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9 Month Old Baby: Milestones, Sleep and Feeding

Your 9 month old baby: sitting alone, crawling, pulling to stand, pincer grip, stranger anxiety and mealtimes.

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

Nine-month-olds are curious, mobile and increasingly sure of what they want. Most can sit without support and get into a sitting position by themselves. Many are crawling or pulling themselves up on furniture. Hands are busy too: moving things from one to the other, banging objects together and raking food towards themselves.

Emotions are also developing. Babies this age often show a wide range of facial expressions, may be shy, clingy or fearful around strangers, and may cry when you leave. They look when you call their name, lift their arms to be picked up and love peekaboo. They make lots of sounds, like “mamama” and “bababa”.

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.

• Is shy, clingy or fearful around strangers
• Shows several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry and surprised
• Looks when you call their name
• Reacts when you leave, by looking, reaching for you or crying
• Smiles or laughs when you play peekaboo
• Makes lots of different sounds, like “mamama” and “bababa”
• Lifts their arms up to be picked up
• Looks for objects when they are dropped out of sight, and bangs two things together
• Gets to a sitting position by themselves, and sits without support
• Moves things from one hand to the other
• Uses their fingers to rake food towards themselves

For the full checklist, see the CDC milestone checklist for this age.

Feeding

• Most babies this age are eating three meals a day, plus milk feeds and perhaps a snack. Milk is still important, but food is becoming a bigger part of the day.
• Offer a variety of foods from all the food groups, including iron-rich foods, vegetables, fruit, starchy foods and dairy such as yoghurt and cheese.
• Many babies develop a pincer grip, picking up small pieces of food between thumb and finger. Always supervise, and cut food to a safe size and shape.
• Let your baby join in family meals as much as possible, and avoid added salt and sugar.
• Honey should not be given until after 12 months, because of a rare risk of infant botulism.

Sleep

• Most babies are on two naps by now, with wake windows of about two and a half to three and a half hours.
• Many babies sleep for longer at night, but waking is still common. Teething, new skills and separation anxiety can all disturb sleep.
• Keep bedtime consistent, and give your baby plenty of daytime practice with new skills such as pulling up so they do not practise at night.

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

Play and learning

• Play peekaboo and hide-and-seek with toys under a cloth.
• Give your baby stacking cups, balls and containers with objects to put in and take out.
• Sing songs with actions.
• Read books with simple pictures, and name what you see.
• Play near furniture they can safely pull up on.

Keeping your baby safe

• Baby-proof every room your baby can reach. Think about stairs, sockets, cables, hot drinks, sharp corners and anything they can pull over.
• Keep small objects, batteries and magnets out of reach.
• Never leave your baby alone in the bath, even for a moment.
• Always supervise your baby when they are eating.

Looking after yourself

A busy baby on the move can be exhausting. Ask for help when you need it, and try to take turns with a partner or family member.

Some health services offer a developmental check at around this age. It is a chance to ask questions and check that your baby is doing well.

When to ask for help

Talk to your health visitor or doctor if your baby does not bear weight on their legs, does not sit with help, does not babble, does not play any games involving back-and-forth, does not respond to their name, does not seem to recognise familiar people, does not look where you point, or does not transfer toys from one hand to the other. Also talk to them if your baby has lost skills they had before.

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.