What to Expect in a Nine-Month-Old Baby

Are you feeling even more challenged now that your baby’s capacity is growing? Not only is feeding and sleeping still being affected by his visual perception, but he is now physically exploring the environment by crawling or creeping to get places. You have baby proofed as much as you can, yet he still finds things to put into his mouth.

You are uncertain about your child exercising his curiosity by mouthing things, but you will be glad when he is able to implement his pincer grasp to feed himself bite-sized pieces of food! At this stage, he may have a preference in who feeds him; he is cognitively aware of person permanence and may want you to hold him or will push you away because he wants the other parent!

As you feed him and he crawls away, do you notice that he looks back at you for your reaction? Your child is reading you because as he is encouraged to exercise independence you have set limits and boundaries in the home.

Nine-month-olds show cognitive awareness of social referencing and person permanence, so prepare yourself for separation anxiety when your child is transitioning to new environments (i.e. leaving your child with Grandmother and Grandfather when you reenter the outside world for a night out on the town).

Check out this developmental milestone checklist below or click here to save a copy.