The ways your baby acts, speaks, plays and learns are vital clues for his developments. You may be surprised by how fast he picks up different skills almost every day.
Your baby’s infant development takes off as he gets all the more inquisitive and mobile. In this post we have discussed development milestones of a 9th month old baby, have a look.
9 Month Old Baby Development:
Understanding your 9 months baby developmental milestones will help you know what you can do to ensure his best possible growth.
1. Overall Development:
By this time your baby will learn to walk, crawl and creep and be able to move round the room.
- He may surprise you by standing up holding furniture.
- He will start responding to his name at this age.
- Your baby has started understanding basic words like “bye-bye” and “no”.
- You may find him gabbling and saying words like “mamma” and “dada”.
- He can now sit comfortably.
- He may sleep all through the night except for waking up occasionally.
- You may find his one or two teeth coming up in the front.
- The most striking development that you can notice is his ability to poke with his fingers.
2. Feeding Habits:
At this age it is best to introduce soft table foods that your doctor has approved.
- You can add variety and texture in the diet to make mealtimes more interesting.
- Allow your baby to use his newly developed plucking skill while eating. He would love to explore the different options in his dish.
- Stay away from foods causing choking hazards such as candies, beans, corns, raisins, peanuts or raw fruits and vegetables.
- You must continue to bottle feed or breast feed him till he turns a year old.
3. Sleep Patterns:
It is better to allow your baby to self soothe himself as this helps him fall back asleep even if he wakes up in the middle of the night.
- Anxieties are common in 9 months old that often disturbs their sleep pattern. You may find him waking up crying in between the naps or at midnight for no apparent reason.
- In case your baby wakes up at night, check if he is thirsty or hungry. Do check his diapers and if necessary adjust the room temperature. If everything seems fine, rock him a bit and put him back to sleep. Do not stimulate your baby. This will help him fall asleep quickly.
- You must never put him to bed with a bottle.
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Safety Concerns:
Remember, even if you have taken all measures to childproof your home you must still remain vigilant over his activities.
- While you are travelling make sure to put him in a baby car seat.
- You must never leave him unattended in a pool or tub. It is always better to hold your baby while he is bathing.
- Baby walkers are not very advisable. The walkers in fact increase risk factors and are also said to delay the onset of his walking capability.
- Install and maintain carbon monoxide if you are using gas appliances.
- Once you have used the bathroom, remember to empty all buckets and tubs.
- If you have a swimming pool it should be fenced from all four sides.
- Do not smoke at home as it irritates the lungs of your little one.
- Avoid overexposure to sun especially from 10 am to 3 pm.
- Cleaning agents, medicines and other dangerous substances must be kept out of reach of your baby.
Being A Parent:
Your 9 month baby is no longer that sweet little chap who giggled while lying on his back in his crib. He is now exploring your house and you can find him almost everywhere.
- You must keep a constant chatter on with him. Talking while walking, playing, dressing, driving and doing anything will help develop his speech and communication ability.
- Look for age appropriate toys that will develop his different skills and also keep him engaged.
- Set limitations by saying “no”. You can also keep away objects from his sight. Spanking as a form of discipline should never be done. If situations are getting really tough you can move to another room and compose yourself. Remember, it is important to discipline him consistently. Keeping him in limits will keep him safe.
- Shoes are not very necessary at this stage. However, you can make him wear shoes to protect from cold and sharp objects.
- Separation anxieties are common at this age. It is important that you keep him with his grandparents or caregivers and leave home at times. Apart from the fact that your baby learns to stay without you, you get a breather too. However, make sure to come back after some time.
Infections and Illnesses:
Your 9 months old baby is more susceptible to infections than before.
- Chances of infections increase because of loss of maternal antibodies that your youngster received in pregnancy.
- Your 9 months old has now developed a habit of taking anything and everything in his mouth and that too has increased chances of infection.
Moms, do not feel discouraged if your little one develops cold and fever every now and then.
Regular Checkups:
You must take your baby for regular checkups to evaluate his growth and development patterns.
- Your doctor shall check the standard growth curves such as head size, height and weight. Since babies at this age grow in spurts, it is more important to check his growth over a period of time than over a period of month.
- Your baby in 9th month must be checked developmentally as well as physically.
- You must check with your doctor for the regular immunization schedules. Since new vaccines are being introduced, it is always better to get a clear idea about your baby’s vaccine schedule from him.
If you are worried about developmental delays, you can always consult your doctor. You as well as your baby shall benefit from his advice.
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Article written by Moumita Ghosh
