Baby Development Milestones in the First Year: Rolling, First Steps, First Words, and More

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When exactly will your little one take each step up the developmental ladder? Exactly when your baby is ready, at the perfect time for him.

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The first year of your baby's developmental life, from super-precious but not super-responsive newborn to uber-busy, ever-curious toddler, will be pretty impressive. Make that mind-blowing, hard to believe, amazing to watch. Your little one's large motor skills will advance at an astonishing pace, small motor skills will be finessed, baby brain power will soar, coos will evolve to babble and then to real words. Milestone after milestone will be reached and then surpassed.
When exactly will your little one take each step up the developmental ladder, including taking those first steps? Or speaking those first words? Exactly when your baby is ready, at the perfect time for him. And that time can vary, a lot.
Some three-month-olds are already holy rollers, both ways and back. Others haven't flipped once at five months. Some four-month-olds are solid, unassisted sitters. Others still need props to sit at seven, even eight months. Some 10-month-olds may be walking up a storm, others talking up a storm, and some are taking their sweet time with both.
Some babies get off to a speedy start in most developmental departments. Others may lag at first, but zip ahead later. Some keep a steady pace of development. Others progress in fits and starts.
Much of your baby's development is already programmed in at birth, courtesy of her unique blend of genes, AKA nature. But nurture also plays a role in how quickly a baby masters skills, and so does opportunity. Babies who do plenty of tummy time have more time to practice pushing up, flipping over, creeping forward than those who spend most of their days in seats, swings, and slings.
Weight can also weigh on certain skills, too, a roly-poly baby may find rolling over more challenging than a lightweight, while a baby on sturdy stems may find stability on two feet sooner than one with lean legs.
Babies who are chatted to early and often may make verbal strides sooner than one who gets more screen time than face time. And of course, nothing spurs development like a parent's unconditional encouragement, and love.
It makes sense to tune into developmental milestones, and to have a general sense of when most babies do what, if only to reassure yourself that all is well in your baby's developmental world. But before you sweat your baby's standing, or sitting, on developmental timelines, or start comparing his progress against another baby his age, remember and repeat this mantra: Every baby is different, and every baby develops different skills at a different pace. Your baby is marching, or pulling up, or babbling to the beat of his own drummer.
As long as your little mover and shaker is reaching most milestones within the very wide range of developmental norms, you can sit back and enjoy those awesome achievements instead of over analyzing them. If you notice that your baby is consistently missing milestones or seems to be suddenly slipping significantly in development, or you just have a gut feeling something isn't right, check in with the doctor. Most likely there's no problem at all, but if a lag is identified, the right intervention will help your little one maximize her developmental potential.
Was your baby born early? Use her adjusted age, not her birth age, in measuring those milestones. Here's to your one-of-a-kind baby!