"You’ve read all the maternity books and now know what to expect during your pregnancy. But now that your little bundle of joy has arrived, you may be asking yourself what you should expect as your new baby grows. When should your new little one be doing things like rolling over or smiling at you? What is cooing? Why do they startle when you put them down? The new “tricks” your baby does is the process of them growing beyond what you provided for them while they were in your belly. The exciting part—you get to see it with your own eyes this time! The question is, what are things you can expect, and what can you be doing as a parent to help them reach their baby milestones?
Your pediatrician is a great resource for you to ask questions and help you navigate through all the stages of your baby’s development. With how often you may be scheduled to see your child’s doctor in your baby’s first year of life, the well visits may seem like an in-and-out appointment. However, pediatricians are carefully looking at how your baby is progressing in each stage. I reached out to Dr. Olivia Lehane, a pediatrician and mom of three, to walk me through what to expect and how to approach baby milestones as a parent. If you’re a new parent or a seasoned one—I know I needed it the second time around—here is what to look for during your baby’s first year.
Editor’s Note: The information is not intended to replace professional diagnosis, treatment, or medical advice.
Dr. Olivia Lehane, DO and Pediatrician
As a Cook Children’s pediatrician, Dr. Lehane enjoys taking care of babies, children and teens of all ages. But above all, finds joy in building close and lasting relationships with her patients and their families.
What are baby milestones?
Developmental milestones are a timeline used to track when your baby learns skills, like smiling or crawling. While milestones are a way to gauge how your baby is developing, Dr. Lehane stresses to her new parents that “every baby moves at their own pace.” She says not to compare yourself to things you see on social media, your friends’ kids, and even your child’s siblings. She emphasizes, “Each individual child can be so different” on what she calls the “developmental streams.”
“Every baby moves at their own pace… [do] not compare yourself to things you see on social media, your friends’ kids, and even your child’s siblings.”
Dr. Lehane assesses where children fall in their development under four different streams. These streams include language and communication milestones, social and emotional milestones, movement and physical development, and cognitive milestones.
Language and Communication Milestones
While you may be waiting for your baby to utter “mama” or “dada” as their first words, they start communicating with you verbally and non-verbally early on. These milestones are what your child can hear, process, and say to you. According to the National Institutes of Health, “The first signs of communication occur when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship.”
Social and Emotional Milestones
Social and emotional milestones are how your baby understands their own emotions and how they process and respond to the emotions of others, like when your baby smiles back at you.
Movement and Physical Development
These milestones are often called “motor skills,” which are how your baby physically moves their body. There are “fine” and “gross” motor skills. Fine motor skills are “the tiny movements we make with our hands, fingers, feet, and toes.” Gross motor skills are “the large, sweeping movements we make with arms, legs, and torso.”
Cognitive Milestones
Cognitive milestones are how your baby’s brain develops in thinking, learning, and problem-solving.
Milestone differences for premature babies
If your baby is born preterm, meaning before 37 weeks, Dr. Lehane says, “you should expect delays” in the timing of when your baby reaches milestones. The expectation for a preemie baby is to hit their milestones based on their adjusted ages. She stresses that the milestone chart may look different for you, but “your baby will get caught up.”
The way you calculate the adjusted or corrected age of a baby who was born preterm is by subtracting how many weeks premature they were born from their actual age. Dr. Lehane gives the example, “Say you had a baby that was two months early at 32 weeks; you would expect their milestones to be about two months behind what they should be by age, and that would be an expected development for a premature baby.”
Baby developmental milestones by month
I’ve broken up your baby’s milestones close to how often most pediatricians will be seeing you in their office for your child’s well visits. While this is a general guide using resources recommended by Dr. Lehane from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, consider asking your child’s doctor what you can be doing as a parent to promote their development. Most often, the toys that you asked for on your baby registry serve a purpose in your child’s growth. Items like black and white high-contrast cards help with developing their eye sight, and the play mat encourages tummy time to help them with their head control and build stronger muscles to crawl and walk.
2 Month Milestones
Language and Communication Milestones
- Reacts to sounds
- Vocal with “cooing”
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Calms down when picked up or spoken to
- Looks at you
- Smiles back with interactions
Movement and Physical Development
- Able to lift head up while lying on belly
- Move arms and legs
- Open and shuts hands
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks at objects for a few seconds
4 Month Milestones
Language and Communication Milestones
- Vocalizes prolonged cooing like “oooo” and “aahh”
- Turns head to you when you talk
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Smiles and giggles back at you
- Moves and makes sounds to get your attention
Movement and Physical Development
- Independently holds head up
- Grasps a toy when given one
- Rolls over from belly to back
- Pushes up onto forearms during tummy time
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks at own hands
6 Month Milestones
Language and Communication Milestones
- Babbles
- Blows spit bubbles
- Squeals
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Smiles at self in mirror
- Recognizes familiar people
- Responds to name by turning to you
Movement and Physical Development
- Rolls over from back to belly
- Supports self with hands when sitting up independently
Cognitive Milestones
- Puts things in mouth
- Seals lips to communicate they are done eating
- Reaches or grabs for a toy
9 Month Milestones
Language and Communication Milestones
- Says “Mama” or “Dada” or repetitive sounds
- Reaches for you to be carried
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Turns to you when name is called
- Waves “bye-bye”
- Responds when playing peek-a-boo
- Has “stranger danger”
Movement and Physical Development
- Independently can get to sitting position without support
- Pulls up to stand
- Moves from sitting to lying down
- Picks up small toys with pincer grasp
- Alternates objects between hands
- Balances on hands and knees
- Crawls
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks for dropped objects
- Bangs toys together
1 Year Milestones
Language and Communication Milestones
- Calls you “Mama” or “Dada” intentionally
- Understands the word “no”
Social and Emotional Milestones
- Imitates movements or gestures
Movement and Physical Development
- Drinks from an open cup
- Stands independently
- Takes first steps
Cognitive Milestones
- Looks for objects you hide
- Puts objects into a cup
Baby Milestones Chart 0-12 Months
Download, screenshot, or print this baby developmental milestones chart for easy reference as your baby grows.
Signs of developmental delays
Dr. Lehane admits that during medical school she thought every baby would go “by the book” when it came to reaching a milestone, but that is not the case. Everyone is different, and as a pediatrician, she does not become concerned as long as there’s a slow progression within each of the “streams.” She says, “Some kids really go for the gross motor skills and walk early, but may not be talking much. Some kids are super vocal, but they may be rolling over a little bit later.” As long as a child is making progress, Dr. Lehane says that indicates that a baby is doing OK.
“As long as a child is making progress… that indicates that a baby is doing OK.”
However, she becomes concerned when a baby is either stagnant or shows regression. When this happens, Dr. Lehane states those are the two red flags that may mean it’s time to initiate more interventions. Things like pediatric physical or occupational therapy, state intervention programs, and extra support can help them get “caught back up.”
When to consult your pediatrician
In the first year of life, Dr. Lehane highlights that physical exams and history are important. She notes, “Physicians go off what the parents report. It’s important for parents to pay attention to what their baby is doing.” She encourages her parents to read up on what to expect for each stage of growth. If you have questions or concerns, Dr. Lehane reassures you that bringing them up with your pediatrician is always acceptable so your pediatrician’s team can make evaluations. From there, they can determine if your concern needs further investigation.
With all this discussion about baby milestones, don’t forget that you’ve reached the milestone of becoming a parent. It’s an exciting time, and there are a lot of things that happen within the first year. Along the way, you may learn a parenting hack here and there. Whether this is the first time you’re going through this or it’s a transition from one to two kids, knowing this information is a great tool to guide you.
FAQs about baby milestones
When does a baby start walking?
Babies can start walking anywhere between 9 and 18 months. If you want to encourage walking, a pediatric physical therapist shared some tactics on The Everymom parents can try, including: allowing baby to be barefoot, hiding the push toys, and practicing even more tummy time.
When does a baby start laughing?
Babies begin to chuckle at their parents and caregivers around 4 months of age.
When does a baby start smiling?
Babies reach the milestone of smiling around 2 months of age.
When does a baby start talking?
Babies may start to babble words like “Mama” and “Dada” by 6 months of age. By 12 to 18 months of age, they can say a few simple first words.
How many words does a baby know by 1 year?
By around 12 months of age, babies can use one word other than “Mama” or “Dada.”
When does a baby sit up on their own?
Babies start to sit up around 6 months of age.
When does a baby see in full color?
Babies have color vision by 5 months of age.
How long will my physician continue to track milestones?
Typically, physicians will continue to track your child’s milestones until the age of 5 years old.
Why does my baby startle when I put them down, and how long does this last?
The Moro reflex, or the “startle reflex,” is a normal involuntary reflex. This happens when you change your baby’s position or when their head falls back. When this happens, their arms will involuntarily go up and away from their body, their fingers will open up, and then their body will relax. This reflex will last anywhere from 2 to 6 months of age.
How do I “play” with my baby, and why is it important?
Experts recommend many ways to play with your baby, including listening to music, singing songs, floor time, reading, tummy time, and playing with blocks are some ways to play. Play encourages social skills, self-esteem, motor skills, creativity, imagination, and emotional intelligence.
What is tummy time, and why is it important?
Tummy time is when a baby is placed on their stomach for a brief amount of time while they are awake and supervised. The muscles that a baby uses in tummy time are important for the development of posture needed for all gross motor skills from rolling to walking.
When do I start tummy time? How often do I do tummy time?
Supervised tummy time can begin as early as day one or as soon as baby’s belly button scab falls off. It is suggested for babies to have two or three tummy time sessions a day that last anywhere between three and five minutes. By 2 months of age, it is recommended for babies to have anywhere between a total of 15 to 30 minutes of tummy time daily.
Do babies show signs of autism spectrum disorders within the first year?
Diagnosing ASD can be difficult in the first year of life. However, physicians monitor milestones to decide if further investigation is warranted.
What is an Early Intervention program?
Early intervention are services that support babies with developmental delays.
What can parents do while we’re waiting to see a developmental specialist?
It may take a few weeks before you have an appointment scheduled with a specialist. While you wait, continue to play and connect with your child.
What is torticollis?
Torticollis is a common physical condition in babies, and it essentially means that your baby has a preference to turn his or her head in one direction. Read tips to avoid torticollis and how to treat it.
What is plagiocephaly?
Plagiocephaly is when one side of a baby’s head is flat. Read ways to prevent and treat flat head syndrome and what you need to know about baby helmets.
What is brachycephaly?
Brachycephaly is when the back of a baby’s head is flat. Read ways to prevent and treat flat head syndrome and what you need to know about baby helmets.
What are hypertonia and hypotonia?
Hypertonia is when there is too much muscle tone, tension, or stiffness in the muscles.
Hypotonia is when your baby has low muscle tone. It is also called “floppy infant syndrome.”
Patty Schepel, Editorial Intern
As the editorial intern, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.