You have now left behind the days when your baby was stationary. From this month on, you will witness them becoming more active, practicing crawling and walking. Get ready to spend more active time with your baby, who is now developing their own personality, has favorite objects, and is developing a sense of curiosity.
Vaccines
7. There are no vaccines required for your baby this month. A routine monthly check-up should be done, monitoring height-weight and head circumference. If during this month your baby has problems such as not being able to use both hands, not being able to sit, not showing interest in people, not being able to laugh consciously, not being able to bring objects to their mouth, or not being able to coordinate their eyes, you should inform your doctor.
Physical Development
Your baby’s hand skills are getting stronger. If you encourage them to drink water on their own and eat food you give them, this ability will develop faster. From this month on, your baby will also learn to clap. Many babies are expected to start teething this month. Although the order may vary in some babies, usually the front lower teeth will appear first. If teething hasn’t started yet; if your baby shows signs like restlessness, tooth itching, increased drooling, you may encounter a tooth at any moment. Cooled teething rings can be helpful for your baby’s aching gums. They may start to stand upright by holding onto a chair or sofa. This is one of the big steps on the way to walking. Most babies no longer need support while sitting at this stage. When you lay them on their stomach, they will start to practice crawling with the help of their feet and arms. In babies who roll to get where they want to go, this stage may be slightly delayed. Although breast milk or formula is still your baby’s main food, they should have progressed a bit further with solid foods. You should now give their food not completely pureed, but slightly grainy to develop your baby’s chewing ability. You can add lean ground meat or chicken to the vegetable meals you prepare for your baby. Starting with a quarter of an egg yolk, you can transition to whole eggs. Salt-free cheese, tarhana soup, and cereals with added grains are other suitable foods for your baby this month. You should make sure that the vegetables and fruits you give your baby are seasonal, and meat products are always fresh.
Cognitive Development
Your baby’s fine motor development is progressing rapidly. They will grasp and hold objects between their fingers better. They can take toys in both hands and bang them together. The sound will encourage them more. They pick up and take back the toy they dropped. If you want to make them think and move, place an object they like a little far away while they’re sitting and let your baby try to reach it. After a few unsuccessful attempts, they will learn to reach their toy in a short time. They can now learn related concepts. For example, when you show one part of a two-piece toy, they will grasp the other part in their mind. They slowly start to identify their functional toys. They can learn what a frequently seen object is used for.
Emotional and Social Development
Active babies can start to make small mischief from this month on. Especially objects like cell phones and TV remotes attract every baby’s interest, and they might drop them when they get hold of them. Your baby cannot yet perceive the commands you give them, and even if they do, they will forget shortly after. Therefore, it’s beneficial to keep such things away from your baby. You, not your baby, should make the distinction between harmful-harmless, object-toy. As they grow, the fear of abandonment becomes more active, so babies who are very attached to their mothers may show uneasiness and anxiety when separated from their mother. In such situations, let them spend good time with other adults and watch them from afar. When they start to get anxious, go and calm them down. This way, you can help your baby become social without shaking their sense of trust. Games like peek-a-boo where people and objects disappear and reappear give your baby a lot of pleasure. They perceive that something is there even if they don’t see it. They will show this by laughing out loud at you in every game. Plush animal toys with different textures and soft colorful balls can be their favorites during this period.
Language Development
As their ability to make sounds develops further, it will become harder to see your babies in a quiet state. They usually create chained sounds and can make long sounds. They carefully examine your mouth movements and imitate them. You will be able to distinguish more whether they are happy or sad from the sounds they make. They will also enjoy the sounds they make, and hearing their own voice will encourage them to make more sounds.
→ You can also read our article on 8-Month-Old Baby Development.
