Week 28

Days 190 to 196 · 27 weeks 0 days to 27 weeks 6 days old · about 6 months A typical baby this week measures about 67 cm (26.5 in) and weighs about 7.7 kg (17 lb). Babies vary widely, and what matters is your baby following their own curve on the growth chart. Many babies are now restless on the floor: pushing up on straight arms, pivoting in circles, rocking on hands and knees or sliding backwards. Crawling, or some other way of getting around, is on its way. That makes this the week to babyproof your home in earnest, before your baby beats you to it. For you, life may feel a little more predictable, though naps are often shifting again. This week covers getting ready to crawl, the many ways babies get moving, a room-by-room safety check, poisons, button batteries and magnets, hot drinks, and the move from three naps to two.

Day 190 · 27 weeks 0 days old

Your baby is getting ready to crawl

Crawling rarely appears out of nowhere. In the weeks before, most babies go through a run of rehearsals that can look a little odd. Your baby may push up on straight arms and lift their chest high, then draw their knees under their tummy. Many babies rock back and forth on hands and knees, as if revving an engine, before they work out how to move a hand and the opposite knee forward.

Some babies first discover they can go backwards, which can be very frustrating when the toy they want is in front of them. Others pivot in circles on their tummy, roll across the room to get where they want, or reach so far they topple forward and find themselves somewhere new.

All of this builds strength in the shoulders, back and hips, plus the coordination to move both sides of the body together. Tummy time has paid off here, and it still matters.

You can encourage practice by giving your baby plenty of time on a clean floor in light, comfortable clothes, and by placing a favourite toy just out of reach. Lying on the floor facing your baby, a little distance away, is often the best motivation of all.

Try this: Lie on your tummy on the floor facing your baby, just out of reach, and cheer on any wriggle, pivot or rock that brings them closer.

Day 191 · 27 weeks 1 day old

Crawling, scooting or skipping it altogether

Many babies start crawling somewhere between about 6 and 10 months, but the range is wide, and there is no single right way to do it. The classic hands-and-knees crawl is only one style. Some babies commando crawl, dragging themselves forward on their tummy with their forearms. Some bottom shuffle, sitting upright and scooting along on their bottom, often using one leg to push. Others crab crawl sideways, bear crawl on hands and feet with straight legs, or roll wherever they need to go. A fair number skip crawling entirely and go straight from sitting to pulling up, cruising and walking. Bottom shufflers often walk a little later, which is usually nothing to worry about.

What matters is that your baby is finding some way to move and explore, and that they use both sides of their body. Babies born early are judged by their corrected age, so a baby born two months early may move a couple of months later than a baby born at term.

Call your baby's doctor if your baby shows no interest in moving at all by around 9 to 10 months, seems very floppy or very stiff, consistently uses one arm or leg much less than the other, or loses a skill they had before. Try this: Watch how your baby gets around today and give their style a name in your baby journal; it is a detail you will enjoy remembering.

Day 192 · 27 weeks 2 days old

Babyproofing starts at floor level

The best babyproofing tool is your own eyes at your baby's height. Get down on your hands and knees and crawl through the rooms your baby uses. You will spot things you never noticed: a dangling cord, a coin under the sofa, a wobbly plant stand, a gap behind the bookcase.

Start with the biggest dangers. Stairs need gates at the top and the bottom. At the top, use a gate that screws into the wall or banister, because pressure-mounted gates can give way when pushed. Pressure gates are fine for doorways and the bottom of the stairs.

Furniture tip-overs injure and kill young children every year. Anchor bookcases, dressers, shelving units and televisions to the wall with anti-tip straps or brackets, even if they seem heavy and stable. Put heavy items on lower shelves, and do not place tempting toys on top of furniture. Flat-screen televisions should be wall-mounted or strapped down.

Then work through the smaller things: sharp table corners, fireplace hearths, unstable floor lamps, and doors that can pinch fingers. You do not need to buy everything at once, and no home is ever completely childproof. The goal is to remove the most serious hazards and make the rest easy to supervise. Try this: Crawl through your living room on your hands and knees tonight and make a list of everything you can reach, pull or climb on.

Day 193 · 27 weeks 3 days old

Cords, outlets and windows

Some household hazards are easy to overlook because adults barely see them. Blind and curtain cords are one of the most serious. A loop of cord can wrap around a baby's neck in seconds, silently. The safest choice is cordless blinds. If you keep corded ones, cut looped cords, wind them around a cleat mounted high on the wall, and move the crib, high chair, playpen and any furniture a child could climb away from windows.

Electrical cords should be tucked behind furniture or into cord covers, so your baby cannot chew them or pull a lamp, kettle or iron down on themselves. Unplug and put away phone chargers when not in use, since the end of a cord that is still plugged in is a tempting thing to mouth. Many newer homes have tamper-resistant outlets. If yours do not, use outlet covers that are hard to remove and too large to be a choking hazard, or sliding plate covers.

Windows are a hidden risk once babies start pulling up. Screens keep insects out but will not hold a child. Fit window stops or guards so windows open no more than about 10 cm (4 in), and keep furniture away from them. Try this: Walk past every window in your home today and check where the blind cords hang and what furniture sits beneath each one.

Day 194 · 27 weeks 4 days old

Medicines and cleaning products go up high

Babies explore with their mouths, and they are quicker than you expect. Poisoning in young children most often happens at home, with ordinary products, during a few seconds of distraction.

Store medicines, vitamins and supplements up high and out of sight, ideally in a locked cupboard or box. This includes iron supplements, which are especially dangerous to small children, and anything kept in handbags, coat pockets or bedside tables. Visitors' bags are a common source, so offer guests a high shelf for theirs.

Keep cleaning products, dishwasher and laundry pods, bleach, drain cleaner, alcohol, mouthwash, nail polish remover, essential oils and e-cigarette liquid in high or latched cupboards. Laundry pods are particularly risky because they look like sweets and burst easily. Always keep products in their original containers, never in drink bottles or cups.

Save your local poison information centre's number in your phone and post it on the fridge for anyone who cares for your baby.

Get help right away if you think your baby has swallowed medicine, a cleaning product or another chemical. Call your poison centre or local emergency number immediately, even if your baby seems fine. Do not try to make them vomit. If your baby is not breathing, unresponsive or having a seizure, call emergency services.

For your partner: Take charge of the cupboard under the sink and the medicine shelf this weekend: move everything up high and fit child-resistant latches.

Day 195 · 27 weeks 5 days old

Button batteries, magnets and hot drinks

A few hazards are small but can do serious harm very quickly. Button batteries, the flat, round batteries found in remotes, car keys, scales, musical cards, thermometers, toys and many other devices, are at the top of the list. If swallowed, a battery can lodge in the esophagus and burn through the tissue within about two hours. Check that battery compartments are screwed shut, and store spare and used batteries well out of reach.

Small, powerful magnets, from some toys and desk gadgets, are dangerous too. If a baby swallows two or more, or a magnet and a metal object, they can pull together through the walls of the intestine and cause serious injury. Get help right away if you think your baby may have swallowed a button battery or a magnet. Go to the nearest emergency department or call your local emergency number immediately. Do not wait for symptoms, as your baby may seem perfectly well at first.

Hot drinks cause many burns in babies. A cup of tea or coffee can still scald a baby's thin skin long after it is cool enough for you to sip. Never hold your baby while you drink something hot, keep cups away from table edges, avoid tablecloths a baby can pull, and turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.

Try this: Gather every device in your home that uses a button battery and check that each compartment is secured with a screw or a firm catch.

Day 196 · 27 weeks 6 days old

From three naps to two

Somewhere between about 6 and 9 months, many babies drop from three naps a day to two. Signs that your baby is ready include fighting the third, late-afternoon nap, taking much longer to fall asleep at bedtime, or waking very early in the morning. Some babies simply start taking longer naps, which leaves no room for a third.

At this age, many babies can comfortably stay awake for about two to three hours at a time, and sometimes a little longer before bedtime. A typical two-nap day might include a mid-morning nap and an early-afternoon nap, each lasting one to two hours. Total daytime sleep is often about three hours, though some babies need more and some less.

The change is rarely tidy. For a week or two, your baby may need three naps on some days and two on others. On two-nap days, an earlier bedtime can bridge the gap until their body adjusts. A short catnap in the stroller or car can also rescue a tricky late afternoon.

Follow your baby's tiredness signals rather than the clock: rubbing eyes, staring off, fussing or losing interest in play. Wherever your baby naps, the safe sleep rules stay the same: on the back, in their own clear sleep space. Try this: Keep a simple note of your baby's nap times and moods for three days to see whether a two-nap pattern is starting to emerge.