Everything you need to know about your growing 9-month-old

As a parent, watching your little one grow and develop is an incredible experience. From the first moments of life to the first steps and beyond, each milestone is a cause for celebration. At 9 months, your baby is rapidly changing and developing new skills every day. As a parent, it’s important to stay informed and aware of what to expect during this exciting time. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about your growing 9-month-old, from physical development to cognitive milestones and beyond. So, whether you’re a first-time parent or a seasoned pro, read on to learn more about this exciting phase of your baby’s growth and development.

Social and emotional milestones of 9-month-old

Some of the ways you’ll see your little one learning to connect with the people around her at 9 months:

• Starting to cling to adults she’s familiar with.
• Might be afraid of strangers.
• Has favorite toys that she reaches for often.

Tips for Parents

• Follow your baby’s signals by letting her take the lead during playtime.

Language and communication milestones at 9 months

How your baby is expressing his needs:

• Pointing at things with his fingers. 
• Understands the word “no” and makes lots of different sounds.
• He’ll start to copy the movements he sees and the sounds he hears.

Tips for Parents

• Because your baby loves to point, read some board books with pictures. He’ll be able to show you what he’s interested in.
• Cut out pictures from magazines and create your own story about the objects or people in the picture.
• Identify the objects your baby notices in his everyday environment or in the house and name them. This will help with their linguistic and communication development.

Brain development milestones at 9 months

How your child’s brain is growing:

• Likes to play peek-a-boo and look for things you hide. 
• Tracks object as they fall. 
• Moves things from one hand to the other, and likes to put objects in her mouth.
• Picks up small objects with her thumb and index finger. 

Tips for Parents

• Support and encourage your baby during playtime. 
• Help her develop her fine motor skills by giving her small objects to pick up while under your supervision. 

Movement and physical development milestones at 9 months

How he’ll move through his environment:

• Can get into a sitting position and sit without support.
• Pulls up (using furniture for support) to stand.
• Starting to crawl.

Tips for Parents

• Place your baby close to the furniture so he can try to raise himself up.

Food and nutrition milestones at 9 months

What mealtimes look like at 9 months:

• Enjoys teethers.
• Beginning to eat thicker pureed foods and staying full for a longer period of time after eating. 
• Reacts strongly to new smells and tastes.

Tips for Parents

Try giving your little one-half cup of mashed banana four times a day along with a healthy snack.

Things to look out for

While all babies develop differently, you should speak to your pediatrician if your 9-month-old:

• Can’t sit without assistance.
• Doesn’t babble.
• Won’t respond to her own name.
• Doesn’t put weight on her legs.
• Doesn’t play any games involving back-and-forth play.
• Doesn’t recognize adults she knows.
• Doesn’t look where you point.
• Can’t transfer toys between her hands.

>> Read more: Everything you need to know about your growing 2-month-old