# Baby Milestones Month by Month UK — First Year Guide | Clever Mum > A month-by-month guide to baby development milestones in the first year, what the NHS baby reviews check, and when to seek advice. * [ Home ](/) * › [ Baby ](/baby/) * › Baby Development Month by Month: What to Expect in the First Year Baby # Baby Development Month by Month: What to Expect in the First Year [ EW ](/authors/emma-whitfield/) By [ Emma Whitfield ](/authors/emma-whitfield/) · Pregnancy & Baby Writer Published 11 July 2026 Quick answer — What are the main baby development milestones by month? Baby development in the first year moves through four broad stages: 0–3 months (head control, first smiles), 4–6 months (rolling, reaching, starting solid food around 6 months), 7–9 months (sitting, crawling, babbling) and 10–12 months (pulling to stand, first words, maybe first steps). Every baby moves through this range at their own pace — the NHS reviews at 6–8 weeks and 1 year are there to check, not to set a deadline. Who should skip this Skip this if you need a specialist developmental assessment — ask your health visitor. Milestone lists are ranges, not exams. Milestone lists are useful for knowing roughly what's coming next — they are not an exam your baby needs to pass on schedule. The NHS describes development in ranges for exactly this reason: a "normal" age to sit unsupported spans several months, and healthy babies fall all across it. ## What happens at 0–3 months? * **Physical:** lifts head briefly during tummy time by 6–8 weeks; follows a face or bright object with their eyes; hands start to unclench and find their way to the mouth. * **Communication:** the first real social smile usually appears between 6–8 weeks — often the moment that changes how parenthood feels. * **Sleep:** no real day/night pattern yet; feeding on demand, day and night, is normal and expected. * **NHS check:** the 6–8 week review with your GP or health visitor covers growth, hip and heart checks, and your own postnatal recovery — a good moment to raise any worries, however small. ## What happens at 4–6 months? * **Physical:** rolling front-to-back typically comes first, back-to-front follows; reaching for and grasping toys; bearing some weight on legs when held standing. * **Communication:** babbling strings of sounds, laughing out loud, turning toward voices and sounds. * **Feeding:** the NHS recommends starting solid food (weaning) at around 6 months — see our [weaning guide](/baby/weaning-guide-when-and-how-to-start) for full readiness signs and first foods. Don't start before 4 months. * **Sleep:** many babies begin longer overnight stretches, though plenty don't — both are within the normal range at this stage. ## What happens at 7–9 months? * **Physical:** sitting unsupported, then commando-crawling or classic hands-and-knees crawling (some babies skip crawling entirely and go straight to standing — also normal). * **Communication:** understands simple words like "no" and their own name; babbling starts to sound more speech-like ("mama", "dada" as sounds, not yet meaningfully directed). * **Feeding:** moving from purées toward mashed and soft finger foods, and starting to self-feed with fingers. * **A highchair becomes essential** once independent sitting is established — see our [best highchairs guide](/best/best-highchairs-uk) for what actually matters versus marketing. ## What happens at 10–12 months? * **Physical:** pulling to stand on furniture, "cruising" sideways holding on, and some babies take unsupported first steps by 12 months (the average is closer to 12–14 months, so don't worry if yours hasn't yet). * **Communication:** first meaningful word (used consistently for the same thing) often appears around 12 months; understanding is well ahead of speaking at this age. * **NHS check:** the 1-year review checks growth, hearing, vision and development, and is the point most health visitors formally discuss moving toward a varied family diet and stopping bottles in favour of a cup. ## When should you seek advice sooner about development? Contact your health visitor or GP if your baby isn't smiling by around 3 months, showing no interest in reaching for objects by 6 months, or isn't sitting with some support by 9 months — but remember these are prompts to ask, not signs anything is necessarily wrong. Trust your own instinct if something feels off; you know your baby best. Two development threads worth their own deep-dives: vision has one of the clearest milestone sequences of all — our [baby eye health guide](/baby/baby-eye-health-development-milestones) covers tracking, squints and the warning signs, with [EyeHealthGuide](https://eyehealthguide.org/) for the optical detail behind them. ## Which gear is worth getting right? Shortlists we actually research — rankings can't be bought, and every pick links to retailers we've verified. [ Best-of guide ### Best Toys for Babies & Toddlers UK The best toys for babies and toddlers in the UK, from a first stacking toy to building bricks and educational games — genuinely play-tested picks by age and stage, with a safety note on age grading and small parts. 8 picks compared ](/best/best-toys-for-babies-and-toddlers-uk/)[ Best-of guide ### Best Baby Bouncers & Swings UK The best baby bouncers and swings in the UK — natural motion, powered options and safe-use guidance compared for newborn to sitting age. 5 picks compared ](/best/best-baby-bouncers-swings-uk/)[ Best-of guide ### Best Play Mats UK Best baby play mats and activity gyms in the UK — Skip Hop, Lovevery, Infantino and foam tiles compared for tummy time, safety and storage. 6 picks compared ](/best/best-play-mats-uk/) ## What questions come up most? What are the main baby development milestones by month? Broadly: 0–3 months brings head control and first smiles, 4–6 months brings rolling and readiness to start solid food, 7–9 months brings sitting and crawling, and 10–12 months brings standing, cruising and often a first word. Every baby moves through these stages at their own pace within a wide normal range. What happens at the NHS baby reviews? The 6–8 week review (usually with your GP) checks growth, hips, heart and your own postnatal wellbeing. The 1-year review (usually with your health visitor) checks growth, hearing, vision and development, and discusses moving to family food and cup drinking. Is it normal for my baby to skip crawling? Yes — some babies bottom-shuffle, some go straight from sitting to pulling up and cruising without ever crawling on hands and knees. The NHS treats crawling as one route to standing and walking, not a required step. When should I worry about my baby not meeting a milestone? Occasional lateness against an average is normal and not usually a concern. Speak to your health visitor or GP if your baby shows no social smile by 3 months, no interest in reaching for objects by 6 months, or can’t sit with support by 9 months — or any time your instinct tells you something is off. ## Sources & further reading * [ Baby’s development ](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/babys-development/) — NHS * [ Best Start in Life — Baby ](https://www.nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/baby/) — NHS * [ Safer sleep advice ](https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/) — The Lullaby Trust ## On this page * [ 1 What happens at 0–3 months? ](#what-happens-at-03-months) * [ 2 What happens at 4–6 months? ](#what-happens-at-46-months) * [ 3 What happens at 7–9 months? ](#what-happens-at-79-months) * [ 4 What happens at 10–12 months? ](#what-happens-at-1012-months) * [ 5 When should you seek advice sooner about development? ](#when-should-you-seek-advice-sooner-about-development) ## At a glance First social smile Around 6–8 weeks Start weaning Around 6 months (not before 4) Sitting unsupported Usually 6–9 months First words Often around 12 months NHS reviews 6–8 weeks and 1 year Our promise Health-adjacent points cite NHS or equivalent guidance. This article is general information, not medical advice — see our [editorial policy](/editorial-policy/). ## Keep reading [ Baby ### Newborn Sleep: An Honest Guide to the First 12 Weeks What newborn sleep really looks like in the first 12 weeks — safer-sleep rules, realistic expectations, day-night confusion and what actually helps. ](/baby/newborn-sleep-guide-first-12-weeks/)[ Baby ### Weaning: When and How to Start Solid Foods A practical UK weaning guide — the signs of readiness at around 6 months, first foods, baby-led weaning vs purées, allergens and the gear you actually need. ](/baby/weaning-guide-when-and-how-to-start/)