8 Month Developmental Milestones

SCHEDULE:

7am wake up and nurse
8am breakfast
9:30am nap 1
11am nurse
12pm lunch
1pm nap 2
3pm nurse
5pm dinner
6:30/45pm nurse
Bed 7/7:15pm

MOTOR:

By now, most babies are sitting up unassisted and are starting to crawl if they haven't already. They are various forms of crawling such as the army crawl, lobster crawl or the standard on all fours crawl. Some babies do go straight from rolling over to sitting to walking but it is important to ensure opportunities to crawl. Now is the time to remove any cords and to ensure all furniture items are bolted to the wall. Search Crawling on my website for more information on why and how.

ENTERTAINMENT:

Some babies may be trying to pull themselves upright, in which it is great to provide opportunities to do so. For example, having a bookcase with two levels can be great for them to pull themselves up and grab something soft from the top shelf like a @sarahssilks scarf that's in a basket. I also love to put a little mirror on the bottom shelf with a few wooden toys from @ostheimerwoodentoys. I love the @wiwiurka_toys arch because you can hang silk scarfs, tie them from each bar, put one over like a tent and it sets up a foundation for early cross-lateral movements. This is also a good time to begin providing opportunities for your child to see how things fall such as throwing a ball and scarves up into the air, as they love the concept of gravity. This is also a time when you want to start giving them chances to clean up. When they hold an object in their hand, hold a basket next to them and say, "You may put XYZ in the basket".

COMMUNICATION:

Routines now become especially important as around 8 months the idea of object permanence begins to solidify. For example, a baby will understand it's time to eat when they are in the highchair. This is also when they begin to love the concept of gravity as the idea of cause and effect is fascinating to them. Most babies will start to say “gagga, dadda, or mamma” or make a ton of noise which is very typical. They will also understand the meaning of “hi” and “bye” and “milk” and “bottle” so it is a good time to start using pairing the hand movement with the phrase. Continue doing baby sign language.

EATING:

As your little one gets more proficient at eating you may find that their milk intake may drop. They should take on anywhere from 24-32 ounces of milk but some babies are so fascinated by food that it may drop down even more. As always, consult with your pediatrician. If you are not doing baby led weaning, foods should be in a mashed/bite size pieces form and not puree. See my Starting Solids series for more information.

SLEEP:

Most babies at this age need 13-14 hours of sleep and will be taking 2 naps a day. The naps can range from 20 mins to 2 hours. Separation anxiety may begin at this age so you may find that sleep can be a struggle. This is typically when I find there are sleep regressions because parents don’t hold on to their routine.