Baby Growth Milestones: A Complete Guide

Taking care of your baby is surely back-breaking. But there are a lot of rewards that await your way. From having her first laugh to walking her first step, the joy of seeing her accomplish something is immeasurable.

In the first year of their lives, babies grow at a tremendous rate. In addition to changes in their weight and height, they go through many different development stages known as MILESTONES.

In order to directly Jump to the monthly Milestones, you can use the links below –

• 1 Month Baby Milestones
• 2 Month Baby Milestones
• 3 Month Baby Milestones
• 4 Month Baby Milestones
• 5 Month Baby Milestones
• 6 Month Baby Milestones
• 7 Month Baby Milestones
• 8 Month Baby Milestones
• 9 Month Baby Milestones
• 10 Month Baby Milestones
• 11 Month Baby Milestones
• 12 Month Baby Milestones
• 18 Month Baby Milestones
• 24 Month Baby Milestones

Importance of Tracking your Baby’s Milestones:

Monitoring your baby’s growth simply does not end with measuring her height and weight. It is necessary that she meets the defined milestones for her age-group in a certain amount of time.

Even though babies develop at their own pace, they tend to follow the same progression through these milestones. Knowing the different milestones for your baby and seeing whether she is completing them on time is a part of monitoring her growth.

Any delay observed in completing the defined milestone needs to be tackled by providing an early intervention.

With 1 in 10 children having ADHD, 1 in 20 having a learning disability, 1 in 88 within the autistic spectrum and with more than 5 lakh babies born annually, keeping track of your baby’s progress has become more crucial than ever before.

Early detection followed by Early Intervention is the key to Elimination of any of the Development Delays.

Different milestones for your baby:

1 month:

By the end of the first month, most babies are able to-

1) Lift head when lying on their stomach:

Your baby should be able to lift her head when lying on her stomach and move it from side to side.

What to do if my baby is not able to lift up her head?
You don’t have to do much to help your baby lift up her head. Cradling her head in the palm of your hand while picking her up or giving her opportunities to play while lying on her stomach will help.

When should I seek professional help?
When your baby is 6 months of age and still doesn’t show head control, take her to a pediatrician.

2) Respond when hearing a noise:

Your baby should respond to familiar sounds like the mention you or your partner’s name and startled on hearing a loud noise.

What to do if my baby is not able to respond to any noise?
Talking or singing to your baby even while doing daily chores is a great way to get her to respond. One more way is to play tunes and songs your baby responds to. This will help identify her reactions to sounds in her surroundings.

When should I seek professional help?
Babies with a family history of hearing disabilities might inherit such conditions from either of their parents. A test is conducted shortly after birth helps to assess your baby’s hearing ability. All the results should ideally be shown to a pediatrician. Any anomalies in the tests can be addressed early on.

3) Focus on objects 10-12 cms away:

Within weeks as your baby’s sight begins to develop, she will be able to focus on objects kept at a distance of 10-12 cms away.

What to do if my baby is not able to focus on objects?
It is proven that infants react best to black and red colors. So, if your baby has trouble focusing on objects, try capturing her attention by using toys or objects with the aforementioned colors.

When should I seek professional help?
If your baby doesn’t seem to focus on objects at 2 months, visit your pediatrician.

2 months:

By the end of this period, most babies have overcome the following milestones-

1) Vocalising sounds

Your baby should be able to communicate intentionally by vocalizing different sounds like “ka”, “la”. These sounds are not directed towards anyone or anything.

How should I help my baby to vocalize sounds?

• Continue talking to her, describing her what you’re doing and naming familiar objects.
• Read books to her.
• Enunciate each word clearly.This encourages her to respond to you and you might be lucky enough to hear her for the first time.

When should I seek professional help?
Vocalizing is the first step towards talking. All babies develop at different rates but if you are worried, then taking her to a doctor is a good idea.

2) Following objects

Your baby should also be able to follow objects with her eyes.

How should I help my baby to follow objects?
If your baby has trouble following any object, try this activity:

• Hold a colorful ball in front of your baby.
• When you’re sure that your baby is looking at the ball, move it side to side to encourage her to follow it with her eyes.

When to take her to a doctor?
Your baby’s eyesight will be checked as part of her monthly checkup. However, consult your doctor if:

• If Your family has a history of vision problem
• The baby finds it difficult to rotate her eyes in all directions
• If the baby finds it difficult to track objects with her eyes
• Your baby crosses her eyes frequently

3) Holding head up for short periods

You will observe that your baby will be able to lift up her head for brief periods of time while lying her on her stomach.

How should I encourage my baby to hold her head up?
This requires strength in neck muscles. Continue to make tummy time a part of your baby’s routine so she gets time to strengthen her neck muscles. Give her colorful, safe toys to make tummy time more enjoyable.

When to take her to a doctor?
If you have tried everything to get your baby to control her head, take her to a pediatrician.

3 months:

At the end of 3 months, your baby should be able to-

1) Smile

Your baby’s smile is one of the rewards you’ll receive. She would first start to smile when she is about 3 months old.

How to get my baby to smile?
Talking to your baby, forming eye-contact, making funny faces or noises, imitating animal sounds, blowing raspberries onto your baby’s tummy will trigger your baby’s smile. The trick is to not overdo it.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby isn’t smiling by 3 months it might be a cause for concern and you need to consult with your doctor.

2) Hold head steadily

Your baby is able to hold head up at 45-degree angle and keep it up steadily.

How to get my baby to hold her head up?
To improve this, play the following game:

• Place your baby on her back and slowly pull her up using her hands to a sitting position.
• Ease her back down slowly and repeat.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby struggles to lift up her head even slightly by 3 months, mention it to your doctor.

3) Recognize face and scent

Some studies suggest that babies recognize their mothers within weeks, while some others say that this happens by 3 months.

How to get my baby to recognize me?
Although she probably will recognize you, it is common to feel the opposite. Have a little trust in her.
Nevertheless, if you still have any doubt about it, make eye contact with her whenever you breastfeed your baby or cuddle with her. This would give her time to study your features. She would notice how close you are to her all the time and hence will recognize your face from the rest.

When to take her to a doctor?
True visual recognition takes only a few weeks. But if your baby isn’t able to recognize you within about 3 months, you should consider taking her to your doctor.

4 months:

By the end of 4 months, your baby should be able to-

1) Coo when you talk to her

By around 4 months, there is increased activity in your baby’s brain that lets your baby coo in response to when you talk to her.

How to get my baby to coo?

• The best way to get your baby respond to you is by talking to her. Follow her gaze to see what excites her and respond to it.
• Express joy and excitement when your baby responds even a little bit.

When to take her to a doctor?
There is no simple test that tells whether your baby might be suffering from speech problems or not. As soon as you suspect one, take her to a doctor.

2) Do mini push ups

Lifting up her head and shoulders off the bed is the first step towards rolling over. This is generally a mini push up and happens around 4 months of age.

How to get my baby to do a mini push up?
This is basically related to the strength of your baby’s arms. Giving him a massage is a good way to strengthen her bones and muscles.

When to take her to a doctor?
It might be possible that your baby is still weak. Let her take her own time for this. If this persists, take her to a doctor.

5 months:

As your baby’s first 5 months begin to end, she should be able to-

1) Distinguish between colors

Your baby gets better at distinguishing between bold colors and tries to recognize patterns.What should I do to help my baby develop this ability?
Encourage your baby’s interest in colors. You can do this by hanging primary colored mobiles near her or putting up colorful posters near her.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is unable to lock eyes with you or cannot distinguish colors up to the age of 6 months, you should take her to a doctor.

2) Roll-over

Babies generally roll over from belly to back. This movement requires coordination and strength.
What should I do to help my baby develop this ability?
Some things that you can do to help your baby roll-over are:

• Encourage her to play on her back, tummy and mid-line i.e the middle plane of her body.
• Encourage her to separate her upper and lower body movements.
• Place a toy near her side to which she usually rolls over to initiate the rolling-over action.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is about 6 months old and has still not been able to flip on any side or roll-over, take her to a doctor.

6 months:

At the end of 6 months, most babies are able to-

1) Turning towards sounds
A baby is able to turn her body towards sources of sound, particularly her mother’s voice at about 6 months.

What should I do to help my baby develop this ability?
Share your favorite songs with your baby. Play nursery rhymes and sings along. Reading to her will help too. Hearing you talk or read will calm her down.

When to take her to a doctor?
As said earlier, as soon as you spot anything that concerns you, get your baby tested by a medical practitioner.

2) Imitating sounds

Your baby would now be capable of mouthing words like “ma” or “ba”.

What should I do to help my baby develop this ability?

• Talk to your baby as much as you can.
• Simplify your speech so that she is able to follow you. She would try to respond to you.
• Also, respond to her whenever she tries to say something. This will encourage her to try and say more words.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is about 8-9 months and seems uncomfortable to start talking, have a chat with your doctor and try to figure out what is holding back your baby.

7 months:

When your baby reaches 7 months of age, she should be likely to:

1) Sit without support

As your baby’s muscles gradually develop, she should be able to sit without toppling over to one side.

How can I help my baby to sit up?
Encourage your baby to play lying on her tummy as much as possible. Try to get her to look up by calling out her name or by using a rattle.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is about 9 months old and is not able to sit without support, take the help of a doctor.

2) Experience separation anxiety

Babies are likely to experience separation anxiety at as early as 6-7 months. This occurs when you have to leave your child to go to work or do any household chore.

How can I help my baby through it?

• Get your baby to spend more time with other family members or a caretaker. Your baby might cry but it would be a lot less troublesome if she has to spend time with well-known faces.
• Also, give your baby time to get comfortable with them first.
• Always say goodbye before leaving her.
• Comfort her that you’ll be back soon.

When to take her to a doctor?
Although separation anxiety is just a phase, it might be a cause of worry if, her anxiety is so overwhelming that she is not able to do anything without you near her. Does not stop crying even after you have long gone

8 months:

Most babies, aged 8 months are able to-

1) Say words like “mama” or “dada”

By the time your baby is 8 months old, she starts to put together syllables and is able to say words like “mama” or “dada”.

How can I help my baby to aid her in case of a probable speech delay?

• Engage her in a conversation. Soon, she will understand that conversation is a two-way street and would be obliged to join in.
• Use different tones and pitch to highlight what you’re saying or how you’re saying it.
• After you say something, pause for a little while to give her time to react.

When to take her to a doctor?

• As long as your baby’s speech is progressing, you don’t need to worry.
• Take her to a doctor if her speech or language development comes to a hold or if she is not able to form words by the time she is 15 months old.

2) Grasp objects

Your baby is able to pick up objects with little efforts. She may hone her hand-to-hand coordination, thus passing an object from one hand to another.

How can I help my baby grasp for objects?
Stimulate your baby’s grasping power by placing a colorful object just outside of her reach and encourage her to seize it. Try wrapping her fingers around an a objects like legos, books.

When to take her to a doctor?
Take her to a doctor if your baby does not notice any object in front of her or is not interested in grabbing anything by the time she is 9 months old.

9 months:

At the age of 9 months, your baby should be able to-

1) Understand words

When your baby is about 9 months, she will begin to recognize her name and respond to it. She would be able to understand the meaning of a few words by breaking or combining a few syllables.

How can I help my baby to understand words?

• Talking and reading to your baby will help her learn.
• Look at books together.
• Point out to her an object and say its name and encourage her to follow you.
• When she says the name of an object correctly, applaud her.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your child fails to understand simple words by the time he is 1 year old, consult a doctor.

2) Stand with a support

At any age of about 9 months, your baby would be able to stand while holding out a piece of furniture or supporting himself against a wall.

How can I help my baby to stand?

• Put a few of her toys above her so that she tries to reach for them and hence needs to stands in the process.
• Make sure that the furniture she uses to pull herself up is sturdy enough and does not topple.
• Bounce your baby up and down to strengthen her leg muscles.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is about 11 months old and still has not attempted to stand, take her to your doctor. She might be lacking in bone strength and hence may need additional help.

10 months:

Around the age of 10 months, most babies-

1) Crawl well

By the time your baby is about 10 months old, she should be able to crawl and explore her surroundings.

How can I encourage my baby to crawl?

• To help your baby crawl, get her to spend more time or her tummy.
• Encourage her to push herself up. This action will strengthen her arms.
• Hanging your baby’s favorite toy above her head is a good way to do this.

When to take her to a doctor?
Contact your doctor if your baby is about 12 months of age and hasn’t shown an inclination towards crawling. Is not able to make equal use of her arms or legs, it is best to contact her doctor.

2) Wave goodbye or clap or point

Somewhere around 9-10 months, your baby would reward you with a wave. This is a way of catching your attention and make sure you appreciate it enough.

How can I get my baby to wave or clap or point?

• Model actions for your baby. Hold her hands and clap them together while saying “clap clap” or move her hand in the air while saying “bye bye” when greeting a departing relative.
• Games like “Eyes-Nose-Mouth” or “Pattycake” help in teaching communication and stimulating the senses.

When to take her to a doctor?
Activities like these take their own sweet time. Just keep playing fun games with her and keep communication going. However, if she does not respond to this and she is about 11 months, you might want to take her to a doctor.

11 months:

Most babies of 11 months can:

1) Stand alone for a few minutes

Standing without support is more likely to happen at about 11 months of age. This requires enough muscle strength in your baby’s legs, hips, and tummy to support her weight.

How can I get my baby to stand without support?

• Make your baby stand on your lap and bounce her up and down. This will strengthen the necessary bones and muscles needed to stand up.
• Let your baby play on the floor. The more exercise she gets, the better it is.
• Give her a massage using a good oil. This is supposed to provide the necessary bone and muscle strength.

When to take her to a doctor?
At this time the baby is supposed to stand well. It is possible that she takes her own developmental time for this. But if she is 11 months old and has shown no attempt to stand up, this may be of concern and hence should be taken to a doctor.

2) Understand Simple Directions

By now, your baby should be able to understand simple instructions, especially if they are followed by a hand gesture like “give me that pencil” with a hand held out or “touch your cheeks” with a touching motion towards your cheeks.

How can I get my baby to understand my directions?

• The best way to get your baby to understand your directions is by talking to her a lot.
• Use of clear and basic commands with a lot of repetition.
• Point out the names of the objects as you play with them.
• Practice simple commands like “show me your nose” followed by a touch on your nose so that your baby is able to repeat it.

When to take her to a doctor?
Understanding you is a big enough task for your little munchkin. Try to be a little gentle with the teaching process. If your baby is 12 months old and still has problems analyzing simple instructions, discuss your concerns with a doctor.

12 months:

By the completion of 12 months, your baby should be able to:

1) Imitate other’s activities

As your baby completes her first year, she might engage in what as known as “parallel play” i.e. to play alongside other babies and they might coo or imitate each other’s actions.

Also, she would try to imitate you to get your attention and develop her social skills.

How can I help my baby to develop her social skills?
Spend time with your baby. This will help her get to know you and she may try to imitate you in response.
Invite your friends and relatives. Babies love getting attention from everyone and in turn, respond to them.

When to take her to a doctor?
You should take her to a doctor if she is 1 years old and does not seem interested in other people or even you or is aggressive towards other babies.

2) Indicate wants with gestures

Babies typically start gesturing at this age. Every time she stretches out her arms, she sends out a message to you asking you pick her up.

What should I do to initiate her gestures?

• Get your baby to gaze. The better her gaze is, the more she’ll notice common gestures and start to do them.
• Make faces along with gestures so that your baby can associate different gestures with different feelings and start to use them.

When to take her to a doctor?
This is the peak time for your baby to learn new gestures. If she has not shown any interest in learning new gestures and is 12 months old, chances are she might be lagging behind.

18 months:

By the end of 18 months, your baby should start to:

1)  Read board books on her own

Babies have rapidly developing brains. They can start to learn and read small words as early as 18 months.

How should I teach my baby to read?
The first step in teaching a baby to read is to make the words big. Their visual pathway does not allow them to read words written in smaller font.

• Show the word to her very quickly. They can process the word at an incredible rate and hence may lose interest really quickly.
• Be clear. While pronouncing the word to her, be as clear as possible.
• Show a word to them a number of times to help them learn it.

When to take her to a doctor?
If you introduce board books in her first year, chances are she will learn to read them by the age of 18 months.
Some babies might start to read later than that depending upon their developmental time.

2) String words together to form phrases

Your toddler starts to make phrases on her own by the time she crosses 18 months of age.

How should I encourage my baby to form phrases?

• Model two-word phrases during the day depending on what you’re doing.
• Make your child imitate the phrases before she can produce them on her own.
• Read books on familiar themes to your baby to help her remember and predict the next part.
• Likewise, play familiar songs and encourage her to sing along with it.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby is unable to form words or follow directions yet, chances are there might be a problem. Take this to your pediatrician and seek advice.

24 months:

By the end of 24 months, your baby would be capable of-

1) Making short sentences

By 2 years, your toddler would start converting her two-word phrases into short sentences and using new words in sentences.

How should I teach my baby to make sentences?

• Don’t interrupt her. Let her finish before saying something.
• Give her opportunities to express herself.
• Ask her questions that call for more than a yes or no answer.
• Respond to her answers with sentences consisting of more words.

When to take her to a doctor?
If your baby seems tense while trying to speak sentences or avoids speaking them altogether, contact your pediatrician. The doctor will help evaluate conditions revolving around a delay in speech.

2) Understanding half of our speech

Your child understands most of your speech and is able to perform two-step instructions. Her vocabulary expands and her grasping power increases too.

How should I teach my baby to understand myself better?

• While reading a book to your baby, ask her to point out various items.
• Encourage her to use that word in a sentence and see if the sentence is meaningful.
• Try to talk to her using longer sentences and ask her to respond to it.

When to take her to a doctor?
If by the age of 3, your child seems to have a problem understanding simple instructions, talk to her doctor.
Also, consult her pediatrician if others fail to understand her most of the times.

Those were some of the milestones that serve as pointers to your baby’s growth and development. However, it is to be kept in mind that every baby is unique and develops at her own pace.

There is a wide range of what is considered as “normal” and this may trouble new parents to a great extent. Simply checking off items on a milestone chart is not important, what is necessary is to enjoy this journey as your baby marches towards development.

Remember to cherish it as long as it lasts!

Don’t forget to share your stories with us.
Happy Parenting!