Updated Nov 1st 2022
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9
min read
Medically Reviewed By
Board Certified Pediatrician & Lactation Consultant
Every day your baby seems to grow and change – and they are! To help you keep track of your baby’s development, we’ve gathered all you need to know about a 9-month-old baby’s milestones and developmental benchmarks.
Here we’ll look at the milestones 9-month old’s typically hit, how to support your 9-month old’s development, the sleep patterns of a 9-month-old and answer the common question: Do 9-month-old’s have sleep regressions.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
We’ve divided the 9-month milestones into categories. While reviewing these milestones, please keep in mind this is not a “9-month milestone checklist”. Every baby develops at their own pace, so it’s totally alright if your baby is “behind” or “ahead” in any of these 9-month development milestones. As always, if you have questions or concerns about your baby’s development contact your pediatrician.
Your 9-month-old is probably quite a mover and shaker. Now that they’re learning about their limbs and how to control them, they want to move them around a lot. And if they’re not moving their limbs, they’re often crawling, exploring the world.
Other 9-month-old physical milestones include:
Your baby’s eyesight and focus continue to improve in their 9th month, but there’s another big sensorial milestone, too…
Smelling Good: Your baby’s nose is becoming more sensitive now. You can help it develop – and learn their tastes – by letting them smell mild foods, flowers, or grass outside, or other scented materials.
Your baby can see and sense the world better than ever. That means they’ll also express a lot of emotions about the world, including:
Peek-a-boo is more than fun – though it is that! – it’s actually a great way to teach object permanence. When you “hide” behind your hands and reappear, you reinforce the notion that things out of sight continue to exist.
Peek-a-boo can also help reduce separation anxiety because when you “reappear” you are happy and excited – proof that you’re okay when out of sight and that you’ll always come back.
Your baby’s memory and understanding are also rapidly developing. Here are some typical 9-month cognitive milestones:
Luckily, 9-month-olds can be easily entertained, and their toys need not be complicated or expensive. It just needs to be slightly different day-to-day. For example, one day you can give your baby an empty cereal box to play with; the next day, give them that same box with the top torn off.
9-month-old babies are more communicative than ever. Some 9-month communication milestones include:
As your baby starts to stand, you may notice they have a bigger belly and bottom than before. This is totally normal – it’s their body creating balance – and cushioning - for their first wobbly steps.
Your 9-month-old is learning about and engaging the world in so many new ways. You can support your 9-month-olds development and help them hit their milestones with the following actions – or, in some cases, in actions. Notice that these tips are all about communication and engaging. It’s more important now than ever that you talk to, play with, and explore with your baby.
Some ways to support your 9-month-old’s development include:
Sound It Out: Your baby may know a few words and may be trying to say them. If they are, you can support your baby’s verbal development by repeating their phrase and then offering the correct version. For example, if your baby is saying “baba,” for bottle, you say “Baba. Yes, bottle.”
Encourage Crawling: To encourage your baby to crawl, place a toy or another object they want a few feet in front of them on the ground. This will encourage them to move themselves toward it, either by crawling or scooting.
Encourage Gestures: Gestures are very important forms of communication. You can teach your baby gestures easily by simply performing the gestures. For example, wave “bye-bye” when leaving or gesture to your mouth when you’re hungry.
Practice Your Floor Routine: Bond with your baby by getting down to their level on the floor.
Let Them Try: 9-month-olds are learning problem solving skills, so be sure to give them an opportunity to solve a problem. For example, if your baby knows a toy is inside a box and is struggling to open that box, give them a minute or so to figure it out. If they don’t, gently show them how to open the box – or solve whatever problem it is – and then give them an opportunity to mimic you.
Make Their Toys Interactive: You can improve your baby’s motor skills – and prevent boredom – with interactive toys like building blogs, a train on a string, or a noise-making device – anything that engages their little hands and senses.
Socialize Your Baby: As your baby learns to sense and express emotions, it’s more important than ever that they interact with other babies.
Praise Your Baby: When your baby crawls or repeats a word or waves – whatever it is that’s good and great and shows they’re developing – be sure to praise them. This will reinforce their behavior.
Sleep is essential to your baby’s growth, and they may miss developmental milestones if they’re not getting the rest they need. That said, as simple as it is, helping your baby sleep helps your baby develop well. If you’d like step-by-step sleep training advice, download the Smart Sleep Coach by Pampers™.
We worked with pediatric sleep experts to create an easy-to-use app that helps any parent help any baby learn to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer – all so babies can continue growing day-by-day.
Yes. By 9-month-olds most babies can recognize emotions on your face. Whether you’re happy, sad, or angry, they can tell, so try to be as light and optimistic and loving as possible when with your baby.
This is a sample sleep schedule for a 9-month-old baby. These times are purely hypothetical. When setting your baby’s sleep schedule, be sure to follow their sleepy signs and wake windows, rather than a specific clock time:
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“Good morning!” |
6:00-7:00 AM |
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Nap 1 |
8:30-10:00 AM |
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Nap 2 |
12:30-2:00 PM |
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6:00 PM |
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“Good night!” |
6:30 PM |
On average a 9-month-old will sleep about 13-14 hours a day. That’s divided between night, when a 9-month-old typically sleeps about 10-12 hours, and 2 daytime naps lasting about 1.5 hours each.
A 9-month-old should take 2 naps lasting about 1.5 hours.
The wake window for a 9-month-old is typically about 2 ¾ to 3 ½ hours – a far cry from when they were newborns sleeping all the time. This is wonderful – your baby is developing, and you have so much more awake time to enjoy together.
Yes, typically a 9-month-old can “sleep through the night.” Note we used quotations, because sometimes a 9-month-old will still need a feeding around 3-5am. It’s best to check with your pediatrician if it’s ok to night wean.
Do 9-month-old’s have sleep regressions is a bit of a tricky question, because the answer is yes and no. No because there is not technically a sleep regression at 9 months, however some babies experience their 8-month sleep regression a little bit later, so the ‘8-month sleep regression’ is often referred to as the 9-month sleep regression.
Sleep regressions always coincide with developmental milestones. For example, in the 8-month sleep regression, your baby is just first learning to sit, which is very exciting. This excitement, and a desire to practice sitting, can disrupt your baby’s sleep.
For that reason, sleep regressions can actually be seen as sleep progressions: they are signs your baby is hitting their developmental milestones.
A potential 9-month sleep regression, like the 8-month regression, may have another element, though: Separation Anxiety.
First, let’s be clear that separation anxiety is totally normal and harmless. Like all “regressions,” separation anxiety in babies is a good thing because it shows your baby understand object permanence. They understand that something, usually you, still exists when they can’t see it. So, if they wake up at night and can’t see you, they wonder where you are and what you may be doing – they have “Baby FOMO”.
If your baby has separation anxiety at night, you can try:
No, there is no 9-month nap transition. After the 3 to 2 nap transition at 7 months, your baby will be on a 2-nap schedule until the 2 to 1 nap transition around 15 months.
Technically it is fine for a 9-month-old to use a pacifier. The American Pediatric Association does suggest weaning from a pacifier around 6 months, but every baby is different, and some babies continue to use a pacifier until 2 years. That is considered the ultimate “end” point for pacifiers, though.
A 9-month-old has more control over their body than ever: they can crawl, sit by themselves, twist to grab objects from the floor and maybe even stand with assistance.
While there is no 9-month development checklist, you may want to consult your pediatrician if your 9-month-old if you see these things in the next few weeks:
Some 9-month-olds may know 1-2 words, probably something simple such as “mama,” “dada” or “dog.” It’s alright if your baby isn’t talking at 9-months, though – they will soon, and they’ll have lots to say!
Babies typically begin teething around 6 months and by 9 months they may have a few teeth on the top or bottom, usually in the center.
“Deviations from Typical Developmental Trajectories Detectable at 9 Months of Age in Low-Risk Children Later
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” Journal of
Autism and Developmental Disorders.
“Speech and Language Developmental Milestones,” National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders.
“Important Milestones: Your Baby by Nine Months,” The CDC.
“Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development,” National Institutes of Health.
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
