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By: Suzanne Dixon

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Article Summary

Welcome to parenthood! As a paediatrician I know that most new parents are full of questions and concerns. But don't worry. You'll get the answers you need and gain confidence in your new role soon. In the meantime, this tool will help you find out what you can expect in your baby's development. Just click on your child's age to find out what's happening now.
For a "sneak peek" at what comes next, look for this symbol:

 Newborn

 3 weeks

 2 months

 4 months

 6 months

 9 months

 1 year

 18 months

 2 years

 3 years

Newborn

Well, your bundle of joy has arrived and you are a parent! Although it may all seem overwhelming, your baby is not as frail and helpless as you might think. He is capable in many ways and is going to help you become a good parent by giving you signals about what he needs. His major needs now are feeding, sleeping and being soothed. If you're breastfeeding, you will provide a supply of milk that will match his needs exactly.

Taking care of your baby and yourselves (especially Mum) while you both adapt to your new roles as parents will take all your energy in these first few weeks. You and your baby will get to know each other better during this time. Newborns don't play yet, but they do enjoy exploring the world with their eyes, ears and bodies. Take the time to talk to him when he's alert. He already knows your voice from his time in the womb, so hearing both Mum's and Dad's voices are a comfort to him. He can see at best 20 to 25 centimeters (8 to 10 inches) in front of him - or roughly the distance to your face when you are holding him in your arms. Look at him closely when you hold him, and he'll watch you as you cuddle, talk and sing to him.

Sneak Peek: The first few weeks will be very demanding, so spend your time taking care of your baby and yourself and getting to know each other. By three weeks, you'll notice that both you and your baby are quickly getting used to each other.

3 weeks

You're probably too tired to notice how much you and your baby have learned, grown and changed. By three weeks, you may have developed some kind of rhythm or pattern, and you will surely have started to learn how to anticipate what your baby needs. This can be a hard time for families, because a 3-week-old baby's demands seem endless. At this stage, most new parents are exhausted and wondering whether they'll ever have a moment to themselves again. Rest assured, you will. Things are about to get easier.

Babies, like adults, come with individual temperaments. Some babies have more regular eating and sleeping patterns than others at this age. It's best to adapt to his schedule at this point. He still needs to eat pretty regularly throughout the 24-hour day.

At 3 weeks, your baby probably:

• Has a somewhat more predictable pattern of sleeping and eating than he did as soon as he was born. You will have learned a lot about how to understand and meet his needs and how to comfort and care for him.
• Is alert more often. He may even be awake for an hour or more. After a feed or a bath, you will notice that he's studying your face, watching you talk and quietening down when he hears your voice.
• Makes a little sound or two to show how excited he is when you talk to him. These little coos are the beginning of language. Make sure you stop and answer him with a bit of conversation.
• Is a little more restless at the end of the day. This may not seem like progress, but it is. As your baby's nervous system matures, the world becomes more interesting, and your baby may need to unwind from all the excitement.
• Has more control of his head. He won't seem quite as fragile as before but he still needs a lot of support when you hold him.
• Has more strength in his upper body. He'll now be able to lift his head up when you put him on his tummy.
• Watches his hand move in front of his face. Although he won't have much control of his hands, he will have pretty good control of his eyes and can study the objects around him.
• Sleeps for three to four hours at a stretch. If he sleeps much longer than that, you should wake him up for a feed.

Sneak Peek: The real fun of parenting is about to begin as your baby smiles at you for the first time, starts to coo back at you, and lets you know you're loved and appreciated.

2 months

At two months, your baby still keeps you guessing, but his sleeping and eating habits are becoming a bit more predictable. Restlessness and crying tend to increase later in the day, which can be stressful if you're tired. If you feel overwhelmed, ask your partner or someone you trust to help out.

Now's the time to start watching his eyes to see what his real eye colour will be. Your baby may also be noticeably chubbier by 2 months, and he may even have a double chin and thigh folds. This is the mark of a healthy, well-fed baby. You may also notice that your baby:

• Coos, especially when you talk to him.
• Smiles more broadly and more often every day.
• Quietens down more with Mum and Dad than with strangers.
• Studies you and everyone else with intense interest, especially before and after feeds.
• Controls his head a little better, as long as you hold him still.
• Likes being held up at your shoulder or sitting with his underarms supported.
• Holds his head and pushes his arms up when he's on his tummy.
• Accidentally rolls over from tummy to back.
• Has straightened out his posture and holds his hands open much of the time.
• Touches and holds his hands, by accident and by feeling around.

Sneak Peek: As your child gets over his bouts of cradle cap and other common newborn conditions, he'll look more and more like a model baby. And he'll act the part, too, with smiles, lots of "conversation", and delighted wiggles when he sees you. He'll soon be able to get up on his arms and watch you move around the room.

4 months

Your 4-month-old baby is full of happy, gurgling baby noises, and smiles at everything around him. He's having a whale of a time, and learning from it too. So go ahead and play! He's learning about his hands and what they can hold, but his favourite play is still with you.

By 4 months, your baby probably:

• Holds up his head when he is on his forearms or even his hands. Holds his head steady while being held in a seated position.
• Can spot you across the room and follow you with his eyes as you move around.
• Knows how to get your attention by crying, by dropping something, or even by emitting a false "cough".
• Bats at objects and sometimes manages to reach and grab things. If he grabs something, he'll shake it or stick it in his mouth. If he lets go, it's an accident that surprises him.
• Finds his own hands very interesting. He'll swipe at them, touch them and just look at them.
• Dribbles a great deal, making his toys and you very wet. But his teeth probably aren't coming through yet.
• Recognises your voice and will calm down for at least a little while if you call to him from another room.
• Can fall asleep on his own if you start a sleeping ritual and give him a toy or blanket to comfort him.

Sneak Peek: As your baby approaches 6 months, his physical, emotional and cognitive development are proceeding rapidly. Your ability to move with him as he changes will help ensure his continued good health and happiness.

6 months

Babies this age continue to grow rapidly. By 6 months a baby is sitting up or getting ready to sit up and his back is straightening out. This is a new perspective for him, and he enjoys it! In his role as a first-rate "world explorer", your baby's most trusted bit of equipment is his mouth. Being able to pass a toy from hand to hand is another new skill that's helping him learn about the world around him.

At 6 months, your baby probably:

• Laughs out loud, smiles and squeals.
• Will "tease" you by dropping and throwing things and making a noise to get your reaction.
• Is sitting up by himself or seems about to. May pull on furniture to try and stand up.
• Can pass things from one hand to the other.
• Puts almost everything in his mouth.
• Says "ba" and "da" and babbles to converse with you.
• Has a first tooth or several teeth.
• Turns toward sound.
• Can comfort himself.
• Rolls over both ways.
• Begins to be wary of strangers.

Sneak Peek: Before you know it, your baby will find a way to move forwards. And once he does, mobility will be his new obsession. You'll have to start thinking about safety in this respect. As your baby begins his first solid foods, you'll need to be aware of choking hazards as well.

9 months

Your 9-month-old is a baby on the move - exploring, investigating and experimenting. He loves hiding things and playing peek-a-boo all the time because now he's able to remember things that aren't in front of him. As you might imagine, this curiosity and thinking ability can get your baby into a lot of trouble. These days you need to keep an eye on your child all of the time - both to keep him safe and to reassure him of your love. This is the age when many parents realise how strong their baby's personality really is and how much he wants to be a part of everything.

At 9 months, your baby probably:

• Sits fairly well without support and can twist and turn from a stable sitting position. Can play with toys while sitting.
• Can move forwards in some way, whether creeping, crawling or shuffling along on his bottom. Some babies never crawl but still manage to move around somehow.
• Pulls himself up to stand and sometimes gets stuck. (Soon he'll learn to plop down again.)
• Has a pincer grasp - the index finger and thumb work together to pick up small objects - and uses it. (You can be sure he will find every little thing that has fallen onto the carpet or rolled under a table.)
• Uses his index finger to poke at things, such as switches, buttons and electric sockets.
• Wants you in view at all times. He'll keep looking up to check you're still there as he plays. He'll probably get very anxious when you're out of sight. Your baby may greet strangers and even people he knows with wary looks, if not terrified screams. Bear in mind that he's not being rude. He's just very aware of the difference between his family and close carers and those who are less familiar.
• Babbles in a good imitation of talking. You'll even start to hear "mama" and "dada" once in a while. Your beaming response to these will let him know that these are special words.
• Knows his own name, recognises some words and is very interested in people talking around him. He's learning a new language.
• Has his first teeth, usually the bottom and top incisors.
• Wakes up and is difficult again at night. That's because these days he misses people and all the fun he's had during the day.
• Is no longer happy just to be held and cuddled. Now he'll want to get down and be involved with everything around him.
• Is ready to take control of his feeding. Finger foods and cups are very interesting at this stage, especially because he has mastered the pincer grasp.
• Makes noise and trouble in new ways by throwing, banging, shaking and taking his toys to pieces. Having Mum or Dad there to retrieve these items only adds to the fun!

Sneak Peek: Play will become much more exciting in the months ahead as your baby learns new skills every day. He'll be in constant motion, and may even utter a "real" word. Your baby will entertain you all day long. He'll also develop more opinions of his own and a growing inclination to voice them.

1 year

One year old! Your baby won't be a baby much longer. But even as he becomes mobile and gains independence, he needs you more than ever.

These days he's jealous of you and everything that takes your attention away from him. He may object loudly when other people talk to you, or even when you're doing the washing. This shows how attached he is to you.

Your 1-year-old probably:

• Can get to a standing position by holding on to something and pulling up. But he probably can't walk yet. The average baby walks a month or so into the second year. Cruising around with the support of furniture gradually becomes walking, then walking becomes steadier. Soon it will become your baby's preferred mode of movement, and he may even be able to carry something with him.
• Gets more bumps and bruises. That's because he's trying hard to get around, but is still not very coordinated.
• Tries to name objects while pointing at them, though it won't necessarily be a word you recognise. He'll try out his own private words as well as use familiar words, like his own name or those of objects around the house.
• Listens intently and looks as if he's following conversations. From time to time he may even burst in with a nonsensical contribution of his own.
• Can link the word "no" with a forbidden activity, but still may not be able to move away and think of something else to do.
• Can stack things on top of each other, making playtime even more fun.
• Loses some interest in eating, since he's not growing as fast and is preoccupied with other tasks, such as learning to walk.
• Is very interested in putting things inside other things and pouring water.

Sneak Peek: As your 1-year-old grows, he will fight for more independence and will probably start throwing tantrums. This new development poses challenges for you, since you want to support his efforts at independence while making sure he learns about limits.

18 months

In the first half of your baby's second year, he still needs you very much. But he is also trying to be independent. He'll be testing his limits as well as yours. Even as your baby asserts his independence, he'll want to be pampered. He's confused and is probably going to send you mixed messages. He'll get frustrated and throw tantrums, but be patient and remember how hard it is for him to work out all these things.

Let your baby do things for himself as much as possible. Let him feed himself, and name and point at things. Naming every feature on another person's face is exciting to him every time. Help him label the objects around him.

It's important to keep his environment safe and secure so your baby can explore freely. He learns a lot from his play, so the more playing and exploring he does, the better it is for his developing mind. And he still needs constant supervision.

At 18 months, your baby will be:

• Eager to have his own possessions and to "keep" things.
• Walking, climbing and pushing things - as much as his abilities will allow.
• Arranging and rearranging objects.
• Saying "no" to almost everything.
• Feeling very shy, even fearful, of strangers.
• Carrying things while he walks. He may even be able to turn round on the spot.

Sneak Peek: As your baby enters the second half of his second year, you'll notice his vocabulary and his imagination growing.

2 years

Two-year-olds keep very busy and their play is quite sophisticated. Fantasy and imagination are a big part of their playtime.

Your 2-year-old probably plays for longer periods of time than before. He acts out short stories and can use more than one toy at a time. Even though some of the stories he makes up are quite fantastical, he likes order in his world.

Your toddler is now losing his baby pot belly. He can run and walk more smoothly and quickly than before. He loves to imitate people around him - picking up the good and the bad behaviour, including the swear words!

By the age of 2, your baby probably can:

• Follow two-step commands, like "Go to your room and get your jacket."
• Put words together in two- or three-word sentences, like "Mummy go car" or "Wanna bickie."
• Walk up and down stairs without much help (but still needs to be watched).
• Use words to express his feelings.
• Tell stories about both real and imaginary events.
• Put objects in order, in rows, inside of things and in their places.
• Move to music and enjoy banging, tapping or stamping to the rhythm.
• Get himself into and out of a chair or seat.
• Run, and may prefer running to walking.
• Participate in dressing by pulling things over his head and putting his shoes on (if not always on the correct feet).
• Identify pictures in a book.

Your 2-year-old probably also:

• Tries very hard to eat like an adult.
• Knows how to "push your buttons".
• Shows affection in all sorts of wonderful ways.
• Is more manageable and predictable than he was six months ago.
• Says "no" as the first response to any request, or may even ignore your requests entirely. However, if you offer him a choice, his resistance may weaken.
• Still needs to be watched closely, despite his budding independence.

Sneak Peek: In the next six months, watch for increased language ability and even more imaginative play. Potty training is usually an issue now.

3 years

Three-year-olds are charming little people! They travel in and out of their own magical worlds, and they bring to everyone around them a sense of wonder and fun. At the same time, they present special challenges in keeping them healthy and safe.

By the age of 3, your child probably can:

• Dress himself pretty well, as long as you limit his choice of outfits. Don't be surprised if he wants to change clothes often - it's fun for him!
• Understand hundreds of words and is able to put together short sentences. He can be understood by strangers more than half the time.
• Name most of the objects in his daily life, as well as several body parts and a couple of colours.
• Give his name, age, sex and the month of his birthday.
• Understand opposites, like big and little, happy and sad.
• Scribble and may be able to draw a rough sketch of a person that looks like a tadpole.
• Jump, hop and kick a ball with both feet.
• Negotiate with other kids and adults. This is progress, but it may make your day more challenging because so many things are now up for discussion.

Your 3-year-old probably also:

• Enjoys a wide variety of role-playing as he tries to work out who he really is. Both boys and girls love playing at dressing up and learn a lot from it.
• Has many dreams and nightmares as his mind works through the stresses of the day.
• Is very aware of gender and interested in genitals.

Sneak Peek: As your 3-year-old grows in the next year, he'll become more independent than ever. Playing with friends and other activities will be important parts of his day. For you, this means becoming involved in any nursery school or playgroup he might go to and showing him the road to health and safety.

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