Content is loading...

Hide this page Easy read and translate

9 month developmental milestones

  • 0-1 Years
  • Child development and growing up
A close-up of a young baby's face staring into the distance with their mouth slightly open

There are some key physical and communication milestones you will expect your 9 month old to reach. These milestones should be treated as a rough guide, as each child is unique and will develop at their own pace. It is often unhelpful to compare a baby to other babies or their siblings.


Last reviewed: 1 November, 2023

At around 9 months old you can expect your baby to be able to:

Physical

  • sit without support
  • get into a sitting position from lying down
  • may crawl
  • pull to stand
  • stand with support and supporting their own weight on their feet
  • stand and using furniture to support them
  • bend down to pick up toys from the floor when holding onto furniture
  • pick up a small toy in one hand using the tips of their fingers
  • pick up a piece of string with their finger and thumb, this can be after a few tries
  • bang or clap toys together

Read more about early physical skills development

Communication

  • copy simple sounds 
  • babble making different sounds like "da", "ga", "ka" and "ba"
  • say words like "baba", "dada" or "mama"
  • will give items when asked or put back items when asked for example 'please give it to me' or 'please put it back'
  • play at least 1 nursery rhyme game such as peek-a-boo, pat-a-cake or clap your hands. 
  • recognise family members
  • may prefer to be close to familiar adults

Most children respond to noises by this age. If you think your child can’t hear you, it’s important to get this checked out. 

Read more about your child's communication

Encouraging development

Activities and games you can explore with your baby:

  • playing with your baby by getting down to child’s level (lying down or crouching)
  • trip to the park
  • playing on swings
  • noisy play (playing with loud objects like spoons with pots and pans or a upturned pot)
  • playing with puppets
  • reading picture books 
  • talking to them in short simple sentences
  • responding to their babbling by copying back the sounds they make
  • speaking with your baby and talking about what they are looking at
  • using different voices and actions when reading, singing and playing
Young baby lying on a pink blanket on a bed looking at their smiling dad who is holding a toy.

Babies do not need lots of toys or devices to have fun or to encourage development.

They learn a lot of early skills by playing and spending time with you.

Possible development concerns

Sometimes development can be slower than you expect, or you may notice something different about your child or young person. It's normal to feel worried but there is lots of support out there. 

Contact the health visiting team if you notice your baby is:

  • not holding objects
  • not able to move a toy from one hand to another
  • not rolling
  • not sitting independently
  • not moving (for example shuffling or crawling)
  • not taking weight on legs when held in a supported standing position

alt=""
Success

Need more specific support for your child?

If your child needs more help or has additional needs, you can visit our specific section for extra support.

Child development and growing up for additional needs

Information

Who can help

If you have any questions or concerns about your baby's development, a health professional in our team will be able to offer advice and support.

You can Call Us on 0300 029 50 50 or Text Us on 07520 649887 to start a conversation.

Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm (excluding bank holidays).

Information for 9 month old babies

Related pages

Dad sitting on bed looking down at his baby which he is holding in his arm. His other hand is holding his phone.
  • 0-1 Years
  • 1-5 Years
  • Parents and Carers
  • Behaviour, emotions and mental health
  • Sleep
  • Staying safe and accident prevention

Caring for your crying baby - ICON

It is completely normal for babies to cry. Crying is how your baby tries to get your attention and communicate with you. There are lots of different ways to soothe your crying baby. Sometimes these methods will work and other times they won’t, and this is ok.

Read more
Happy Indian Muslim Family with little Daughter at Home
  • 0-1 Years
  • 1-5 Years
  • Child development and growing up
  • Moving and being active

General early years movement skills and development

The early development skills like sitting, crawling, standing and walking are also known as gross motor skills. Gross motor skills use the big muscles in the arms, legs and torso.

Read more
Two women with two babies
  • 0-1 Years
  • Child development and growing up
  • Speech, language and communication

Communicating with your baby

Infants and babies can communicate from the moment they are born. As soon as they arrive, your baby is learning about speech, language, and communication. It's important to talk to your baby and to encourage them to notice noises and sounds. Learn more about eye-contact and showing your baby new sounds.

Read more

Was this page helpful?

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

You must log in to save content

Click below to log in or create a new account

Login

You must log in to save content

Click below to log in or create a new account

Login