What Are Some Health Concerns for an 8 Month Baby

Your 8-month-old baby is decorated, decorated, busy — busy exploring, learning, moving around and engaged in more sophisticated interactions and play.

That means you'll exist plenty busy keeping upwards with your little ane too. Milestones similar crawling are on the horizon if he isn't scooting around on all fours already, and he'south probably baby-talking upward a storm. Plus playtime is more fun all the time.

Hither'south what's coming up for your viii-calendar month-former.

Your 8-calendar month-old babe'southward development

At a Glance

Sleeping basics

At this historic period, babies typically sleep about 11 hours at night (many straight through) and take two daily naps that add together up to iii to 4 hours.

Feeding basics

Your baby should go 24 to thirty ounces of breast milk or formula a day and 4 to ix tablespoons of cereal, fruit and vegetables daily, as well equally ane to 6 tablespoons of protein foods.

Did y'all know?

Even at 8 months, babies will look away from something that'due south too like shooting fish in a barrel — or also difficult — for them to understand.

Your baby'southward power to communicate is expanding daily, and you'll notice him attempting to utilize sounds, gestures and facial expressions — non to mention those adorable laughs and squeals — to become your attention and let you lot know what he wants.

Every bit he strings together more than vowel and consonant sounds, you'll start to hear "real" words — including the all-important "Mama" and "Dada."

You are certainly the most important people in his life correct now, which makes it unsurprising that your fiddling one has likely adult a fear of strangers.

Why has your social butterfly suddenly become antisocial with strangers? This social snubbery isn't snobbery — it's a sign of maturity, and it's perfectly normal at this stage of development.

This sudden shyness and newfound clinginess will laissez passer. And then give your petty one the space to socialize at his own footstep, and on his own terms.

Speaking of clinginess, you may also notice your cutie has go more attached to a comfort object, similar a coating or stuffed animal. This, besides, is perfectly developmentally appropriate.

With independent mobility comes the realization that he can separate (or be separated) from yous at whatever fourth dimension, and that epiphany is partly exciting and partly unsettling.

A comfort object acts to fill up in as a Mommy or Daddy substitute, assuasive your baby to bring that comfort along wherever he goes. For now, let your baby accept the security he craves.

Your 8-month-old baby's growth

Your 8-month-old baby girl will striking the scales somewhere between 13 and 23 pounds, while your baby boy will be weighing in at 14 to 25 pounds. On the length charts, look for your babe to fall somewhere between 25 and thirty inches.

To keep up with that growth, baby volition exist interested in expanding his food repertoire and trading in that spoon for finger foods and cocky-feeding.

Sure, the transition from spoon to fingers will be messy and frustrating on both sides of the loftier chair. Simply every bit your infant perfects the pincer grasp equally he nears his starting time birthday, his ability to hold smaller objects, similar peas and modest pasta shapes, will amend — considerably expanding the carte and the corporeality of self-feeding that can practically exist done.

For now, stick to finger foods that can be gummed earlier swallowing or that volition dissolve easily in the mouth: whole grain bread or waffles, rice cakes, oat circle cereals, cubes of cheese or tofu, avocado, banana, pear, melon or mango slices, modest chunks of cooked carrot, sweet potato, or cauliflower florets, baked or poached fish, meatballs, chicken, pasta, smashed beans, or scrambled or difficult-cooked eggs.

Avert uncooked raisins, whole peas (unless they are smashed), hot dogs, nuts or popcorn, grapes, hard or gooey processed, chunks of peanut butter, raw, firm vegetables or fruit, and large chunks of cheese, meat and poultry.

Your 8-calendar month-old baby's health

Baby won't accept a well-visit for another month, merely you probably have plenty of questions about how your baby's growing and developing.

Poison-proof your abode

Allergy medicine for baby?

Leaving baby in the machine

Stomach trouble?

Acupuncture for babies

Postpartum & new infant tips

Stimulate your 8-month-former's senses

Stimulate your 8-month-old past describing how things work, how they are used and how they are different.

For case, "When I plow on the faucet, water comes out," "The car volition help u.s.a. become places faster than walking with you in the stroller," "The doggy says 'woof' and the kitty cat says 'meow'".

Spend time talking, singing songs and reading books to heave his language skills; play games that assist explain concepts like cause and effect (fill a cup of water in the bath and let baby turn it over) and object permanence (play peek-a-boo).

Point out sounds (the burn truck) and smells (the flower) and give your child a run a risk to experiment and explore — even if information technology ways smearing yogurt in his hair or pulling upwardly tufts of grass in the yard.

The "oopsie" game

The scene: Your dinner tabular array. Your 8-month-old is in his high chair with an enticing array of foods earlier him. Your baby has his bib and his spoon. And then, is he eating? No!

Instead, your baby is merrily tossing his spoon overboard — over and over and once more — and giggling with glee every time you option information technology up and return information technology to him.

Is your baby but enjoying watching y'all stoop down to the floor? Is he trying to drive you crazy on purpose? Nope. Your baby'due south brain is merely busy working on two big concepts: cause and outcome ("When I throw this, Mom picks it up! Cool!") and object permanence ("I can't run into this while information technology's under my chair, but wow! There it is once more!").

As annoying — and hard on your dorsum — equally it may be, this drop-information technology-over again-and-once more routine is a sign of the crucial cognitive development of memory and abstract-thinking skills.

Finger nutrient rubber

Finger foods are particularly welcome now, since babies this historic period like to feed themselves — or try to. It'south not pretty, and information technology'southward not bully, just it's gotta happen.

Just brand certain you're always supervising when you lot graduate to finger foods.

And call back, fifty-fifty babies who have teeth aren't set for steak yet: Those first teeth aren't for chewing, but for bitter. Make sure everything you give your baby can be easily gummed, for safety's sake.

More reasons to exercise

Exercise boosts free energy along with immunity. Shoot for at least twenty minutes of sustained activity 3 times a calendar week, although thirty minutes, four or more times per week, is improve in the long run for stronger bones.

How? Now that your baby is older than six months, strap him in a jogging stroller and become for a run. Or employ a forepart pack or haversack if he can sit down unsupported and have a brisk walk (no jogging with your baby in a pack).

If yous're within, try an practice video or mini-trampoline. Or just put on some music and boogie — your baby will detect watching you incessantly entertaining!

All-time fruits for baby

Turn your baby into a fruit fiend by giving him squished blueberries or small pieces of soft fruits like bananas or very ripe, peeled and skinned pear.

To go far easier to selection up glace banana pieces, try dusting them in crushed Cheerios beginning.

Ripe mangoes, peaches, apricots, kiwis, honeydew and cantaloupe are also likely to appeal to your baby's sweet tooth (or gums), simply make sure to accept off whatsoever skin start.

Not all fruit is babe-friendly, though. Avoid pieces of apple, even without the peel, for now. Ditto any other harder-textured or unripe fruit that could get stuck in the windpipe.

Why babies love soft blocks

There'due south a reason why blocks have been around forever — they can practise so many things. Before your little one learns to stack them, they'll be good for grabbing, holding and mouthing, and then get unproblematic cubes that are made of cloth but can all the same be easily stacked.

The best ones have colorful pictures and make a soft, jingly sound when squeezed or shaken. Early on, earlier he'due south sitting up, y'all can show him the pictures on the blocks and talk nearly them and allow him listen to the blocks as you squeeze or shake them.

Later, boost his gross-motor skills by stacking the blocks and letting him knock them down with his arms or legs. Or show him how to toss the blocks at a safe target — the sofa, say, or the rug.

Your 8-month-former'southward mobility

Your baby'southward large-motor skills volition exist tested as he learns to sit up comfortably and steadily and work on pushing himself up into a seated position from his tummy.

Some babies begin to pitter-patter or crawl this calendar month, or even find that they can move around quite well by scooting on their bottoms.

If your baby was an early crawler, he may now move on to standing (pulling himself up the sofa — or your legs — to get upright).

Encourage this new view of the earth, and perchance even those first wobbly steps, by arranging the article of furniture (like chairs and low-lying tables) in a row and then he can inch his way across with steady support — a motor skill called cruising.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Expect When Yous're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses simply credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected wellness organizations. Learn how we keep our content authentic and up-to-engagement by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.

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WhatToExpect.com, Is Your Baby Grasping the Pincer Grasp, November 2018.

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WhatToExpect.com, Types of Vomiting in Babies and Toddlers, July 2020.

WhatToExpect.com, Acupuncture for Babies, January 2019.

WhatToExpect.com, Why Leaving Your Child in the Car Is So Unsafe, October 2020.

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