Nine month growth spurt

Your baby's growth and development - 9 months old

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At around 9 months, babies' brains have a growth spurt. They will really be developing a personality now, and you'll be getting a glimpse of the child they're going to grow into.

Your 9-month-old

As your baby’s memory develops, they will form stronger attachments with a few people and will start to prefer some people over others. They may still be suffering from separation anxiety when you leave them, but don’t worry — it’s normal.

By now your baby should be able to handle finger foods that they can pick up and eat themselves. Make sure you give them a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups every day: vegetables; fruit; lean meat, fish, poultry or meat alternatives; grains and cereal; and milk, cheese, yoghurt and dairy alternatives.

From 9 months, you can also start to offer food before their milk feeds. This is so your baby can start to cut down on their milk intake.

Your baby may be standing upright and moving around while holding onto furniture (this is called ‘cruising’) but sometimes this doesn’t happen for another few months. You don’t need to worry about buying them shoes just yet — learning to walk in their bare feet helps to strengthen their feet and leg muscles. Think about buying their first shoes when they start walking around outside.

Understanding baby growth charts

A growth chart helps you and your doctor keep track of how your baby is growing.

What can your baby do?

By 9 months, your baby will be starting to understand the meaning of words. If you point at something, they might look at it. They will be babbling, copying sounds, making noises to get your attention, and might stop when you say 'no'. They will probably recognise their name by now.

Many babies are mobile by 9 months and some can go upstairs, but coming back down is very challenging, so take care. They will also be learning how to bend their knees to sit down after standing. At 9 months your baby should also be able to sit, lean forward and straighten up without toppling.

Passing games are a favourite with many 9-month-olds — giving you a toy and then taking it back. They will also be fascinated by putting objects in a container and taking them out again, stacking rings, and playing with toys with levers, doors and moving parts.

How can I help my baby develop?

Your baby is probably interested in toys they can interact with. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money on them. You can entertain them by opening and closing the kitchen cupboards (as long as the contents are safe), giving them a wooden spoon to bang a pot with, playing peek-a-boo behind the sofa or curtains, and building blocks into a tower.

Keep talking, singing and reading to your baby as much as possible to help with their language development. Make funny sounds, explain to them what you are doing, and respond to their noises.

You can help your baby to gain confidence in walking by standing or kneeling in front of them with your hands out, or holding them by the hands as they walk towards you. You can also buy a toy trolley or stroller that they can hold onto while they learn to walk. Make sure it’s stable and has a wide base. Baby walkers are not recommended as they can interfere with natural development of walking skills and result in many injuries.

Development problem signs

Babies develop at different rates. At 9 months, talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if they:

• haven’t started to move at all
• aren't showing any interest in or reaching for objects
• don’t recognise you or a main carer
• don't turn towards quiet sounds
• aren't babbling or recognising sounds made by other people
• don’t make eye contact
• can’t be comforted by you or a main carer
• hold their body stiff rather than sitting

Where can I go for help?

If you are worried or would like to discuss any issues with your baby’s development, speak to your doctor or child health nurse.

Speak to a maternal child health nurse

Call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available 7am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week.

Sources:

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Last reviewed: October 2020

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Related pages

• Bonding with your baby
• How your baby learns - birth to 3 years
• Your baby’s growth and development – first 12 months
• Understanding baby growth charts

This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional.

Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, this publication or any part of it may not be reproduced, altered, adapted, stored and/or distributed in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Healthdirect Australia.

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9-Month-Old Baby: Development and Milestones

9-Month-Old Baby

Look at all that baby has achieved! Your 9-month-old baby is probably sitting (with or without support), pulling up to stand, clapping their hands and maybe even working on crawling and cruising. They also love picking up food to self-feed using their index finger and thumb in the "pincer" grasp. With these abilities, life has really become an adventure for baby—and you, as you've been following your child as they explore, pointing them toward new things to examine and touch. Your resourceful baby may use furniture and other objects for support while moving around a room. As usual, keep your eyes on your little one at all times, because they’re surprisingly fast and can easily take a tumble, since they’re still mastering their balance skills.

You may feel more comfortable in your skin as a caregiver now, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions surrounding this new phase in baby’s life. As your child continues to grow and develop, you’re likely wondering if they’re hitting all the 9-month-old baby milestones. So what should they be doing at this stage of infanthood? Is it normal for a 9-month-old to not have teeth? What if they’re still not sleeping through the night? It’s important to remember that every baby develops at their own speed. At the nine-month mark, you just might have a babbling, crawling, standing baby on your hands.

In this article:
9-month-old development
9-month-old health
9-month-old feeding
9-month-old sleep
9-month-old schedule
9-month-old activities
9-month-old checklist and tips

9-Month-Old Development

Baby isn’t just developing quickly, they’re growing by leaps and bounds! In fact, baby might just shoot up like crazy this month. It’s common for babies to have a growth spurt around 9 months.

9-month-old baby weight and length

We know you’re wondering: How much should a 9-month-old weigh? Average weight for a 9-month-old baby is 18. 1 pounds for girls and 19.6 pounds for boys. Average length is 27.6 inches for girls and 28.3 inches for boys, according to the World Health Organization. Of course, height and weight can vary widely between healthy babies, so as long as baby is growing at a healthy rate—on a steady curve on the chart at the doctor’s office—and the pediatrician doesn’t see any signs of a problem, your child’s growth is right on track. Baby is likely growing nearly half an inch this month and gaining three to five ounces each week.

9-month-old’s five senses

Baby’s vision keeps getting better. Now they can see well across the room. They can easily recognize familiar faces and objects. By now, there’s a good chance they have a favorite toy or stuffed animal. Baby knows there are things they can’t see—that’s called object permanence. They’ll remember a toy and look for it.

Baby can recognize familiar sounds too. They may understand words they hear often, such as no, bottle, mama and dada.

9-month-old baby milestones

There’s plenty of exciting things happening now. Baby is 9 months old and making waves. So what should a 9-month-old be able to do? Remember, some babies are quick to learn certain skills, while others prefer to take their sweet time. While each baby is different, here are some 9-month-old baby milestones they may be working on:

• Crawling. Nine months is the average age babies start to crawl, which means yours might have been doing it for a while, or you’re still waiting for them to start. A 9-month-old not yet crawling isn’t typically a cause for concern. In fact, doctors say some perfectly healthy and well-developed babies never crawl at all—they jump straight to walking! If you haven’t already, this is your reminder to babyproof your home asap.

• Standing. Your 9-month-old baby may be able to hold on to the couch or coffee table to stand themselves up. Next comes cruising, which means walking around with the support of the furniture. You know what comes next after that!

• Sitting. What’s most fun to a 9-month-old might be sitting for long periods of time, playing with toys and objects. Your baby loves to use their hands to do just about everything!

• Pincer grasp. Nine-month-olds may begin to pick things up using their pointer finger and thumb—known as the pincer grasp. This really comes in handy when feeding and playing.

• Babbling. Most 9-month-old babies make sounds like mamamama and dadadada—they may even use them to describe their parents. First comes babbling and then comes talking! Keep listening as baby might say their first word now if they haven’t already.

• Growing teeth. You’ve probably noticed baby teething; how many teeth should a 9-month-old have? It really depends on the child. Some babies may have multiple teeth, others none at all. The upper and lower incisors are usually the first to appear. You can expect to see them coming in around the following ages:

• Lower central incisor: 6 to10 months

• Lower lateral incisor: 10 to16 months

• Upper central incisor: 8 to12 months

• Upper lateral incisor: 9 to13 months

If baby’s not doing everything other 9-month-olds are doing, it isn’t reason to worry. But there are certain things that could be signs of developmental delay. Tell the pediatrician if baby:

• Doesn’t put weight on their legs when you hold them upright above a surface.
• Doesn’t sit with propping or holding.
• Doesn’t babble sounds like “mama,” “baba” and “dada."
• Doesn’t play games that require back-and-forth play.
• Doesn’t respond to their name.
• Doesn’t seem to recognize familiar people.
• Doesn’t look where you point.
• Doesn’t pass toys from one hand to the other.

9-Month-Old Health

At 9 months old, baby is due for another checkup with the pediatrician, where they’ll have their weight, height and head circumference measured. They’ll get a physical exam and may get a blood test to check for anemia and traces of lead. If you have specific concerns or questions about your 9-month-old’s health, now’s the time to ask the doctor!

9-Month-Old Baby Feeding

Hello, independent baby! If baby drinks from a bottle, they might be able to hold it themselves by now. This would also be a good time to introduce a straw or open cup. As for solid foods, they’re probably into the idea of eating those independently too.

How much should a 9-month-old eat?

• Bottle feeding: How many ounces should a 9-month-old drink? It should total about 24 to 32 ounces in a 24-hour period. In other words, if baby has a bottle six times per day, they should each have about four to six ounces of formula in them.
• Breastfeeding: Feedings are still typically about every three or four hours, but each breastfed baby may be slightly different. What’s important is that baby seems content, your breasts seem to have been emptied (they’re soft) and your child is gaining weight healthily.
• Pumping: A breastfed baby needs about 25 ounces of breast milk per day. So you’ll want to divide that by how many feedings your baby typically has.
• Solid food: If you’re wondering what to feed a 9-month-old baby, it’s simpler than it may seem. Baby should have three small meals plus two snacks (kind of like you!), and doctors recommend feeding baby whole foods, without much that’s processed or has added sugar or salt. Give baby a variety of foods in different food groups and different colors of the rainbow: yellow bananas, red peppers, green avocado, orange sweet potatoes, white tofu, brown whole grain cereal. Baby should be getting protein, carbohydrates and fats in every meal.

To double-check that baby’s getting enough breast milk or formula, you can check their diapers. How many wet diapers for a 9-month-old is healthy? About four or five very wet ones per day is considered ideal.

What can baby eat this month?

What finger foods can I feed my 9-month-old? Nine-month-olds are working on their pincer grasp, so finger foods are a go. Offer their favorite soft-cooked veggies cut into small pieces, bits of banana or avocado, or tiny cooked pasta pieces. You can’t go wrong with the ever-popular Cheerios.

Can a 9-month-old eat eggs? Many parents of 9-month-olds ask about eggs. The advice used to be to avoid giving babies eggs before their first birthday, but that recommendation has changed. Egg is a common allergen, and the old advice said egg yolk was okay around 9 months, but to wait to introduce the egg white (which is more likely to cause an allergic reaction). But newer food allergy research suggests that it might benefit baby to introduce common food allergens early and often. So the short answer is yes, you can give baby egg at 9 months (or even before!), although you should always talk to your pediatrician before introducing potential allergens. And as with introducing any new food, watch your baby for signs of an allergic reaction in the following days.

9-month-old feeding schedule

Image: Megan Rubey

9-Month-Old Sleep

The thing that’s constantly on parents’ minds: Sleep! There are some common questions moms and dads have about their 9-month-olds’ snooze time:

How much should a 9-month-old sleep?

Nine-month-old babies typically sleep about 14 to 15 hours per day. Eleven hours of those are at night. About three hours are divided between two daytime naps.

What if my 9-month-old baby isn’t sleeping through the night? About 70 percent of 9-month-olds sleep 8 to 12 hours at night without waking. But don’t let the fact that your baby isn’t part of the majority get you down—babies don’t need to sleep through the night, even if you might want them to! If you think your child needs a little extra nudging to start sleeping longer stretches, you might consider sleep-training. Sleep training a 9-month-old baby is totally doable. Here’s more information to help you decide if sleep training is right for your family, as well as advice on how to do it.

What if my 9-month-old won’t sleep? Sleep regression is common among 9-month-old babies. Because your child is learning new skills, such as crawling, pulling up to stand and cruising, they might decide they want to practice them… in the middle of the night. Some older babies might decide they simply miss their parents! The good news is, babies tend to grow out of regressions like this within a month or two. Until then, use some of these tricks to try to help baby (and you!) get more restful sleep.

9-month-old sleep schedule

Image: Megan Rubey

9-Month-Old Schedule

Nine-month-olds might be awake for about 10 hours per day, and they’re likely more active than ever! You’re probably looking for ideas of things to do with a 9-month-old baby. Check out this list of baby activities that’ll give you an idea of things to do now, as well as things to do with baby as they grow.

9-month-old schedule example

A 9-month-old’s daily schedule might look something like this:

Image: Megan Rubey

Activities for a 9-Month-Old

Want to know how to engage your busy cutie? Here are some ideas:

• Nine-month-old babies love adventure! Create a mini obstacle course with cushions baby can climb, scoot and cruise over and around to help them experiment with their movement skills.
• Read, read, read. Your diligent mini scholar loves being read to—by you! Your their favorite storyteller, so get out some new board and picture books and enjoy!
• Baby loves interactive toys, but you don't need anything fancy or electronic. They love items with buttons and knobs they can press and turn!

9-Month-Old Baby Checklist and Tips

• Take baby to their nine-month checkup.
• Nine-month-olds typically get a blood test: The doctor will test baby’s blood for lead and signs of anemia.
• Schedule baby’s 12-month checkup.
• Does baby need a new car seat? A car seat for your 9-month-old baby should be rear-facing (until age 2 or 3), so look for a convertible seat that can be used for at least another year or two.
• Nine-month-olds need to have the few teeth they have brushed regularly. You can now use a small smear of fluoride toothpaste to help brush baby’s teeth. (Teaching them to spit it out can be fun!)
• Nine-month-old babies love adventure! Create a mini obstacle course with cushions baby can climb, scoot and cruise over and around to help them experiment with their movement skills.
• Take baby’s 9-month-old baby milestone photo.
• At 9 months old, baby is in the very early stages of learning the meanings of words. You might be surprised that 9-month-old babies can understand some commands already. Experiment with certain phrases like “please give me the toy,” and provide them with plenty of praise when they correctly complete a request.
• Baby’s memory is getting stronger; if your little one knows you give them a bath and read to them before bed every night, they’ll remember that going to sleep comes next.

Who knew that there could be so many 9-month-old baby milestones to look forward to? With each day that passes, your 9-month-old will continue to surprise you with their impressive growth, development and intelligence.

Medical content was reviewed by Dina DiMaggio, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Pediatric Associates of NYC and NYU Langone Health in New York City, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is also the coauthor of The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers.

07/06/2016

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Article

Tatyana Chkhikvishvili

Tatyana Chkhikvishvili

Head of the Online program, psychologist, consultant on a consultant on a consultant on a consultant on a consultant on a consultant on a consultant sleep and breastfeeding

mother of two children

For the first 1. 5 years of life, the child changes fantastically! Height, weight, physical skills and mental abilities - never again in his life will his development be so rapid.

But the development of the child does not occur evenly, but in leaps. Suddenly, unexpectedly, some new skill appears in the crumbs, and then for some time nothing new seems to happen. In fact, a new skill has a preparatory period, about a week. And this week is a real crisis for both the baby and the parents.

These crises in the development of children are noticeable and natural, Dr. Hetty Vandereit and Professor Frans Ploy - psychologists, specialists in the field of early childhood development - even created a special calendar of child crises.

But don't be afraid! Each crisis is a consequence of the development of the child, so these crisis weeks are more likely to add up to a calendar of jumps in the development of the child. Each crisis is a jump in the development of the nervous system, a jump in the growth of the brain, the emergence of new abilities in a child. For a baby, this is comparable to the discovery of a new, completely unknown world. Of course, this worries the child. During a crisis, he can worry, act up, cry, sleep and eat worse.

Change is too fast. They are incomprehensible to the child, he is excited and frightened. During a crisis, the baby really needs your attention and help. Be patient. It is in your power to help your child go through every crisis, every growth spurt easier and faster.

The growth spurt table shows how developmental spurts are distributed over the weeks of a baby's life. Weeks highlighted in light green show crisis. Lightning and blue color indicates the most difficult time. The crisis is followed by weeks marked in white - this is a calm period, the end of the crisis. The child successfully survived another leap and mastered something new. Until the next developmental leap and a new crisis, there will be a rather calm time when the baby consolidates new skills.

Child crisis calendar

Developmental leaps in children occur at about the same age. Up to 1.5 years, the child experiences 10 such jumps. At first, each crisis is short, and they often succeed each other. Gradually, the intervals between crisis periods lengthen, but the duration of each jump also increases.

If the baby was born prematurely, see the growth spurt calendar from the due date (DOT). If the baby was born late, start counting earlier, also with the PDD.

BabySleep prepared a series of articles about growth spurts in children. Learn how to recognize the approach of each crisis, what your child will learn after it ends, what difficulties may arise and how to help your child cope with them.

A series of articles prepared on the basis of the book “The Wonder Weeks: How to Turn Your Baby's Eight Great Fussy Phases into Magical Leaps Forward”, Hetty Vanderijt, Frans Plooij (“Naughty? So developing!”, Hetty Vanderijt, Frans Ploy)

#surge

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5 signs your kids are having a growth spurt

March 29 2019

The typical school-age child grows about 5 cm each year. During puberty, this figure reaches 10 cm. But in the first 12 months of his life, the child grows simply colossally quickly - by about 25 cm.

Even during this busy growing season, some children experience short bursts of weight gain and growth. Each child is individual, so it is impossible to say whether he will have growth spurts. But you need to keep your ears open and your nose to the wind.

photo Nurturey Blog

Frequency of growth spurts

Lee Ann O'Connor, a certified lactation consultant in private practice in New York, says she typically sees growth spurts at 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months. The last rapid jump, as a rule, occurs at about 9th month of life. However, the most accurate indicator is the behavior of your children. So what do you need to pay attention to?

Up to a year, the child is rapidly gaining weight / photo Tesco Baby Club

Signs of growth spurts

1. The child is constantly hungry

It seems that you have already established a feeding schedule, and the child begins to want to eat . .. around the clock. Babies can go to such a marathon for 3-4 days. And every time the mixture in the bottle runs out, the baby begins to scream furiously, demanding an additional "ration". Only feeding on demand can save you. All the calories that the child consumes during this period go to creating reserves of fat cells, building muscle mass and changing the structure of bone tissue.

2. Changing sleep patterns

Some parents report that their children sleep more during growth spurts. Others claim that children sleep much less during such periods. Be that as it may, sleep plays a vital role in the production of growth hormone. So let nature take its toll, turning a slumbering baby into someone you'll never be able to practically hold in your hands again.

3. The child becomes more moody

By the way, this may be a side effect of the two previous signs of rapid growth: a hungry or tired child, as a rule, will not be silent, but will declare it as loudly as an ambulance rushing to a call ". In addition, in the event of a significant growth spurt in children, the tendons and muscles are stretched, which can cause pain. Minor, but still pain.

4. Baby learns new skills

Of course, don't associate your baby's newfound ability to clap or grab a toy with a growth spurt. But we should not forget that the child's brain grows and develops along with the rest of the body.

5. The size of the legs and fives

Often it is the size of the legs and arms that is one of the first signs of a growth spurt. When you see that his pants have suddenly become too short, the cuffs of his shirts have begun to pull up to his elbows, and the child can no longer squeeze into his shoes, be sure that your baby is having a growth spurt. In addition, attention should be paid to too narrow joints (knees, elbows and shoulders), which make the child awkward and ridiculous. You will notice that boys have widened shoulders, while girls have widened hips. Boiling hormones can speed up hair growth, change your voice, and trigger acne and new body odor.

Another important point. Growth spurts are very easy to confuse with other problems. For example, a child who is too sleepy or cranky may simply be sick, while constant hunger may indicate that he simply does not have enough breast milk.

photo Mama Natural

Why is it so important to properly feed children during growth spurts

You realized that your child was having a growth spurt because you began to catch him more and more often doing his favorite activity during this period - "digging" in the refrigerator. In the first year of life, the child grows by 25 cm and triples its weight. Bones, muscles, tendons, joints, skin, hair and internal organs are all formed from the nutrients a child consumes. That is why it is important to feed children not only enough, but also correctly. The US Department of Health has called osteoporosis a "pediatric disease with geriatric consequences" because bone mass gained during childhood and adolescence is an important determinant of lifetime skeletal health. So everything is laid down in childhood, including diseases from which we may suffer later.

For proper nutrition, remember that protein is the basic building block of all tissues such as muscles, bones, heart, lungs, skin and hair. A teenager needs about 1 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight. Getting more protein will not necessarily increase growth, and eating too much can have negative health effects. Bones are made up of the minerals calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and potassium, as well as vitamins D and K.

Proper nutrition is the key to health / photo Vision Smart Center

Growing children also need complex carbohydrates from vegetables and whole grains, which are a source of glycogen, which is the main source of energy for muscles. And the latter will definitely undergo overload during classes at school, at sports sections and walks. At the same time, our body is able to store a strictly defined amount of glycogen, so the kids must constantly replenish its reserves.

And how to feed a child who prefers sweets and “empty” pasta with all this usefulness?

Healthy food should be as accessible as possible. Enough so that the kids can grab it and run outside again.
Since the process of hydration, which is responsible for the accumulation of carbohydrates and glucose in cells, is vital, keep a jug of fresh water at room temperature on the table.
Nutrient sources such as sweet potato, pumpkin, brown rice, quinoa, polenta, whole wheat pasta, corn, etc. should be on your dinner table.
Follow your meal schedule. Snacking on the fly is no substitute for a full meal.
While the child is busy (doing homework), put a plate of fruits, vegetables or crackers in front of him. But such a snack should not sabotage the main meal.
Use the 90:10 formula, where 90 is the percentage of healthy foods, and 10 is the amount of sweets and treats.
They say that all the joys of life can be contained in one smile of a child.

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