and fleece, the double gusset, tummy band, and waterproof outer layer keeps wetness retained. All whilst being environmentally friendly to both the world and your bank account. Our nappies grow with your child, from 8lb to 35lb and will be there for them trough every developmental stage. Reusable nappies are the ideal companion in a range of patterns and colours. View our range today.