
So, can he sit up yet?’ ‘Is he holding up his head?’ ‘What about his raking grasp?’ These are just some confusing questions thrown at you as you go about your daily business, and they refer to baby milestones.
Wait, what? What are the baby milestones?
Just when you thought you were home dry, what with delivering a baby and keeping him alive for the first few months, it turns out that you need to be worrying about his baby milestones too.
Yep, it’s not just us adults who have to achieve work objectives; your baby has a whole spectrum of mini and more significant milestones she needs to meet too. Everybody knows going for developmental screenings can be intimidating. Just like Bella won’t fetch when you ask her to in front of others, your little darling refuses to perform. So when should you be worried?
Fret not. As always, we’ve got your back. Let’s put all of this in context; we’ll start by explaining milestones, then list what your baby should be doing each month, followed by the red flags to watch out for.
Table of Contents
What are baby milestones?
Just so we’re on the same page, developmental milestones are behaviors or physical skills seen in infants and children as they grow and develop. And there is a normal range in which a child may reach each milestone. In other words, a baby’s birth is just the start of a lifelong series of tests.
Meaning that from now until the day you die, people will quiz you about many of her small and larger milestones. ‘ Is she still only crawling? How is her reading coming along? Has she passed her driving test yet?’ And on it goes; the list is endless.
It goes without saying that some babies and children will meet their milestones faster than others. For instance, many babies concentrate on moving first, while others turn out to be great chatterboxes before they take their first steps.
In fact, don’t forget your baby is a human being who will develop in his own time. Particularly firstborn babies like to take their time, since they don’t have a sibling to copy and might take longer to crawl/walk/talk.
Nature vs. nurture

See, it’s not just a baby’s own development, but also his environment that plays a role in meeting his milestones. For one thing, if you have a busy and loud household with an excited toddler running around, he might be more in a hurry to walk and talk so she can play with his sibling. Whereas, if your baby is born first, is cared for at home, gets carried everywhere, and you and his father are both introverts; what is the rush on him to take his first steps and start babbling?
So taking all of the above into consideration, there might be times when you just feel something is not right. And if you think there is a problem with the way she tries to crawl, walk, talk, or play, then please consult your local health nurse or doctor as soon as you can. Because if the doctor does notice something is up, she needs to act fast. In fact, early intervention is key.
First-year: baby milestones
In saying that, what are baby’s milestones, and when should you be worried if he doesn’t make them?
Just have a look at our baby milestone month by month overview. Next, see where your baby should be around now and check if your baby is there or nearly there.
If your little one isn’t there by a long shot, write down what he does and when. This makes it easier to track his development and will give the pediatrician something to work with if you decide to consult her.
Or use this handy app to track her progress.
But just remember that those checklists are not strict deadlines for your baby. On the contrary, they have been put together so health professionals and parents can gauge where on the spectrum of development babies are.
Before we dive into the milestones, here’s a quick explanation of the difference between fine and gross motor skills.
Baby milestones at one month
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics at this stage, most babies can:
- lift their heads (gross motor)
- release her hands from tight fists (fine motor)
- be alert and respond to familiar sounds (speech/language)
- stare at faces (cognitive)
Baby milestones at 2 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- hold her head up for short periods (gross motor)
- sit with their back supported on your lap (gross motor)
- hold her head steady when picked up (gross motor)
- follow and perhaps bat at objects (fine motor)
- can hold a rattle for a small period of time (fine motor)
- start gurgling and cooing (speech/language)
- smile back at you when you smile at her (social/emotional)
Baby milestones at 3 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- hold their head up for short periods (gross motor)
- sit with their back supported on your lap (gross motor)
- hold their head steady when picked up (gross motor)
- follow and perhaps bat at objects (fine motor)
- can hold a rattle for a small period of time (fine motor)
- start gurgling and cooing (speech/language)
- smile back at you when you smile at her (social/emotional)
Baby milestones at 4 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- hold their head up steadily (gross motor)
- bear weight on legs (gross motor)
- clutch at objects (fine motor)
- reach out and move their hands while lying on their back (fine motor)
- laugh out loud (speech/language)
- make sounds like ‘ahgoo’ (speech/language)
- coo when you talk to them (speech/language)
- listen to people who are talking to him (speech/language)
- recognise their mother (social and emotional)
- reach for objects and hold them (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 5 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- roll over from back to front (gross motor)
- play with hands and feet (fine motor)
- move objects from one hand to another (fine motor)
- mimic a persons’ voice by making a vocal sound (speech/language)
- make raspberry sounds (speech/language)
- reach out and grasp a small object (cognitive/problem solving)
- can distinguish between bold colours (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 6 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- sit up with support (gross motor)
- roll in both directions (gross motor)
- make random sounds like gaga or baba (speech/language)
- blow bubbles (speech/language)
- show a preference for their favourite person (social/emotional)
- look to the floor when they dropped an object (cognitive/problem
- solving)
- turn towards sounds and voices (cognitive/problem solving
Baby milestones at 7 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- sit up without support (gross motor) Sometimes, they use their hands to prop themselves sideways so they won’t fall.
- reach for things with a sweeping motion (fine motor)
- grasp a cube with their fingers (fine motor)
- imitate speech: babble (speech/language)
- ‘make strange’ with people they don’t know, or whom they only see sporadically (social/emotional)
- shake and bang toys (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 8 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- sit up without support (gross motor) Sometimes, they use their hands to prop themselves sideways so they won’t fall.
- reach for things with a sweeping motion (fine motor)
- grasp a cube with their fingers (fine motor)
- imitate speech: babble (speech/language)
- ‘make strange’ with people they don’t know, or whom they only see sporadically (social/emotional)
- shake and bang toys (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 9 months
At this stage most babies can:
- pull themselves up into standing position (gross motor)
- crawl on their hands and knees (gross motor)
- sit well with hands-free (gross motor)
- stand while holding onto something (gross motor)
- grasp a cube using their thumb and fingers
- wave & say ‘bye-bye’ and mama but not just when leaving or seeing mama (speech/language)
- suffer from separation anxiety from their parents (social and emotional)
- realize there is a toy hidden under the blanket (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 10 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- walk around furniture, but holding onto the edge (gross motor)
- use their index finger to poke at things (fine motor)
- wave goodbye (fine motor)
- start calling parents mama and dada (speech/language)
- understand what no means (speech/language)
- bang two objects together (cognitive/problem solving)
Baby milestones at 11 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- say their first word (speech/language)
- start forming a concept of self; understanding they are an individual
- (social and emotional)
- find a toy hidden under a blanket (cognitive/problem solving)
- stand alone for a couple of seconds (gross motor)
- use their index finger and thumb to pick up objects (fine motor)
- copy simple sounds and words (speech/language)
Baby milestones at 12 months
At this stage, most babies can:
- start to take a few steps (gross motor)
- sit for long periods of time (gross motor)
- use their thumb and index finger to pick up small objects (fine motor)
- point at toys they want to play with (speech/language)
- play by themselves, sometimes by offering a toy to their reflection in
- the mirror (social and emotional)
- use their hands to throw toys on the floor (cognitive/problem solving)
- open a lid to find toys (cognitive/problem solving)
Given all of the above, are you worried your baby has not reached certain milestones? And if that’s the case, what should you do?
As a matter of fact, medical professionals use the term red flag when they notice regression, which is a loss of skills, or when you come to them concerned about your baby’s development. So, when you let them know you believe there’s a problem, they will take your concerns seriously.
With this in mind, when should you be worried about your baby’s development? Have a look at the list below and see if any of these behaviors rhyme with your baby’s. If any of these look familiar, consult your pediatrician.
And even if you feel below red flags are not applicable to your baby, but your gut tells you something is wrong; then trust your instinct and inform your doctor. After all, you are her parents, and you know her best.
Red flags to watch out for
- poor head control at five months
- baby is not sitting independently with hands-free at eight months
- he is not rolling back to front at nine months
- she is not taking weight well through the legs when held at nine months
- baby is not transferring objects from hand to hand at seven months
- babbling stops at six months
- limited social smiling and shared enjoyment by six months
- limited gestures like pointing, responding to name, joint attention by twelve months
More general observations
- Baby doesn’t respond to loud sounds
- She doesn’t watch things as they move
- He doesn’t smile at people
- Baby doesn’t bring hands to mouth
- Can’t hold head up when pushing up when on tummy
In short, when you notice any of the above, don’t hesitate and consult your local health provider.
And if your little one is getting there, but not at the same pace as her baby cousin, relax and enjoy her. Babyhood is short. So do yourself a favor; stop worrying and start enjoying every little amazing thing she does.
Are you still trying to figure out whether to stay at home with baby or go back to work?
Fret not, check our helpful guide to decide on the best lifestyle for you and your family.

Have you always been into books and would like to raise a reader?
Here’s how.