Week 38
Days 260 to 266 · 37 weeks 0 days to 37 weeks 6 days old · about 8 to 9 months
This week a typical baby is about 71 cm (28 in) long and weighs roughly 8.4 kg (18.6 lb). Babies vary widely, and what counts is that your baby follows their own curve on the growth chart. Many babies now crawl, pull to stand and cruise, and some are already taking tentative steps holding your hands, while others are happy to sit and watch for a while longer. Testing what happens when they bite, pull or throw is part of this age. For you, if a trip or a family visit is on the horizon, this is a good week to plan. The entries cover travelling with an older baby, safe sleep away from home, spacing another pregnancy, handing over to a babysitter, goodbyes, biting and hair pulling, and parenting differently from your partner.
Day 260 · 37 weeks 0 days old
Travelling with a baby who wants to move
Travelling with a young baby, as you read in weeks 10 to 13, was mostly about feeds and naps. An 8- or 9-month-old brings a new challenge: they want to crawl, grab and explore, and they do not want to sit still for long. Plan around your baby's rhythm where you can. Long drives often go best if you leave around nap time, and stop every couple of hours so your baby can stretch out on a blanket. Keep your baby in their rear-facing car seat for every part of every journey, including taxis and rental cars, and never take them out while the car is moving.
On a plane, babies under 2 can usually travel on your lap, but the safest place is an approved child car seat in their own seat, if your airline allows it. Offering a breastfeed, a bottle or a drink from a cup during takeoff and landing can help with ear pressure. A few small, new toys offered one at a time buy more time than a bag of favourites.
Check the paperwork early. Babies usually need their own passport for international travel, and if you are travelling to an area with particular health risks, a travel clinic can advise on vaccines and other protection for your baby and for you.
Try this: Make a short list of what kept your baby happiest on your last outing, and pack those things first.
Day 261 · 37 weeks 1 day old
Safe sleep and safety away from home
Unfamiliar places can catch you out. A grandparent's house or a hotel room has not been babyproofed, and your baby is now quick enough to find every hazard in minutes.
Sleep rules stay the same wherever you are. Your baby sleeps on their back, on a firm, flat surface, in their own travel cot, crib or bassinet, with nothing loose in it. Use only the mattress that comes with a travel cot; do not add an extra mattress or folded quilts for softness, because a gap or a soft layer can cause suffocation. Never put your baby to sleep on a sofa, an adult bed with pillows, or a car seat that has been taken out of the car. If you borrow an old crib, check that it is sturdy, with no missing parts.
When you arrive, take ten minutes to do a quick sweep at your baby's height. Look for medicines in handbags and bedside drawers, button batteries in remotes, blind cords, cleaning products under the sink, hot drinks on low tables, and unguarded stairs or balconies. Pools and ponds need constant, close supervision.
Pack a small kit: a thermometer, pain and fever medicine for babies with the dose for your baby's weight from the package, sunscreen and a hat. Try this: Before your next visit or trip, put a roll of tape and a few outlet covers in your bag for quick fixes on arrival.
Day 262 · 37 weeks 2 days old
Thinking about the gap before another baby
Some parents already know they want another child, some are certain they do not, and many have no idea yet. All are fine. If you are thinking about it, the spacing between pregnancies is worth knowing about.
Research shows that a very short gap between a birth and the next conception carries some extra risks, including preterm birth, low birth weight and, for the parent, anemia and other complications. The World Health Organization suggests waiting at least 24 months after a birth before trying to conceive again. Many doctors use about 18 months between birth and the next conception as a sensible minimum. After a caesarean, a short interval also slightly raises the chance of the scar opening in a later labour, so your care provider may suggest waiting longer.
These are averages, not rules. Age, fertility, health and life plans all count, and a shorter gap is not a reason for guilt. If you are older or had trouble conceiving, it may make sense to start sooner, after a conversation with your doctor.
Before trying again, it helps to start a folic acid supplement, catch up on any health checks, and talk about how your last pregnancy and birth went, including anything that was hard emotionally.
Try this: If another baby is on your mind, write down your questions and bring them to your next appointment with your doctor or midwife.
Day 263 · 37 weeks 3 days old
Handing over to a babysitter with confidence
The first time you leave your baby with someone outside the family can feel like a big step. A little preparation helps both you and the sitter feel calm. Choose someone you trust, ideally who has looked after babies before and has done an infant first aid course. Ask them to come early the first time, so they can spend half an hour with you and your baby before you leave. Show them how your baby likes to be settled, where the diapers and spare clothes are, and how you prepare bottles or meals.
Walk through the safety basics out loud: back to sleep in the crib, never on a sofa; food in small, soft pieces, always with the baby sitting and supervised; bath time can wait until you are home; and no one else in the home should smoke or vape around the baby. Point out the stair gates and how they lock. Leave clear written information: your phone number and an alternative, the address of the home, your baby's doctor, any allergies or medicines, and your local emergency number. In an emergency, a sitter should call for help first, then call you.
Keep the first outing short. A couple of hours is plenty, and you can build up from there.
For your partner: Take charge of organizing the next babysitter, from booking to writing the care notes, so the night out does not become one more task for the other parent.
Day 264 · 37 weeks 4 days old
Saying a real goodbye, even when it brings tears
Your baby can now wave, and that makes this a good moment to build a goodbye routine. With separation anxiety running high at this age, as you read in weeks 27 to 30, goodbyes at daycare or with a sitter can be loud. It is tempting to slip away while your baby is distracted. Many parents do it to avoid the tears. But babies who suddenly find a parent gone, without warning, often become more watchful and clingy, worried that you might vanish at any moment. A short, honest goodbye helps them learn that you leave and that you come back.
Keep it brief and the same each time. A hug, a kiss, a wave and a simple phrase such as "Bye-bye, I'll be back after your nap." Then go, calmly and without lingering. Long, anxious goodbyes tend to make the crying worse. Most babies settle within a few minutes of the parent leaving, and it can help to ask the carer to send a quick message once they do.
When you return, greet your baby warmly. Some babies cling, some ignore you briefly, and some cry with relief. All are normal ways of saying they missed you.
Try this: Choose your goodbye words and wave today, and use exactly the same ones every time you leave this week.
Day 265 · 37 weeks 5 days old
Biting, hair pulling and other experiments
Around now, many parents get bitten on the shoulder, have their hair yanked or their glasses snatched, often with a delighted laugh. It can feel personal. It is not. Your baby is exploring cause and effect, soothing sore gums, or simply very excited, and they have no idea it hurts.
Your reaction is the lesson. A big, dramatic "Ow!" can turn biting into a great game. Instead, stay calm and act. Say "No biting, that hurts" in a low, firm voice, then put your baby down for a moment or move them away from your face. Give them something they can bite, such as a teether, or something they can grab and pull, such as a soft toy.
If your baby bites while breastfeeding, it usually happens at the end of a feed when they are full and playing. Gently slip a finger into the corner of their mouth to break the latch, say "No biting," and end that feed. Most babies stop within a few days. Watching for the end of active sucking helps you stop before the bite.
Never bite back or pull their hair "so they know how it feels." Babies cannot make that connection, and it teaches the very thing you want to stop. Try this: Keep a teether or chewy toy in your pocket on days your baby seems mouthy, ready for a quick swap.
Day 266 · 37 weeks 6 days old
When you and your partner parent differently
You and your partner may have discovered that you do not always agree. One of you rushes in at the first cry, the other waits. One is relaxed about mess, the other is not. One grew up with strict rules, the other with very few. These differences often surface more as your baby becomes mobile and limits start to matter.
Differences are not a problem in themselves. Babies cope well with two adults who do things a little differently, as long as both are warm and safe. Two styles can even widen what your baby learns. What matters is that you agree on the big things: safety, never hitting, how you respond to distress, and what you do at bedtime.
Talk about it away from the heat of the moment, not while your baby is crying. Ask how each of you was raised and what you want to keep or change. You may find your disagreement is really about tiredness or feeling unappreciated.
In front of your baby, try not to undo or criticize each other. Step in only for safety, and save the discussion for later. If you find it hard to talk without fighting, a few sessions with a counsellor or a parenting course together can help.
Try this: After bedtime tonight, each of you name one thing the other does with your baby that you admire.