Having a baby is one of the most transformative experiences a person can have – maternal and paternal instincts suddenly kick in, and many people cannot relate to who they were before having a child. Many parents describe it as the best experience of their life. However, it can also be a very scary experience, especially when it comes to tracking your baby’s development. In just 12 short months, your baby transforms into a toddler from a helpless newborn. Tracking your baby’s development is one of the key duties parents can do to ensure their child is developing on track.
As well as ensuring your baby gets everything they need, such as childhood vaccines, brain development through play and enough care, parents need to be tracking their baby’s milestones. When you know where your baby’s development is, you know what you need to do in the next stages. However, many parents don’t know the best ways to track their child’s milestones, and if it’s their first child, they have no point of comparison to make sure their baby is developing correctly. Here are the main stages for child development in the first six months, and what you should expect at each milestone.
One To Three Months
During the first stage, which should take place between 1-3 months, babies are learning to live in the outside world. They are learning all about the world and how it works – what it looks like, what it feels like. In these stages, your baby should be smiling. At first, they will just be smiling to themselves. However, during these three months, your baby should eventually start smiling to mirror your smiles, providing a response. They will try to get you to smile back at them – this is crucial for a baby’s development.
They will also be gaining head control, such as raising their head and chest when on their tummy. They will be looking at the world around them with their eyes, tracking objects. Eventually, they will stop crossing their eyes. Their movement will also get better over the course of three months, learning to open and shut their hands, as well as grip and reach for objects. At this stage, your baby should still be on formula or breastfeeding. Keeping an eye out for these key developmental milestones will allow you to track your baby’s development during these initial, crucial months.
Four To Six Months
These months are crucial when it comes to your baby’s development. When your baby is between four and six months old, they are learning how to reach out and experience the world around them, instead of just looking at it. During this time, your baby will be mastering movement, and trying to gain control of their voice. For example, they will be starting to roll over all by themselves, either from front to back or back to front. They will also start reaching and grabbing for toys and objects more, and more easily playing with toys. Your baby should also be able to sit up and have more control of their head.
One of the main milestones when your baby is aged between 4-6 months is that they will try to speak and control their voice, as they want to communicate with you. Speaking to them as much as possible is great for their language development during this stage. This will look like laughing and babbling as they try to make real sounds and master language. Once they have reached 6 months, they should be starting to eat solids. Starting the weaning process can be difficult, however with items like weaning bibs and cups, you can make it much easier for you and your baby.
Tracking Apps and Books
If you’re worried about tracking your baby’s development, there are many books and apps available on the market to help you to know about your baby’s key milestones. You should definitely think about recording your baby’s information in a book or app, so you know if your baby is on track.
However, don’t panic if your baby doesn’t reach a milestone exactly on time. Kids develop at their own pace, and each child is on their own journey. However, if you’re worried about your baby’s development, make sure to see a paediatrician.