With a new understanding of the world around them, it may seem like your little one is learning something new every day. As your baby becomes more interested and mobile, there are several exciting newborn milestones from 6 to 9 months to look out for!
Knowing these milestones can help you take steps to promote their growth, cognitive skills, motor skills, and overall development. Below are some important infant milestones to watch, but remember, every baby is unique!
Physical Development & Motor Skills
Between six and nine months, babies are rapidly developing their motor skills. Safety becomes essential around the house, as one of the baby milestones from 6 to 9 months is rolling over in both directions. They can even roll over in their sleep!
While some babies can sit independently, others may still need some support. Your baby will be able to rock back and forth, scoot, or even crawl for small distances. Your baby might even pull themselves to a standing position and move along the edge of the couch, crib, or table.
Tummy time is still important at six to seven months, as they’ll soon be learning new things. It may include how to lift their head or lay down on their chest off the floor. Eventually, it’ll look like an adorable pushup that will later turn into crawling.
Other newborn developmental stages at this age include improved hand-eye coordination. Your baby will have more advanced movements by about eight or nine months. It will include activities like picking objects using just the thumb and forefinger. You can use this skill to introduce them to soft finger foods and use a spoon.
Communication
This age is one of the most exciting newborn developmental stages for communication. Your baby will begin to babble, and coos will sound like real words. Your munchkin will communicate with you through sounds, facial expressions, and gestures.
Be prepared for expressive sounds like laughs, squeals, and grunts! Other important newborn milestones from 6 to 9 months are that your baby will imitate the sounds you make or give them their best shot!
They might even string a chain of sounds together while attempting to form words. You might hear the occasional “mama” or “dada.” However, they are still unaware that they can use these sounds to call their parents. By this time, they’re just tying vowels and consonants together!
Hearing & Vision
Your little one’s vision matures throughout their newborn developmental stages for many months. By now, they can see distant and nearby objects quite well. Also, they’ll be able to focus on quickly moving objects and have improved hand-eye coordination.
They can even see their favorite toy across the room, focus, move there, and pick it up to play. While your baby still loves looking at familiar, loving faces, they will also enjoy looking at picture books.
Books and toys with movable parts are a great way to stimulate their minds. Your baby will spend hours figuring out how they work! As you consider baby milestones from 6 to 9 months for a hearing, your baby will turn toward the sound source. They could also begin recognizing words for common objects and also their name.
Cognition & Emotion
Many babies this age are wary of strangers and will develop an immense liking for their mother. Your baby may even fuss when familiar people leave, so assure them that you’ll be back with a hug and kiss when you say goodbye.
An understanding of object stability is a significant 9-month baby milestone. When you hide an object, perhaps under a blanket, they’ll be able to uncover it. Your baby may also understand and follow one-step commands like “yes,” “no,” or “get the teddy” if you point to it.
Another 9-month baby milestone is their perception of depth. They’ll understand a change in height and understand that it is scary. But, some babies may roll-off from their changing table or other high surfaces, so don’t leave them unattended.
Taste & Smell
The development of taste and smell are vital newborn milestones from 6 to 9 months. Your baby starts developing food preferences at this age. You can also begin introducing them to a variety of soft finger foods so that they can explore different flavors and textures.
Don’t give up right away if your baby spits out the food. They’re still adapting to their developing sense of taste. It may take at least ten tries on average to get them to try new food, so don’t be disappointed.
As for smells, you can use different, mild scents to help them get to know their world better and reach their infant milestones. Just a trip to the local park can expose them to many natural scents, from freshly-cut grass to the sweet scent of blooming flowers.
Teething
Teething is certainly an exciting 9-month baby milestone! You can expect the first tooth to pop up at any time. Before your baby gets their first tooth, you might notice that your baby is drooling more than usual or chewing on everything.
You can help soothe them by gently massaging their gums with a finger or giving them a teething ring made from rubber. Your baby will most likely get their two center front teeth in the lower jaw first, followed by the counterparts in the upper jaw. If your baby experiences pain during teething, check out a few tips on ‘How to stop baby teething pain.’
For a 9-month-old, using only pea-sized toothpaste is recommended.
When your toddler’s first set of teeth appears, ensure that you use a soft-bristled toothbrush to keep them clean. Use a small dollop – about the size of a grain of rice -of fluoride toothpaste till your toddler learns how to spit.
Final Words
There are several newborn milestones from 6 to 9 months for you to celebrate! From teething to crawling and standing up, your baby is learning new things quickly. However, remember that every baby is unique, so don’t be worried if your little one takes some time to reach certain milestones. But, if you have a reason to be concerned, trust your core instinct and consult a pediatrician.
