How old is a 1year old in months?

Your 12-month-old baby's development

At a Glance

Sleeping basics

At this age, babies typically sleep about 11 hours at night (many straight through) and generally still take two daily naps that add up to three to four hours, though this month they may drop down to only one longer afternoon nap.

Feeding basics

You can still offer up to 24 ounces of breast milk or formula a day, but you should start weaning from the bottle around now unless your doctor says otherwise. And either way, your little one has a solid diet of solids and can start drinking cow's milk now.

Did you know?

At 12 months, your baby's brain has doubled in size. Isn't he smart?

Is your new toddler toddling on twos? Most 12-monthers are cruising — walking while holding on to something or someone. Plenty are standing on their own without holding on to anything. And a few are even walking already.

But a sizeable number of 12-month-old tots are taking their sweet time before taking those first steps, preferring to stay on all fours for now. In fact, the majority of young toddlers don’t walk well until at least 13 or 14 months, if not later.

No matter how your little one gets around these days, he’s still certainly getting around, and his independent mobility is providing plenty of the independence he’s craving — that is, when he’s craving it (and he won’t always). 

Truth is, he’ll declare his independence one day — as when he heads off on his own to check out the new toy with the flashing lights —  then tighten his human Velcro grip on you the next day. Expect this inner struggle between dependence and independence to continue on and off throughout his childhood.

Help your new toddler tackle new challenges, hone new skills and master new firsts by creating opportunities to take risks — carefully supervised risks, but risks nonetheless.

To stop and touch a leaf on a bush, to peek behind a mailbox, to see where a path leads or to check out what the dog is sniffing. To clamber up stairs, to scale a pile of couch cushions, to slide down a slide. 

You’ll need to be ever-alert and pull out all the childproofing stops, but definitely don’t keep your tiny explorer fenced in.

Help cultivate those fine motor skills by offering a crayon or sidewalk chalk to scribble with, blocks to stack, board books to flip through.

Give your little one plenty of opportunities to manipulate toys that twist, spin, turn, crank, dump and fill, and toys that can be banged, clanged, pushed and pulled.

On the communication front, you’ll notice how much your 1-year-old can get across without speaking more than one to five recognizable words. 

Think of your child as a resourceful little caveman, pulling you into the kitchen when he wants a drink, pointing to the toy he wants on the shelf, grunting or nodding in response to your questions, pushing your legs toward the door when he wants to play outside. 

As long as your new tot is actively trying to communicate with you, relish in his conversation ingenuity — even if his pronunciation leaves much to be desired.

Of course, while your 12-month-old’s skills have advanced by leaps and bounds, his attention span definitely hasn’t kept pace.

Recognize his age-appropriate limitations and know that your little one probably won't want to sit still for long when working on a puzzle or listening to a story. And definitely don’t push your 1-year-old. As your baby grows, so too will his ability to stay interested for longer periods of time.

Your 12-month-old baby's growth

The average 12-month-old boy weighs 21 pounds, with a height of 30 inches. The average girl at a year is 29½ inches tall with a weight of just shy of 20 pounds. Your tot may weigh in at more or less than these averages, and that’s perfectly normal. 

You and your doctor have been tracking your child's progress on those growth charts, and if the pediatrician says your tot is on the right curve, you don’t have to think twice about where he falls out.

While you’re watching those charts, keep in mind that once the first birthday passes, your tot’s growth will slow down slightly.

Something else that should be slowing down now that your little one has turned a year old? Bottle-feeding. Breastfeeding can continue as long as you’re both on board, but weaning from a bottle should come soon after the first birthday, preferably by or before the 18-month mark unless your pediatrician tells you otherwise.

And here’s something to moo about: cow’s milk, which should replace formula at a year and be introduced even if you’re breastfeeding — the extra vitamin D is something your growing tot needs. 

So reach into the dairy case at the grocery store and pull out the whole milk — 1-year-olds need the extra fat to boost brain development. Reduced-fat (2 percent) milk may be recommended instead for children at this age if obesity runs in the family or is a concern.

Your 12-month-old baby's health

It's time for baby's 1-year checkup — can you believe it?

While your little one rolls up sleeve for another round of vaccinations, take advantage of this time to ask the doctor how to wean baby from the bottle (if you haven't started already) or from the breast (if you're still nursing and plan to stop soon). 

Postpartum & new baby tips

Soothing sore arms

Arms hurt from picking up baby? Many new parents note pain in the inner part of their wrists (thumb side), which gets worse when picking up a baby under the arms.

It's not carpal tunnel (which you may have experienced during pregnancy), but a condition called DeQuervain's tenosynovitis — a fancy name for an inflamed thumb tendon.

It's caused by the excessive use of the wrist, such as when picking up the baby, because the wrist and thumb are shouldering most of the weight. Fluid retention also contributes to the inflammation.

If you're suffering, try resting your wrists as much as possible. If you must pick your baby up under the arms, keep your wrists perfectly straight without letting them dip down.

Your doctor might also fit you with a wrist splint, and if the condition persists, may recommend a cortisone injection (not to worry — it's safe for breastfeeding) or, for last-ditch relief, surgery.

For everyday aches, tame the pain —  or prevent it —  with these strategies:

Work out with weights to strengthen your arms and shoulders, use arm rests or pillows when nursing, switch arms often when carrying the baby and the gear, use a baby carrier or sling to transfer your baby's weight from your arms to your back, and soothe sore muscles with a heating pad.

Playing with food

To the high-chair set, mealtime is just as much about experiencing food as it is about eating it.

Squishing those sweet potatoes between his fingers is a fascinating science experiment, smearing them on the tray is an art project, swiping them onto the ground is a lesson in cause and effect, and eating them ... well, that's just gravy.

If you want less discovery and more eating during mealtime, try offering only a couple of finger foods at a time and keep the portions pint-size. Too many choices and too-big portions can overwhelm a little eater.

Don’t make a huge deal about it if he chooses to play with his food, but do set limits on the scope of the mealtime mayhem (squishing as he nibbles, fine — flinging instead of eating, not so fine).

Leave pressure off the menu — let him eat as much or as little as he wants —  and avoid the kind of overreactions that are sure to inspire a second serving of antics.

If there is one thing that little ones love more than playing with their food, it's getting your attention for playing with their food.

Tub safety

It can be stressful to bathe a squirmy baby in the tub. For someone who’s just discovering his mobility, it’s no fun taking life sitting down … even in the bath.

Luckily, older babies may be stubbornly squirmy but still easily distracted. So keep the distractions coming.

In the tub, sing a special, silly bathtime song, blow bubbles for him to pop, make a splash (if he’s game, of course), fill and empty cups, float and sink ships or dunk the dolly.

And try to work fast — unless your little one’s really grimy, a few quick swipes with a washcloth should get the job done with a minimum of wriggling.

The less attention paid to the wriggling, by the way, the better — smiles or scolding will both reinforce the behavior you’re trying to discourage.

Staying organized

Create a diaper-changing station on each level of your home so you don't have to traipse up and down steps for every change, and keep a few changes of clothes handy in each spot as well.

In your little one's closet, install a low-hanging rod and presto: You'll have double the amount of hanging space. If there's room for shelves, even better — use them for extra diapers, out-of-season clothes (stored in clear plastic bins) and the like.

As your baby grows and becomes more interested in toys and books, keep a bin or basket with a few cool choices in all the rooms you spend lots of time in together.

But consider making one room (maybe the living room, master bedroom or your office) a baby-free zone — the one place you can go to escape primary colors!

Encourage walking

Give him every opportunity to stand (and move) on his own two legs.

Push-toys are terrific for fine-tuning locomotion, but find other opportunities to help him master mobility.

For example, let him push a pint-sized stroller, or entice your soon-to-be toddler to toddle over by sitting a few steps away and holding a favorite toy.

Pulling hair

Does your tot love pulling your hair? Keep those tiny fingers busy with finger games and songs, with rounds of patty-cake and by giving him a pulling option ... one without nerve endings (e.g. a long-haired stuffed animal — which you can let him rub without the ouch).

Also tickle his sense of touch with a variety of fabrics — soft, silky, furry, fuzzy — and when he goes for your hair, pull out that faux-fur pillow for him to stroke instead.

Buying stuffed toys

Trying to buy some stuffed animals for your little softy? Take note of these guidelines when shopping for your older baby:

1. Steer clear of features made of buttons, beads or other small objects that could fall (or be chewed) off. The same goes for clothing, accessories and any other decorations. The bottom line: Any items that are glued or sewn on have a good chance of ending up in a baby's mouth.

2. Check ears, paws, tails (and everywhere else) to ensure the toy is wire-free. Even if the wire is covered with "fur," there's a chance it could poke through and injure your little one.

3. Anything that's stringy (for example, hair, ribbons or leashes longer than 6 inches) should be avoided or removed if at all possible.

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