From Eight to Twelve Months

Your baby has reached the age of curiosity and your house probablyshows it. Without your constant supervision, he can get into all kinds of

trouble. You’ll need to check your house often for possible dangers to yourcurious baby. Your baby will be determined to discover what lies behind cupboard

doors and inside drawers. Everything is a toy. . .and everything goes into the mouth! Thisin an important time to begin setting limits for your baby. Your baby is probably pullinghimself up to a standing position and is making some attempts to walk. Soon he’ll be able towalk with your help and perhaps take a step or two all by himself.

Your DevelopingBaby

All babies are not exactly the same, butmost babies like to do similar things. The 8 to 12 month old is practicing the skillsthat lead to walking. He may ignore yourattempts to play other games at timesbecause he is so involved with practicingthese skills.

GENERAL DEVELOPMENTBy your baby’s first birthday, he will havetripled in weight. His body proportion ischanging as his head grows more slowlyand his trunk, arms, and legs grow morerapidly. He may have as many as eightteeth by his first birthday. He should besleeping through the night and taking oneor two naps each day. He is working onfinger feeding and cup drinking.

DEVELOPMENT OFLARGE MUSCLES Your baby is learning to get into and outof a sitting position by himself. He’scrawling and creeping (maybe backwardat first), pulling up to a stand, cruisingalong furniture and finally taking thosefirst independent steps.

DEVELOPMENT OFSMALL MUSCLES Your baby will enjoy dropping things andwatching them fall, poking and exploringthings with his index finger and pickingthings up using his thumb and indexfinger. For short periods of time he willenjoy turning the pages of a large bookand looking at the pictures with you.

DEVELOPMENT OFSOCIAL SKILLS Your baby is becoming an explorer. Hewill enjoy crawling or toddling off toexamine new people and things as long ashe can see you and return to your lap forsecurity. He loves simple repeat gamessuch as peek-a-boo and will play suchgames as long as he can find an adult toplay with him. He also likes routines andfeels secure by having events happen in aconsistent manner.

A WORD ABOUTPLAYPENS A playpen can be used as a safe rest andplay area for your developing babyprovided that certain safety rules arefollowed.

Like anything else, your baby needs to getused to a playpen. If you set it up when heis already crawling around and cruisinghe may look at it as a punishment. It isbetter to set the playpen up before he is 8 months of age. Then begin placing himin it for a half-hour or so several times aday. This way your baby will accept it as anormal part of his daily routine and willplay in it happily whenever you need aquiet hour.

You can record your baby’s importantdevelopmental milestones in the BabyYour Baby Health Keepsake.

Setting Limits: The Beginning of

DisciplineMuch supervision is needed to keep yourbaby safe as he explores his expandingworld. Certain actions should not beallowed to become habit, as this can createmore problems when he becomes atoddler. Now is the time for you to setlimits.

Sometimes parents get into traps whenthey don’t correct behaviors that may be“cute” when the baby begins them. Biting,pulling hair, pulling eyeglasses andjewelry, and hitting should be stoppedwhen babies first do these things. Yourbaby needs to learn not to harm otherpeople.

Discipline teaches your baby by givinghim useful information about acceptablebehavior. This is different frompunishment, which uses force to controlbehavior.

Your baby might be surprised, frustratedor even angry when you stop undesiredbehaviors. However, you must be firm andconsistent to help him learn what is“okay” and “not okay.” Babies test limits inorder to find out what the rules are. Thesame message of “not okay” will needrepeating many times before he knows thatthe rules/limits are for real.

WHAT CAN PARENTS DO? There are several ways of setting limits foryour baby now in order for him to becomea happy, well-adjusted child in later years.

Schedule visits forwell child care andimmunizations at

9 months and 12 months of age

Techniques for Setting Limits:•Telling your baby “no” or “stop” by itselfdoes not help him learn. Telling must beaccompanied by action to help him knowwhat is expected, or what is notacceptable. For example, “No, you cannottouch the TV,” must be followed bypicking your baby up and removing himfrom the TV set.

• Quickly remove your baby fromunacceptable or unsafe areas.

• Place forbidden or dangerous objectsout of reach.

• Redirect his attention to a new toy,looking out the window, singing a song,etc.

• When your baby grabs things heshouldn’t, pull his hand away or takethe object from him. This action, alongwith a stern look and a firm “No!” givesa strong message but it must be doneconsistently and immediately. A seriouslook and eye-to-eye contact can be veryeffective.

• Spanking or slapping hands is noteffective and can often “backfire” whenoverused. Don’t hurt or be mean toyour baby. Remember that he is still justa baby.

• If you become really angry, quickly putyour baby in his crib or playpen for afew minutes while you cool off. Yourquick action, stern look and unhappyvoice will tell your baby that hisbehavior was not acceptable, and hewill not like being isolated.

The key to effective discipline is to actquickly and consistently. Be prepared torepeat your actions many times until yourbaby learns what is not acceptable.

Hearing andSpeech

By 8 months of age your baby will berepeating many sounds that he hears. Thebabbling will begin to sound like realspeech and parents should encourage thisby repeating the baby’s sounds. By oneyear of age, 2-3 words are used, but thesewords may not be clear.

The following checklist is a guide to normalhearing and speech development for an 8 to 12-month-old baby. As time goes by,check to see if your baby does most of thethings listed below:

• When sleeping in a quiet room, beginsto move, wakes up or cries whensomeone talks or when there is a noise

• Listens to people talking

• Searches or looks around when hearinga new sound, even when the sound isnot loud

• Turns or looks up when you call

• Uses his voice to get attention

• Makes babbling noises sounding like realspeech

If you think your baby cannot hear, ask yourhealth care provider to refer you to a licensedaudiologist who has experience in testing forhearing loss in babies.

Diaper Rash“Diaper rash” may vary from a mildredness that clears on its own, to painfulopen sores or blisters that need medicalcare. Diaper rash may be caused by toomuch moisture, chafing (friction orrubbing) or lengthy contact with wet ormessy diapers.

Wet skin is more easily injured by frictionthan dry skin, so the moisture in a wetdiaper can make a baby’s skin red and sore.Rubbing between moist folds of the skinmakes the problem worse.

Diaper rash is more likely to happen whenbabies:• are not kept clean and dry.• have frequent bowel movements,

especially in overnight diapers.• are taking antibiotics.• get older, 8 to 10 months of age.

There are several ways to prevent yourbaby getting diaper rash:• Gently clean baby with mild soap and

water. Smearing on ointments withoutwashing isn’t enough.

• Don’t clean too much with soaps orcommercial wipes. They can dry out the

skin and cause irritation.• Change diapers immediately after bowel

movements.• Use mild soap when washing cloth

diapers.

When diaper rash appears you can do thefollowing:• Change diapers (both cloth and

disposable) more often even if the diaperis just a little wet.

• After gently washing, pat baby dry andkeep his diaper off for at least 15 minutes.

• Apply an ointment that contains zincoxide to the rash.

Once diaper rash appears, the skin is morevulnerable to yeast, which lives in the stool.This causes a more severe rash which lastslonger. This bright red rash does notrespond to usual ointments and requires aprescription. Call your health care providerif your baby has a rash that does not clearup within 2-3 days.

ImmunizationsBabies are born with a natural immunity orresistance to disease. It’s nature’s way ofstarting them off on the right track.Unfortunately, that natural immunitydoesn’t last forever. In fact, a baby’sprotection may last less than 12 months.That’s why babies need immunizations!They need them early for protection duringthe first years of life. To ignore the need, orto put it off, is a gamble you should nottake with your baby’s health.

You can help protect your baby by gettinghim immunized. This is a great start for ahealthier baby. Your health care providerwill advise you during your baby’s wellchild care visits what immunizations areneeded at certain ages. You may alsoreceive information and immunizations foryour baby from your local healthdepartment. Be sure to keep a record of allyour baby’s immunizations.

Refer to your Baby Your Baby HealthKeepsake for more information aboutimmunizations.

SafetyBabies around 9 months of age areextremely curious. Your baby is probablycrawling everywhere. He likes to grabobjects and put them into his mouth. Healso pulls himself up and everything elsedown.

And so the safety problems multiply withyour baby’s ever increasing ability tomove around. It may be inconvenient torearrange your household for the safety ofa creeper, but when you look at it from hispoint of view, it can save all of you a lot oftrouble – and it can prevent injuries.

Here are a few important safety rules to follow:

BATH• Never leave baby alone in or near the

bathtub – not even for a second; it takesonly seconds to drown.

• To prevent scalds from hot tap water,reduce the setting on your water heaterto its lowest or “warm” setting. Thisshould ensure that the temperature onyour water heater is set no higher than120º.

POISONS• All household cleaning agents, polishes

and poisons, as well as all medicinesand illegal drugs, should be kept inlocked cabinets. Drawers with anythingdangerous (perfume, cosmetics, scissors,etc.) should be locked.

CAR SAFETY• Be sure your infant is at least one year

old and at least 20 pounds beforeturning him forward facing in a car seat.

• Never allow anyone to hold baby ontheir lap while riding in the car.

HAZARDOUS OBJECTS • Keep pins and other sharp objects out of

baby’s reach. Check floors for buttons,beads, and other small items.

• Install safety plugs or outlet covers inwall sockets (if you haven’t alreadydone so).

• Remove, where possible, electric cordsand sharp-edged furniture.

• Lower the crib mattress as baby beginsto sit and stand.

SMOTHERING, STRANGULATION • Keep plastic bags, long telephone cords,

and window blind cords away frombaby.

• Do not let baby chew or suck on aballoon, small objects or large pieces offood.

• Do not put necklaces or pacifier cordsaround baby’s neck.

FALLS • Install baby gates at the top of stairs or

across open doorways to prevent babyfrom falling or entering unsafe areas. Foradded protection, gates should also beplaced at the bottom of stairs. If there isa door at the bottom of the stairs and it

is kept closed, this will provideadequate protection against babyclimbing the stairs and tumbling down.

• Choose a gate with a straight top edgeand rigid mesh screen.

• Avoid gates that have V-shaped ordiamond-shaped openings at the top orbetween the gate slats. If you have oneof these gates, you should replace it withone that will meet safety guidelines.

• Make sure the baby gate is securelyfastened to the doorway or stairway.Many babies love to try to climb safetygates.

Remember, even though a sturdy gatemay be purchased and installed, closesupervision is still necessary.

PLAYPENS • Mesh netting should have a very small

weave – smaller than the tiny buttons ona baby’s clothing.

• Slats on wooden playpens should be nomore than 2 3/8 inches apart.

• Never leave baby in a mesh playpenwith the drop-side down.

• Remove large toys, bumper pads, orboxes from inside the playpen; they canbe used for climbing out.

• Don’t string toys across the playpen.• Check vinyl or fabric-covered rails

frequently for holes and tears. A teethingbaby may chew off pieces and choke.

• If staples are used to attach the meshside to the floor plate, make sure noneare loose or missing.

• Never use a playpen that has holes inthe mesh sides.

NutritionBreast milk continues to be the ideal foodfor your baby along with added foods.Foods added to your baby’s diet mustprovide the nutrients needed in the texturesand consistencies that match your baby’sability to chew and swallow. Baby foods,along with ground and chopped tablefoods and finger foods, are becoming amore substantial part of his diet, in

preparation for weaning. Baby should beeating three meals including a variety offoods and increased textures. Self-feedingskills are emerging and he wants to feedhimself.

With this transition in feeding comeconcerns about choking. Babies can chokeon almost any food. They are most likely tohave trouble with foods that are round orhard. Hot dogs are a food that infants andchildren most often choke on. Othersinclude candy, nuts, grapes, cookies,carrots, apples, popcorn, peanut butter andsausage-shaped meats. Many of these foodsare just the right size to plug the throat.

To prevent choking in infants and children,practice the following suggestions:• Watch baby when he is eating. Never

leave him alone.• Avoid tough foods. If baby doesn’t have

good chewing skills, cook foods welland mash into very small pieces. If youhave doubts about a food, don’t feed itto baby.

• Make sure that baby is sitting uprightwhen eating and drinking. Baby bottlesshould be held and not propped.

• Be prepared – ask your health careprovider what to do if choking occurs.Post Red Cross instructions for chokingin infants on the fridge.

Time TogetherIn a time when television, movies,computers and other distractions havebecome common babysitters, you must notforget the importance of spending qualitytime with your baby. Your baby wouldmuch rather look at you making funnyfaces than watch even the best televisionrerun.

There are some basic activities you can dowith your baby to help him learn, develop,and grow closer to you. Here are a few:

• Read often to baby. Show him pictures.Point to the pictures and make up astory if you wish. Most babies will grabthe book at first and will probably bemore interested in feeling it and turningpages. With time, baby will developmore patience to watch and listen asyou read.

• Play games such as “peek-a-boo” orclapping hands, rolling a ball back andforward.

• Playfully and carefully wrestle or rollaround on the floor with baby.

• Talk to baby face-to-face.• Keep hugging and loving baby.

Never leave babyalone in or near the

bathtub – not even fora second.

Stranger AnxietyWhat’s happening? That outgoing babywho liked everyone now clings to youwhen strangers approach. A smile from astranger can cause a frown or a tearfuloutburst. Even grandparents may berebuffed!

Almost every baby goes through thestranger anxiety stage, some more thanothers. The peak of such behavior isusually between 8 and 10 months of age.Though it can be worrisome andembarrassing to parents, it’s really animportant step in your baby’sdevelopment.

At this time your baby is learning twovery important concepts:

(1) that he is a separate person, and(2) that people and things come and

go not because he wants them to, but because they are separate.

With this understanding, the baby’s worldsuddenly becomes more disturbing. Nowhe must begin to cope with people andsituations that seem unpredictable andsometimes frightening. Mom and Dad areanchors of security – but even they aren’talways there for reassurance!

By understanding what your baby isexperiencing at this stage, you can givehim the security he needs. Be patient andsupportive. When your baby hesitates orpulls away from people, don’t force theissue, and don’t scold. When you mustleave for brief periods, leave a favorite toyor blanket for comfort. Choose a babysitteryour baby knows and likes.

A lot of changes at one time or closetogether may overwhelm your baby andcreate problems. Try to avoid groupingthings together like a move to a newhouse, a new babysitter, and a prolongedabsence.

Learning occurs through experience andpractice. When you leave, the baby isupset; when you return, he is reassured.Each time the pattern repeats, he gainsconfidence that you will come back.

Peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek areimportant games for 8 to 12-month-oldbabies. Let your baby watch as you hide atoy under a cloth then help him find it(cheat at first by leaving a part of the toyexposed). Hide your face behind yourhands, then peek. Teach him how to coverhis own face, or to hide behind a doorwhile you search.

With each happy “discovery,” and youropen excitement, your baby gainsconfidence in himself. As confidencegrows, he will gradually grow morecomfortable with other people. Thatcheerful, friendly baby will be back again,older and wiser.

Postpartum Healthfor Mom

You may be getting frustrated that theweight is not coming off as fast as you’dlike. Remember, normal, healthy weightloss is about 1-2 pounds per week. Amajor benefit of slow weight loss is that itis easier to keep the weight off for a longerperiod of time compared to quick weightloss that often leads to rapid weight gain.You can speed things up a little bit byexercising longer and more often.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITYTo get the most out of your exerciseroutine, create a schedule that works forboth you and your baby. Try to include a30-minute workout at least three times aweek and then build up to 60 minutes atleast 4-5 days a week. The more caloriesyou burn, the faster the weight will comeoff. However, never exercise to the pointof exhaustion. If your body is telling youit’s tired, stop exercising immediately.

Also, if you feel faint or dizzy, haveshortness of breath, experience heartpalpitations, have an increase in vaginalbleeding or have trouble walking orseeing, stop exercising and contact yourhealth care provider.

You don’t have to go to the gym to get in aworkout. Walking, jogging, cycling,dancing, or exercise DVDs are inexpensiveoptions. You can also build strength byusing exercise balls or bands, your ownbody weight and household items likecartons of milk or laundry soap instead ofpurchasing weights. Just keep it up!

NUTRITIONThe most important substance your bodyneeds – next to oxygen – is water. Yourbody and your brain need at least eight8-ounce glasses of water each day tooperate at their best. Water will also helpyou feel full and does not containunnecessary sugar and caffeine like manysodas or sports and energy drinks.

Don’t skip meals. It is best to eat 4-6 smallmeals each day (300-400 calories each).Your body needs a constant supply ofenergy to help you take care of baby,work, exercise and keep up the house.Skipping meals means that you are morelikely to overeat the next time you get thechance. Pack healthy snacks and lunchesto take with you to work or to play.

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.These are full of the important nutrientsthat will help your body get well fasterand be healthier in the years to come.Continue to take a daily vitamin pill thatcontains at least 400 micrograms of folicacid.

It is important that you work hard to loseyour “baby weight” before you getpregnant and start gaining once again.Women who are overweight or obese aremore likely to have problems duringpregnancy and delivery.

Tip: Exercises that use large muscle groups(walking, swimming, biking, jogging,snowshoeing or cross country skiing) willelevate your heart rate and burn caloriesfaster.

The information contained in this newsletter is not a substitute for personal medical, psychiatric, or psychological advice, and readers are urged to consult their health care providers concerning specific questions or problems.