A lot happens in a year, both for you and your child. From the very first moments of life, your baby is already able to feel emotions, learn, and interact with you. Development is exponential, and each stage from 0 to 1 year brings its share of discoveries and new skills.
CONTENTS:
- 0 to 3 months: Awakening the senses
- 4 to 6 months: A budding explorer
- 7 to 9 months: Baby becomes a bit more independent
- 10 to 12 months: The time of first steps
0 to 3 months: Awakening the senses
Your newborn constantly awakens to the world around them. While at 1 month old, baby sleeps about 20 hours out of 24, gradually, sounds, smells, light, taste, and soon touch, all start to play a role to enrich their life.
Sensory awakening and a bonding relationship with mom
From the very first weeks, your baby explores the world through their senses. Very quickly, they recognize your voice. When awake, your baby loves gentle touch and cuddling—this is the sweet time of babywearing and skin-to-skin contact.
👶 Awakening the senses from birth
Your baby's emotions are especially intense and uncontrolled. This is why crying is their main way of expressing how they feel.
Motor development: still disorganized
Little by little, your newborn discovers their limbs, first their arms and especially their hands, which soon end up in their mouth.
By 2 months old, they start trying their first coordinated movements, but only around 3 months do they begin to grab objects—small toys, pacifiers (if they use one), their favorite blankie, or very soon, teething rings.
Getting a bit stronger each day, your baby also starts to lift their head and kick when lying on their back. Watch out when changing diapers!
It's also common, and the pediatrician will check for this, to see primitive reflexes such as the Moro reflex, sucking reflex, stepping reflex, and rooting reflex. These are normal and will fade as your baby's movements become more intentional.
Their vision remains limited, but will develop quickly. At birth, baby can see only what's within about 12 inches. By 2 months, they distinguish the outlines of objects around them.
Communication: a first form of language
At first, your baby communicates with you through sounds, crying, uncoordinated gestures, and facial expressions. You can notice different types of crying depending on their needs and urgency.
Very early on, around 2 months, they start to coo. Even though they don't understand the words you say, they are already able to recognize basic emotional tones like joy or anger. This is how your baby starts to absorb your sounds and communicate in their own way.
Feeding: milk, milk, and more milk
Whether it’s infant formula or breastmilk, up to 3 months old (and even beyond), your baby’s diet is exclusively milk-based. Milk contains all the vitamins and nutrients needed for healthy growth and development.
🍼 Did you know? BibRONDS Élhée bottles are just as suitable for bottle-fed babies as for breastfed babies, as a supplement to breastfeeding. We have always talked about nursing bottles.
👩🍼 🤱 Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding: let's stop feeling guilty!
Activity of the moment: talking
For now, your infant relies completely on you. Take advantage of this closeness to talk, sing lullabies, or tell stories. Let them hear your voice and tone. Say their name as often as you want; it will encourage them to begin making their own sounds soon.
4 to 6 months: A budding explorer
After discovering their body and immediate surroundings, your baby's fourth, fifth, and sixth months mark a first wave of curiosity. Baby is now looking for interactions and things to do.
Sensory awakening: baby knows their name
For several weeks now, your baby has been more alert. They sleep less and express themselves more with the means they have. In your presence, baby turns their head, smiles, squirms, calms down… and responds to their name. This is a very big step!
In fact, your baby might even pause what they're doing just to watch you. Mom and dad are fascinating, especially since baby can now recognize other family members: siblings, grandparents—even your pets are slowly being included in their circle.
Motor development: coordination comes in
Your baby is growing stronger every day. Bit by bit, they learn to lift their head when lying on their back, put their feet in their mouth, and make pedal movements. Soon comes the time to roll from back to belly and belly to back, followed by the first attempts at sitting up (even if they're still wobbly). Your child can now grasp small objects and hold onto them, although they may drop things from time to time.
Most importantly, their vision is now good. They can see details, and by 5 months old recognize as many colors as you can.
Communication, consonants & vowels
This is the time for cooing and babbling—music to a parent’s ears. As baby gets more familiar with sounds and words, they want to repeat them. Around 6 months, you should hear your child’s first “real” sounds: lots of “aaaaa,” “eeeee,” but especially some sharp “iiii”! Baby wants to copy your voice as they react to it.
Feeding and introducing solids from A to Z
Between 4 and 6 months, your baby is ready for their first solid foods alongside the milk they’ve always known. For a smooth introduction, add new foods one at a time, and wait a few days between each to watch for allergies or intolerances.
🍓 Milk, fruit, purée: how should baby meals be organized?
Start with smooth purées such as well-cooked vegetables and fruits. Then move to thicker, chunkier textures as your baby grows.
🥕 Three homemade baby food jar recipes
Of course, breast milk or formula remains the main food source for your baby. Solids are just a supplement for now.
Activity of the moment, discovering their body
Tickle time, whether with your hands or objects (fabric, stuffed animals, wipes, cotton…), is a fun way to laugh and discover sensations and body parts. Regularly, you can also put your baby on their tummy on a play mat and sit in front of them. This simple activity encourages lifting their head and reaching out to see (and join) you.
7 to 9 months: Baby becomes a bit more independent
Until now, your baby was totally dependent on you, but now baby is slowly learning about autonomy. Eating, getting around, and even expressing themselves are activities that, around 8 months, start to take shape.
Sensory awakening to textures
Everything catches their attention. Textures, colors, shapes, other babies they try to attract, animals, and of course you—baby is curious about everything. They want to grab everything and learn everything. They cling to you, stick their fingers in your nose or mouth, and refuse to let go. This is when separation anxiety, which usually appears around 8 months, settles in. Even naptime can get stressful. Always explain that you’ll return—that you only leave temporarily.
Now, baby might develop a real attachment to a comforting object—a stuffed animal, a blanket... something to help with the temporary absence of a parent.
💗 The bottle as a transitional object from birth?
Motor development: the move toward independence
Baby is getting faster and more skilled. They crawl to get around, often in reverse, although not all babies crawl. Baby may prop up on their hands and practice fine motor skills by passing toys back and forth, or handling small or hard-to-grasp objects.
As for play, stuffed animals and big toys like plastic blocks are favorites—especially if they make noise or can be banged together or thrown. This is how baby tests resistance and gravity.
🤸 Free movement for babies: what is it?
Mirrors also capture their interest, especially when you’re in the reflection together. Baby will try to touch their own reflection or yours. It’s a new way for them to explore themselves. This is the perfect time to name both yourself and your child: two separate people.
Communication and language: understanding begins
At 7 months old, your child can use intentional communication: they start some exchanges. These are mostly through gestures and sounds but now include, along with baby's name, short easy words (like mama, baby, auntie…).
Later, around 9 months, they connect gestures with words. If you point at something and ask for it, baby may try to grab it because they understand your intent, the word, or both. At this age (sometimes earlier), baby sign language is very useful for avoiding the frustration children feel when they can’t express themselves clearly.
Feeding and Baby-Led Weaning
Keep offering healthy, nutritious foods to your baby. You can now add a little lean meat, boneless fish, egg, some dairy products (yogurt, cheese), and legumes.
Thanks to BLW (Baby-Led Weaning), let your baby explore tastes, textures, and smells. You can also let them try eating with their fingers if they want. This hands-on activity helps develop fine motor skills and chewing.
Activity of the moment: laughter!
The game of “Peek-a-boo!” is by far the favorite among babies around 9 months—they laugh out loud when you disappear behind your hand. Building blocks, balls, and little containers in the tub also make great, educational pastimes.
10 to 12 months: The time of first steps
Your baby’s first birthday is almost here—even though not long ago you were celebrating their birth! Now, baby can say a few words and may even be forming their first sentences. Their favorite thing is discovering, playing, and following you everywhere!
Sensory awakening: tell me everything
You’re still the center of their world, but now your baby is truly interested in other adults, and especially in other children whom they seek out and willingly imitate. Books and music spark their curiosity, and they may begin to show a special preference for one toy over another.
Also, baby begins to connect actions and reactions: their crying and your attention, their “mischief” and your “no.”
Motor development: speed comes into play
If not already walking, baby can stand and sit by themselves, or maybe crawl. Sometimes they try taking a step or two, fall, and start again. Think about adding safety locks to doors and cushioning sharp corners on furniture: baby will be into everything in a split second. Squatting, leaning forward, or crawling up the stairs, baby is everywhere.
🙌 How to encourage baby's independence?
Their dexterity has greatly improved. Now, they can pick up tiny objects—even crumbs—which they often bring straight to their mouth, so keep a close eye. Pouring toys from or into a basket is also no problem now, and by 12 months, your “big kid” might even try to hold their own utensils.
Interaction, communication, and language
Baby moves from single sounds to double: da-da, ba-ba, and a little later, ma-ma. First “real” words may be spoken, usually between 12 and 15 months. Baby reaches out to point at what or who they mean and can easily imitate new sounds. Use simple prompts like “Say bye-bye,” and they’ll happily respond.
Now your baby understands the meaning of “no” and rules, since they can even shake their head to show disagreement.
Feeding: Let’s eat!
From 10 months on, your little one can eat the same foods as you as long as they are thoroughly cooked, unseasoned, finely chopped, and portioned for them. It is very likely that your baby now eats in their high chair, at the table with the family, and is interested in what’s on your plate.
Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy—almost everything is open for tasting now, but don’t forget breast milk or formula, at least until baby is 1 year old.
🍼 How many bottles does my baby need based on age?
Activity of the moment: doing it like the grown-ups
It’s time to give your baby a toy chest or (low, accessible) basket just for their things. By diving into what’s inside, your child discovers their very first independent play.
A secured cabinet in the kitchen or living room, filled with safe everyday objects for baby, is another endless source of wonder and pride. Give it a try!
