Week 47

Days 323 to 329 · 46 weeks 0 days to 46 weeks 6 days old · about 11 months At about 11 months, a typical baby is around 73 cm (29 in) long and weighs roughly 9.0 kg (19.8 lb). Babies vary widely, and what matters is steady growth along your baby's own curve. Your baby is likely to be busy from the moment they wake: pulling up on everything, cruising, perhaps walking a few steps, and understanding much more than they can say. With the first birthday a month away, you may find yourself looking back as much as forward. This week covers late walkers, protecting teeth, iron for you, settling at childcare, shy and cautious babies, water outdoors, and a crib for a baby who stands.

Day 323 · 46 weeks 0 days old

If your baby is not walking yet

At 11 months, plenty of babies are not walking, and many are not even standing alone. That is entirely normal. Only about half of babies walk on their own by their first birthday, and the usual range stretches to about 18 months.

Some babies are busy with other skills. A baby who is chattering, pointing and playing with intent may simply be investing their energy elsewhere for now. Babies with a larger build or very loose, flexible joints sometimes walk a little later. Babies born early should be judged by corrected age: a baby born two months early who is 11 months old by the calendar is really working on 9-month skills.

What matters more than the date of the first step is the direction of travel. Is your baby moving around in some way, whether crawling, bottom-shuffling, rolling or cruising? Are they using both arms and legs? Are they pulling to stand, or getting closer to it? Steady progress, even slow, is reassuring. Call your baby's doctor if your baby cannot bear weight on their legs at all, seems very floppy or very stiff, uses one side much more than the other, or has lost a skill they had before. Do not wait for a checkup if something worries you.

Try this: Write down three ways your baby has moved more this month than last month.

Day 324 · 46 weeks 1 day old

Protecting those new teeth

By now your baby may have anywhere from none to eight teeth. However many there are, they are worth looking after. Baby teeth hold space for adult teeth, help with chewing and speech, and decay in them can be painful and lead to infection.

Brush twice a day, morning and before bed, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice. Use a small, soft brush. Many babies protest, so try sitting on the floor with your baby lying back in your lap, their head toward your tummy, which lets you see in. Singing a short song can mark how long brushing lasts.

What your baby drinks and how often they eat matter as much as brushing. Milk is fine at meals and before sleep, but a bottle of milk taken to bed, or sipped all through the night, keeps sugars on the teeth for hours. If your baby still has a bottle to fall asleep, brush afterward or move the bottle earlier in the routine. Breastfeeding is not thought to cause decay on its own, but brushing well matters once other foods are in the diet.

Avoid juice and sweet drinks, and keep snacks to set times rather than grazing.

Try this: Lift your baby's top lip gently after brushing tonight and look along the gum line for any chalky white spots.

Day 325 · 46 weeks 2 days old

Iron matters for you too

A great deal of attention goes to iron in your baby's diet. Your own iron deserves attention too. Pregnancy draws heavily on iron stores, and bleeding at birth can lower them further. If your periods have returned, especially if they are heavy, you may be losing more each month.

Low iron, with or without anemia, can make you tired, breathless when climbing stairs, pale, dizzy, prone to headaches and less able to concentrate. Some notice brittle nails, restless legs or cravings for ice. Because tiredness is so normal with a baby, it is easy to blame it on sleep alone. A blood test can show your hemoglobin and iron stores. If they are low, your doctor may suggest supplements; follow their advice on what to take and how long. Do not start high-dose iron without checking first.

Food helps keep stores up. Red meat, poultry and fish give iron that is easily absorbed. Beans, lentils, tofu, dark leafy greens and iron-fortified cereals are good plant sources. Pair them with vitamin C, such as peppers, citrus or tomatoes, and keep tea and coffee away from meals.

Call your care provider if your periods are much heavier than before pregnancy, soak through a pad or tampon every hour, or come with clots larger than a large coin.

Try this: Plan one meal this week that combines an iron-rich food with a vitamin C-rich vegetable or fruit.

Day 326 · 46 weeks 3 days old

Goodbyes that make drop-off easier

Few parts of childcare are harder than the moment your baby reaches for you, crying, as you hand them over. At this age, with separation anxiety still strong, tears at drop-off are very common. Most babies settle within minutes of the parent leaving, and many caregivers will happily confirm that with a quick message or photo.

A short, predictable goodbye helps more than a long one. Arrive with a few minutes to spare, help your baby settle into an activity, then say a warm, clear goodbye: "Bye-bye, I'll be back after nap." Hand them to a familiar carer, and leave. Coming back for one more cuddle usually restarts the crying.

It can be tempting to slip out while your baby is distracted. It may feel kinder in the moment, but babies who discover a parent has vanished can become more wary at the next drop-off. Saying goodbye, even through tears, builds trust that you leave and come back.

Pickups can be emotional too. Some babies cry with relief, others ignore you for a moment. Both are normal reactions to a big day.

It is also normal to feel sad, guilty or relieved, sometimes all at once. Try this: Choose a short goodbye phrase and a wave, and use exactly the same one every drop-off this week.

Day 327 · 46 weeks 4 days old

Shy, cautious babies are thinking things over

Some babies greet the world with open arms. Others hang back, watch carefully, cling to a parent at the party and only join in after a long look. If your baby is the second kind, you might worry they are anxious or unhappy. Usually they are simply wired to take things slowly.

A slow-to-warm-up temperament is common and has strengths. Cautious children tend to notice details, think before acting and take fewer risks. They often form deep, close bonds. What they need is time and a secure base: a trusted adult nearby while they decide.

You can help by not pushing. Let your baby watch from your lap before joining a group. Ask relatives to approach slowly, talk to you first and let your baby come to them rather than scooping them up. Arrive early to new places, before they get noisy. Visit the same playgroup or library session regularly, so it becomes familiar.

Avoid labelling your baby as "shy" in front of them or apologizing for them. Simply describe what is happening: "You like to watch first." In time, many cautious babies become confident children, on their own terms.

Try this: At your next outing, let your baby stay on your lap for as long as they want, and notice when they choose to move off.

Day 328 · 46 weeks 5 days old

Lakes, beaches and outdoor water

If summer is coming, or you are travelling somewhere warm, think ahead about water outside the home. The same rule applies everywhere: an adult within arm's reach, eyes on your baby, no phone, the whole time. Beaches and lakes bring their own risks. Waves can knock a baby off their feet in shallow water, and drop-offs in lakes are often invisible. Docks and boat launches are especially dangerous for a crawler or new walker. On a boat, a dock, or near open water, your baby needs a life jacket that fits their weight, with a head support and crotch strap. Inflatable toys and armbands do not count.

At public pools, choose a warm baby pool, and keep sessions short so your baby does not get chilled. Use a swim diaper, and skip the pool if your baby has had diarrhea in the past two weeks.

Sun protection still matters. Keep your baby in the shade when you can, especially in the middle of the day, and use a hat and light clothes that cover the skin. Sunscreen is fine for babies over 6 months on exposed skin, reapplied after swimming.

Get help right away if your baby has been underwater and coughs a lot afterward, has trouble breathing, or seems very sleepy or unusual in the hours that follow.

Try this: If you will be near water this year, check that your baby has a life jacket that fits now, not one they will "grow into".

Day 329 · 46 weeks 6 days old

A crib for a baby who stands

A baby who can pull to stand can also try to climb out. Falls from cribs are a common reason young children are seen for injuries, so it is worth checking the crib again now.

Lower the mattress to the lowest setting as soon as your baby can pull up, if you have not already. The top rail should reach at least to your baby's chest when they stand. Remove anything they could use as a step: large toys, bumpers, a stack of blankets. Check that the crib is solid, with no loose parts, missing screws or gaps where fingers or heads could catch, and that the slats are no more than about 6 cm (2 3/8 in) apart.

Place the crib away from windows, blind cords, curtains, shelves and lamps. A baby standing in a crib can reach farther than you might think. Bumpers, pillows and duvets are still not recommended. A sleep sack is warm and safe, and it also makes climbing harder.

If your baby does manage to climb out, it does not automatically mean it is time for a bed. Talk with your baby's doctor or nurse about options, and make the room around the crib as safe as you can in the meantime. For your partner: Lower the crib mattress tonight if it is not already at the lowest level, and give every screw and joint a quick check while you are there.