Are you ready for the next milestone in your baby’s development on the way to walking? This is the ninth part of our blog series “Baby’s Developmental Milestones With Ergobaby: Baby’s First Year”. The 9-month-old baby development milestones are all about crawling. After all, the preparation for crawling by sitting at an angle and getting up on their hands and knees all likely happened last month. So now your little one has discovered the joy of moving forwards and orienting themselves upwards and this needs to be developed further. Nothing is safe from the curious paws of your nine-month-old baby. There’s no cupboard or drawer that won’t be cleared out, believe us…
And remember, if your little one isn’t doing all these things by the end of the 9th month, there’s no need to worry. This is also completely normal. Because as you know, every child develops at their own pace. If your baby is not yet crawling at the end of the 9th month, you may be able to observe other baby development steps. Today, our expert and midwife Katrin Ritter will tell you what these might be. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, be sure to ask your health visitor or GP for advice.
9-month-old baby development: crawling
Your baby is eager to move quickly, and that’s why they’ve discovered crawling. It’s a new, swift way of getting about, allowing them to orient themselves forward and upward simultaneously. This developmental step is an important one. With each crawling movement, your little one is honing their arm and leg coordination and developing their balance. But how does your baby learn to crawl? Initially, they’ll likely transition from a slanted sitting position into an immature crawl. Their hands mightn’t be fully open, and they’ll move slowly, uncertainly, and cautiously on their knees – without their feet and lower legs touching the ground. You’ll probably notice an arched back and straight torso. With continued practice (and your encouragement), their torso will gradually loosen, beginning to sway with each movement. Their feet and lower legs will also start moving towards the ground.
By the way, carpets or grass (when it’s dry) are the best surfaces for your little one to learn and practice crawling. Tiles, laminate, or parquet can be trickier due to lack of resistance. Leggings/tights or socks with anti-slip nubs on the feet can help here.
Fine Motor Skills
Between their 9th and 10th month, your baby’s finger and hand motor skills continue to develop, and they’ll examine everything meticulously with their fingers. Their little feet and legs are preparing more and more for standing. When uncertain, they might still curl their toes. Crawling is crucial for further upright positioning. Now you might wonder: What does one have to do with the other?
As part of the 9-month-old baby development milestones, your little one is rapidly developing various skills. Each movement, every bit of exploration, contributes to their overall growth. Remember, every baby progresses at their own pace, so enjoy this exciting journey with your little crawler!
The answer lies in the development of the spine and shoulder blades. The better your baby’s spine has stretched and their pelvis has adjusted, the more refined their hand and foot motor skills become. If the middle of baby’s spine is still too rounded, their shoulder blades haven’t taken the necessary position on their ribcage to allow them to move their arms, hands, and fingers freely. As the spine unfolds during crawling, this developmental step is crucial for your little one’s dexterity.
Crawling boosts brainpower
Did you know that crawling supports cognitive function and is almost like schooling? It sounds odd, but it’s true. Strength, endurance, balance, and coordination are playfully trained. Your baby also practises near and far vision, and the distance between baby’s hands and eyes while crawling is the same as when writing later. Spatial awareness through movement fosters a sense of mathematics, and the diagonal movement patterns connect both brain hemispheres. Brilliant, isn’t it?
Communication: Syllable language
“Ma-ma-ma” and “ba-ba-ba” are slowly but surely becoming “Mummy” and “Daddy”. If your baby is perhaps not crawling, they might make progress in speaking towards the end of their ninth month. Many babies now string syllables together into chains and develop their first words from these. “Mummy” and “Daddy”, for example. But “da-da” or “ada” are also popular “baby words”. You’ll also notice that your baby now understands more words and their meanings. They’ll proudly and joyfully point to body parts like nose, tummy, or feet when you ask. Have you given it a try?
Social interaction
Your 9-month-old baby’s social skills are blossoming. They’re becoming more aware of their surroundings and the people in them. Encourage these interactions to support their development.
“Pat-a-cake pat-a-cake baker’s man ” Your little one likely knows this nursery rhyme already, don’t they? Now, your treasure is starting to respond: when they hear the song and you demonstrate, your baby will clap along. If you wave goodbye to friends at the door, your little one might raise their hand too. Imitating adults brings them great joy at this stage.
9-month-old baby development: Crawling over hill and dale
At this stage, your baby’s crawling skills are developing rapidly. They’re becoming more adventurous, exploring different surfaces and tackling small obstacles. This milestone is crucial for physical development and spatial awareness. Facilitate safe exploration to support their growing curiosity and mobility. For example, encourage them to crawl over safe obstacles such as your legs. These are the training sessions that best help your baby achieve their current milestone. Use cushions to promote balance and coordination whilst crawling. Or simply sit in the way yourself, so your little one has to crawl over your legs to reach their goal, like a beloved toy. If your baby is still crawling unsteadily, you can help by placing your hands on their hips when they’re on all fours, guiding them through the crawling motion. You’ll see, soon the 9-month-old baby development milestonesand all its associated developmental steps will be complete, and your tot will be crawling like a pro. And likely for at least the next three months.
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Source: Birgit Kinzle-Müller, Gitta Wilke-Kaltenbach, Babies in Motion, Urban & Fischer, 4th Edition.
