Baby development: Month Twelve
It’s hard to believe that a year
ago you were heavily pregnant and full of nervous anticipation, anxiety,
excitement and fear at the prospect of having a baby! Chances are, these days
you are more of a seasoned pro, and giving your ‘mommy’ friends with younger
babies much needed advice.
This month you may see your baby
walking, attempting to talk and possibly even having a tantrum or two! You’ll also be celebrating his first birthday – an
important moment for you, your partner and your baby. You’ve survived your
first year of babyhood and we bet you’re hooked. Thinking about number two…
Grasping
At 12 months old your baby may
be able to play a few ball games (rolling a ball back and forth), throwing
objects and pushing them away (food), stacking toys and drumming on a drum.
Language and comprehension
Somewhere around 12 months he
should be able to point or look at something familiar, for example, “where’s
doggie?” may be met with a point, if doggie has been pointed out to him before.
From now on he starts to grasp the meaning of words more frequently so try not
to curse in front of him, and say please and thank-you. Babies this age
recognize roughly 20-50 words, but comprehension comes before speech so it will
be a while before he utters them. He may be able to say simple words like
‘milk’ or ‘mommy’ and ‘daddy’, and will enjoy the sound his voice makes, often
repeating the same sounds over and over again.
Independence
By the time your baby reaches
12 months he won’t look or act like a baby any longer – in fact from this point
onwards he’s officially a toddler. Although separation anxiety may be lingering, your baby will also show signs of wanting
some independence. You probably have a struggle on your hands when its time to
change his diaper or if you ever want him to stay in one place! He can make
decisions about what he wants, and asserts them in his own unique way (clamping
his mouth shut when he has had enough food, or wriggling out of a cuddle).
Tumble time baby
Where before he’d lose his
footing, take a tumble and cry, by 12 months you may notice him roll out of a
fall like a stuntman! But this doesn’t mean you can take your eyes off him when
he is exploring the house – he’ll still find ways to squeeze through gaps or
reach the items you have put out of his reach.
Walking
Lots of babies are walking, or at least showing the inclination to walk, at 12 months.
If you’ve witnessed a few tentative steps so far he’s on the verge of taking
off, so make sure you’re ready with cushions, outstretched arms and your
camcorder!
As well as using those legs, you
may notice your baby reacting to music. All babies love music from an early age
(in fact babies in the uterus show signs of reacting to music they enjoy) but
by 12 months (or earlier) your baby may start bopping along and wiggling around
when he hears his favorite tunes.
Food and feeding
It is a good idea to eat as a
family so your baby can see you all enjoying your food. This will encourage him
to start eating table foods with the family. By now he can eat most of the
foods you eat as long as they’re cut up for him and have no added salt or
sugar. As he experiments more with finger foods, be prepared for messy
mealtimes and put a sheet of newspaper below his highchair to catch any dropped
food.
Cows’ milk
At 12 months your baby can
switch from formula or breast milk (as you wish) to cows’ milk. Do hang on until his first birthday, though, as cows’ milk
doesn’t contain sufficient levels of iron before this. Make sure it’s full fat,
not half, as your baby needs the extra fat to help his brain and nervous system
develop properly. He needs 16-24 ounces of milk a day, which roughly equates to
three sippy cups (it’s a good idea to use the switch to cows’ milk to wean him
off drinking through a bottle teat; if he has never been bottlefed just go
straight to using a sippy cup). Read our articles on weaning from bottle to cup and from breast to cup.
If he drinks too much milk he’ll
store the fat in his body, so if he’s thirsty offer water or well-diluted fruit
juice. If he rejects the milk persevere but boost his calcium intake via
mashed sardines, cheese and natural yogurt. If he doesn’t seem to like the
cows’ milk it might be worth warming it for him – don’t forget, he’s been used
to warm breast milk or formula.
Sleep
Babies this age need around 13.5
hours sleep, which roughly equates to two and a half hours in the day and 11
hours at night. Your baby may have either two naps (morning and afternoon) or
one long nap at lunchtime. Hopefully by 12 months he’ll manage to sleep for a
decent stretch of time at night. No baby, toddler or child is the same when it
comes to sleep and some seem to need a lot more than others, so resist the urge
to compare your baby’s sleep patterns with anyone else’s. If you’re worried about your baby’s
sleep patterns, speak to your pediatrician.
Birthday time
One of the best things to happen
now is your baby’s first birthday! You’ll probably feel pretty emotional as you
remember how you felt this time a year ago (scared, rabbit caught in the
headlights… and big!) but you should also give yourself a huge pat on the back.
Look at your amazing baby, on the edge of toddlerhood, perhaps walking, perhaps
attempting a few words and growing bigger, stronger and more independent
everyday. This is definitely a time to say, “we’ve come along way baby”! See first birthday parties for ideas on creating a special day.
Why not chat to other parents
about this by leaving a message on our chat forum. Alternately, if you want to meet other parents in
your area with similar age babies, visit our people section of the site to find out what is happening in your
area, or join or start one of our groups.
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.
Related Articles
Last Modified: 25/06/2008