How babies learn to move around

Nine-month-old babies are always on the go. And they will use anything at hand to help them achieve their goals. Whether it is using a rattle to reach that ball that just rolled under the sofa, or trying her hand at pushing her buggy away and crawling after it, your little one doesn’t miss a trick. She’s out to explore everything and ready to give anything a try. It’s definitely time for you to get sharper when it comes to keeping track of her whereabouts. For the last two months, your baby’s drive to be upright and move around has been getting stronger. As she masters these new skills, she may become a little disorganized and less able to manage certain abilities she was getting quite good at, such as self-feeding or sleeping through the night. Don’t despair, these temporary set-backs happen because she’s working so hard on her new mobility skills.

FROM A TO B

The onset of crawling is a very exciting step in your baby’s development because it allows her a new level of independence. But not all babies go through this stage. Some are just happy to sit and contemplate the world, and stay put until they are ready to get up and walk. Others develop different, quirky methods of getting around, opting for bottom shuffling, or dragging themselves on their tummy commando-style using their arms to pull their body along. Some prefer moving around like little crabs perched on their hands and feet. Even straightforward crawlers often start by crawling backwards! Whatever means of getting around your baby adopts, you will be amazed at how efficiently and quickly she learns to get from A to B once she’s on the move.