Baby development: Month Eleven
This month your baby will probably become obsessed with walking. He may not master it, but will put in the practice, training and concentration of a marathon runner!
He will also enjoy playing and can now use toys for their intended purpose – piano keys, buttons that make noises, play telephones and books with flaps or actions.
You’ll see your baby properly enjoying books, as he can now point, understand a great deal and, with his improving memory, can take a guess at what comes next.
Walking
Learning to walk is one of the key milestones in your baby’s life, as well as an exciting time for eager parents watching their child take his first tentative steps. It is also the start of seeing your baby turning into a toddler, gaining independence and becoming his own little person.
It’s important to remember that before he can walk, he will probably have mastered how to sit, roll over, crawl and pull up on the furniture. Most babies take their first steps between nine and 13 months, but if your baby hasn’t walked by 16-17 months, don’t panic. All babies are different and when your little one walks depends on a variety of factors. Genetics play a part, so find out what age you and your partner first walked. Your baby’s weight and build also factor in – plump, docile babies will probably walk later than their slender friends. If your baby was an early crawler and is proficient on all fours, he may not take to walking as quickly as a baby who crawls occasionally or not at all. It also depends on your baby’s temperament; is he happy enough sitting and playing with his toys on his own, or is he eager to discover new places to hide? If he’s the latter, he may walk early in his eagerness to explore the world.
Multi-tasking
By 11 months you may witness your baby doing a spot of multi-tasking as he picks a toy up at the same time as sitting or pulling himself up. It wasn’t that long ago when one task would baffle him and possibly even make him cry.
Talking and comprehension
By now your baby will probably be understanding a few words used to identify things – for example, cup, bottle, bird or car. He still uses one word to express how he feels, so when he says ‘cup’ it can mean "I’m hungry", "I’m thirsty", or "I’ve finished my milk". The same goes for objects – if he can say "dog" he may say dog to describe all the animals he sees, because it’s the only word he knows to express seeing an animal. You can help by saying, “Yes, it looks like a dog but it’s a cat," so he learns the names for other animals.
Books
He’ll love books this month and may be able to point to the objects you name on each page. He may even be able to mimic sounds you make, such as animal noises and repeated phrases in books ('uh-oh' or 'aah-tishoo' pop up in many children’s books). He’ll love pictures and books with flaps that have a picture hidden underneath and keep him interacting with the book. Books needn’t be expensive – try visiting your local library with your baby and letting him choose his own books. It also allows you and your baby the opportunity to read different books when the old favorites get a little chewed!
Food
You may have noticed that as the first year is approaching its end, your baby’s weight-gain tails off a bit. This is a combination of becoming a fussy eater and his new habit of eating on the go, as he explores the house instead of sitting at the table! His newfound mobility also means he’ll lose some of that adorable baby chubbiness and start to resemble a toddler. You’ll probably start to wonder what happened to that tiny baby you cradled in your arms half-a-year ago.
You can start being a bit more adventurous with food at this point, as your baby will start to get used to foods which aren’t mashed or puréed and he’ll no doubt have some teeth to help break food down. If your baby is introduced to a wide range of foods from an early age he’s way less likely to be a fussy eater. If your baby is fussy, try making the food he eats look attractive on the plate with varying colors or shapes, and even make funny faces with his food.
Finger foods
Your baby can attempt finger foods now as long as you’re close by to monitor how big the pieces are that go into his mouth. Try toast fingers dipped in puréed or mashed veg, pita strips and small cooked pasta shapes.
Depending on how many teeth your baby has and how good he is at managing finger foods, you may like to try some raw fruit, such as apples, bananas, melon, peach, plums or raspberries. Be careful with grapes as they pose a choking hazard – cut them in half or quarter them. Dried fruit, such as banana chips and apple rings, are a nutritious snack for your baby to chew on, especially if he has sore gums from teething.
Make sure everything you give him is cut up small enough for him not to choke. Remember fruit contains pips and stones, and some fruit or vegetable skins may pose a choking danger if they’re too hard to be broken down by chewing. Never leave your child unattended while he’s eating, and don't allow him to put too much food in his mouth at one time.
Go to our Feeding and Food section for lots more tips and advice on introducing solids into your baby's diet. If you have any unanswered questions, use our answers page to gain wisdom from other moms or our resident experts for all those baby-related niggles which may be troubling you.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
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Last Modified: 03/07/2007