The first year of a child's life - how to survive difficult times. The first year of a child's life

23.07.2019

Children do grow up very quickly. Just yesterday, when you brought a newborn baby from the maternity hospital, you didn’t even think that today a little one-year-old man would be running around your apartment. Of course, you are concerned about whether your child is developing correctly, whether he is acquiring the necessary skills on time.

Tracking the development of the child by months up to a year and comparing it with the recommendations of pediatricians, neurologists and psychologists, you will not miss anything and can detect and correct possible deviations in time.

A table indicating the time when a particular skill appeared will be of interest not only to you, but also to your grown-up baby in the future.

First month

The first month of a newborn's life is also called the adaptation period. The child learns to live outside the familiar environment - the warm mother's tummy. At this time, the baby:

sleeps a lot - up to 20 hours a day,
eats a lot (read more about this in the article breastfeeding >>>).

The task of the next of kin is to place the child in comfortable conditions: not to overheat and not to overcool. About this in the article the temperature in the room for the newborn >>>, change diapers and feed on time.

Of course, it is important to give your baby your love: carry it on your arms, talk, sing songs.

By the age of one month, the child already pays attention to bright toys and can follow them with his eyes and turning his head. The article contains information about when a newborn begins to see >>> The first color that newborns see is red.

On a note! Such an exercise will be very useful: take a bright, preferably red, toy, and drive at a distance of 30 cm from the child's face from left to right, from bottom to top. A one-month-old baby can already follow the movements of the toy.

In a month, the child already turns his head to the sound. Find out when a newborn starts to hear >>> You can check this by rattling the rattle to the left and right of the baby.

In the first month of life, the child retains some of the innate reflexes of the newborn, which will completely disappear by the fourth month of life:

sucking reflex (may suck on objects in the mouth);
swimming (if you lower the baby into the water with your stomach down, the child will make movements resembling swimming);
grasping (if you touch the palm, the child will squeeze the fist);
search reflex (if you touch the cheek, it looks for the mother's breast);
step reflex - if you put the child on his legs (while holding), he can "walk".

If you put the baby on his stomach, then he will try to slightly raise his head; trains his neck, back and shoulders.

Physically developed children by the age of one month are already beginning to hold their heads.

And also in my video tutorial:

Second month

The second month of a child's development is sometimes referred to as "revival month." Your baby now sleeps less, can stay awake for up to 50 minutes.

The child's vision and hearing improve, the baby is able to look at objects from a distance of 30 centimeters to half a meter. The baby can spend about 15 minutes in his crib, looking at the mobile or other toys.

At the age of two months, babies already raise their heads and hold them upright for some time.
Some babies already know how to roll over from a barrel to their back. Read more about when a baby starts to roll over >>>
The child studies his hands - he can bring his fists to his mouth and suck them;
Infant reflexes are still preserved, but gradually begin to fade;
The emotional sphere also develops. In two months, the so-called "revitalization complex" is formed. This skill takes pride of place in the chart of child development; this is one of the most important milestones up to a year, confirming the normal functioning of the nervous system;
The kid can already recognize his parents, he rejoices at them. When you bend over the crib, the baby begins to quickly, quickly pull the arms and legs;
In the second month of life, your child will most likely give you their first conscious smile. If this does not happen, it's okay; It means that this joyful event will happen a little later. Find out when your baby starts smiling >>>
At two months, the child knows how to walk - he makes melodious vowel sounds, sometimes he can even pronounce “aha”, “aha”, “abu”. Children like their own "speech", they are happy to listen to it. The article contains information about when the baby starts to gurgle >>>

Communicate with your child more often, sing to him, you will see that the baby will sing along to you!

Read more about this age in the article what a child should be able to do at 2 months >>>, and, of course, watch in my video tutorial:

third month

Throughout the month, your baby's physical, mental, emotional skills continue to improve.

The child is getting better and better at holding his head;
Being on his stomach, the baby rises on his forearms and can look around;
By the third month of life, the fists straighten out, the baby already knows how to take a rattle, reaches out to objects of interest to him;
Children continue to study their hands; by the end of the month, the most active of them are already grabbing their knees (the first stage in studying their own legs);
Everything that falls into the hands of a child ends up in his mouth;

Interesting! The fact is that the mucous membrane of the mouth and the tongue are much more sensitive than the fingers. Children explore the surrounding objects with the help of their mouths.

The third month of a child's development is characterized by an expansion of the emotional spectrum.

Some kids already know how to laugh, others are just starting to smile;
The child closely follows the facial expressions of loved ones and can already “read” their mood and imitate their facial expressions;
The development of the baby's speech continues. The baby can walk for a long time and with pleasure, more and more often pronouncing not only melodious vowel sounds, but also syllables.

The article contains important information about what a child should be able to do at 3 months >>>

fourth month

The fourth month of a child's development is characterized by rapid changes both physiologically and psychologically:

The baby is already holding his head confidently: both when he is held in a “column” and when he lies on his stomach; can turn it, following objects or reacting to sound;
The baby is able to rise on his elbows, lying on his stomach. Some babies are already leaning on straightened arms;
From three to four months, your baby learns to roll over on his own, both from tummy to back and from back to tummy. The most active kids already know how to move around the room with rifts, or even crawl like a bellies! Interesting information about when the baby starts to crawl >>>

Important! Remember that leaving a child in an adult bed is no longer safe. It is better to move him to the floor, from there he cannot fall and get more space for his training.

4 months is the age of conscious manipulations with objects. The baby can take the rattle and play with it;
The child is well able to distinguish his loved ones;
At this age, the fear of being left without a mother is strong, so the baby often does not let her go away from him for a second. Pay more attention to it and wait, this period will soon pass;
At four months, the baby already has favorite toys, may be interested in reflection in the mirror, listens carefully to various sounds: the sound of a rattle, the ringing of a bell, voices, music;
Speech development of the child is laid in the first year of life. At 4 months, cooing is replaced by babble: intelligible syllables “ba”, “ma”, “gu” appear.

Fifth month

AT fifth month During his life, the child hones physical skills:

can confidently roll over in different directions;
lying on the stomach, rises on the elbows or palms;
occupies the “preparation for sitting” position: reclining on the hip, leaning on one of the handles;
trying to reach the object of interest;
can stand if supported by the armpits;
grabs his feet, pulls them into his mouth, licks.

In the fifth month of development, a child develops an important social skill: he begins to separate his own from others. The kid is happy to sit on the handles of his parents, but he may frown or even cry if another person turns to him or tries to take him.

At 5 months, the child knows how to play with various objects himself: take them in his hands, throw them, knock, lick, etc. At the fifth month of life, the baby may be interested in a picture book. Babies love looking at faces, especially those with different expressions. Interested in color magazines.

Tell what is shown on the pages, read simple rhymes. So you will not only keep your child busy for a long time, but also contribute to the development of the baby’s speech.

At this age, it is already possible to teach a child simple words: “mom”, “dad”, “woman”. Some babies at the age of five months already repeat them.

At 5 months, babies express their joy with might and main with a smile, they know how to laugh out loud, get angry and sad; continue to explore the full range of emotions. If he lacks the attention of adults, the child may be capricious.

sixth month

The sixth month of a child's development is another time for a change in the usual way of life:

It was at this time that the children begin to crawl in a plastunsky way, and mothers have to remove a lot of objects from their reach;
At six months, the child can already be briefly put in a reclining position. Babies don't know how to sit up on their own. Find out from the article, and when does the child begin to sit?>>>
Six-month-old babies, lying on their tummy, try to kneel - this is an important stage in preparing for both sitting and crawling. If the child succeeds, after a while he begins to sway in this position. Such movements are completely normal and indicate the development of the baby;
The child confidently holds various objects, can take them with any pen, shift from hand to hand;
6 months is the age of exploring the surrounding space. The child puts everything he can reach into his mouth, can break toys;
At six months, the first household skills are formed: with the start of complementary foods, children learn what a spoon is; learn to drink from a cup held by an adult. Detailed information about the introduction of complementary foods and baby nutrition >>>
The child's intellect is developing. At 6 months, children begin to understand the consequences of their actions: if you throw a cube, it will fall, if you press the button, a squeak will be heard;
The formation of speech continues. At the age of six months, children confidently pronounce syllables, master the first consonants: “z”, “s”, “f”.

seventh month

A seven-month-old baby becomes more and more active:

Babies confidently crawl on their bellies, someone already knows how to move on all fours.

If your child crawls backwards, there is nothing to worry about; soon the child will figure out how to control his own body.

At seven months, babies can sit with a straight back for a while. Particularly active ones are able to stand at the support, try to get up on their own. Read to find out when your baby starts walking >>>
Fine motor skills are developing: the child is able to hold an object in each hand, knock them against each other, arbitrarily take, put, throw toys.

Important! Make sure that all small parts of toys are securely fastened, as seven-month-old babies put everything in their mouths.

The seventh month of a child's development is the time when you need to stimulate the cognitive interest of the crumbs. Tell him about the objects that surround him, show and name the main parts of his body.
At seven months, children can already show objects at the request of their parents (“Where are the eyes?”, “Where is the watch?”).
Improving household skills. Now, during feeding, the baby removes food from a spoon, continues to master drinking from a mug. Some children already drink from a non-spill cup or straw themselves.

Seven-month-old babies begin to imitate adults, this is what facilitates the introduction of complementary foods.

At this age, the child imitates the sounds that animals make; he can say “av-av”, “me-me”. Pronounces many syllables.

On a note! To activate the speech center, develop your baby's fine motor skills. For this, toys with large wooden beads of various colors and shapes strung on a rope are suitable.

eighth month

The eighth month of child development is marked by persistent attempts to get up.

The baby crawls to any support and tries to give the body a vertical position. So far, not all children succeed in this maneuver. If you put the child next to the support, he will stand;
The most active children already know how to walk along the support, and also touch with their feet when an adult holds them by both hands or armpits;
An eight-month-old child knows how to crawl on all fours, explores the room where he lives, knows the location of the rooms, moves around the apartment himself;
The child knows how to sit, sits down on his own from the “standing on all fours” position;
The games of the little man are becoming more and more meaningful. The baby knows how to put toys in a box or some kind of container. Some children can already put rings on the base of the pyramid and take them off, trying to put cups one into the other.

At this time, your child may want to eat with a spoon on their own. This desire must be encouraged, then later you will not have to instill this skill in your child.

The child has already mastered simple games: “cuckoo” (hides behind his arms, hides his face on his mother’s chest or, for example, in a blanket on the bed), “patties” (claps his hands), shows “lanterns”. He listens to music with pleasure, can “sing along” and even dance, especially if he saw how his parents do it;
The child understands simple requests: bring a toy, show a chandelier. Many children already know how to show some parts of their bodies;
Speech is constantly being improved. The baby is trying to repeat the words for adults, new syllables are obtained. Perhaps right now the baby will utter his first meaningful word.

ninth month

The nine-month-old baby continues his attempts to rise to his feet;
He already gets up more confidently and stands at the support, moves along the sofas, beds, along the children's playpen;
While crawling, it can turn around and crawl in the opposite direction. Knows how to sit down from a “lying” position and get up from a “sitting” position;

Important! At this time, the child tries to climb onto a chair, sofa, and climb down on his own. Parents must be on guard at all times to prevent dangerous falls.

The baby tries to reach out to everything that he sees. If it does not work out, he can express his dissatisfaction with a cry. It is at nine months that the child actively shows his character. May begin to resist dressing and hygiene procedures, even if before that he endured everything meekly. The child is afraid of losing his mother and does not want to even briefly let her out of sight.

In the ninth month of child development, new skills arise:

The baby learns to crumple and tear paper, leaf through books;
You can give the child plasticine, just make sure that he does not eat it. Kneading plasticine will strengthen the hands, develop fine motor skills. In addition, this activity is very popular with children;
The vocabulary of the crumbs is constantly replenished. Children quickly remember the names of all the objects that adults show them, they also know the meanings of the words “give”, “bring”, “put”, “eat”, “no”, etc.

tenth month

In the tenth month of a child's development, his skills continue to improve. The little man can already get up and stand without support, he is trying to walk. Able to sit down from a standing position. Quickly crawls all over the apartment.

At this age, children's games are improved:

Thanks to the active development of fine motor skills, the child can already hold two to three small objects in one hand. At 10 months, the crumbs have a leading hand;
Children understand how to play with toys: they know how to roll a car, assemble and disassemble a pyramid (the rings are not put in order yet). They know how to play with a tumbler, they know how to build a turret out of two cubes;
A child can be involved in playing with children if adults show him how to do it;
Kids love to put cups inside each other;
They know how to roll, throw a ball;
Opening and closing cabinet doors, pulling out and sliding drawers. Can put the toy in a closet or drawer;
Transfer small items to different boxes and containers;
They begin to combine objects, for example, they push the ball with a stick;
They enjoy playing with food and water;
They begin to be interested in constructors from large parts, only they don’t assemble them yet, but disassemble them;
They know how to turn the pages of cardboard books.

Ten-month-old babies love to imitate adults, copy their facial expressions. Use this interest of the little man by pronouncing new simple words with him. The baby will repeat them after you.

At 10 months, children memorize the names of animals well, parody the sounds that they pronounce.

A child can respond to a simple request: show, hide, bring. Children already know the names of body parts, show eyes, nose. They know how to generalize concepts: for example, they show pens on their own, on a doll, on a dad, on a girl in a picture.

Eleventh month

At eleven months, your baby is strong enough to start taking his first steps without support. A child can walk a short distance from one adult to another, or from support to mom. The baby actively moves in any room: crawls, sits down, gets up, walks with support.
Self-care skills continue to develop. The little man tries to eat with a spoon, drink from a cup, tries to put on or take off his own clothes. You can keep the baby busy for a long time if you offer him a box of clothes. The independence of the child must be encouraged, especially since children at this age love to be praised.
The eleventh month of a child's development is the time when the first meaningful dialogues appear. The baby perfectly understands the meaning of the words “yes”, “no”, “no” (learn from the article how to explain to the child what is impossible >>>); can nod positively and shake his head negatively.
In addition, the baby looks and points with a finger at an object of interest. Thus, the baby communicates with adults, parents and the child begin to understand each other better. The number of spoken syllables is growing. At this time, two or three clearly pronounced words may appear in the baby’s speech (most often it is “mother”, “dad”, “woman” and some kind of onomatopoeia, for example, “av”).
Eleven-month-old babies begin to master the skills of polite communication: they easily remember the gestures “hello” and “bye”, they willingly wave their hands.

On a note! While it's still a game for them, parents are encouraged to always ask their child to say hello and goodbye to reinforce this positive habit.

At 11 months, babies are very excitable, easily moving from laughter to crying. They are alert in an unfamiliar place, scared when a new person appears. These manifestations indicate the normal development of the child's psyche and should not upset parents.

twelfth month

The twelfth month of a child's development is a kind of transitional period from infancy to childhood. Although this boundary is very arbitrary, psychologically, parents expect much more from a one-year-old child than from an eleven-month-old.

In a year, the baby most often begins to walk.

Don't worry if your child doesn't yet; children have the right to crawl up to one and a half years, and this is not considered a pathology.

A little man at this age already knows how to squat to pick up a toy; can put one item and take another. Children know very well where everything lies, and will look for a toy exactly where they left it;
Toddlers learn to step over obstacles: first holding an adult's hand, and then on their own;
Everyday skills develop: the child eats with a spoon, drinks from a cup, puts on and takes off hats and socks;
If the baby was potty trained, at the age of one, such children may already ask for it. Information about the age at which to potty train a child >>> At one year old, a child eats food in pieces, knows how to chew. If the chewing teeth have not yet grown, the children chew with their gums (they are quite hard);
A one-year-old child understands everything that is said to him, even if it seems to his parents that this is not so. He perfectly knows how to read the mood and gives in to it: he has fun and is sad with his mother. Psychologists do not recommend sorting things out and quarreling with a child. Since the baby still does not know how to cope with his emotions, this can cause him severe injury.

The baby not only understands everything that is said to him, but he babbles a lot and pronounces individual words.

Important! At this age, teachers consider all stable sound combinations that always mean the same thing as words.

Vocabulary by a year old - from two to ten words; some children may have more.

At the twelfth month of life, the child's games become more complicated. The kid allocates some toys, can feed them, rock them, put them on a pot.

What did the baby learn in the first year of life?

The calendar of a child's development from birth to a year is filled with many events. By the age of one year, the baby can roll over, crawl, sit, stand, walk. The child climbs on beds, sofas, gets off them.

Children know how to eat with a spoon, put on and take off a hat and socks, ask for a potty.

The little man has mastered the game: throws and rolls balls, cars, rocking dolls. Plays with cubes, collects a pyramid.

The child is very emotional, knows how to smile and laugh, get angry, sad. Recognizes parents, prefers their company to the company of other people.

When wondering about the development of the crumbs, do not forget that each person is individual, even if he is only a few months old. If your child is not good at something, this is not a cause for concern; he will definitely acquire this skill later.

The most important thing is to surround the baby with care and love, spend a lot of time with him, talk with him. Then there will be a return, and very soon the child will begin to please his parents with more and more new skills.

Even today, your child is an unintelligent baby, but very soon an active one-year-old baby will run around the house. To know whether the baby acquires all the necessary skills on time, you need to track his development by months.

The first year of life: a calendar of child development

We present to your attention a detailed calendar of the development of the child from birth to reaching them. The period up to a year is the stage of life when the baby learns everything around, studies himself and those around him, so this is one of the most important life stages. Therefore, we read carefully. But first, we want to show you a short video summary of the development of the child by month:

First month

The main points of the development of the child of the second month of life:

reacts to sounds, turns his head towards its source;
examines his own palms and fingers, clenching them into fists and examining them;
makes the first awkward attempts to reach the rattle;
the reflexes of the newborn gradually fade away;
the child's visual apparatus improves, from this age the baby begins to show interest in bright objects.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 800 g.
Increase in height - by 3 cm.

third month

being raised to a vertical position and touching the surface with his feet, he tries to push off with his legs;
cooing and imitating sounds uttered by adults (“ma-ma”, “a-gu”);
reaches for toys, grabs them and pulls them to her mouth;
rejoices in games with an adult, in case of termination of the game, she may cry;
At 5 months, many children begin to erupt their first teeth.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 700 g.
Increase in height - by 2 cm.

sixth month

, by the end of the 6th month it can crawl 20-30 cm to the object;
getting up on all fours, learns to swing back and forth, which helps to strengthen the crawling skill;
in the game he uses both handles, shifts toys from one hand to the other;
plays on a developing rug with an unbreakable mirror, prefers musical toys;

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 650 g.
Increase in height - by 2 cm.

seventh month

reaches for an object or to mother with both hands;
sits down with the help of an adult and;
tries to attract attention, shows interest in simple games (“cuckoo”, “okay”);
actively sings sounds, a simple onomatopoeia of animal voices appears (“ha-ha”, “quack-quack”);
loves to leaf through books and look at bright pictures.

Increase in height - by 2 cm.

eighth month

The child behaves much more actively than in previous months. He can sit down and move around with the help of crawling, gets up in the crib. The kid easily distinguishes his parents from strangers and will be able to find their faces even in a photograph. Shows a desire to independently hold a spoon when eating. Understands simple requests - to show something or bring one of his toys.

Physical development

Experiencing pleasure from walking and mastering side steps near any available support. It sits on its own, while crawling it can get up and swing on all fours.

psychomotor development

Babbles, repeating the syllables “ma-ma-ma”, “ba-pa”, etc. He masters the movement of farewell with his hand. He likes to play "coo-coo", "palmies". When asked, he tries to look for a familiar object or person.

The main points of the development of the child of the eighth month of life:

holding on to a support,
easily navigates and moves from one place to another;
the child already likes to lie less, he tries to take a vertical position at any opportunity;
actively babbles, vocabulary will be replenished with new sounds and simple words.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 550 g.

ninth month

Standing on legs and trying to take the first uncertain steps, holding on to a support. He has not yet learned to get down to the floor without falling, so he can often fall. By the end of the month, the child will learn to better balance and balance. The baby is already drinking well from a cup with a spout and is learning to drink from an adult mug.

Physical development

The baby begins to actively learn to walk independently. A nine-month-old baby sits down and stands on its legs, holding on to a support, without the help of an adult. Walks with the support of both hands.

psychomotor development

Begins to imitate himself, repeating random sounds and syllables. Responds to own name. Playing "palmies", waving "bye-bye".

The main points of the development of the child of the ninth month of life:

sits down from a supine/tummy position independently;
while crawling, it can turn around and move in any direction, and not just forward;
well remembers the names of surrounding objects and, upon request, shows them;
reacts to the word “no”, understands prohibitions;
babbles a lot in his own language, understandable only to relatives.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 500 g.
Increase in height - by 1.5 cm.

tenth month

The kid can maintain balance and even take several steps in a row until an adult picks him up. play continuously for 15-20 minutes, get carried away with a pyramid or cubes. Can turn pages in books. Seeks to play with other children at a party or for a walk.

Physical development

A ten-month-old baby, holding on to a support with only one hand, can take independent steps. Squats and stands up at will for any object. The main mode of movement is no longer crawling, but walking.

psychomotor development

Seeks to copy adult speech, listens to the conversation. Recognizes and finds familiar objects at the request of an adult (“give me a lie”, “where is the ball?”)

The main points of the development of the child of the tenth month of life:

can stand for a few moments without support;
takes 2-3 steps forward without support;
crawls on hands and knees, holding the weight of the body on them;
likes to scatter toys from the crib/playpen;
shows body parts on himself and on an adult.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 450 g.
Increase in height - by 1.5 cm.

Eleventh month

To everything that surrounds them. The child seeks to explore the object in a variety of ways - shake it in the air, throw it or hit it on the surface. He likes to play the game “hidden toy”, he easily finds it. In books, he looks at the correct picture when he hears the name of a certain object.

Physical development

At 11 months, the child stands confidently without support. Actively learns to take the first step without support. Likes to move, dance to music, play with other children.

psychomotor development

Pronounces conscious babble words (“ma-ma”, “pa-pa”, “av-av”). Responding to the word "no". Playing with a pyramid. Knows and shows parts of his body.

The main points of the development of the child of the eleventh month of life:

actively moves (sits down, lies down, gets up independently);
not indifferent to praise, also understands strict speech;
can point a finger at the desired object;
new steps in communication with an adult: waving “hello” / “bye” with a pen, nodding affirmatively or shaking his head negatively;
can independently pick up small pieces of food with his fingers.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 400 g.
Increase in height - by 1.5 cm.

Twelfth month (1 year)

Like a little person. . In short, he is less worried in the presence of strangers, behaves aggressively, actively expresses his desires. Begins to show possessive tendencies towards mother or toys. The vocabulary of the child grows very quickly, the baby understands all the speech addressed to him and tries to answer.

Physical development

A one-year-old child stands confidently and walks without support. The baby is active in combing, bathing, dressing. Tries to independently hold a spoon, eat thick food from it; learning to drink from a mug.

psychomotor development

He pronounces the first words, correlating them with actions - “give”, “bang”, “am-am”. Fulfills simple requests - “go to your mother”, “give me a cube”. Knows the purpose of simple objects (phone, hairbrush, toothbrush).

The main points of the development of the child of the twelfth month of life:

can walk a short distance without support and support;
bends down and lifts objects to the floor;
can step over an obstacle in the form of a threshold or a lying toy;
searches for the necessary item at will, even if he did not see where it was put;
expresses his needs and desires in simple terms. Calling mom and dad. Vocabulary by this age is 8-12 words.

Weight gain (on average) by the end of the month - 600 g.
Increase in height - by 2-3 cm.

Helpful tips on how to take care of your baby

Differences in the development of boys and girls

Pediatricians have long noticed that there are differences in the development of newborn babies of different sexes. And although each child is individual, there are some patterns. For example:

Boys are born larger than girls in height and weight. So, in full-term male newborns, the average height at birth is 53-56 cm, while in girls it is only 49-52 cm;

- speaking about children's norms of general physical and mental growth, it is noted that the development of boys is a little behind their peers already at the time of birth. But this difference is imperceptible, and is no more than 2-3 weeks;

- the fair sex is smaller at birth, but later the physical development of girls accelerates. The bone skeleton in them, on average, is formed earlier than in boys.

Table with norms of height and weight of children up to a year

With the help of the centile table, you can track the approximate norms of the monthly weight gain of the child, and how the increase in the length of the baby's body should occur. Children's heights and weights are given in terms of minimum/maximum values, so they can be used as a guideline.

boys			Girls
Age	Height (cm)	Weight, kg)	Age	Height (cm)	Weight, kg)
1-2 months	52-60	3,5-5,8	1-2 months	51-59	3,1-5,2
3-4 months	59-66	5,1-7,4	3-4 months	57-64	4,6-7,1
5-7 months	61-71	6,2-9,7	5-7 months	61-69	6,1-8,7
8-10 months	68-75	8-11	8-10 months	66-73	7,3-10
10-12 months	71-78	8,8-12	10-12 months	69-76	7,6-11

Table of key points in the development of a child from 0 to 1 year

A brief overview in the table, which indicates the development of a child up to a year by months, will be an excellent “cheat sheet” for young mothers.

Age	Speech development	motor development	mental development
1-1.5 months	Quiet hum	First attempts at lifting the head	Briefly follows the rattle
2 months	In a good mood, a little gurgles	Better coordination of movements	Keeps eyes on a moving object
3 months	long hum	Holds head confidently	Turns to sources of sound
4 months	Walking is replaced by the first babbling	Keeps eyes on moving objects	Distinguishes mother from strangers
5 months	Babbles, pronounces the syllables “ma, “pa”	Rolls over on its own, crawls back	Fearful of other people's voices
6 months	Active babble, reproduces simple syllables	Crawls "in a plastunsky way"	Shows emotions of joy and dissatisfaction
Seven months	Babble, the appearance of the syllables “ta”, “na”, “yes”, etc.	Sitting with support, crawling forward	Understands intonation, the word “no”
8 months	First monosyllabic words	Gets up and moves at the support, sits independently	The range of emotions expands (surprise, persistence)
9 months	Active babble, new syllables	Stands and walks with support, crawls	Understands simple instructions
10 months	Pronounces simple words “la-la”, “av-av”	Sits down from a standing position, tries to walk	Repeats after facial expressions of adults
11 months	Expresses desires - “on,” “give”	Picks up objects from the floor, stands up, squats	Shows at the request of familiar objects, parts of the body
12 months	She babbles a lot, consciously pronounces the words “mother”, “woman”	Actively moves, lies down, gets up, walks	Understands adult speech, responds to requests and prohibitions

The first year of a child's life is like a course for a young fighter, after which a young mother receives the honorary title of a professional in her field. After all, motherhood can rightfully be regarded as the most difficult and responsible, and most importantly, round-the-clock work without holidays and days off. And to survive the first year of a child's life is like a trial period, which everyone, without exception, will have to go through. This is a time of sleepless nights and worries, causeless tears of despair and joy, vivid emotions and boundless motherly love for her own baby.

Without any doubt, the first year of life after birth is of great importance for the child himself. Literally, for some 12 months, a defenseless and helpless creature makes a huge leap in growth and development, delighting mom and dad with their first victories.

What difficulties await parents in the first year of a child's life?

Immediately after birth, mother and baby get used to living in a completely different mode: all organs and systems of the child are rebuilt and improved; a woman's lifestyle is completely adjusted to her child. From this moment on, the task of parents is to provide the baby with the most comfortable conditions for growth and development. In order to learn how to quickly respond to the constantly changing needs and capabilities of your child, in the first year of life, you need to take into account both the individual characteristics of the baby and generally accepted indicators and norms.

So, in more detail about the development of the child by months to a year.

First month

This period can be called the recovery and the most difficult. As a rule, a full-term and healthy child is born with pronounced unconditional conditions, according to which conclusions are drawn about the condition of the baby and about his further mental and mental development.

2-3 month

The second and third months of your child's first year of life is a period of active growth and development, in which parental love and care is directly involved. The kid learns to distinguish emotions, hold his head, actively waves his arms and legs, turns his head to his mother's voice, smiles. By the end of the third month, the period of wakefulness increases to 1-1.5 hours, the monthly increase is approximately 800 grams. Very often, parents are faced with such an infant problem as colic. It is very important to recognize and help the child in time.

4-5 month

Many children are already trying to sit, move on their stomachs, roll over, rest their legs on a support. They confidently hold their heads, carefully follow the object, grab it. At this stage, parents should pay due attention to the physical development of their child: do massages and exercises, turn over on their stomach, and so on.

6 month

Half the way is already behind, the baby has noticeably grown up and put on weight. At half a year, active, eruption of the first teeth begins. The baby becomes more inquisitive and mobile.

7-8 month

The baby has mastered new sleeping positions, sits confidently and begins to try to get on all fours and crawl. Prudent parents by this time hide all small and sharp objects from accessible places, close cabinets and bedside tables so that the baby does not put things in order there. Of course, during this period, the mother noticeably increased worries: every day it is necessary to prepare healthy and varied dishes for the child, keep toys and floors clean, and it is almost impossible to leave the fidget unattended.

9-10 month

Many babies in the ninth month of life begin to take their first steps, but even if this has not happened yet, the baby is still actively crawling and taking the objects he likes.

11-12 month

Most often, babies by this time are already walking, some even on their own. The diet is quite diverse, the dictionary has the first words and syllables, the baby is also doing well in the game.

The first year of a child's life is the most important period, because even now the future character, habits, worldview, and attitude towards relatives are being formed in his subconscious. Therefore, parents should devote as much time as possible to the baby, constantly give him their love and tenderness.

During the second month of life, the weight of the baby increases by an average of 800 g (from the moment of birth, the average increase is 1400 g). Do not panic if the baby gained a little less weight. A “critical” increase, which should encourage the mother to contact the pediatrician, and the doctor to carefully analyze the practice of feeding the baby, can be considered a monthly increase of less than 500 g.

During the second month of life, the baby grows by an average of 3 cm, increasing its length by about 6 cm from the moment of birth.

How much does a child sleep

In the second month of life, the child becomes more active. Sleep takes less time than before: the baby sleeps about 16-17.5 hours a day.

The baby is more awake during the day. The periods of wakefulness may no longer be so dependent on the time of feedings; the baby may wake up between feedings, and not just right before them. Some children of this age prefer to "walk" after sleep, before and after feeding, while the wakeful period lasts from 30 minutes to 1 hour or even a little longer. This time can be used to communicate with the baby, since the baby is already able to demonstrate short-term emotions (in the form of a smile) in response to an appeal to him.

Many mothers note a longer nighttime baby sleep, it can last 4-5 hours. For a formula-fed baby, a 6-hour sleep (and, accordingly, the same duration of a nightly break in feeding) is quite acceptable.

Walking time

In the second month of a baby's life, the total daily duration of walks with him in the summer can reach 4 hours. So, you can take a walk with the crumbs for 2 hours before and after dinner. Usually, during a walk, babies of this age sleep, so you should focus on the estimated feeding time. If the mother knows that the child is full, then you can take a walk even a little longer until the next feeding is necessary. If the situation allows, then you can feed the child on the street, without interrupting the walk. Thus, in summer, in good weather, mother and baby can be in the air almost all day. In the cold season, the possibility and duration of walks depends on weather conditions. Just like with newborn children, it is not recommended to walk with babies of the second month of life when the air temperature drops below -100C or when there is a piercing wind. For such situations, it will be safer to “walk” on a glazed balcony or veranda.
If the weather allows you to go outside with the baby, then it is reasonable to limit the duration of the walk to 40-60 minutes. As noted earlier, you can plan two walks - before and after lunch. Fresh air will benefit not only the baby, but also the mother.

What can a child do?

Wakefulness involves the active movements of the baby. The movements of the arms and legs of the crumbs cannot yet be called purposeful. It's too early to talk about coordination of movements at 2 months.

For children of the first weeks of life, an increased tone of the flexor muscles of the arms and legs is characteristic. This explains the posture of the baby with the arms and legs brought to the body. Compared with the first month of life, the arms and legs are more extended, their movements, respectively, are freer.

The baby opens his hands more often, unclenching his fists. If the baby is shown any bright object, the baby will not only fix its gaze on it, but can also follow its movement with its eyes for some time. Babies at this age have more pronounced emotions in the form of a smile. This is especially evident when referring to the crumbs of people he knows - for example, parents, grandmothers, older brother or sister. Some children at this age begin to walk (pronounce individual sounds, often accompanied by emotional facial expressions).

By the end of the second month of a child's life, the muscles of the neck and back become noticeably stronger. So, when laying out on the tummy, the baby better and longer in time (up to 10-15 minutes) keeps his head up, without getting tired.

Child nutrition

Most breastfed babies continue to be free-fed, receiving their mother's breasts as needed. However, even in such situations, many mothers note that feeding by this age becomes more streamlined; Babies develop a specific diet. During the day, the baby is applied to the chest 8-12 times. It is possible that the child will ask for a breast more rarely (it can be feeding 7 times with a night break of 4.5–6 hours). This is possible only with good lactation from the mother, the active behavior of the child at the breast during feeding and the confidence that the baby is full. Any suspicion of reduced milk secretion or malnutrition (and even more starvation) of the crumbs should be accompanied by an increase in attachments in general and a return to night feedings, since the best stimulation of milk production occurs at night.

"Artificial children", as a rule, are fed "by the clock." The optimal regimen for the second month of life is 7 feedings per day with a 6-hour night break. Unlike "babies", babies receiving infant formula in their diet should be offered water for drinking at least two to three times a day.

The volume of daily nutrition in the second month of life averages 1 / 5 body weight. So, with a crumb mass of 4 kg, the daily volume of the mixture will be 800 g, and a single one, respectively, about 120 ml. Breastfed babies usually don't need these calculations. When judging the sufficiency of the milk they receive, they take into account the weight gain for the previous month, the frequency of urination (at least 6 times a day), as well as the appearance of the baby, his behavior, the frequency of feeding, the state of lactation in the mother.

Stool and urination

In the second month of life, the frequency of urination averages 10-15 times a day. The frequency of urination becomes less compared to the first month of life due to an increase in the volume of the bladder (it can accumulate a little more urine) and a greater stability of the urination reflex. Many factors influence stool frequency. One of the main ones is the nature of the diet. For “babies”, small variations in the daily frequency of stools are permissible: on average, bowel movements occur up to 4 times a day. There may be days when the child does not have a chair. If at the same time the behavior of the baby does not change, regurgitation or bloating is not noted, then this is quite acceptable. At the same time, repeated long-term (2-3 days) stool retention should alert parents and encourage them to consult a doctor.

Usually the stool of a breastfed baby is mushy, yellow in color and has a slightly sour smell. Artificial nutrition involves a stool that is more dense in consistency, occurring less frequently (1-3 times a day).

Survey

There are no special examinations at the age of 2 months for healthy children.

Vaccinations

At the end of the second month of life, the next (third) vaccination against hepatitis B is carried out - only for children from the so-called risk groups for the development of this disease. These include babies whose mothers are carriers of the hepatitis B virus or are sick with this disease. In addition, such a vaccination scheme (4-fold sequential administration of the vaccine starting from the first day of life) is used in relation to children whose families have carriers of the hepatitis B virus or patients with acute viral hepatitis B and chronic viral hepatitis.

Which doctors should be visited

At the age of 2 months, the baby will have another visit to the pediatrician in the children's clinic. Its purpose is to weigh the child (to determine the sufficiency of weight gain in the second month of life), to measure its length, head and chest circumferences. In addition, the doctor examines the baby, excluding signs of any disease.

In addition to the pediatrician, the child is examined by those specialists whose consultation, in the opinion of the attending physician, is important for diagnosing and developing the correct treatment tactics for possible (suggested by the doctor) pathology. For example, a neurologist, surgeon, ophthalmologist can additionally see a baby. If, during the examination by a pediatrician, no pathology was revealed, then there is no need to examine narrow specialists.

The fact is that the worldview of the child is constantly changing. Literally every month, the baby goes through crises caused by growth spurts. What is it, be sure to read in my article. In just a year, the life of the crumbs will change dramatically four times, and with it your lifestyle. So the most important thing you need to know is be patient, flexible and knowledgeable to respond appropriately and in a timely manner to emerging changes. Many mothers continue to live in the past for a long time, not accepting new circumstances. This leads to the whims of the child, who cannot otherwise get through to the mother, and to damage to the nerves of the mother herself, who cannot or does not want to adapt to the new life of the baby ...

Periods of the first year of a child's life

What are the periods? In the first year, I highlight the following stages:

From birth to 3 months.
From 3 to 6 months.
From 6 to 9 months.
From 9 months to a year.

Below I will tell you how these periods differ and how to spend this time most effectively and pleasantly;)

0 to 3 months

The most difficult stage in the life of both a child and a mother. The change has come so suddenly and everyone has yet to get used to each other. Mom often does not understand, even if he is not the first. Colic, lactostasis, chronic lack of sleep... All this can be difficult to survive if you do not know some points that can make life easier!

First, be sure to read my article to avoid the typical mistakes that make motherhood hell.

Secondly, attract assistants to the maximum. Now I really regret that I tried not to strain my relatives and walked with a stroller for the most part myself. Newborns sleep well on the street for 2-3 hours, and I advise you to give this duty to dad, grandma or grandpa, and be distracted yourself - resume self-care, do a favorite activity or sleep, eventually. There is nothing difficult about pushing a stroller around the park - anyone can do it. And you will receive precious hours alone with yourself and return to the baby as a renewed, loving mother.

Third, remember that this period will end. And it also has undeniable advantages, just not everyone immediately notices them! For example, in the first three months of life, a child sleeps more than 70% of the time, which means you can go about your business. Yes, as a rule, these things happen with the baby in a sling or under the breast, or on the street during a walk. I was so bored the first time that I created this blog. 😄 Now I longingly remember those times when I could spend hours reading a book or writing articles - by the age of my daughter, my free time has become many times less, and I only have enough for a couple of lines a day! Reading books has also almost disappeared ... So, despite all the difficulties of the first three months of a child's life, this is also a time of opportunities for relaxation, albeit with a phone in hand. Get a functional smartphone and read, chat, learn new things, watch movies while the baby is dreaming. A completely different stage will come soon!

3 to 6 months

After life is getting better, and motherhood seems like a fairy tale! The child still sleeps a lot, but already pleases with the first laugh, babble, attention. Mom during this period feels both relative freedom and bestowal. Finally, family members are starting to get enough sleep! Enjoy the easiest part of your baby's first year and build up strength for the future. In the meantime, I advise you to relax, remember your hobbies, walk more, eat well and sleep. Our daughter turned three months old in the spring, so I was able to do my favorite needlework in the fresh air, and at home I wrote articles for this blog. If you are getting an education or have long wanted to try something new - now is the time!

6 to 9 months

At 6.5 months, the daughter suddenly stopped sleeping on the street. For some, this happens earlier, for others later ... And then there is the crisis of 6 months - as it seemed to me, the most difficult of all. Now the child refuses to lie where they put him, and demands to be constantly carried in his arms. The kid wants to see the world! He is learning to sit, crawl, eat new food, and his mother needs to help him literally every minute. So during this period you will have to put some of your affairs on the back burner. After the ease of 3-6 months of a child's life, everyday life with a child of 6-9 months may seem difficult, sometimes even unbearable ... What should I do? You need to be mindful of your business! Read my article It was this method that helped me not to go crazy, but to learn how to take time for myself even in the crazy rhythm of life with a baby. Again, remember that good times are coming soon!

9 to 12 months

Usually by 9 months the child becomes a little more independent- he already moves around the house himself, crawling or even on his own two feet, opens all kinds of cabinets and drawers and pulls out their contents, which means that now there is always something to do! At first, mom can even fall into a stupor - what to do with the freed time? It’s not that it became so much, we just got used to preparing dinner in 20 minutes, and cleaning up, and going to the shower, and then the baby took himself for half an hour, and there were as many as 10 minutes left. :))

I know from my own experience that by the 10th month of a child's life, a mother can finally relax a little and calmly drink the tea she poured when the baby was 5 months old. 😄 But seriously, after all the household chores, I even manage to do handicrafts while my daughter plays by herself. A few weeks ago I could only dream about it!

Some kids are even too independent! :)

Many mothers complain that a child of a year and a half still requires ALL attention, and some do not get off their hands, even if they already know how to walk ... Well, this only means that just from 9 months child care ends and education begins. And to educate is really much more difficult than wiping your ass. You will need all your will, sometimes strictness and firmness, to raise an independent, balanced person. Yes, you will have to make an effort on yourself many times a day, so as not to indulge the whims of the baby every time. It's time to know and honor! It is now that education is being laid, and you are better off if you teach a new family member to adapt to your routine. After all, he is no longer a newborn, and can endure and obey somewhere.

At 9 months, children already understand a lot, and if they don’t understand, they feel it. Explain that mom can not now, and will have to wait. If you see that the child is just showing his “I want”, try to ignore it (if the explanations did not help). You will see, the baby will occupy himself, and each time this will happen more and more often and for a longer time! By doing this, you are doing a service, first of all, to a child whose wishes cannot and should not be fulfilled right now.

The complexity of the periods of the first year of a child's life in my opinion

That is why I put the lightness of this period in second place, and not in first place. Otherwise, with the baby, it finally becomes interesting, entertaining, fun! He already says “mom” and “dad”, plays, laughs, stomps his plump legs, hugs, tries to kiss. And all this is incredibly cute, already the heart is torn from tenderness :)

By 11-12 months the child moves to one daytime sleep. When I thought about it six months ago, I was horrified. But everything turned out not so scary! With a child, as a rule, it is very comfortable, and time flies unnoticed - then you are even surprised that the hour of sleep has come. It was at this moment that I felt that life had finally improved - you just live, do household chores, meet friends, even work, it’s just that you always have a child with you. :)

These are the periods of the first year of a baby's life, and each of them is good in its own way. At first - a lot of free time, but also a difficult restructuring, then - the usual rhythm and ease, after - a series of crises and new skills, and at the end of the year - next to you is "your board" man, without whom you can no longer imagine life. Therefore, if a difficult stage overtook you and your baby, remember that the game is worth the candle, and very soon life will sparkle with new colors! Every day will be a joy! No wonder they say that the first year is the most difficult. As you can see, difficulties arise at different periods of a baby's life. And now I understand why a year is celebrated on such a grand scale - there is something to celebrate here! I think it will be even better :)

Health to you and your families, and the rest will follow 😉