The first year of a baby’s life is filled with many developmental milestones. These milestones are important markers of a baby’s growth and development and can help parents and caregivers understand what to expect during each stage of their child’s life.

As a speech pathologist who has worked with families of young children over the past 15 years, and as a new mom, I know how much information is out there on milestones. In this post, we’ll explore the developmental milestones in 0-12 months and I’ll provide tips, tricks, and tools that will support your baby’s growth and development.

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Developmental Milestones In The First Year

Learning Your Baby: 0-3 Months

The first three months of a baby’s life are characterized by rapid growth and development. During this time, babies are learning to control their movements and exploring the world around them.

Some of the key developmental milestones in this stage include:

• Lifting their head briefly when lying on their stomach
• Following objects with their eyes
• Recognizing familiar faces and voices
• Bringing their hands to their mouth

To support your baby’s development during this stage, provide plenty of opportunities for tummy time and interact with them through talking, singing, and play. We have loved used the Lovevery play mat to make tummy time fun. I love the little black and white picture inserts for this stage, and the gloves in the 0-3 month play kit are great for bringing hands to mouth.

Focusing on Development: 4-6 Months

Between 4-6 months, babies become more mobile and start to explore their environment in new ways. They also begin to develop a stronger sense of self-awareness.

Key developmental milestones during this stage include:

• Rolling over from their stomach to their back and vice versa
• Sitting up with support
• Reaching for and grasping objects
• Babbling and making new sounds

To support your baby’s development during this stage, provide toys and objects for them to explore and encourage them to reach for and grasp items. This is a great tool for assisting with building tummy time and helping with supporting sitting. I also love these oral development tools (created by another SLP!) to help boost your baby’s babbling by teaching proper tongue placement (Added bonus: they are great for teething!)

Meeting More Milestones: 7-9 Months

Between 7-9 months, babies become more active and start to develop stronger motor skills. They also become more social and begin to understand the concept of cause and effect.

Key developmental milestones during this stage include:

• Crawling and moving around independently
• Pulling themselves up to stand
• Responding to their name and understanding simple instructions
• Exploring objects with their mouth

To support your baby’s development during this stage, provide safe spaces for them to explore and encourage them to crawl, pull themselves up, and interact with their environment. This is a great time to introduce a walker (I generally try to find one without all the lights and sounds) and pop-up toys.

Reaching Developmental Milestones: 10-12 Months

Between 10-12 months, babies continue to develop their motor skills and become more independent. They also start to understand simple words and communicate using gestures.

Key developmental milestones during this stage include:

• Walking with support or independently
• Picking up small objects with their thumb and forefinger (pincer grasp)
• Saying their first words and understanding simple phrases
• Copying simple gestures, such as clapping

To support your baby’s development during this stage, provide opportunities for them to practice walking and encourage them to communicate through gestures and simple words. These book bundles are a wonderful tool in boosting your child’s language skills, and these stacking toys are an amazing way to build your child’s grasp, but will also grow with them over the next year as a pretend play toy.

In conclusion, the first year of a baby’s life is filled with many exciting developmental milestones. As a parent or caregiver, it’s important to understand these milestones and provide opportunities for your baby to grow and develop at their own pace. By supporting your baby’s growth and development, you can help them reach their full potential and lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and growth.

Want support with guiding your child to developmental milestones? Check out my Babble Bootcamp, an 8-week program designed to help you support your child from cooing to babbling and beyond.