Are you pregnant with your first? Expecting a baby soon? Or did you just deliver a baby? Under any of these circumstances, you better buckle up! Because you are going to get in the whirlwind of the unknown! A baby’s first year is filled with growth and learning. Every month there is a new milestone and progress that many parents may not recognize or could mistake for something else. So, let us get you familiar with some of the important milestones that babies complete in the first year.

First Month

A newborn in their first month is merely adjusting to its surroundings. Life outside the womb is completely new for them and so they start to recognize voices and notice the little they can see around them. Also, they are mostly peeing and pooping while drinking milk the whole day. Therefore, you should not expect much from a newborn in their first month.

• Babies may experience a startle reflex.
• They react to loud noises.
• They can focus on objects that are closer to them.
• Soothe or calm with the touch of a mother.
• Move their head, especially during tummy time.

Second Month

The second month starts with your baby being more reactive and showing other signs of interaction. They get better at feeding and usually sleep the same as in their first month, i.e.; most hours of the day.

• Babies self-soothe themselves by sucking their thumbs.
• Start cooing from their mouths.
• Tracks objects or people moving in front of them.
• Calm down on being picked up.
• Start reacting to sounds, especially the parent's voice.

Third Month

The third month is all about the transformation from a newborn to a baby. Parents can also now interact better with their babies as they start to react better and even smile. Moreover, independent play gives parents, especially mothers, a chance to relax, bathe, and spend some time with themselves while the baby plays with dangling toys or teethers.

• Respond to their favorite sounds by smiling.
• Might imitate sounds and make noises that feel like they are responding.
• Imitate facial expressions.
• Push their feet and hands.
• Hold things like easy to grip on toys or teethers.
• Hold their head better during tummy time.

Fourth Month

The fourth month is all about perfecting what the baby has already learned. They tend to respond better, have a better sleep schedule, and even recognize people around them, especially parents.

• Steadiness while holding the head.
• Start to roll from tummy to back.
• Play and interact with their toys.
• Might have a favorite toy or an activity.
• Easily open their mouths to drink milk.
• Push down on legs when they are held in a standing position.

Fifth Month

By the fifth month, babies begin to grow more, in weight as well as overall development. Their bodies become stronger and so does their grip. Also, most babies start sitting with support.

• Roll from tummy to back and vice versa with ease.
• Play with toys and games like peekaboo.
• Can move objects or toys with their hands.
• Sit properly with the support from pillows.
• Start showing interest in the food that you eat.

Sixth Month

Your baby is officially ½ years old and they have started to actually grow bigger. By bigger we mean, they can now sit properly and have passed their biggest milestone till now and that is to start eating solids.

• Start eating solids.
• Show interest in different foods.
• Respond to their own name.
• Start making some sounds, like dada or mama.
• Express emotions like being sad, angry, or happy.
• Make raspberries and show their tongues.
• They are curious about things around them.

Seventh Month

As babies start quite a few activities around their sixth month, they start to get better at them. For instance, they tend to like and taste more food items, they can now sit properly, some even start to crawl at this time, and they also roll better.

• Start to pick up bigger toys or objects.
• Make constant sounds.
• Loves to play and respond, especially laugh at faces and funny noises
• They start reaching for objects around them.
• Start putting objects in their mouths, and exploring more.
• They babble a lot.

Eighth Month

In the eighth month of their first years, babies continue to develop more senses and grow according to their abilities.

• Able to pick up bigger objects with ease.
• Start to crawl.
• Start to stand with support around.
• Drool and babble a lot.
• Develop stranger anxiety and cry if a stranger holds them.

Ninth Month

Babies, during the ninth month, are extremely active. They are always on the move as they can crawl easily and try to stand up and walk with support.

• Confidently crawl and try to stand with support.
• Some even start walking with support.
• Play and show interest in games like peekaboo.
• Point at people as well as objects.
• Make many faces with sounds.

Tenth Month

During the tenth month, most babies experiment with different sounds, waving their hands, moving and banging on things, and communicating with their baby language.

• Start trying to stand.
• Make different sounds by banging objects or toys.
• Start to take things out of the box or show interest in similar toys.
• Make a few gestures like bye-bye or say hi.
• Try to copy parents when they speak.

Eleventh Month

While crawling, standing up on their own, and trying to walk are some of the great milestones that the baby starts during eleven months, they also:

• Start saying words like mama, dada, and other easy words more properly.
• Try to enact and repeat things.
• Understand basic gestures like yes, no, bye, hi, and others.
• Know objects by their name.
• Point correctly to their toys or objects when called out.

Twelfth Month

Twelfth month and your baby has turned one. Not only is this a great milestone in their as well as parents’ lives, but it is also a month of great achievements, like:

• Babies start walking during this month.
• They can stand on their own with the support of hands and knees.
• Use food utensils like cups and spoons.
• Explore more words.
• Understand easy gestures and respond to their names.