Baby Movement Milestones

The first year of your child’s life will be full of baby development achievements. Perhaps the most noticeable change will be the transition from a newborn with limited, jerky movements to a cruising, moving older baby.

Are you wondering what to expect from your baby’s next big move? Here, some of the major infant development milestones of his first 12 months, and when you can (roughly) expect them to happen. 

From 0 to 3 months, your baby may:

• Raise his head when placed on his stomach
• Stretch his limbs and kick his legs when lying on his back
• Open and shut his hands into fists
• Grip or shake baby hand toys

From 4 to 7 months, your baby may: 

• Roll back to front and front to back (Baby safety tip: Now that he’s moving side to side, prevent dangerous falls by never leaving him unattended -- even for a second -- on a changing table or other high surface.)
• Sit in a “tripod” position, supporting his weight on his hands, and later, without help from his hands
• Be able to stay up in a standing position (with help from you), supporting his weight on his legs
• Pass a toy from hand to hand
• Use a raking motion to try to reach objects

• Move himself into a sitting position without support or help
• Push himself up onto his hands and knees
• Move from a sitting to crawling position, and, with practice, propel himself around
• Pull himself up to stand (Baby safety tip: This is the time to double check your baby proofing. Stairs should be gated off, and because baby will likely fall from time to time, consider padding table edges to prevent injury.)
• Cruise around the room while holding on to furniture

Of course, all children are unique, which means they develop at different speeds. Don’t panic if your baby isn’t reaching milestones exactly on this timetable. But if you are concerned about a possible baby development delay, consider talking to your child’s pediatrician.