Ranking Our Favorite Milestones Of Baby's First Year
Bringing a baby into the world is a huge milestone in a parent’s life. As a new parent, you will now get to experience watching your baby achieve many milestones, especially in the first year, as they grow into their own person. In the first year of life, your baby will transition from newborn to infancy, reaching many developmental milestones. Milestones include all sorts of things from physical development to new learned behaviors, like mimicking funny noises you make. As a parent you’ll want to do everything you can to promote healthy development, and Dreamland can help you do that. Our weighted sleep aid products help your baby learn to self soothe and fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Sleep for parents and babies is critical for a happy, healthy home.
In this blog, we will talk about 5 milestones in your baby’s first year that you hopefully get the joy to experience. It’s important to note that we will give general ranges for when these milestones may occur. Remember, not all babies are the same. If you are concerned about any delay in reaching these milestones, it’s best not to assume something is wrong. Many babies can reach milestones at later times without any concern for a problem. A check in with your pediatrician or healthcare provider can help clarify if your baby is on track for these milestones of the baby's first year.
Milestone #1: Recognizing Sounds
One of the milestones that can happen very early on is your baby’s ability to recognize sounds. This includes the ability to turn their head toward the sounds they are hearing and recognizing their parents’ voices. A baby’s ability to recognize sounds and their parents’ voices can start as early as one month old and can occur between 1-3 months of age.
On the same note (pun intended) your baby’s ability to react to sound is a great opportunity to introduce things like your favorite music notes, story time at bedtime, and much more. Your familiar voice can be soothing to your baby in times of distress, which can include soothing them for bedtime. Even if your baby can’t quite understand what you are saying, the simple act of hearing your voice can help soothe them to sleep.
Milestone #2: Holding Head Up
Your baby will achieve many muscle development milestones in their first year. Holding their head upright without support is just one of those milestones. Throughout the first few months of your baby’s life, you will notice them working to build the muscle to lift their head. While you may start catching your baby attempting to lift their head for a moment as early as one month old, babies typically hold their head up unsupported between 3-4 months of age. At about six months old, you may start to notice your baby’s ability to turn their head from side to side as well.
Milestone #3: Baby Babbles and Sounds
A big part of the milestones your baby may reach in their first year of life comes from the sounds and babbles they will make. Your baby can start cooing or making sounds as early as two months. By about four months, babies may begin to respond to noises they hear by making sounds, which includes mimicking some of the sounds you make. Cue the race to ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’ first, your baby may begin to formulate or imitate full words by 9-12 months.
Laughter is also a part of the sounds your baby will make - a heartfelt milestone filled with so much joy. Babies usually start to laugh between 2- 4 months, but remember that not all babies will laugh by that 4 month mark. Be patient and eventually the laughter will come. Perhaps it’s around 9 months when your baby finally understands the game of peek-a-boo, and it just may seem like the absolute funniest thing your baby has ever experienced. At last, the giggles you’ve been waiting for. If you have any concerns about developmental milestones, be sure to express them with your pediatrician for professional advice.
Milestone #4: Rolling Over
Your baby will be practicing for months to build up the strength to rollover, which can happen as early as 4-6 months. In preparation for this big milestone, you may notice your baby begin to rock from side to side in an attempt to get their body rolling. You can further encourage your baby to practice by placing them on their tummy and using toys as a motivator to roll over. Eventually, this practice will result in a roll from their tummy right to their back—a huge success! Next up comes mastering the roll from the back to their tummy again. This can take some time, so it’s normal to anticipate a couple of months before your baby has achieved rolling from their back to their belly.
With this exciting milestone comes a few considerations that involve your baby’s safety with this new trick! One of those considerations is how your baby sleeps. If you have used a swaddle for sleep time, it’s time to transition out of the swaddle. Your baby’s arms will now need to be free and unconstrained for sleep in the case they roll over. For parents who have had success with a swaddle, it can be challenging to think of letting it go. Have no fear, Dreamland has the perfect solution for your baby to keep that same feeling of comfort and security for sleep. Dreamland’s Transition Swaddle is the perfect solution for helping your baby transition safely to arms out of sleep. Unlike a traditional swaddle, the Transition swaddle allows your baby to move their arms freely and roll over, allowing for a safe transition to dreamland.
Milestone #5: Sitting Up
Sitting up unsupported takes a whole lot of strength, in addition to your baby being able to hold their head up on their own. As we mentioned earlier, your baby may begin to hold their head unsupported at around 4 months. At around 6 months, your baby may begin sitting with support (a parent, a seat, etc.) Typically, at about 9 months your baby can begin to sit up unsupported. Some babies will be able to do this much earlier, as not all babies develop their muscles at the same rate. In the months leading up to this big accomplishment, you will likely have a wobbly baby when sitting as you reduce support. Now that your baby has their hands free and sitting up all by themselves, it’s a great time to introduce more toys and interactive play time! This is not only great for their development but can be a huge win for parents who need moments of baby being able to entertain themselves.
Conclusion
These five first year milestones are just a few of the things you can look forward to in your baby’s first year of life which can come with unquestionable challenges as you navigate new routines as a family.
Along with these first-year milestones, it's likely your baby will begin to develop a much more consistent routine—including sleep! Another bonus of the first-year milestones. Dreamland’s mission is to help your baby feel calm, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. Check out our Dreamland products from Sleep Swaddles to Dream Pajamas that can be the perfect duo for getting your baby, and your whole family, the sound sleep they deserve—from the first months to the first years of your baby’s life.
