Content provided courtesy of.... www.lincolnshirechildrenstherapyservices.nhs.uk

What should your baby be able to do

  • Your baby will now be sitting alone for 15-20 minutes, they will be able to lean forward to pick up a toy without losing balance 
  • They will be very active on the floor by rolling or pivoting round on their tummy and will be starting to crawl
  • They will be grabbing and holding objects, and swap them from hand to hand
  • They will be beginning to feed themselves finger food and beginning to help hold their bottle or beaker

How you can help

You can find useful tips, hints and advice on ways to help support your child’s sitting skills on Babycentre's website.

It is also really important to limit the use of any baby walkers and door bouncers to no more than 15 minutes at a time as these can delay your baby’s development.  Equipment that supports a baby in a standing position does not help your baby learn to walk.  It can give an unnatural experience of standing and has been shown to be unsafe. Visit APCP's leaflet for more information. 

When to seek support

  • Not rolling      
  • Not sitting independently/ without support  
  • Not moving (e.g. creeping, crawling)   
  • Not taking weight on legs when held in standing
  • Not holding objects
  • Not ‘giving’ objects on request
  • Not passing toy from one hand to another

What should your baby be able to do

  • Your baby will be beginning to make more sounds now, such as “ba” “da” “ma”. Copying your little one’s attempts at communicating really shows them you’re listening and you’re enjoying chatting with them!
  • They know their own name
  • They may be beginning to respond to ‘no’

How you can help

You can find more hints, tips and advice on supporting your baby’s communication and interaction at:

When to seek support

  • Not sharing enjoyment with others using eye contact or facial expression
  • Not using gestures such as pointing or waving

If you have any concerns about your child's development please click on this link to refer your child into the service, you will then receive a telephone call from a member of the team to discuss your concerns further and organise an assessment as appropriate.