When monitoring your baby's development, it's important to know that each baby develops differently. Here are a few indications of what sort of things your baby may begin to be doing each month.
First Month
Your baby should be able to:
• Lift its head briefly when it is on its stomach
• Focus on a face
They will also probably be able to:
• Respond to noises in some way
They may even possibly be able to:
• Lift their head 45 degrees whilst they are on their stomach
• Vocalize in ways other than crying
• Smile as a response to your smile
Your baby may also:
• Lift their head 90 degrees when they are on their stomach
• Hold their head steady when upright
• Bring both hands together
• Smile spontaneously
Second Month
Your baby should be able to:
• Smile in response to your smile
• Respond to a bell in some way
They will also probably be able to:
• Vocalize in ways other than crying
• Lift their head 45 degrees whilst they are on their stomach
They may even possibly be able to:
• Hold their head steady when upright
• Raise their chest with support from their arms whilst on their stomach
• Roll over – one way
• Grasp a rattle or the tips of fingers
• Pay attention to smaller objects
• Reach for an object
• Say sounds like 'ah goo' or something similar
Your baby may also:
• Smile spontaneously
• Bring both hands together
• Lift their head 90 degrees when on their stomach
• Laugh out loud
• Follow an object that is held close to their face
Third Month
Your baby should be able to:
• Lift their head 45 degrees whilst they are on their stomach
They will also probably be able to:
• Laugh out loud
• Lift their head 90 degrees when on their stomach
• Squeal with delight
• Bring both hands together
• Smile spontaneously
• Follow an object that is held close to their face
They may even possibly be able to:
• Hold head steady when upright
• Raise their chest with support from their arms whilst on their stomach
• Roll over - one way
• Grasp a rattle or the tips of fingers
• Pay attention to a small object
Your baby may also be able to:
• Bear some weight on their legs when held upright
• Reach for an object
• Keep their head level with their body when pulled to sitting
• Turn in the direction of a voice particularly their mother's
• Say sounds like 'ah goo" or something similar
Fourth Month
Your baby should be able to:
• Lift their head 90 degrees when on their stomach
• Laugh out loud
• Follow an object that is held close to their face
They will also probably be able to:
• Hold their head steady when upright
• Raise their chest with support from their arms whilst on their stomach
• Grasp a rattle or the tips of fingers
• Pay attention to a small object
• Reach for an object
• Squeal with delight
They may even possibly be able to:
• Keep their head level with their body when pulled to sitting
• Roll over -one way
• Turn in the direction of a voice particularly their mother's
• Say sounds like 'ah goo" or something similar
Your baby may also be able to:
• Bear some weight on their legs when held upright
• Sit without support
• Object if you try to take a toy away
• Turn in the direction of a voice
Fifth month
Your baby should be able to:
• Hold their head steady when upright
• Raise their chest with support from their arms whilst on their stomach
• Pay attention to a small object
• Squeal with delight
• Reach for an object
• Smile spontaneously
• Smile back when you smile
• Grasp a rattle or the tips of fingers
They will also probably be able to:
• Roll over - one way
• Bear some weight on their legs
• Say sounds like 'ah goo" or something similar
• Turn in the direction of a voice
They may even possibly be able to:
• Sit without support
• Pull up into a standing position from sitting
• Stand holding on to someone or something
• Object if you try to take a toy away
• Work to get a toy that is out of its reach
• Pass a cube or another object from one hand to the other
• Look for a dropped object
• Struggle to pick up a tiny object and eventually pick it up in fist (keep all dangerous objects out of baby's reach at this stage)
• Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da
Sixth month
Your baby should be able to:
• Keep their head level with their body when pulled to sitting
• Say sounds like 'ah goo' or something similar
They will also probably be able to:
• Bear some weight on legs when held upright
• Sit without support
• Turn in the direction of a voice
They may even possibly be able to:
• Stand holding on to someone or something
• Object if you try to take a toy away
• Work to get a toy that is out of reach
• Pass a cube or another object from one hand to the other
• Look for a dropped object
• Struggle to pick up a tiny object and eventually pick it up in fist (keep all dangerous objects out of baby's reach at this stage)
• Babble, combining vowels and consonants such as ga-ga-ga, ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma, da-da-da
• Feed themselves a cracker or other finger food
Your baby may even be able to:
• Creep or crawl
• Pull up to a standing position from sitting
• Get into a sitting position from stomach
• Pick up tiny objects with any part of their thumb and finger (keep all dangerous objects out of baby's reach)
• Say "mama" or "dada" or "baba"