Week 44

Days 302 to 308 · 43 weeks 0 days to 43 weeks 6 days old · about 10 months At around 10 months, a typical baby measures about 72 cm (28.5 in) and weighs roughly 8.8 kg (19.5 lb). Babies vary widely, and what matters is that your baby keeps following their own curve on the growth chart. Many babies this age are cruising along the furniture, standing for a few seconds and practising the skills that will lead, sooner or later, to walking. You may feel as though your body has finally settled, or you may still be carrying tiredness from months of broken nights. This week looks at first steps, moving from bottle to cup, sleep as the first birthday nears, a checkup of your own, dummies, your baby's growing independence and a fresh round of safety checks for a child who climbs.

Day 302 · 43 weeks 0 days old

First steps come on your baby's own schedule

You may have heard of a baby who walked at 9 months, and another who waited until 17. Both are normal. Most babies take their first independent steps somewhere around 12 months, but anywhere from about 9 to 18 months falls within the usual range. Babies born early often walk later by the calendar, so judge by corrected age.

Walking is the last link in a long chain. Your baby has already built neck and trunk strength, learned to sit, pulled up and cruised along the sofa. The next pieces are balance and confidence: letting go with one hand, then both, standing alone for a few seconds, then taking a wobbly step toward something they want.

Some babies are cautious and practise for weeks before they risk it. Others launch themselves and fall often. Babies who crawl fast and happily sometimes walk later, simply because crawling gets them where they want to go. None of this predicts later coordination or intelligence.

You do not need to teach walking. Give your baby safe floor space, sturdy furniture to cruise along and bare feet indoors, as you read earlier. Call your baby's doctor if your baby is not walking by 18 months (corrected), seems to use one side of the body much more than the other, or loses a skill they had.

Try this: Kneel a short distance from your cruising baby with open arms, and let them decide whether to come to you.

Day 303 · 43 weeks 1 day old

Moving from the bottle to a cup

If your baby has been drinking water from an open cup since starting solids, you have already done half the work. The next step is gradually shifting milk feeds from bottle to cup as well. Many baby health experts suggest aiming to stop bottles between about 12 and 18 months, ideally closer to the first birthday.

Why bother? Bottles are designed for sucking, and a toddler who carries one around tends to sip milk all day. That can bathe teeth in sugars, fill up a small stomach and leave less room for iron-rich foods. Long-term bottle use is also linked with tooth decay, especially when a bottle goes to bed with a child.

Open cups and straw cups are both good choices. Spouted "sippy" cups are fine for a short while, but they work much like a bottle and are easy to sip from all day, so they are not a lasting fix.

Start with the feed your baby cares least about, often the midday one. Offer that milk in a cup with a meal. Expect spills, and keep portions small so a tipped cup is no disaster. Over the coming weeks, swap one bottle at a time. If your baby is breastfed, nothing needs to change about breastfeeding itself; this is only about bottles.

Try this: Choose one daytime bottle and offer that milk in an open or straw cup at the table today.

Day 304 · 43 weeks 2 days old

What sleep tends to look like near one year

Most babies approaching their first birthday need around 11 to 14 hours of sleep in 24 hours, including naps. A common pattern is 10 to 12 hours at night and two naps adding up to two or three hours. Some babies need less, some more, and a well rested baby who is growing and content is getting enough.

Two naps usually hold until somewhere between 12 and 18 months, often around 15 months. A baby who refuses one nap for a few days is not necessarily ready to drop it. Busy development, new teeth, a cold or a change in routine can all shake naps loose for a while before they settle again.

Night waking is still common at this age, as you read a couple of months ago. Many babies wake briefly and resettle on their own. Others still want help or a feed. If your baby's nights suit your family, there is nothing you must change. If they do not, earlier entries on approaches to sleep and night weaning can help you choose a path.

Safe sleep still matters. Keep the crib clear of pillows, bumpers and loose blankets until at least 12 months; a sleep sack keeps your baby warm without loose bedding.

Try this: For three days, jot down when your baby falls asleep and wakes, day and night, to see their real pattern rather than the one you fear.

Day 305 · 43 weeks 3 days old

Book a checkup for yourself

Ten months in, your baby has probably had more appointments than you have had in years. You deserve a turn. If you have not seen your own doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife since your postnatal check, now is a good time. A few things are worth asking about. Iron levels: many people end pregnancy or birth with low iron, especially after heavy bleeding, and anemia can feel like ordinary exhaustion. Thyroid function: inflammation of the thyroid after birth is fairly common in the first year and is easy to miss. Blood pressure, if it was high in pregnancy. Blood sugar, if you had gestational diabetes, since you will need regular checks over the years ahead. Cervical screening, if you are due. And your mood, honestly described. Bring a short list so the visit does not drift into talk about the baby. Include anything that has been nagging at you: back pain, leaking, painful sex, hair loss, headaches, trouble sleeping even when the baby sleeps. You will read more about iron, thyroid and pelvic floor care in the coming weeks. Call your care provider if you feel unusually breathless, dizzy or exhausted, notice a racing heartbeat, or have low mood or anxiety that is not lifting.

Try this: Make the appointment today, and start a note on your phone of questions to bring.

Day 306 · 43 weeks 4 days old

Thinking about the dummy

If your baby uses a dummy, also called a pacifier or soother, you may be wondering how long it should stay. In the early months, a dummy at sleep times is linked with a lower risk of sudden infant death, and it can be a real comfort. As babies get older, the balance shifts a little.

After about 6 months, frequent dummy use is linked with more ear infections. Over the longer term, heavy use past the age of 2 to 4 can affect how the teeth line up and how the jaw grows, though problems often settle if the habit stops early enough. Some speech therapists also prefer that a toddler who is starting to talk is not doing it around a dummy all day. None of this means taking it away tomorrow. Many families start by limiting the dummy to sleep times and moments of real upset, and planning to stop somewhere between 1 and 2 years. You will find gentle ways to do that in a couple of weeks.

Whatever you decide, keep it safe. Never dip a dummy in honey, sugar or anything sweet. Do not tie it around your baby's neck or to the crib. Replace it if it is cracked, sticky or torn, and use only one-piece dummies made for your baby's age.

Try this: Check every dummy in the house for cracks or tears, and throw out any that are worn.

Day 307 · 43 weeks 5 days old

Your baby has opinions now

Somewhere in the past few weeks, your baby may have started arching away from the high chair, pushing the spoon aside or wailing when you take back the remote. This is independence beginning. Your baby now knows what they want, and they are discovering that they can try to make it happen. How strongly a baby pushes depends a lot on temperament. Some babies are easygoing and adapt quickly. Some are intense, with big feelings in both directions. Others are watchful and slow to warm up. These traits were probably visible months ago, and they tend to stay recognizable into childhood, though the way they show up changes.

Knowing your baby's temperament helps you plan. An intense baby may need warnings before a change and more help calming down. A slow-to-446 warm baby may need you nearby a little longer in new places. An easygoing baby still has needs, even if they voice them less loudly.

Independence and closeness grow together. Babies venture out more boldly when they know a safe person is there to come back to. Letting your baby try, with you close by, is how both confidence and trust are built. Try this: Give your baby a small choice today, such as which of two books to read, and follow their lead.

Day 308 · 43 weeks 6 days old

Toddler-proofing, round two

When you babyproofed for a crawler a few months ago, you were thinking at floor level. A baby who pulls up, cruises and starts to climb lives at a new height, and it is worth walking through your home again.

Look up to about counter height. Tablecloths can be pulled, bringing hot drinks and heavy dishes down with them. Pot handles should turn inward on the stove. Anything on a low shelf or coffee table is now within reach: keys, coins, button batteries in remotes, phone chargers, nail polish, medicines in a handbag.

Climbing deserves a fresh look. Babies use chairs, open drawers and toy boxes as steps. Make sure tall furniture and televisions are anchored, as you read when your baby started crawling. Move chairs away from windows and counters. Window screens do not stop a child from falling, so use window stops or guards that keep openings to about 10 cm (4 in).

Stair gates need checking too. Gates at the top of stairs should be screwed into the wall, not pressure-mounted, and older cruisers may learn to open simple latches.

For your partner: Get down on your knees, then stand on tiptoe at your baby's full reach, and go room by room. Make a list of what you find and fix the top three this weekend.