Your growing baby

• Developmental milestones are things like sitting or walking.
• No two babies are alike: babies develop at their own pace.
• Talk to your baby’s health provider about her development.

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You’ll be amazed at how fast your baby grows.  Seems like she was born just yesterday, and now she’s walking and talking and getting ready to graduate. Well, maybe she’s not growing that fast. But it sure feels like it!

You’ll know if your baby’s development is on schedule by looking at her developmental milestones. These are tasks or skills, like rolling over, sitting up, walking and talking, that your baby learns to do as she grows. For example, by one month old, most babies make jerky arm movements, bring their hands near their face and keep their hands in fists. By three months old, most babies can raise their head and chest when lying on their stomach, follow a moving object with their eyes, and begin to babble and imitate sounds.

These milestones are just guidelines—don’t expect your baby to follow them exactly. And keep in mind that no two babies are exactly alike. Your baby will develop at her own pace. Most babies reach certain milestones at similar ages. However, it's not unusual for a healthy baby to fall behind in some areas or race ahead in others. If you think your baby isn’t meeting her milestones, talk to her health care provider.

See also: Developmental Milestones, Age 1 Month, Developmental Milestones, Age 3 Months, Developmental Milestones, Age 7 Months, Developmental Milestones, Age 1 Year, Developmental Milestones, Age 2 Years