Week 51

Days 351 to 357 · 50 weeks 0 days to 50 weeks 6 days old · almost 12 months Your baby is now, on average, about 74 cm (29 in) long and weighs about 9.2 kg (20.2 lb). Babies vary widely, and a steady path along your baby's own growth curve matters more than matching an average. Your baby is becoming a real social partner: showing you things, handing you toys, waving, and trying hard to make you understand. For you, the end of the year may bring a surprising mix of pride, relief and wistfulness. This week finishes the milestone recap with connection and communication, sets out the signs at 12 months worth raising with your baby's doctor, and looks at helping words grow, raising a child with more than one language, weaning from breastfeeding gently, your feelings as the birthday nears, and sharing photos.

Day 351 · 50 weeks 0 days old

Your baby wants to share the world with you

One of the quieter milestones of this age is also one of the most important. Your baby has started to share attention with you. They look at a toy, then look up at your face to see if you are looking too. They hold something out to show you, sometimes without letting go. They follow your gaze or your pointing finger to the dog across the room.

This back-and-forth, sometimes called joint attention, is a foundation for language and for social life. It is how your baby learns that other people have thoughts and interests, and that words can be shared.

Around the first birthday, many babies wave bye-bye, clap, point to ask for things, shake their head for "no", reach up to be picked up and turn when they hear their name. They read your face closely. If something new happens, they check your expression to decide whether it is safe or scary. Feelings are bigger now too. Your baby may hug a familiar adult, cling at drop-off, protest loudly when a toy is taken and laugh at your silly games. Like all milestones, these skills come at different times, and a shy or cautious baby may show them mostly at home.

Try this: Point to something interesting today, say its name, and watch whether your baby follows your finger and looks back at you.

Day 352 · 50 weeks 1 day old

Signs worth raising at the 12-month check

Most differences in development are simply variation. Still, a few signs are worth mentioning to your baby's doctor or nurse around the first birthday, not because something is wrong, but because checking early is always better than waiting.

Bring it up if, by about 12 months (corrected age for babies born early), your baby:

does not babble with consonant sounds, such as "ba", "da" or "ma" does not use gestures, such as pointing, waving or reaching up to be lifted does not turn or respond when you say their name

rarely makes eye contact or does not look where you point does not seem to hear sounds or voices

does not bear weight on their legs with support, or has no way of getting around

uses one side of the body much more than the other

Call your baby's doctor if your baby loses skills they used to have, at any age. That always deserves a prompt check.

If something is flagged, the next step is often a hearing test, a closer look at development or a referral for early support. Early help works best, and asking costs nothing. You know your baby better than anyone. If you have a nagging worry, say so, even if it is not on any list.

Try this: Write down any concern you have, with a recent example of what you noticed, and bring it to the 12-month check.

Day 353 · 50 weeks 2 days old

Two languages are a gift, not a delay

Many babies grow up hearing more than one language: a parent's first language, a grandparent's, the language of daycare or the wider community. If that is your family, you may have heard that it will confuse your baby or slow their speech. The evidence says otherwise.

Babies are built to learn more than one language. Bilingual children reach their first words and early milestones within the same broad range as children learning one language. They may have fewer words in each language at first, but when you count words across both, their vocabulary is usually similar. Mixing words from two languages in one sentence is normal and shows skill, not confusion.

Speak to your baby in the language you know and love best. Rich, warm, natural talk in your own language is far more valuable than hesitant talk in a language you are less comfortable with. Some families use one language per parent, others one at home and one outside. Consistency helps, but there is no single right way.

A delay should never be blamed on bilingualism. If your baby shows any of the signs from yesterday, raise them in the same way as any other parent would.

Try this: Teach your baby a song or rhyme from your own childhood, in whatever language you learned it.

Day 354 · 50 weeks 3 days old

Helping words to grow

You do not need flashcards or apps to help your baby talk. The most powerful thing is ordinary conversation, many times a day. Researchers call it "serve and return": your baby babbles, points or looks, and you respond, and they respond again.

Talk about what your baby is looking at, not just what you want to say. If they point at a bird, try "Bird! A big black bird." Keep phrases short and clear, then add a little: when your baby says "ca", you might say "Car. A red car." This gently shows them the next step without correcting them. Give them time. Pause after a question, even if you know the answer will be a babble or a gesture, so they learn that conversation takes turns. Name things during routines: socks, spoon, bath, cup. Repetition helps words stick. Books, songs and rhymes add new words and rhythm, as you read in week

• 32. Screens are not a substitute, as you read in week 12, though video calls with family are a lovely exception. Turning the TV off in the background helps too, because it cuts down on the talk your baby hears from you. Try this: During one meal today, narrate what your baby is doing in short phrases and leave a pause for their reply.

Day 355 · 50 weeks 4 days old

If you are ready to stop breastfeeding

There is no deadline for weaning, and no right time other than the one that suits you and your child. If you are ready to stop, around the first birthday or later, a gradual approach is usually easiest on both of you.

Drop one feed every few days, or every week. Start with the one your baby seems least attached to, often a midday feed. The first and last feeds of the day usually go last. Offer a snack, a drink in a cup, a cuddle or a change of scene at the time the feed used to happen. Some parents find "don't offer, don't refuse" a gentle middle path.

Going slowly lets your milk supply fall gradually and helps prevent engorgement and blocked ducts. If your breasts feel uncomfortably full, express just enough to ease the pressure. Many parents also notice a dip in mood, tearfulness or irritability as hormones shift. It usually passes within a few weeks.

Your toddler may protest, and that is understandable. Plenty of extra closeness helps them adjust.

Call your care provider if you have a hard, red, painful area in your breast with a fever or flu-like feeling, or if low mood lasts more than two weeks. Try this: Choose the one feed you would drop first, and plan what you will offer instead for the next few days.

Day 356 · 50 weeks 5 days old

The birthday can stir up more than you expect

As the first birthday approaches, many parents are surprised by how emotional they feel. Pride and relief are common. So is a sense of loss for the newborn days that went by in a blur, or sadness that a baby is turning into a toddler.

The birthday is also the anniversary of the birth. If your labour or birth was frightening, or if you or your baby were very unwell, memories can return around this date, sometimes vividly. You may notice disturbed sleep, irritability or a tight feeling in your body without knowing why at first. Some families are also marking a loss, such as a twin, an earlier pregnancy, or a parent who did not get to meet this child.

All of these feelings can sit side by side with joy. You do not have to be cheerful all day. If you find that memories of the birth still feel raw, intrusive or overwhelming a year on, talking to your doctor or a counsellor can help a great deal.

Call your care provider if you have flashbacks, nightmares, panic or low mood that are getting in the way of daily life.

For your partner: Ask how the other parent feels about the birthday, and about the birth itself, a year on. Share your own memories of that day too.

Day 357 · 50 weeks 6 days old

Sharing photos with care

A first birthday is a magnet for photos, and it is natural to want to share them. Before you post, it is worth thinking about where those pictures go and who might see them in years to come.

Your baby cannot agree yet, but one day they will have opinions about the pictures of them online. Bath photos, diaper-free moments and tantrums are often best kept for family albums. A useful test is to ask whether you would be happy for your child to see the picture at 13, or for a future teacher or employer to find it.

Practical steps help. Check your privacy settings and who can see and share your posts. Avoid posting your baby's full name with their birth date and location together, as these can be used to steal identities. Turn off location tagging, and watch the background for your address, school or daycare signs. A private shared album for close family can keep relatives up to date without public posts.

Agree on some ground rules with your partner and with grandparents, who may be keen sharers. That way, no one is caught out, and your baby's story stays yours to tell, until it becomes theirs.

Try this: Look through the last ten photos you shared of your baby and check who can see each one.