Baby milestones are those special moments throughout your little one's development, from crawling to having their first little walk, trying to talk and weaning. Your baby will be very busy in their first two year, experiencing a whole load of firsts, so it's important to cherish this very special time in their life as it'll fly-by quicker than you think!
Here are the different stages of development milestones that your baby will reach within 12 months. Remember, all babies develop differently, so don’t be disheartened if they don’t reach a specific milestone by a certain time and speak to your doctor or health visitor if you’re concerned.
0 - 3 months baby milestones
From their very first smile to controlling their head, a lot happens in your baby's first 12 weeks in the world.
Baby milestone cards to capture those special moments
Following objects
As you'll probably already know, babies aren't born with perfect vision and their eyesight improves a lot during the first few months of their lives. Find out more about your baby's vision plus when they'll be able to follow objects with their eyes here.
Tummy time
You've probably already heard the term 'tummy time' quite a bit in the lead up to giving birth. Tummy time is a huge development milestone for your little one, so it's important to know how your baby can get the most out of their tummy time and the benefits of this important phase.
First smile
Nothing in the world can make you feel better than when your baby gives you one of those big old gummy, heart-warming smiles. Discover when she'll start flashing you a grin and what you can do to help here.
First laugh
There's nothing quite like hearing your baby laugh for the first time! If you're wondering when your baby will laugh or desperate to hear their first giggle, there are plenty of tricks and techniques that'll have your baby laughing their tiny socks off in no time!
Holding head up
Between two and three months you'll notice your baby becoming more confident with holding up their own head, whether during tummy time or while being held. A three-month-old baby lying on their back will have learned how to hold their head up for brief periods of time.
First sounds
Some babies are noisier than others (although they all master crying quite quickly!) whether it's a babble or a coo, or just blowing raspberries. It's all your baby learning about how to make sounds. Even from a very young age there are things you can do to help them develop their speech. Try out these five ways to teach your baby to talk.
First bath
Your baby's first bath can be a daunting milestone, but there are lots of ways to make it easier and safer, particularly for newborns, such as by using a bath thermometer. A bathtub or seat designed specifically for babies is also a must - here's our pick of the best baby bath tubs.
Swimming
According to the NHS, you don't need to wait until your baby has had their injections for them to be able to go swimming so you can start your little one's watery adventures as soon as you want. Swimming can be an amazing sensory experience for your baby as they love the sensation of being in the water. Wondering where on earth to begin? Check out our piece on baby swimming with advice from Rebecca Adlington.
4 - 12 months baby milestones
During this time, between four and 12 months of age, your little one will begin to interact with objects and people more by grabbing and trying to move around more on the floor!
Rolling over
As your baby starts to move more, around the age of five months old, you might notice them trying to roll over. This is a huge movement milestone for your tot which you can read more about here.
Crawling
As with any milestone, each baby is different and while some babies are happy crawling until they HAVE to walk, some skip the crawling phase altogether! And when it comes to crawling, there are loads of different ways your tot can crawl and different things you can do to help encourage them. You'll probably find baby is confidently crawling by 8-months-old.
Sitting up
When your baby learns to sit up on their own, it's a milestone worth remembering. What a difference it makes for your little one, who will have a whole new perspective on the world. From the age babies usually start to sit up to the ways you can help your baby reach this milestone, read more about when babies start to sit up here.
First word
Desperate to hear what your baby's first word will be? Find out more about when your baby will begin to form words plus more about how you can help your baby's language develop.
First tooth
Any parent knows how painful the teething phase can be for babies. Knowing the signs and symptoms to look out for however can help you find the right ways of soothing their pain to make this milestone as bearable as possible for your tot. [Find out more about the signs and symptoms of teething here as well as the important remedies that can help.]{href='https://www.motherandbaby.com/baby-and-toddler/baby/looking-after-your-baby/when-do-babies-start-teething' }
Weaning
There comes a point in every baby’s life, usually when they’re approaching six months old, when they're ready to grab a fork and head out into the big, wide world of food. Check out our beginner's guide to weaning here.
First curl
There is a huge range when it comes to what is 'normal' for baby hair. Some babies are born with luxurious locks from the get go, others will have downy newborn baby hair, and some will have none at all. As for baby hair growth, again it varies from baby to baby. Tips on how to cut your baby's hair at home.
Standing
Most children learn to stand unaided (often before crashing back down on their bottom) by the time they’re 14 months and you might find baby trying to pull themselves up on furniture from around 9-months-old. Standing unaided is the first step towards this huge moment in your baby's development. You may also notice them cruising - using furniture to support themselves. Read more about these walking milestones here.
First birthday
Congratulations, it's time to celebrate the first year of your beautiful baby's life! Whether you’re planning a big bash for your tot or fancy something a little more laid back, we’ve got oodles of first birthday ideas for you to take a look at.
Find out all about what toddler milestones you have to look forward to!
More milestones and firsts
When do babies' eyes change colour?
Wondering when your baby's eyes are likely to change colour? Find out more about when your tot's eyes will change colour, what factors can affect their eye colour and the science behind it.
When will my baby sleep through the night?
Looking forward to being able to get rid of that middle-of-the-night feed? Can't remember the last time you slept for seven or eight hours non-stop? Find out when your dream of baby sleeping through could become a reality here.
First bedroom
It's a monumentous occasion when your child is ready to have their own room and bed – meaning you can reclaim your sleep, personal space and sex life! If you struggle with this milestone, try these tips to get your toddler out of your room and sleeping in their own bed.
First Christmas
From cute keepsakes to creating new traditions, your baby's first Christmas is something special to celebrate.
First Easter
There is nothing cuter than an Easter inspired outfit to dress up your little ones in, particularly if it's their first Easter! When your tot gets a bit older you can organise their first Easter egg hunt, or even do Easter themed crafts.
The funny baby milestones
Of course, alongside the big milestones and precious moments like the first time your baby smiled, or laughed or said "muma", there are those things that you will never, EVER be able to get out of your head.
Awful experiences that yes, you can laugh about now, but at the time, it was a different matter entirely. Scroll through the gallery below and let us know if these strike a chord with you.
1 of 8The time your baby rolled off the mat
You turned your back for ONE SECOND, it was probably less than one second and yet baby took a tumble. Icy fear gripped your heart and guilt, that uncontrollable guilt.
2 of 8The first shower of puke
Once upon a time you didn’t really know that if you held your baby up high just after she’d eaten, then she would be sick over your face. You know that now. Oh yes do you know that now.
3 of 8The first shower of wee
You take your little boy’s nappy off and before you know what’s happening, he pees straight up into your face. How can his aim be that good, how come there is so much, how come you didn’t know to move out of the way?
4 of 8The first blood bath
You decided to cut your baby’s toenails, the tiny little shells on the end of her toes, carefully done with tiny little scissors. And then something happened and you cut her. And there was a river of blood, and tears, and screaming and you felt like the worst mother on the world.
5 of 8The first unbelievable nappy
First of all a filled nappy was something wonderful, “my baby actually did that”, then it became humdrum. Until one day you saw something so big, something that smelled so foul that you couldn’t actually believe it came out of something so cute. Your eyes still water at the thought.
6 of 8The first time they fell over
Your boisterous toddler is always falling over, grazing her knees, scraping her hands, crying, getting over it and cheerfully doing it all again. But that wasn’t always the case. The first time she fell over and let out that blood-curdling scream, you swore never to let her out of your sight ever again, and to only dress her in padded clothes.
7 of 8The first time they swore!
Babies are like sponges, someone told you that once. You didn’t really get what that meant until the first time your little one blurted something rude you had said in the privacy of your own home, one the bus. Loudly. And everyone heard.
8 of 8The first temper tantrum
Before you became a mum and you saw a toddler having a screaming tantrum in the middle of supermarket you thought to yourself “that will never happen to me” and it never did, until the first time...
Keen to record all your baby's special firsts? We love these clever tips from mum, Emily Norris!
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