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8 Month Old Baby: Milestones, Sleep and Feeding

Your 8 month old baby: crawling or scooting, pulling to sit, peekaboo, separation anxiety and moving on to lumpier foods.

Before you use this guide: Every baby grows and develops at their own pace, and healthy babies vary a lot. Weights are WHO medians at the start of the month, not targets. If your baby was born early, use their corrected age. This is general information, not an individual medical assessment.

How your baby is developing

Eight-month-olds are on the move. Some crawl on hands and knees, some commando-crawl on their tummy, some bottom-shuffle and some skip crawling altogether. All of these are normal. Many babies can pull themselves up to sitting and may begin to pull up on furniture.

Your baby is learning that things still exist when they cannot see them, which is why peekaboo is such a hit and why they look for a dropped toy. This understanding is also behind separation anxiety, which often peaks between about eight and ten months. Babbling becomes more varied, and your baby may use sounds to get your attention.

Milestones to look for

These are skills that many babies show around this age. Some will come earlier and some later, and missing one is not usually a cause for worry.

• Crawls, scoots or shuffles to move around
• Gets into a sitting position, and may pull to sit
• Looks for a toy that falls out of sight
• Plays peekaboo
• Babbles with different sounds and tones
• Starts to use fingers to pick up food
• Shows clear preferences for familiar people

Feeding

• Your baby is probably having three small meals a day, and milk feeds around them. Milk still provides a large part of their nutrition.
• Offer finger foods that are soft enough to squash between your fingers, as well as lumpier textures. Babies who are introduced to lumps later can be fussier about them.
• Let your baby feed themselves, even though it is messy. It helps with coordination and independence.
• Offer water with meals in an open cup.
• Do not add salt or sugar to your baby's food.

Sleep

• Most babies still take two or three naps, and the last nap of the day may start to shorten.
• Sleep can be bumpy at this age because of new skills, teething and separation anxiety. This often passes within a couple of weeks.
• A calm, consistent goodnight routine and a brief, reassuring response when your baby wakes can help.
• Lower the cot mattress as your baby learns to sit and pull up.

See our wake windows by age guide and the rules in our safe sleep guide.

Play and learning

• Put toys just out of reach to encourage crawling.
• Make a safe obstacle course with cushions to crawl over.
• Play hiding and finding games.
• Sing action songs and read books together.
• Give your baby objects to put into and take out of containers.

Keeping your baby safe

• Use safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Secure heavy furniture and TVs to the wall.
• Keep blind cords tied up high, and keep window catches locked.
• Check the floor for small objects, including coins and batteries. Button batteries are extremely dangerous if swallowed.
• Keep medicines and cleaning products locked away.

Looking after yourself

It can be hard to leave your baby when they cry for you. Short, loving goodbyes are best, because sneaking out can make things worse. Your baby will gradually learn that you come back.

Your baby is also getting heavier, so look after your back when lifting and carrying.

When to ask for help

Talk to your health visitor or doctor if your baby cannot sit without support, does not bear weight on their legs when held, does not try to reach for things, does not babble, does not respond to sounds or their name, or has very stiff or floppy muscles. If your baby swallows a button battery or a magnet, go straight to emergency care.

Trust your instincts. If you are worried about your baby at any age, contact your doctor, health visitor or local emergency number.

This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.