My Baby Is Turning 1 in 4 Days
Information technology may seem hard to believe, but your little one is turning i this month — Happy Birthday! — and in the procedure is graduating from baby to toddler. Where did the fourth dimension go, y'all ask? Join the social club of moms and dads everywhere who feel the same style!
Sure your little 1 will e'er be your "baby," just the first birthday is a milestone — ane that brings with it all the joys (and "oys") of toddlerhood.
Just endeavor non to get too emotional or nostalgic, because your make new toddler is still really a baby at center and notwithstanding has a long mode to go before those non-and then-terrible 2s ... and 3s ... and 4s. And you have so much more fun and so many more adventures awaiting you in the months (and years!) alee.
Here'south what'south coming up in month 12 as you and your baby entire the wild world of toddlerhood.
Your 12-month-old baby's evolution
At a Glance
Sleeping basics
At this age, babies typically sleep near 11 hours at night (many straight through) and generally even so take 2 daily naps that add upwardly to 3 to four hours, though this month they may drib downwardly to only one longer afternoon nap.
Feeding basics
Y'all can all the same offer upward to 24 ounces of breast milk or formula a day, merely you should start weaning from the canteen around now unless your doctor says otherwise. And either way, your niggling one has a solid diet of solids and can outset drinking cow'south milk now.
Did you know?
At 12 months, your infant'south brain has doubled in size. Isn't he smart?
Is your new toddler toddling on twos? Most 12-monthers are cruising — walking while holding on to something or someone. Plenty are standing on their own without holding on to anything. And a few are even walking already.
But a sizeable number of 12-calendar month-old tots are taking their sweet fourth dimension earlier taking those first steps, preferring to stay on all fours for now. In fact, the majority of immature toddlers don't walk well until at least xiii or 14 months, if not later.
No matter how your piddling one gets around these days, he's still certainly getting effectually, and his independent mobility is providing enough of the independence he's peckish — that is, when he'southward peckish information technology (and he won't ever).
Truth is, he'll declare his independence one day — every bit when he heads off on his own to check out the new toy with the flashing lights — then tighten his human Velcro grip on you lot the next twenty-four hours. Await this inner struggle between dependence and independence to continue on and off throughout his babyhood.
Assistance your new toddler tackle new challenges, strop new skills and master new firsts past creating opportunities to have risks — carefully supervised risks, simply risks nonetheless.
To terminate and bear on a leaf on a bush, to peek backside a mailbox, to see where a path leads or to check out what the domestic dog is sniffing. To clamber upwards stairs, to scale a pile of couch cushions, to slide downwards a slide.
You lot'll need to be always-alarm and pull out all the childproofing stops, but definitely don't proceed your tiny explorer fenced in.
Help cultivate those fine motor skills by offer a crayon or sidewalk chalk to scribble with, blocks to stack, board books to flip through.
Give your petty one enough of opportunities to manipulate toys that twist, spin, plow, crank, dump and fill up, and toys that can exist banged, clanged, pushed and pulled.
On the communication forepart, you'll find how much your 1-year-old tin get across without speaking more than 1 to v recognizable words.
Think of your child every bit a resourceful little caveman, pulling y'all into the kitchen when he wants a drinkable, pointing to the toy he wants on the shelf, grunting or nodding in response to your questions, pushing your legs toward the door when he wants to play outside.
As long as your new tot is actively trying to communicate with you lot, relish in his conversation ingenuity — even if his pronunciation leaves much to be desired.
Of course, while your 12-month-onetime's skills have advanced by leaps and premises, his attention bridge definitely hasn't kept stride.
Recognize his age-appropriate limitations and know that your little ane probably won't desire to sit still for long when working on a puzzle or listening to a story. And definitely don't push your 1-year-quondam. As your infant grows, so too volition his ability to stay interested for longer periods of time.
Your 12-month-old baby's growth
The average 12-month-old male child weighs 21 pounds, with a pinnacle of xxx inches. The average girl at a year is 29½ inches tall with a weight of only shy of 20 pounds. Your tot may counterbalance in at more than or less than these averages, and that's perfectly normal.
You and your doctor have been tracking your kid's progress on those growth charts, and if the pediatrician says your tot is on the correct curve, yous don't accept to recollect twice about where he falls out.
While you're watching those charts, go along in mind that in one case the first birthday passes, your tot's growth will slow down slightly.
Something else that should be slowing down now that your picayune one has turned a year former? Bottle-feeding. Breastfeeding can continue as long every bit you lot're both on board, but weaning from a canteen should come up soon after the first birthday, preferably by or earlier the 18-month mark unless your pediatrician tells you lot otherwise.
And here's something to moo about: cow's milk, which should supplant formula at a year and be introduced even if you lot're breastfeeding — the extra vitamin D is something your growing tot needs.
And then accomplish into the dairy case at the grocery store and pull out the whole milk — 1-year-olds need the actress fat to boost brain development. Reduced-fatty (ii pct) milk may exist recommended instead for children at this age if obesity runs in the family or is a concern.
Your 12-month-old baby's health
It'south time for babe'due south i-year checkup — can y'all believe information technology?
While your little ane rolls up sleeve for another circular of vaccinations, take advantage of this time to ask the doctor how to wean infant from the bottle (if you oasis't started already) or from the breast (if y'all're however nursing and plan to end before long).
The 1-year well-babe visit
The MMR vaccine
The hepatitis A vaccine
The varicella vaccine
Pond pool prophylactic
Postpartum & new baby tips
Soothing sore arms
Arms hurt from picking upwardly baby? Many new parents note pain in the inner part of their wrists (thumb side), which gets worse when picking upward a babe under the artillery.
It's not carpal tunnel (which you may accept experienced during pregnancy), but a condition called DeQuervain's tenosynovitis — a fancy proper name for an inflamed pollex tendon.
Information technology's caused by the excessive use of the wrist, such as when picking up the baby, because the wrist and pollex are shouldering virtually of the weight. Fluid retentivity also contributes to the inflammation.
If you're suffering, try resting your wrists as much as possible. If you must pick your infant up under the artillery, keep your wrists perfectly straight without letting them dip down.
Your md might also fit yous with a wrist splint, and if the condition persists, may recommend a cortisone injection (not to worry — information technology'due south safe for breastfeeding) or, for terminal-ditch relief, surgery.
For everyday aches, tame the pain — or preclude it — with these strategies:
Work out with weights to strengthen your arms and shoulders, utilise arm rests or pillows when nursing, switch arms oft when carrying the baby and the gear, use a baby carrier or sling to transfer your baby'southward weight from your arms to your back, and soothe sore muscles with a heating pad.
Playing with food
To the high-chair set up, mealtime is simply equally much virtually experiencing food every bit information technology is about eating it.
Squishing those sweet potatoes between his fingers is a fascinating scientific discipline experiment, smearing them on the tray is an art project, swiping them onto the ground is a lesson in crusade and effect, and eating them ... well, that's just gravy.
If yous want less discovery and more eating during mealtime, try offer simply a couple of finger foods at a time and keep the portions pint-size. Too many choices and as well-big portions can overwhelm a trivial eater.
Don't make a huge deal about it if he chooses to play with his food, only do ready limits on the scope of the mealtime mayhem (squishing as he nibbles, fine — flinging instead of eating, not so fine).
Leave pressure off the bill of fare — permit him eat as much or as trivial every bit he wants — and avoid the kind of overreactions that are sure to inspire a second serving of antics.
If at that place is ane thing that lilliputian ones love more playing with their nutrient, it'due south getting your attention for playing with their food.
Tub safety
Information technology can be stressful to bathe a squirmy baby in the tub. For someone who's simply discovering his mobility, it's no fun taking life sitting down … even in the bath.
Luckily, older babies may be stubbornly squirmy merely yet hands distracted. So proceed the distractions coming.
In the tub, sing a special, lightheaded bathtime song, blow bubbles for him to pop, make a splash (if he'due south game, of course), fill up and empty cups, float and sink ships or dunk the dolly.
And try to work fast — unless your lilliputian one'southward actually grimy, a few quick swipes with a washcloth should get the job done with a minimum of wriggling.
The less attention paid to the wriggling, by the manner, the improve — smiles or scolding will both reinforce the behavior you're trying to discourage.
Staying organized
Create a diaper-irresolute station on each level of your dwelling house and so you don't accept to traipse upward and down steps for every change, and keep a few changes of clothes handy in each spot as well.
In your little one'south cupboard, install a low-hanging rod and presto: You'll take double the corporeality of hanging space. If in that location's room for shelves, even improve — use them for extra diapers, out-of-season clothes (stored in clear plastic bins) and the like.
As your baby grows and becomes more interested in toys and books, go along a bin or handbasket with a few cool choices in all the rooms you spend lots of time in together.
But consider making 1 room (maybe the living room, main bedroom or your office) a infant-free zone — the one place you can go to escape primary colors!
Encourage walking
Give him every opportunity to stand up (and move) on his own 2 legs.
Push-toys are terrific for fine-tuning locomotion, but find other opportunities to aid him chief mobility.
For case, allow him push a pint-sized stroller, or entice your before long-to-be toddler to toddle over past sitting a few steps abroad and property a favorite toy.
Pulling pilus
Does your tot beloved pulling your pilus? Keep those tiny fingers busy with finger games and songs, with rounds of patty-cake and by giving him a pulling selection ... 1 without nerve endings (e.g. a long-haired stuffed animal — which you can let him rub without the ouch).
Also tickle his sense of touch on with a variety of fabrics — soft, silky, furry, fuzzy — and when he goes for your hair, pull out that imitation-fur pillow for him to stroke instead.
Buying stuffed toys
Trying to buy some stuffed animals for your trivial softy? Take note of these guidelines when shopping for your older baby:
1. Steer clear of features made of buttons, chaplet or other small-scale objects that could fall (or exist chewed) off. The same goes for clothing, accessories and any other decorations. The bottom line: Any items that are glued or sewn on take a good chance of catastrophe up in a babe'southward mouth.
2.Check ears, paws, tails (and everywhere else) to ensure the toy is wire-gratuitous. Fifty-fifty if the wire is covered with "fur," in that location's a adventure it could poke through and hurt your trivial one.
iii. Anything that'due south stringy (for example, pilus, ribbons or leashes longer than half-dozen inches) should be avoided or removed if at all possible.
Recommended Products
What to Wait selects products based on independent inquiry and suggestions from our community of millions of parents; learn more about our review procedure. We may earn commissions from shopping links.
Best Baby Books for Newborns to 1-Twelvemonth-Olds, According to Parents (and Babies!) Who Love Them
View All
⚠️ You tin can't see this cool product because you have ad block enabled.
Please whitelist our site to get all the all-time deals and offers from our partners.
⚠️ You tin't see this cool product because you lot accept advertizement block enabled.
Delight whitelist our site to get all the best deals and offers from our partners.
⚠️ You can't see this cool production because you have ad cake enabled.
Please whitelist our site to get all the all-time deals and offers from our partners.
⚠️ You can't see this cool product because you accept advertizement block enabled.
Please whitelist our site to go all the best deals and offers from our partners.
Source: https://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler/12-month-old/
Post a Comment for "My Baby Is Turning 1 in 4 Days"