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!

Quick Tip: Don't Move Bedtime Up too Soon

If you've been reading this blog, you know that babies typically start to concentrate one longer stretch of sleep during the night time hours sometime between 3 and 4 months of age. Of course, parents are more than ready to get a little more sleep by then and it is easy for them to believe that babies should always sleep for 4 to 5 hours once they can "achieve" that first concentrated stretch. Parents who have been putting their babies to bed at 11 pm or midnight in order to sleep until 4 or 5 am, might think they can now move the bedtime up closer to 7 or 8 pm, enjoy some time together, and get two or even three long stretches of sleep each night. Well....you might want to wait on that.

When your baby first starts concentrating a long stretch during the night time hours, you might find that you only get one longer stretch. If you put your baby to bed at 8, she might give you that long stretch until midnight or 1 a.m. then, wake up again at 3, 4:30, and 7 am! You're not doing anything wrong, your baby just isn't ready to have several long stretches of sleep yet. To avoid some frustration, you might want to wait to move up your baby's bedtime until she becomes more consistent with combining shorter periods of waking with longer stretches of sleep. For lots of babies, that happens when they are around 6 months old. It will happen...no really...it will. In the meantime, remember to get some help at home. More sleep is just a few weeks away.

Reference:
Heraghty JL et al. The physiology of sleep in infants. Arch Dis Child. 2008; 93: 982-985.