Babies' Firsts: First Words

Happy Friday everyone!

I am working on a post about language development, which got me thinking about my daughters' first words. All day I've been trying to remember how old they were when they started talking and what their first words were. Luckily, I documented these types of milestones, so even though it is Friday and my brain is ready for the weekend, I know that Olivia's first word was "Dada" when she was 11 months old and Charlotte said "mama" when she was 10 months old!

Last week we posted the answers to our Infant Communication Quiz, which included a question about the most common first word for babies in the US. According to a study published in 2008, the most common first words are "daddy" and "mommy," so I guess my kids are pretty representative!

So now I am curious about your experience. How old was your baby when he or she said their first word and what did he or she say?

Send us a comment and let us know!

Babies' Firsts: When Babies Begin to Stand

A few weeks ago, we asked our readers to share information about when their babies learned to stand (click here to go to the original post). Specifically, we asked:

• How old was your baby when he or she first tried to pull up to stand? 
• What did you baby use to pull up on (for example, furniture, toys, etc)
• How long did it take for him or her to stand alone, without holding onto something?

Today, for part 2 of this Babies’ Firsts topic, we want to share what the research shows about how and

when babies learn to stand!

As we've mentioned many times, babies develop and master new skills at different ages. The children of our staff at the Human Lactation Center illustrate this fact perfectly! My oldest daughter, Olivia, didn't stand until about 11 months, but my younger daughter, Charlotte, first stood at 6 ½ months. Jen G’s daughter Lily stood at around 9 months and our newest edition, Karolina’s son David first pulled to stand at 7 months.  

Our experience with our children perfectly represents what has been shown in the developmental research! Studies show that 50 percent of babies can pull themselves up to standing with support at 8 months and 90 percent of babies can by 10 months old. 

When learning to stand, your baby will need to use his arms to hold himself up on something and may be standing wide legged on his tip toes until he gets into the swing of things. During this time your baby will begin to use less arm support and may begin to shift his weight from side to side. He will need to get used to moving and controlling his body in this new position.  Soon he will be able to rotate his body around and use one arm for grabbing objects. He will also be able to reach down from a standing position to grab items off the floor.

By 13 months 90 percent of babies will be able to stand without support but still need to practice staying balanced. They will begin cruising around, that is holding on to furniture and moving sideways. Very soon after cruising, babies will begin taking unassisted steps.  They may still fall often, but don’t worry, their brains are hardwired to keep practicing until they get it right!

When your baby starts showing interest in pulling up to stand, it is very important to make sure he practices in a safe environment. Pulling up on things that move easily could be dangerous, so we encourage you to get down on his level and look for unexpected dangers. For example, when Charlotte started to pull up, she crawled over to her sister’s dollhouse and, before I could get over to her, she had tried to pull up on it. The plastic dollhouse was not sturdy enough to hold her weight and it scooted across the floor while she fell forward. Luckily, it scooted quickly so she did not hit her face on the pointed roof, but she could have easily gotten hurt. Small furniture, laundry baskets, and anything with wheels should be kept out of reach until your baby gets better at standing on his own.  At 14.5 months old, 90 percent of babies can independently squat from standing and shortly after they will be able to stand up directly from the floor without having to pull themselves up on something.

Pulling up to stand is a big milestone! If your baby is just learning to stand, Congratulations! Soon he’ll be running around you’ll be trying to catch up!

Babies' Firsts: Standing

It's been quite a while since we've done a Babies' Firsts post (click here to see previous posts in this series). In these 2-part posts, we start by asking or readers to share their experiences watching their babies achieve various milestones. Then, 1 to 2 weeks later, we share what the research shows about the milestone and explain how it may effect a baby's behavior.

Today, we want to hear how your baby learned to stand! To share your experience with us, post a comment with your answers to the following questions:

• How old was your baby when he or she first tried to pull up to stand?
• What did you baby use to pull up on (for example, furniture, toys, etc)
• How long did it take for him or her to stand alone, without holding onto something?

We look forward to seeing your comments and will be back next week with the follow-up post!

Babies' Firsts: When babies learn to sit up

A few weeks ago, as part of our Babies’ Firsts series, we asked our readers to answer these questions:

• How old was your baby when he or she was first able to sit up on his or her own?

• How did playtime change once your baby could sit up? 

We’ve gotten several comments from readers, so first we’d like to thank everyone who responded. Each of their babies started sitting up on their own right around 6 months! Not surprisingly, playtime didn’t change much for these babies because they had been sitting up with help, but they were able to play more independently and were showing more interest in toys than they had in the past!

Today, we would like to share what developmental research says about the ages babies tend to learn to sit up. As always, remember that all babies are different and they develop at their own pace. We will provide ranges, but if your baby does not fall in the range, don’t be alarmed. If you are unsure about your baby’s developmental progress, talk to your pediatrician!

Sitting with Support

More than 90% of babies are able to sit up while being held (at the chest/waist) by a caregiver by about 1 month old. In the beginning, the neck muscles are not developed enough to keep the babies’ heads from bobbing around while held in the sitting position, but within the first few months, their necks get stronger and they are better able to control their heads while being held in a sitting position.

Sitting with Propped Arms or Arm Support

Before being able to sit fully upright on their own, many babies can sit while using their arms to support their weight. According to the research, 50% of babies can sit this way by 2.5 to 3 months of age and 90% can sit this way by 4.5 months. This type of sitting shows off babies’ flexibility because they often look like they are folded right in half when sitting this way! Between 4.5 and 6.5 months, their arms get stronger and they are able to sit up higher with their arms closer to their bodies.

Sitting without Arm Support

The age range for the ability to sit without any arm support is much wider. Between 4.5 and 6 months, babies usually begin sitting without their hands or arms on the ground, but as you can imagine, they aren’t able to sit fully upright right away and need to be closely watched to make sure they don’t fall and hurt themselves. As they gain strength, they are able to straighten up more easily, and by 8 months more than 90% can sit up well enough to be left alone in a sitting position.  

Sitting and Moving Around

Once a baby has mastered sitting independently, he or she won’t  sit still for long. Fifty percent of babies can twist and rotate around to reach for things by 7 months and 90% can do this by 8.5 months.  Between 8 and 12 months, they start moving from sitting to lying on their tummies (50% around 8 months and 90% around 12 months), which is an important step to prepare for crawling!

Safety is key!

So, no matter when your baby starts sitting up independently, the most important thing is to keep them safe.  Even when they have been sitting for a while and seem to have mastered the skill, be cautious when sitting them down. Never leave your baby alone on a couch, chair, or bed and keep the floor around your baby clear when he’s playing. For more information on baby proofing, you can review some of our previous posts (click here).

Babies' Firsts: Sitting Up

Last year, we started a series of 2-part posts we called “Babies’ Firsts.” In the first part, we ask our readers to answer a few questions about the first time their babies did something exciting. Then, in the second part, we explained when and how babies tend to achieve the highlighted milestone.

So far, we've covered smiling, crawling, and rolling over, but it’s been quite a while since we've posted a new topic.

Today, we’d like to continue the series by asking you these questions:

• How old was your baby when he or she was first able to sit up on his or her own?
• How did playtime change once your baby could sit up? 

Send us a comment with your answers and watch for part 2, where we’ll share more information about how babies learn to sit up!

Babies' Firsts: How babies learn to crawl

In a previous post, we asked our readers to share stories about when and how their babies learned to crawl. Several readers responded and the comments provided an excellent example of the most important information about crawling – all babies are different and there isn’t a set age or way that all babies learn to crawl. When someone describes a baby who is crawling, most people imagine a baby on her hands and knees, but some babies never crawl this way. In fact, some babies never crawl at all and are content to roll or scoot around until they learn to walk.  Our readers’ children learned to crawl at all different ages, ranging from 6 to 12 months and each had their own way of moving that worked for them. For example, one of our readers explained that because they have hardwood floors in her house, her baby moved backwards first and even after she learned to crawl on her hands and knees, it was easier for her to army crawl.

Today, we’ll describe the different types of movements that can be considered crawling.  As you are reading, keep in mind that babies don’t necessarily use each of these types of movement to get around and that the ages provided are just averages. If you have concerns about your baby’s physical development, contact your pediatrician.

Pivoting
Pivoting is just what it sounds like – turning the body with the tummy on the ground. When pivoting, a baby will have her head up and her legs stretched out and she’ll use her arms and legs to pivot while curling her body. Some babies begin pivoting around 4 months of age and 50% and 90% master this ability by 6 and 8 months, respectively.

Four-Point Kneeling
Four-Point Kneeling is when a baby is able to support her weight on her hands and knees. While this is more of a stationary ability that needs to be mastered before learning to crawl on the hands and knees, babies in this position may rock back and forth and  even fall forward if they rock with enough momentum.  Fifty percent of babies can hold themselves up in this position by 7 months and 90% by 9 months. Although they may be unsteady at first, within about a month they become much more stable.  

Reciprocal crawling
In our house we call it the army crawl, moving forward by putting weight on one arm and the opposite leg and then switching to the other arm and leg, but not lifting the entire body up off the floor. Fifty percent are able to crawl this way at 7.5 months and 90% are able to by about 9 months.

Reciprocal Creeping
Reciprocal creeping is what most people consider crawling; the baby’s weight will be on hand and opposite knee and she’ll move by shifting weight from one hand and leg to the others. Fifty and 90% are able to crawl this way by 8.5 and 11 months, respectively.

Just like our readers, our children all had their own ways to move. Jen G’s daughter, Lily, mastered crawling on her hands and knees at 8 months, and Olivia, Jen B’s oldest daughter, army-crawled until 12 months. Charlotte (Jen B’s youngest daughter) started crawling army-style at 5.5 months, was up on her hands and knees one week later, and has recently (at 10 months of age) began moving around on her hands and feet. No matter how your baby learns to get around, one thing is for sure, once they start moving, it’s hard to keep them still!

Reference:  Piper M, Darrah J. Motor Assessment of the Developing Infant. Philadelphia PA:W.B. Saunders Company 1994.

Babies' Firsts: The Science Behind Rolling Over

A few weeks ago, as part of our Babies’ Firsts series, we had the following questions for our readers:

1. How old was your baby when he or she rolled over for the first time?
2.  Did your baby roll from back-to-tummy or tummy-to-back first and how long did it take before he or she could roll both ways?
3. What kind of adjustments or modifications did you have to make in your baby's environment to accommodate his or her new skill?

First, we’d like to thank everyone who commented! Your stories show that every baby is different and that even siblings who grow up in the same environment achieve milestones, like rolling over, at their own pace. Today, I’ll share the story about when my youngest daughter, Charlotte, learned to roll over and then explain what research shows about how and when babies tend to develop this important skill.

Charlotte’s Story
Charlotte is 7 months old now and she’s been rolling over for 3 ½ months. She first rolled from her back to her tummy while we were playing together on the floor. Although we had been having “tummy time” a few times each day, she never seemed to like it, so when she first rolled over, she promptly started crying. I helped her roll back onto her back, but within just a few minutes she was back on her tummy again. It went on like this for a few weeks until she learned to roll from her tummy to her back.

We had to make quite a few changes when Charlotte started rolling over. We had to be much better about keeping the floor clean and making sure that her big sister, Olivia, picked up her toys. We also had to start keeping all the dog toys out of reach and I bought a foam play mat to make our hard floor a little softer for her. All of the effort came in handy, because before long she was army crawling all over the house (but that story is for another post!).

Rolling Over Research
Everyone knows that there are 2 ways babies must learn to roll, from back-to-tummy and tummy-to-back, but many people (including me, until today) may not know that within each of these rolling methods there are 2 types, with and without rotation. Here is information about each type:

Prone to supine (tummy-to-back)

• Without rotation – Rolling from tummy-to-back without rotation means that the shoulder and pelvis are aligned, body is extended, and the movement starts from the head.  It can start as early as 1 month of age, but only about 10% of babies can roll this way by 3 months; 50% and 90% achieve it by 6 and 8 ½ months, respectively.    
• With rotation – Rolling from back-to-tummy with rotation is characterized by a shoulder and pelvis that are not aligned, movement originating from the shoulder, pelvis, or head, and rotation in the body.  Because the rotation is a more complicated movement, this type of rolling typically starts around 4 months with 50% achieving it by 7 months and 90% by about 9 months.

Supine to prone (back-to-tummy)

• Without rotation – When a baby rolls from back-to-tummy without rotation, his head will be up, his body will be stretched and his shoulder will be in line with his pelvis. The movement will begin from the head, shoulder or hip, and his body will move as one unit. Fifty percent of babies can roll this way by about 5.5 months and 90% reach this milestone by 9 months.
• With rotation – Rolling this way requires the baby to lift his head and stretch his body and the movement starts from the head, shoulder, or hip, but the shoulder and pelvis will not be aligned, the baby’s body will rotate, and the legs will move separately from the rest of the body. Just as with tummy-to-back, rolling with rotation is mastered a little later than rolling without; 50% achieve it by 7 months and 90% by 9 months.

So, the take-away message: The age at which babies master rolling over varies greatly! If you think about it, it makes sense given that rolling over requires the coordination and use of many muscle groups.  Regardless of the age of your baby, rolling over means that you have some baby-proofing to do! For more information, refer to Baby Proofing Part 1 (for birth to 6 months) and Part 2 (for 6-12 months).

Reference:
Piper M, Darrah J. Motor Assessment of the Developing Infant. Philadelphia PA:W.B. Saunders Company 1994.

Questions for Our Readers: Your Baby's Firsts

We know that we have some long time readers whose babies are well into their 2nd year as well as newer readers with newborns and others who are still waiting for their babies. Every few weeks, we thought we'd ask our "old timers" to share some of their babies' firsts with our "newbies."  To start us off, here are our questions; you can respond by posting a comment.

1. How old was your baby when he or she smiled at you or someone else for the very first time? What do you remember about why your was baby smiling?

2. How old was your baby when he or she first laughed for the very first time? What was your baby laughing about that very first time?  

We look forward to your answers!