It's a beautiful journey, isn't it? The milestone-filled adventure of parenthood where every blink of your baby’s eye, every coo, every smile, fills the heart with indescribable joy.
Now your little one is growing faster than ever before, reaching new 9 month old developmental milestones every day - which is why as a hands-on parent it is so important for you to keep up pace with your baby.
What should you feed your nine-month-old? How can you ensure a proper sleep schedule? What are the telltale signs that your little one is hitting all the right developmental milestones for a 9 month old?
We delve into an in-depth exploration of the developmental milestones you can expect.
Together, we'll arm you with knowledge, advice and reassurance to confidently raise your little superstar!
List of developmental milestones for 9-month-old babies
The following are some 9 month old milestones that you can watch for as your baby touches 9 months:
- Social-Emotional Milestones: like expressing happiness, sadness, becoming shy, showing anxiety, etc.
- Language-Communication Milestones: making babbling noises, speaking words such as 'mamama', 'bababa'
- Cognitive Milestones include learning, thinking, problem solving - like looking for hidden toys, experimenting with different sounds, banging toys together
- Physical Development Milestones: like getting into the sit position without help, sitting steadily without support, using fingers to 'rake' food towards themselves, etc.
9-month-old baby food
Around nine months, your baby will gradually move towards having three meals a day, but how do you ensure they are getting all the essential nutrients?
The key is to offer a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, protein sources and dairy products. This not only ensures enough energy and nutrients (like iron) for their growth but also helps them develop a taste for different flavors.
Fruits and Vegetables
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, aim for diversity. Consider introducing asparagus, avocado, broccoli, butternut squash, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, courgette, green beans, kale, parsnips, peas, peppers, spinach and swede. These can be cooked until soft and mashed or given as finger foods as per your baby's comfort level.
Similarly with fruits—bananas, blueberries, kiwi fruit, mangoes and melons make excellent choices for their nutritional profile and palatability. Even harder fruits like apples can be cooked to soften them before serving.
Protein
Protein foods are not only rich in protein but also provide other useful nutrients such as iron and zinc. Introduce beans, beef, chicken, eggs, fish (no bones), lamb, lentils, pork and pulses like chickpeas. Ensure that all these are cooked thoroughly and mashed to a suitable texture for your baby.
However, avoid adding salt or sugar to their food as it can adversely affect their kidneys and teeth respectively.
Dairy
Pasteurised dairy foods like full-fat yoghurt and cheese can be introduced from around six months of age itself. Whole pasteurised cow’s milk can also be used in cooking or mixed with food from this age onward.
9-month-old baby sleep
When it comes to sleep patterns, your nine-month-old has probably transitioned from multiple naps to two longer ones in a day. By this stage, babies are capable of sleeping through the night without requiring feeds.
Sleep is a critical aspect of your child’s growth—it's when their brain processes everything they learned during the day! So how do you ensure your little one is getting enough sleep?
Establishing a consistent bedtime routine can significantly help in setting up healthy sleep habits for your baby. This could involve feeding them earlier in the routine instead of last thing before bed, reading them a bedtime story or singing a lullaby.
Sleep training may seem a daunting task given that babies at this age often display strong resistance against falling asleep on their own due to newfound mobility skills like crawling. However, the key lies in consistency and patience.
9-month-old-baby schedule
One common concern among parents is establishing an effective daily schedule for their baby that accommodates all their needs—feeding times, naptimes and playtimes.
By nine months, your baby needs 11-12 hours of overnight sleep and about 2-3 hours of daytime naps. However, it's essential not to rigidly adhere to fixed times for these activities every day as the actual duration of nap times can often vary.
Instead, adopting a flexible schedule based on awake times can help manage your day better. This way, even if your baby wakes up mid-nap due to some reason, you can adjust the next nap or feeding time based on how long they have been awake.
9-month-old Baby Health and Safety
As your little one becomes more mobile and curious at nine months old, it's crucial to ensure their environment is safe for exploration. This includes safeguarding against potential hazards such as falls, burns, and choking incidents.
Preventing Falls
Since your baby is likely to be more mobile at nine months old - crawling, cruising or even attempting to walk - the likelihood of falls increases. Keep doors and stairways gated and remove any sharp-edged furniture from their play area. Moreover, contrary to popular belief, baby walkers are not recommended as they may cause injuries.
Avoiding Burns
Babies at this age have an innate curiosity about everything around them, which includes grabbing and pulling objects. To prevent accidental burns, ensure hot liquids or foods are not within your child's reach. Also, make sure to keep them away from stoves or heaters when not supervised.
Minimizing Choking Hazards
Babies explore the world by putting anything they can get their hands on into their mouths. Be mindful of small objects within your baby's reach that can pose a choking hazard. This also applies to food; always cut it into thin slices or small pieces suitable for your little one's age.
Drowning
At this age your child loves to play in water. It is strongly advised to ever leave your child alone in or near a bathtub, pail of water, wading or swimming pool, or any other water, even for a moment. Drowning can happen in less than 2 inches of water.
Poison-proofing Your Home
Since babies at this age put everything into their mouths, many ordinary household items can pose poisoning risks. Keep cleaning products, chemicals, and medicines out of sight and reach.
Plastic wrappers and bags should also be kept away from your child as they may suffocate them by forming a tight seal over their mouth and nose.
Ensuring Car Safety
One of the most crucial developmental milestones of a 9 month old baby is sitting up on her own, which means that car safety seats are vital every time your child is in the car.
Your baby should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat until they reach the weight or height limit set by the car-seat manufacturer.
Never leave your child alone in a car. Even a brief period can lead to heat stroke since temperatures in a vehicle can escalate quickly.
9-month-old Baby Care Basics
Keep the goodbyes loving
Separation anxiety often starts around 9 months. Keep good-byes loving. Your baby may be upset at first, but will calm down soon after you're gone.
Baby's car safety
Continue to keep your baby in a rear-facing car seat until your child reaches the weight or height limit set by the car-seat manufacturer.
Sleep Habits
By nine months old, most babies sleep through the night and take two naps during the day. However, sometimes your baby may experience sleep regression - i.e. your baby may wake up frequently at night. In such a case, try waiting a few minutes before intervening to see if they can self-soothe back to sleep.
Feeding Schedule
At nine months old, your baby is likely enjoying a wider variety of solid foods along with breast milk or formula. Remember to introduce new foods one at a time and watch out for any signs of food allergies.
Regular Check-ups
Regular check-ups with the pediatrician are essential at this stage as they help monitor your baby's growth and 9 month old milestones. These check-ups typically include physical exams, developmental screenings, and updates on immunizations.
Child-proofing Your Home
With a mobile 9-month-old baby, childproofing becomes more crucial than ever! Install safety gates, secure cords out of reach, keep toilet seats down, and lock away any toxic substances or potential choking hazards.
Conclusion
Navigating the remarkable journey of your baby's 9-month-old developmental milestones can be fulfilling and exciting.
While it may bring along a fair share of queries and concerns, it’s important to remember that every child develops at their own pace, and there is no such thing as perfect timing when it comes to reaching milestones.
But as parents who are committed to nurturing their child's all-round development in formative years, seeking expert guidance can be beneficial.
Raising Superstars' Prodigy Challengers program is designed specifically for young babies—helping them build strong foundations for early development by engaging in quick and easy activities that lead to visible outcomes within a few weeks.
