Week 48

Days 330 to 336 · 47 weeks 0 days to 47 weeks 6 days old · about 11 months A typical baby this week measures about 74 cm (29 in) and weighs roughly 9.0 kg (19.9 lb). Babies vary widely, and what matters is that your baby keeps to their own curve on the growth chart. Since birth, a typical baby has grown about 24 cm (9.5 in), close to the 25 cm (10 in) usually gained in the first year. Your baby may be walking, cruising, crawling at top speed or doing a mix of all three, and is likely to be curious about everything within reach. This week covers car seat fit, a plan for the last bottles, room to explore, getting back to more vigorous exercise, the yard and driveway, bigger changes in care, and a look at the month ahead.

Day 330 · 47 weeks 0 days old

A car seat that fits as your baby grows

Your baby's car seat only protects them well if it fits now, and babies change shape fast. Even if you are keeping your baby rear-facing for a long while, as you read a few weeks ago, the seat's straps and settings need adjusting as they grow.

For rear-facing, the harness straps should come from slots at or just below your baby's shoulders. The harness should be snug: you should not be able to pinch a fold of strap at the collarbone. If your seat has a chest clip, it sits at armpit level, not down on the belly. Bulky coats and snowsuits under the harness make it dangerously loose, so buckle up in ordinary clothes and add a blanket or coat over the top, as you read in the early months. Check the installation too. The seat should move less than about 2.5 cm (1 in) side to side or front to back when you tug it at the belt path. Make sure the recline angle is right for your baby's age on the seat's indicator. Car seats expire, often after 6 to 10 years, and any seat that has been in a moderate or severe crash needs replacing. Do not use a second-hand seat unless you know its full history.

Try this: Do the pinch test on your baby's harness on your next drive, and move the straps up a slot if they now sit below the shoulders.

Day 331 · 47 weeks 1 day old

A plan for the last bottles

If your baby is still having several bottles a day, now is a good time to plan how to phase them out over the coming months. Aiming to finish with bottles between about 12 and 18 months helps protect teeth and appetite, as you read a few weeks ago.

A gradual approach is gentlest. Drop or swap one bottle every few days to a week. Daytime bottles usually go first, and the bedtime bottle last, because it is often tied to comfort and falling asleep. When the bedtime bottle goes, offer milk in a cup with a snack before the bath and the bedtime routine, then brush teeth, so the routine still feels full.

If your baby is drinking formula, keep using it until 12 months. After the first birthday, most children can move to whole cow's milk or a suitable alternative in a cup, a topic for the weeks ahead. There is no need to buy follow-on or toddler formula for a healthy child eating a varied diet. Some babies hardly notice the change. Others protest loudly for a few days. Offer extra cuddles, a familiar cup and a calm, matter-of-fact tone. Once a bottle is gone, try not to bring it back, which can make the next step harder. Try this: Write down your baby's current bottles, then mark which one you will replace first and when.

Day 332 · 47 weeks 2 days old

Give your explorer a yes space

A baby who is cruising and climbing hears "no" a lot. Babyproofing helps, but it is also worth creating at least one space where nearly everything is a yes.

A yes space can be a whole room, part of a room behind a gate, or a corner of the living room with the hazards cleared away. It holds things your baby is allowed to touch, empty, bang and climb: a basket of toys, board books, a low cushion or step to clamber on, pots and wooden spoons, a sturdy box to crawl into. Rotating toys every week or two keeps it interesting without buying more.

In a yes space, you can stop hovering. Your baby can explore with less interruption, which supports concentration and independence. You can sit nearby with a cup of tea, still watching, but not leaping up every few seconds.

Babies also love to explore with you. Narrate what they are doing, hand them interesting objects, and follow their lead when they bring you something. A wooden spoon and a lidded container can hold an 11-month-old's attention longer than many toys. No space is free of all risk, and you still need to keep watch. But a safe, inviting area makes daily life calmer for everyone.

Try this: Clear one low shelf in your main living space and fill it with a few safe, everyday things your baby can take out and put back.

Day 333 · 47 weeks 3 days old

Getting back to harder exercise

Some time ago you read about gentle movement and returning to exercise after birth. By now, many people feel ready for more: running, fitness classes, team sports, heavier weights. Building up thoughtfully helps you avoid injury and pelvic floor problems.

A good guide is to start where you are, not where you were before pregnancy. Increase how much you do by small steps over several weeks. If you are returning to running, many pelvic health physiotherapists suggest first being able to walk briskly for 30 minutes, balance on one leg, hop and do some single-leg squats without pain, leaking or heaviness.

Watch for warning signs during and after exercise: leaking urine, a feeling of heaviness or bulging in the vagina, doming along the middle of your belly, or new pain in the back, hips or pelvis. These are signals to scale back and get advice, not to push through.

If you are breastfeeding, a supportive bra and feeding or pumping before exercise can make you more comfortable. Exercise does not reduce milk supply, as long as you eat and drink enough. Most adults benefit from around 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, in any mix that suits you. Try this: Choose one activity you used to enjoy and plan a gentle first session this week, at about half of your old level.

Day 334 · 47 weeks 4 days old

The yard, garage and driveway

As days get longer, or as your baby starts walking, outdoor spaces need the same safety thinking you gave the house.

Driveways are a major hazard. Small children are hard to see from a driver's seat, and many vehicles have large blind spots behind them. Before anyone in your household moves a car, someone should know exactly where your baby is, ideally holding them. Teach older children and visitors the same habit.

Garages and sheds often store the most dangerous products in the home: antifreeze, windshield washer fluid, fertilizer, pesticides, paint thinner and gasoline. Keep them in their original containers, high up and locked. Lawn mowers and tools need to be out of reach, and no child should be near a mower that is running.

In the yard, look for water, as you read last week, and for low windows and decks without railings. Check play equipment for sharp edges and hot metal slides in summer. Many common garden plants and mushrooms can make a baby sick if eaten, so supervise closely and remove anything you are unsure of.

Get help right away if your baby swallows a chemical, a plant or a mushroom and becomes drowsy, vomits, has trouble breathing or a burning mouth. Call your local poison centre or emergency number.

For your partner: Walk the driveway and yard with your baby's height in mind, and move every chemical in the garage or shed to a locked, high spot.

Day 335 · 47 weeks 5 days old

When care changes in a bigger way

Some changes go beyond a new room at daycare. A trusted nanny moves on, a grandparent who helped every week goes home, a parent returns to work full-time, or a new baby is on the way. Babies cannot understand explanations yet, but they notice when familiar people disappear and new routines appear.

Children cope best when changes come gradually and with plenty of overlap. If you can, have the outgoing and incoming carers spend time together with your baby. Keep the parts of the day your baby relies on, such as mealtimes, nap routines and bedtime songs, as steady as possible while everything else shifts.

Grief is real at this age, even if it looks like clinginess or a change in sleep. A baby who has spent many hours with someone they love may be unsettled for a while after that person leaves. Photos, a voice message or a video call can help keep the connection alive, and many babies light up when they see a familiar face on screen.

Look after yourself through the change too. Losing a carer you relied on can bring sadness, worry and extra work. Give yourself the same patience you give your baby.

Try this: Make a small photo book or a page of pictures of the people who care for your baby, and look at it together.

Day 336 · 47 weeks 6 days old

Eleven months, and one month to go

Around today your baby is about 11 months old. Pause for a moment and picture the newborn who could not hold up their head. Now there is a person who pulls up on the sofa, has firm opinions about breakfast, understands "bath" and "no" and probably has a laugh that belongs to them alone. The month ahead brings the first birthday and the 12-month checkup, often with a set of vaccines; follow the schedule where you live. There will be changes in drinks, as formula and bottles give way to cups and, for many families, cow's milk. Some babies will say a first word or take a first step this month, others in the months that follow. Every one of these arrives in its own time.

This is also a good moment to notice how far you have come. You have learned your baby's cues, survived nights you did not think you could, and made countless small decisions with care. You have changed too.

It is worth thinking now about what kind of first birthday you want: a large party, a small family meal or a quiet day at home. A one-year-old will not mind which; what they will enjoy most is you.

Try this: Write down three things your baby can do now that they could not do a month ago, and keep the note for the first birthday.