Your 9-12 month old baby

In the next three months, you are going to see your 9 to 12-month-old baby experience his biggest milestone yet. If you are lucky, you will see him take his first step. Baby should be able to stand on his feet by nine months, from there, how fast he gets to take on his first step will depend on his balance as well as his confidence.

Baby can also crawl up the stairs meaning it is time to add safety precautions if you live in a multi-level house if you haven’t already.

Baby can also pick up very small items using his thumb and his index finger. Baby is also very curious at this stage. Take advantage of this by introducing him to the outdoors. He is now sleeping much less. In fact, he may only be napping for an hour or two during the day. He can use both hands freely and can feed himself with a spoon unaided. Baby now has a grasp of the concept of conversation and may be able to say simple words like baba or mama.

Each baby grows at his own pace but if your 12-month-old baby can’t babble, you have a cause to worry.

You should also pay attention if he can’t sit up by 10 months or if he shows no interest in his surroundings and shows no anxiety when taken from his primary caregiver.

How your life is changing

Your hair growth has now gone back to its original rhythm. You may also still be carrying a few extra kilos from your healthy weight gain.

If you are one of those mothers who do not like milk products, you may notice your gums bleeding. If your calcium deficiency is severe, you may even lose a tooth. Breastfeeding can deplete your calcium levels and you should make sure to eat foods rich in calcium right from the onset. You can also get a breast pump. Also topping up on your vitamin D will enable your body to absorb calcium more efficiently. Keep eating healthy foods for breastfeeding mums.

You have likely your period back. It may be lighter or heavier than normal or irregular. Don’t worry. It is your body is still recovering.

Tip: “My baby started walking at 10 months. Once I was sure that he could stand on his feet, we spent a lot of time practising. I used his favourite toy to lure him into finally taking that first step,” says Pauline Kubo whose son is now 12 months old.

Complementary Course: 10- 12 Months Complementary Feeding For Babies 

Wondering how chunky your 10 month’s food should be, or when he/she can eat the same food as you and the family? then this is the course for you! For infants from 10-12 months of age, it can be confusing to figure out how to evolve the baby from smooth puree’s to texture and introducing chewing as part of their eating activity. Enrol in this course and learn how to easily transition between puree and chewing. Comes with a  weaning resource book (which also has some recipes) and a weekly menu for your feeding journey.

Click here to enrol.

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