Infant Development: 12-month-Old Baby Care and Tips

Wishing your baby the happiest of birthdays! What an incredible journey it has been for both you and your baby. Bring that cute little newborn home from the hospital to watching her eat her first solid food and even crawl; it has been an emotional rollercoaster.

By the end of the twelfth month, the day your baby celebrates her first birthday is also the day she turns into a toddler from an infant.

What are some of the milestones of your 12-month old?

Your baby will continue to enjoy a longer hour of playtime by sitting and she can also twist and turn to grab for different objects.
Some babies can start walking even without any support for a few seconds.
Your baby will try to express her needs by pointing her fingers and shaking her head.
Your baby can now understand simple commands like “please eat your food”, “look at this red apple” or “give me the ball”. Try using gestures and point to different objects to help your baby understand you more.

Table of Contents

Your baby’s developments in the twelfth month

Weight & Length-

On average, 12-month old girl babies weigh around 22 pounds and that of the baby boys is 21.3 pounds. In this month also, your baby will likely continue to gain almost half an inch and will also put on around 3 to 5 ounces every week.

Your baby has almost tripled her weight at birth and is almost 11 inches longer than when she was born. By this month, your baby’s brain has almost doubled in its size. A lot of babies go through another bout of a growth spurt in the twelfth month.

Sensory developments-

Your baby’s auditory senses have been very accurate by now. She will also be paying more attention and will be more focused when she listens to sounds.

Now that she has unlocked the milestone of being able to look and hear at the same time, reading baby storybooks is probably going to be one of the favourite activities of the day. Your baby has been quite fond of textures and feeling different objects with her hands and also mouth.

Personality development-

She will keep changing her moods and personalities. On some days, she will be a social butterfly and an independent queen ready to take on the world while on other days she will cling to you like there is no other human being on this planet.

On some days she will eat all her pureed bananas while on other days she will refuse to even 1 spoon of it. You can face certain difficulties if you are raising your newborn as a single parent but you are going to overcome them quickly as well.

Feeding your 12-month-old

Your baby will be having 3 meals of solid foods and finger foods and will also be snacking for 1 to 3 times a day. However, some mothers continue to breastfeed along with feeding solids. Some babies continue to have breastmilk and\or formula along with solid foods.

Quantity-

A lot of babies start being finicky about eating before and after turning 1. Don’t expect your baby to finish her servings at every meal. A lot of food may not actually reach your baby’s mouth.

Your baby is likely to have about just a quarter cup of every food group in every meal. Your baby will always eat when she is hungry and till she is full, if she is not finishing her meals then it means that she is no longer hungry.

Baby’s food-

In this month, your baby can start eating almost everything that her parents do. You just have to ensure that the meals include a wide variety of nutritious foods and that they are either pureed, mashed, steamed or boiled to make them soft enough for your baby’s gums.

Cow’s milk-

Most 12-month old babies are ready to digest cow’s milk. However, you consult your doctor before introducing whole milk to your baby. You should initially give her just a little bit of cow’s milk and then you may gradually increase the quantity.

Most parents start to add a few tablespoons of cow’s milk in the baby’s formula or breast milk to make it easier for the baby to adjust to this new taste. You can also give a small cup of cow’s milk during snack time.

Sleep of 12-Month-Old Baby

Total amount-

A twelve-month-old baby will typically sleep for about 13 to 14 hours per day. Around 10 or 11 of those hours, she will be covering at night. The rest of the 2 or 3 hours will be divided between the two or one daytime nap. Some babies also start napping only once during the daytime and it is generally in the afternoon.

Sleepy baby-

Some parents report that they think their 1-year-old is sleeping a lot. But remember, your toddler will require much more sleep than her parents. If your baby is sleeping a lot more than 14 hours in a day, then you can visit your doctor to rule out any illness. Right from now, know how you can raise mentally strong kids.

Night Routine-

You can follow your usual night routine as you did earlier. You should be putting your baby to sleep while she is awake yet sleepy and she should be putting herself to sleep. This ability to put herself to sleep will ensure that she sleeps through the night.

Even when she wakes up in the middle of the night, she will get back to sleep by herself. Follow the usual soothing routine of pre-bedtime bath, reading a calming book, singing lullabies, kiss her goodnight, and then turn out the lights.

Don’t put your 1-year-old to sleep at bed. A lot of parents feel tempted to do so but it is always suggested to wait a few more months. Most doctors advise to wait till the baby is 2 to 3 years old and has started to potty train.

In case, you have been meaning to sleep train your 1-year-old baby, remember that it is quite different than training an infant or newborn.

Your 12-Month-Old baby’s Schedule

Generally, 12-month-old babies follow the usual daily routine of the previous month. Your baby will continue to enjoy her playtime. Now that she is starting to walk by holding your hands, let her go bare feet on that green grass in your backyard to let her enjoy that texture. Be aware of bugs and insects though.

Tips and reminders for the twelfth month

Your baby will have the 12-month doctor’s visit this month.
At 1 year old, your baby will be recommended vaccines for immunization of measles, mumps along with rubella and chickenpox. Doctors also recommend the vaccine for Hepatitis A and also the fourth dose of the Hib and other PCV13 vaccines.
You may schedule your baby’s 15-month doctor’s checkup.
If you are bilingual, speak to your baby in both languages to help her understand both of them.
Ensure safety measure of checking for allergies and keeping your in the proper car seat for her age, height, and weight.
The 1 year birthday can be an emotional ride for a lot of parents. To not be an emotional and weepy mess on the big day, start preparing yourself early in this month. Spend more time with your baby, make a scrapbook of all the baby pictures from the past month, or look at your baby’s old clothes. Just do whatever that you need to do so that when the big day arrives you will be ready to enjoy it with your family.
Your baby will even be aware that she is turning 1, let alone expect a big party. So if you want to celebrate with just immediate family with a small cake and some good music, by all means, do it. Don’t feel guilty about it and don’t let those Instagram pictures peer-pressure you into doing something you don’t want to.

Remember, a perfect parent is a myth, but you are doing the best that you can for your kids.

Frequently Asked Questions on 12 Month Old Baby Development

1. What words should my baby be saying at 12 months?

By this month, most babies start saying a few very simple words such as “mamma”, “dada”, “no”, “bye” or “hi”. They also say the words with full knowledge of what they mean. Your baby will also understand and respond to your simple commands. Some babies try to convey a lot through their gestures and by pointing.

2. Is it normal for 1-year-old babies not to talk?

It has been seen that some perfectly healthy babies take a little longer than others to start talking. It is quite normal and doesn’t indicate any developmental delay.

3. Why has my 1-year-old not started walking yet?

Most babies start walking after they are 13 months old so it is quite common for babies to not start walking by their first birthday. Every baby achieves milestones at their own pace. The normal range for babies to start walking is between 6 months to 18 months. A lot of babies don’t start walking even in the 16^th month, so you have nothing to worry about.

4. What is a late talker?

Generally, a “Late talker” refers to a toddler (i.e. babies after the age of 1 year) who has a good understanding of basic developmental skills, language skills, social skills, thinking skills, and motor skills but speaks only a very limited set of words for her age.

Takeaway

Finally, the much-awaited 1-year steeping stone is here. This month will be more or less similar to the last month but it feels a lot more special. It’s okay to be all teary-eyed and emotional this month. After all your cute newborn is going to turn into a toddler. Soon she will be changing and developing more. Enjoy this month to the fullest with your baby. Sing songs, play around, role-play with puppets, and watch your baby erupt in giggles.