Your baby’s first birthday is fast approaching.  How exciting! It’s normal if you feel mixed emotions. Enjoy this moment, because you’ve earned it. Here are the developmental milestones to expect in their last month of babyhood.

Growth

At 11 months old, boys weigh about 9.5kg with a length of 74.5 cm, while girls weigh about 8.8 kg with a length of 72.8cm. One significant developmental change that occurs as your child reaches toddlerhood is weight loss.  Your baby will begin to lean out. Walking burns calories, and their cute little rolls will transform into muscles to strengthen their laps around the house.

Developmental Milestones

Here are key mental and physical developments you can watch for this month:

Body

At this age, your baby can:

• Crawl
• Get up unassisted
• Take steps
• Reach for items he wants
• Imitate words
• Say words like “Dada” and “Mama”
• Roll sideways
• Stack play objects like bowls and cups

Brain

At this age, your baby will:

• Develops specific preferences for textures and tastes
• Shows inquisitiveness and learns how things work
• Display personality traits
• Know one-word phrases
• Enjoy dancing
• Love music
• Imitates animal sounds 

Daily routine

Eleven-month-old babies are always full of energy, active, and set to explore their environment. Your daily routine with your child might appear as follows:

• 7 a.m. — your baby is fully awake, you can carry out a morning nursing session
• 8 a.m. —Breakfast, which may include scrambled eggs or yoghurt
• 10 a.m. — nap time
• 12:30 p.m. – time for Lunch
• 2 p.m.—nap time
• 5:30 p.m. — dinner and playtime
• 7 p.m. — bedtime
• 7:30 p.m.—time to sleep

Feeding and Nutrition

At this age, your baby’s diet should include many fresh foods like

• Yoghurt
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Grains
• Protein sources

Avoid food with choking risks like popcorn, nuts, and whole grapes. Your baby can take water with meals, but don’t give them juice unless your paediatrician recommends it. 

Sleep

At 11 months old, your baby should be sleeping well at night. Also, they may be transitioning out of the usual morning and afternoon nap to a long afternoon nap. Remember, your toddler may begin to fight it, but he or she still needs their afternoon nap.

Health and Safety

While your child is approaching toddlerhood, their baby teeth will still be erupting in the upcoming months.

During this period, your baby’s lateral and central incisors will begin to erupt on both the lower and upper gums. You can also use teething toys to ease the pain.

Further, most babies can climb, especially when they want something that they can’t reach. So make sure you childproof against your baby’s new climbing abilities.

When to be worried

If your child isn’t capable of sitting up on their own, doesn’t communicate with you, or hasn’t attempted crawling, you should consult your child’s doctor.

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