Your baby’s personality is really developing now. Look out for first words, exploring and a few temper tantrums too.
Growing and developing
Your baby can now understand (but not necessarily follow) instructions like “no”. She’s started to form words too – listen out for short words like “dada” and “ball” emerging from her babbling. Keep chatting to her to help develop her speech and language skills.
She’ll be even more mobile and independent, and will be intent on exploring the world around her.
Expect to see standing, squatting and maybe some faltering steps too. Many babies will ‘cruise’ around the room, holding onto pieces of furniture as they go. Some will even climb up the furniture.
Your baby is really her own person now and she’ll start expressing her likes, dislikes and emotions. Expect a few temper tantrums – and lots of “no!” Hold your ground kindly but firmly, and make sure you reinforce positive behavior with lots of praise.
Sleeping
Your baby is probably now sleeping through the night. She’ll need a couple of naps during the day, too. All in all, expect her to be asleep for up to 14 hours a day. Stick to a consistent routine with naptimes and bedtimes to help her feel secure and settled.
Feeding
She’ll be reaching for food and feeding herself using her hands at this stage.
She can also hold a cup and drink from it, although she’s not yet ready to put it down carefully afterward. If you haven’t already, consider getting her a sippy cup with a lid and a drinking spout.
Your baby’s new-found independence means she might reject foods at mealtimes. Offer her several healthy choices so she can exercise her decision-making but still get the nutrition she needs.
Caring for your 11-month-old
Your tiny explorer may have worked out how to climb, so make sure there are no opportunities for her to get up too high or reach things she shouldn’t. Shut away medicines, household cleaning products and cosmetics out of her reach.
Your baby’s immune system is still developing, so she may catch coughs and colds, especially if she’s meeting lots of new people.
Playing with your baby
Her hand-eye coordination is improving all the time, and you’ll notice some blossoming engineering skills as she puts toys in order, takes things apart and puts them back together again.
Play together with stacking blocks and nesting cups to encourage these instincts.
Creating artwork together will also help develop her coordination. Try smudging brightly-coloured baby-safe paints around and using chunky crayons.
It’s also a great time to surround her with books and start reading stories together. She’ll love pointing at the pages – and may even recognise familiar pictures.
You this month
Take a leaf out of your baby’s book and get active this month with lots of regular exercise. It’ll help you sleep better and feel calmer, especially as you face resistance from your baby on everything from toys to snacks.
Find out What to expect in month 12
Did you know..?
Your baby may start to practice pretending at this stage – she might mime drinking out of an empty cup, for example.
How dads can help
Now’s the time when you need to start setting limits for your baby as she explores the world and develops her personality. Make sure you and your partner are consistent with each other when setting boundaries for your baby.
