Your baby has come a long way in the past eight months and so have you as a parent. From learning to sit up, crawl, saying those words to start eating solid foods, or at least trying to hit all these milestones, your baby has been hard at work.
This month also she will continue to grow and develop and master new skills.
What are some of the milestones of your 8-month old?
- This month, your baby will finally master the pincer grasp where she will use her thumb and index finger to pick objects rather than using her whole hand.
- You will notice that your baby has started to use different sounds to express different emotions this month.
- Your baby can already sit unassisted and is either trying to crawl or already crawling.
- Your baby will also try to push herself up using furniture or sturdy toys that are bigger than her.
- Your baby may have found herself a favorite teddy bear or a comfort blanket in this month.
Your baby’s developments in the eighth month
- Weight & Length-
On average, 8-month-old girl babies weigh around 17.5 pounds and that of baby boys is 19 pounds. The average height of 7-month-old girls is approximately 27.2 inches and that of boys is 27.9 inches.
- Vision-
Your baby still has a better vision of things close to her but can spot people and can see colors far across the room too. This month her depth and distance perception will improve a lot which will help her to reach and grab toys.
Roll a ball towards your sitting baby and watch her reach out and grab that ball. Your baby will continue to be fascinated with different patterns and textures. One interesting connection that your baby’s brain will make is that she will start realizing how different colors and textures imply that they are different objects. This is different from the development of your 2-week old baby.
Related: 5-Month-old Baby Development
Feeding your 8-month-old
While some babies start to gradually transition to solid foods entirely in this month, most 8-month-old babies will still rely on breastmilk and/or formula for supplementing solid foods. Remember that 8-month-old babies need around 750 to 900 calories every day. Most babies derive around 400 to 500 of those calories from formula and/or breastmilk. The rest of the nutrition will be derived from various solid foods.
As a general rule of thumb, at the beginning of the meal, you should give the baby the bottle or nurse her. After your baby feeds a little and is fulfilled, you can give her solid foods which should provide her with balanced nutrition of fats, protein, and carbohydrates.
- Bottle feeding:
If your 8-month-old continues to have a formula, she will be having around 6 to 8 ounces of formula every 4 to 6 times every day.
- Breastfeeding:
Generally, 8-month-olds continue to nurse 4 to 6 times every 3 or 4 hours per day. However, as your little one is starting to eat more solids, she will gradually start nursing less. Sometimes babies at this age also become more active and lack focus while nursing. This sometimes makes nursing difficult.
- Solid food:
Your baby will be having three meals and at least two snacks per day. You should try to feed her non-processed, unsalted foods, or unsweetened foods as much as possible. Some good options include pureed apples, carrots, mashed scrambled eggs, cheese, tofu, and whole-milk yogurt.
- Finger foods:
You may start giving your little one soft finger foods and table foods. Don’t ever give the foods that can be a choking hazard for her. Give her foods of different textures as long as they are not too hard. Finger foods need to be cut into bite-sized pieces or boiled/steamed until a little soft.
- Sippy cups:
Your baby is completely ready to accept the sippy cup by now. Your baby can also join her family at the table during meals. This will develop good eating habits right from an early age.
Related: 6-Month-Old Baby Development
- Gagging:
Some babies start to struggle with swallowing foods and start to gag on solid foods at this age. This happens because your little one is a little too excited to try new foods and forgets to chew properly before swallowing. Also, some babies have medical conditions that make them gag more. You can get your baby checked by your doctor to rule out medical conditions.
Sleep of 8-Month-Old
- Total amount-
8-month-old babies will continue to sleep for about 14 to 15 hours every day. Almost 7 to 11 of those 15 hours are covered at night and the rest is covered in 2 to 3 nap during the day. You may want to start sleep training if your baby is still having trouble sleeping for longer stretches at night. Try to introduce a storytime.
- Sleep Regression-
Sometimes 8-month-old babies start to wake up almost every hour during the night. Some babies want to practice all their developing skills at night, while some babies want some cuddles with their parents. All the sleeping troubles at this stage could be attributed to sleep regression.
Your 8-Month-Old baby’s Schedule
Your eight-month-old is now awake and ready to play for longer hours. Gone are the days when you could keep the little one down and be assured that she would stay there. Your 8-month-old will not stay put on the floor and will constantly try to move by rocking, crawling, and sitting or will even try to stand.
Your baby’s brain is picking up words very quickly now and will try to learn and mimic whatever you say. Make it a habit to say things out loud so that your baby can start learning.
Related: 9-Month-Old Baby Development
Tips and reminders for the eighth month
- You should start applying baby-safe sunscreen on your baby from this month. You can ask for a dermatologist or your pediatrician-approved sunscreen for your baby. Your baby should not be out in the sun for long hours without any sunscreen.
- Start looking out for signs of any food allergies in your baby. As you start giving your baby new foods to try, your baby will be more prone to show signs of food allergies.
- If you find that your infant has any food allergy, you may ask your doctor to teach you how to use an Epi-pen on your baby in case of an emergency.
- Your baby is learning every moment of her waking hours. She will be watching your every move and learning from you. You need to keep your cool in tense situations to inculcate good habits in your child.
Frequently Asked Questions on 8-month Old Baby Development
1. What are the words that an 8-month-old should be saying?
By this month, your baby may start saying monosyllabic words like “mama” or “dada”. Your infant will also try to communicate her needs through body language such as by pointing her hand towards different things or by shaking her head. If your little one still hasn’t said her first word but is cooing and babbling, don’t worry it is perfectly normal for babies to take a few more months to say the first word.
2. What age do babies start to wave bye?
You will have to wait a few more months because most babies can wave bye-bye around the tenth month. Play lots of patty cakes and encourage grabbing and clapping to facilitate the muscle movement. This will help her to learn waving quickly.
3. How many teeth should my 8-month-old baby have?
Generally, babies get their first tooth between the fourth and the fifteenth month. In the eighth month, your baby will probably only one tooth or may not even have one. She will have around four teeth by the time she is 11 months old. Typically, babies get either the bottom front teeth or top front teeth as their first tooth. It is also not uncommon for babies to have both these teeth by the eighth month.
4. Can my 8-month-old baby eat bread?
It is safe to give your 8-month-old baby bread. However, make sure that none of your or your partner’s family members has bread allergies as in that case your baby may also be prone to bread allergies. You should start with bread, crackers, or pasta which doesn’t have wheat in them.
Takeaway
Your baby will keep you on your toes this month. You will have to keep giving new foods every few days and you will have to keep an eye on her now that she is starting to crawl. Your busy and hardworking baby is going to keep you busy too. But those “mama”s and “dada”s are probably making it worthwhile.
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Mother of Two children. I’m a former teacher with a background in child development and a passion for Good parenting. I understand child development and know how to develop activities to help children learn and grow. Spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and volunteering in my community.
