What To Expect?
A 9-month-old baby may seem just like a toddler to you. He is busy exploring himself and the world around him. He loves playing with toys and loves to eat different kinds of colorful foods like fruits, juices, and vegetables. They have become experts in crawling and don’t stay in one place. They are so attached to you now that they never leave you. You may see they are busy looking at their legs and hands, moving their fingers and toes, keeping things in their mouth to feel their taste and texture, etc. Keeping your baby busy at this time is very easy and you can do your household work without any tension. Since babies love exploring, you can give them some interesting things like rattles that make sounds, and kitchen items like plastic and colorful bowls, plates, spoons, and glasses. Make sure anything that you give to your baby doesn’t have any sharp edges or tiny objects which can cause choking hazards.
Some of the milestones which your baby will reach now are:-
1. Motor Skills:-
- Sits straight without any support for long.
- Can sit up on his own when placed on his stomach or back.
- Became an expert in crawling.
- Tries to stand with support.
- Can start walking a bit.
- Can drink milk and have finger foods by herself.
- Makes different sounds.
- Babbles a lot.
- Can reach and grab things that she sees.
- Can open and close doors.
- Can turn pages of a book or tear it.
2. Feeding Pattern:- At nine months of age, your baby is eating so many types of solid foods. They should have half a cup of fruits and vegetables 3 times a day and one snack in between. Check here to know more about what to feed at this age Food chart for 8 to 9-month-old babies. They still need to drink 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk or formula milk a day. Babies at this age demand more breastmilk as they feel comfortable in it. You can feed them breastmilk when they are sad, hurt, or crying. This will make them feel safe and comfortable. Always include healthy food items in your baby’s diet in mealtimes and snacks. Make sure you give fruits at snack time. Avoid packaged foods from the market like chocolates and biscuits. Make sure there is a gap of 2 to 3 hours between every meal, a 1 to the 2-hour gap after a snack, and a one-hour gap after feeding breastmilk to formula.
3. Sleeping Schedule:- At this age, you may notice that your baby is sleeping more in the daytime and sleeping late at night. My baby used to sleep at 1 or 2 am and wake up at 8.30 to 9.00 am. Since the baby’s hormones are developing there will be changes in his diet and routine. They may take 2 to 3 naps of 2 to 3 hours in the daytime waking up in between for feeds. Disturbances in your baby’s sleep are very common at this age as their growth spurts and teething are developing. Calm your baby when he wakes up and make him feel comfortable. At this age, you can also move your baby to his separate bed and room. Read him a story at night until he doses off because babies love seeing those colorful pictures in the book and love to listen to you when you read which will develop his communication skills.
4. Height and Weight:- Noe your baby looks like a chubby little toddler. He has a big head, short and chubby arms and legs, a Round and beautiful face, and a pot-like belly. Take pictures and make this a memory because soon your baby is going to lose some of his weight and chubbiness when he starts walking and running. Check here to know about your baby’s height and weight at this age.
5. Communication and Vision:- My baby didn’t show any signs of chatting or using words to express her feelings or emotions. He was a very quiet kid. He used to cry when he wants a feed or when he is hurt, or when I go outside to leave him with his grandparents. Every baby’s development is different. Some babies can chat a sentence that you might not understand at this age. They can also be experts in waving hands to say bye-bye.
Your baby’s vision has improved so much just like an adult’s. At this age, moms find it very difficult to feed meals to their babies as they don’t like to sit on their feeding chairs for more than a minute. Thatswhy many parents make a habit of introducing cartoons or rhymes at such a young which is bad for their eyes. Doctors recommend not to show mobile or TV screens to your baby till 2 years of age. There is no need to show cartoons or TV to make them sit in one place, you can give them some safe household items to explore. Babies love exploring new things by touching them, keeping them in their mouths, and playing with them. So make him busy with some finger foods, colorful cups, toys, spoons, etc.
Important Notes:-
- Since your baby has mastered rolling, crawling, and standing, never leave your baby alone though you are in the next room busy with your stuff.
- Never place your baby on a chair or a bed when you are not with him. You may place him on a chair and go in another to bring something to your baby and he may fall before you come. Everything happens in one minute. So you cannot leave your baby for a minute too.
- Give Vaccinations on time. Your baby might get a fever sometimes so take good care of him and don’t neglect him.
- Encourage your baby to crawl, roll and stand. Massage him regularly and leave him naked for some time. To encourage walking don’t buy a walker, instead, you can buy a push cycle which is now easily available in the market. I bought one for my baby and just after one to two days of pushing it he started walking by himself.
- Keep your baby away from the stairs. They may fall from the stairs and hurt very badly. Lock the gates always.
- Since your baby is trying to learn to stand and walk, they may fall several times, so don’t panic and encourage them to do more.
- Always maintain hygiene at home and keep all dangerous items locked in cupboards.
- Keep a regular check on your baby’s height and weight. Give a healthy and fresh meal every day.
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