Developmental Milestones for Your Baby’s First Year
This guide breaks down the key developmental milestones your baby should reach between birth and 12 months old. Understanding these milestones is the first step to actively supporting your baby’s growth and setting them up for a lifetime of success. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the Metro Therapy team at (763) 450-9400 today and we’ll be happy to help.
Development at 2 Months Old
By the time your baby is about two months old, they should achieve the following new skills:
Speech & Language
Alerts to sounds
Coos, makes sounds like ooo, aah
Reacts to or gets startled by sudden, loud sounds
Cognitive
Looks at a toy or interesting item for a few seconds
Watches you when you move around
Movement
Lifts up their head during tummy time
Opens their hands
Moves both their arms and both their legs
Social & Emotional
Smiles in response to your voice or face
Looks happy to see you
Calms down when you speak or pick them up
Feeding
Latches easily to breast or bottle
Sucks and swallows milk or formula without struggle
Turns their head toward the nipple or bottle and opens their mouth to feed
Development at 4 Months Old
By the time your baby is about four months old, they should achieve the following new skills:
Speech & Language
Vocalizes different vowel sounds
Turns their head toward you when you speak or sing
Responds with sounds when you talk to them
Cognitive
Looks at their hands
Opens their mouth when they are hungry and see the breast or bottle
Movement
Active reaching towards a toy
Holds their head steady when you hold them
Brings their hands to their mouth
Pushes up onto their elbows or arms during tummy time
Rolls onto sides from back
Social & Emotional
Laughs lightly (not yet a full belly laugh)
Makes sounds to get your attention
Smiles at you on their own
Feeding
Brings their hands up to the breast or bottle when feeding
Development at 6 Months Old
By the time your baby is about six months old, they should achieve the following new skills:
Speech & Language
Makes squealing sounds
Make sounds back and forth with caregiver
Sticks out their tongue and blows raspberries
Cognitive
Explores objects with their mouth
Reaches for toys they want
Closes their lips when they are full
Movement
Rolls from their back to belly
Leans on their hands for support when sitting up
Extends their arms straight to hold themselves up during tummy time
Sits using hands for support
Brings feet to mouth
Social & Emotional
Laughs with their full belly
Recognizes familiar people other than you
Looks at themselves in a mirror
Feeding
Opens their mouth for a spoon or snacks
Tries pureed baby food stage 1
Development at 9 Months Old
By the time your baby is about nine months old, they should achieve the following new skills:
Speech & Language
Recognizes names of some people and objects
Says simple consonant-vowel combinations like "mama," and "dada"
Lifts up their arms so you’ll pick them up
Cognitive
Bangs two objects like toys together
Looks for things they have dropped
Movement
Cruises along furniture
Able to sit up on their own and maintain the position without support
Moves objects from one hand to the other
Pulls food closer with their hands
May start crawling
Transition from sitting to hands and knees
Social & Emotional
May start to be shy around new people
Makes different facial expressions to show emotions
Enjoys playing peek-a-boo
Reacts when you call their name
Recognizes when you leave and tries to find you or cries
Feeding
Picks up food and brings it to their mouth to feed themselves
Tries to hold the spoon themselves when feeding
Moves food around their mouth with their tongue
Development at 12 Months Old
By the time your baby is about twelve months old, they should achieve the following new skills:
Speech & Language
Calls you by a special name like “mama” or “dada”
Hesitates or stops when you say “no”
Waves goodbye to people
Imitates or initiates a variety of gestures such as pointing, giving objects or blowing kisses
Cognitive
Looks for toys or other objects that you hide
Puts things in containers
Movement
Lowers self from standing without falling
Rolls a ball forward while sitting
Pulls themselves up to stand
Able to crawl on their own
Walks while holding onto furniture or your hands
Social & Emotional
Enjoys playing games with you like pat-a-cake
Feeding
Takes small bites from larger pieces of food
Closes their lips while they swallow food or drink
Enjoys most table foods
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Pay attention to the milestones listed above and trust your instincts. If you have any concerns, you can always reach out to our team for advice.
-
Most babies start rolling over between 4 and 6 months. Encourage this skill by giving your baby plenty of tummy time and placing toys just out of reach to encourage reaching and rolling.
-
Talk to your baby every day, read stories out loud, and respond to their coos and babbling. These activities stimulate language development, plus they’re fun for you and your baby.
-
Start solids around 6 months when your baby can sit up and shows interest in food. Look for signs like sitting independently, bringing their hands to their mouth, and reaching for snacks.
-
Crawling usually begins around 7 to 10 months, while walking typically starts between 9 and 12 months. Provide ample floor time in a baby-proofed area with interesting toys to encourage reaching.
-
Tummy time helps strengthen neck, core, back, and shoulder muscles and supports motor development. Start with 5 minutes at a time, several times per day, and gradually increase the time as your baby gets more comfortable.
Schedule Your Free Screening Today
At Metro Therapy in Fridley, MN, we celebrate each milestone your baby achieves. If you have any concerns about their development, or if you just want to ensure your child is on the right track, our expert pediatric therapists are here to support you. Schedule a free screening and help your baby be the very best they can be.