Your Baby’s Progress- Month 9
What’s Going on This Month?
Your Baby
Your baby may do any of the following:
- crawl or begin to crawl.
- pull himself to a standing position.
- wave “bye- bye”.
- push away things he doesn’t want.
- cry when away from his mother.
- look at picture books.
- begin to finger-feed himself.
- pass an object from one hand to the other.
- respond to lots of positive attention.
- Responds to own name and turns head directly toward interesting sounds.
- Shows his likes and dislikes.
- Shows affection to you and his favorite toy.
- He loves to explore his environment, but needs your watchful-eye to keep him safe.
Caring for Your Baby
- To protect your baby’s teeth, do not put him to bed with a bottle or prop it in his mouth.
- Always put your baby in a car seat when you take him in a car.
Nutrition
- Watch for any allergic reactions (vomiting, coughing, wheezing, diarrhea, stomach pain or skin rashes) to food by feeding your baby only one new food at a time. Wait a week before starting another.
- If your baby is bottle fed, start to wean to a cup. Use a few drops of water in a plain cup (without a spout) until he learns how to drink from the cup. Your baby should still be drinking iron-fortified formula.
- Begin letting your baby practice using a spoon.
- Let your baby try to feed himself foods like crackers and dry cereal.
- Most babies will still nurse, though some babies may wean themselves at this age.
Growth and Development Activities
- Encourage your baby to crawl and walk while holding onto furniture.
- Show your baby how to put items into a container.
- Help your baby scribble on paper with a big crayon.
- Give your baby toys that float in the bath.
- Roll a ball back and forth with your baby.
- Talk and read to your baby.
- After the bath, let your baby help get dressed by pushing his arms through his nightshirt.