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8 Months Old Baby Development & Milestones

8th month marks a lot of exciting physical milestones, if your baby has not yet sat up without assistance there a high chance they would this month. They may be crawling or scooting around the house or would be getting mobile anytime now. Fine motor skills improve, and they may develop the ability to grasp objects using a pincer grip this month. 


Socially and emotionally they may show signs of stranger anxiety and separation anxiety, may become upset when separated from familiar caregivers. Cognitively, they are beginning to understand object permanence, realizing that things still exist even when not in sight. 


Many babies now eat a wider range of solid foods and may experiment with self-feeding. Sleep patterns get more regular, with longer stretches at night, though daytime naps are still needed. 


Remember that each baby develops at their own pace, so every milestone may appear earlier or later for some and all are normal as long as within the range, talk to your doctor if concerned.


8th Month Milestones

Lot's of exciting new developments this month, from many new physical achievements to cognitive developments, heightened communications to social and emotional behaviours. Lets look at the 8th month milestones in detail.


Social and Emotional Growth

You are your baby's biggest cheer leader, they look to you for cues, validation, reactions and directions so be aware that your child is constantly watching you and learning from you. Cheer them on when they are doing something right and avoid showing panic when they fall while trying as they may take that as a task not to reapeat. 


This is the time they know you and all the caregivers by face, they show displeasure and cry when you leave them and also may not like going to strangers, the strager and seperation anxiety usually kicks in around this time.


Mobility

Most kids are mobile by this age, they either roll. scoot or crawl to get around the house. Many crawl between the ages of 7 to 10 months with few doing it by 12 months and some may even skip this milestone altogether and all are normal. With the new found sense of freedom and mobility, there is no stopping your child. Stay ahead by baby proofing and ensuring there are no objects your baby could injure over. Accidents are prone to happen now so be on the look out.


Sitting Up

This is the time most babies can sit unassisted for longer duration with ocassional falls here and there being still common. Using pillows to ensure a soft fall is a great idea. If your baby is not there yet don't worry, as this month your child could be sitting unassisted and enjoying the change in view from lying down and also helps them easily track your movements around the house. This also helps in getting to crawl and pulling themselves up using furniture.


Pulling to Stand

As your baby masters the art of sitting up and crawling they progress to pulling themselves up using furniture - tables, stool, sofa, etc. This usally happens as a natural preogressions from crawling but some babies even pull up from all fours or kneeling without crawling. Encourage them to move around, pull up using table or sofa. Many babies spend ample time rocking in all fours, playing kneeling or half kneel and pull themselves up and all this is normal.


Communication

Their urge to communicate is only getting stronger with each passing day. They are now able to make vowel and consonent sounds.. say mama, dada or similar sounds that they keep repeating. They express hapiness and displeasure more effeciently using specific sounds they mastered for each emotion. Keep enjoying their intensified babbles, laughs, anger and cries as all these are their way of not just communicating but are laying the blocks for full fledge conversations in the future.


Feeding Routine

By now your baby would have tried most food groups with a few favorites, they would be more willing to take solids than before and may even begin to show interest in swapping a few feeds with solids. You would know when your baby is excited to have solid food during meal times, you can always supplement with milk after they have had solids. 


Many babies may still rely on milk as their primary source of nourishment and may use solids more as a snack at this point. Don't try to force solids or hold back on breastmilk or formula. As your baby gets used to solids their appetite for milk will naturally come down. Your baby may still continue to have 4 - 5 feeds of 6 to 8 ounces or 180 - 240ml and it is completely normal and necessary for their growth and development.


Related: How to Successfully Breastfeed Your Baby

Popular Breastfeeding Positions


Sleep Routine

Sleep is already in to a predictable pattern with around 9 to 10 hours of sleep at night and two naps a day adding up to around 14hours each day. 


Every child is unique so there are no hard rules as to what time they should sleep and wake up, mould as per your family schedule and convenience but do ensure to put them down to sleep the same time each day so they get enough shut eye for much needed rest and growth. Also would be a good idea to follow a schedule that would work best for when they start going to playschool.


Height & Weight

The average weight for eight months old baby girl is around 8kg and height of 27 inches.

The average weight of eight months old boy is around 8.6kg and height of about 27.8inches.

On an average babies grow 2 pounds or around 1kg in weight and about an inch in height each month until 6 months of age and half a kg and half and inch here on till 12 months of age. Every child is unique and so is their growth rate so don't be alarmed if they are not close to these numbers as some babies may be above the average numbers and some take longer based on how much they feed, how often they feed, if they had a low birth weight or were premature or had any illnesses. Know that it is normal to fluctuate a little from the normal at this age, talk to your doctor about your concerns.


Safety

Make sure your baby has a safe path to move around the house, furniture in stable and will hold when baby tries to pull themselves up. Don't keep anything breakable, dangerous or important in your baby reach. As they move around they will tend to explore and try new things making them prone to accidents so be on constant look out.


They tend to take everything to their mouth so ensure small items, toys or anything they can choke on are not accessible. If not already done, bring down the crib's mattress height to prevent any falls and also would be ideal when the baby begins to pull themselves up.


Related: 6 Month Development & Milestones

7 Month Development & Milestones


8th Month Doctor's Visit

You may not have any upcoming doctor's visits until the 9th month  but ensure you dont have any missed appointments or vaccinations that you need to catch up on. In such cases it is a good idea to get the shots this month, talk to your doctor. 

Keeping all the doctor's appointments is crucial at this age to spot any health issues or developmental delays as early as possible so your child gets all the necessary interventions at the right time.

Share your concerns or questions if any about the vaccines, it is essential you understand the benefits. It is also strongly advised to never miss any vaccinations recommended by your doctor.

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