New Parents: Navigating Your Baby’s Growth Milestones

Watching your baby grow and develop is exciting. Still, it’s helpful for new parents to know what growth and development milestones to look for as their baby grows. The pediatricians at TRI-Valley Pediatrics offer comprehensive medical care for children, including monitoring your child’s growth and development. They have two convenient office locations in Pleasanton and San Ramon, CA.

What You Need to Know about Growth and Developmental Milestones

To navigate your baby’s growth and development milestones, it’s important to remember that all children are different, and your child may reach growth and development milestones sooner or later than the average ranges. New parents should consider these as general guidelines:

When your baby is 1 to 3 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Smiling, both to themselves and to you
• Raising their head and chest when lying on their front
• Tracking movement with their eyes
• Bringing their hands to their mouth
• Gripping and reaching for objects

When your baby is 4 to 6 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Rolling over
• Laughing and babbling
• Sitting up while supported
• Moving their head with more control
• Beginning to crawl

When your baby is 7 to 9 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Sitting up without support
• Responding to familiar words
• Clapping and playing simple games like peekaboo and patty-cake
• Pulling up to a standing position

When your baby is 10 to 12 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Beginning to feed without your help
• Moving around while holding onto furniture
• Speaking one or two words
• Pointing at objects to get your attention
• Copying what you do
• Taking their first steps

Your pediatrician will record and monitor your baby’s growth and development at regular well-child visits. At some well-child visits, the pediatrician will also screen for developmental concerns, including ADHD, autism, learning delays, and other conditions.

Get More Vital Information for New Parents

To learn more about childhood growth and development milestones, talk with the experts. Call the pediatricians at TRI-Valley Pediatrics. You can reach them in the Pleasanton office at (925) 460-8444, or in San Ramon, CA, by calling (925) 380-6230.