This Week in Your Baby's First Year

Your Baby at 52 Weeks Edit  Child's  Info Baby's First Year Newsletter

Your Baby This Week

What's Going On With My Baby Now? Your baby may be taking her first tentative steps. Or she may still be clutching the edge of the coffee table, content to "cruise" around. If your child isn't walking but a younger baby is, don't fret; it's perfectly normal. Although some babies walk before their birthdays, many don't start for a few months. Here's what she'll do along the way: • She'll lean on furniture to get into a standing position and may even let go and stand on her own for a few seconds. • She'll walk around the perimeter of a room, holding onto different pieces of furniture for support. • She'll take one or more steps on her own -- toward you or another relative -- before falling. • She'll learn to stand up without furniture for support when she falls in the middle of a room.

ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Your Baby's First Steps When you notice your baby "cruising" around her playroom, you may be eager to encourage her walking habit. But what's the best method? • Grasp your baby's hand and help her walk around for longer distances. That will help her improve her balance and become confident on two feet. • Avoid wheeled walkers; they reduce a baby's desire to learn to walk since she can already get around the room. Walkers also greatly increase her chances of injury, even when adults are present. That's because they're unstable and fast and allow babies to grab things they normally couldn't reach. A baby in a walker may fall down a flight of stairs, knock hot coffee from a table onto herself, or ingest medication, coins, or other small items you thought were out of reach. • Stationary activity centers let babies play safely while on their feet without moving around the room.

Good to Know • Make sure that your baby never uses a wheeled walker, including at daycare or a relative's house. • Some sturdy, weighted push toys (including toy lawn mowers or toy shopping carts) can help your baby have fun while walking greater distances. • Don't confine your baby to her stroller or playpen for long. You want to give her enough time to practice walking each day. • Don't worry if your baby isn't walking and you notice that she stands pigeon-toed. Some babies are born this way. It usually corrects itself during the first few years and doesn't delay walking. • Let your baby walk alongside her stroller for part of her daily walk with you. You're modeling healthy behavior by being active every day. • Help your child learn how to go up and down stairs by practicing under close supervision. Then, lock safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs to make stairs off-limits.

More From WebMD

• Your 1-Year-Old: What to Expect • Baby Weight Not Budging? You May Be Sabotaging Your Diet • You've Made It: What to Expect in the Toddler Years

Connect With Parents

• WebMD Baby's First Year Community • Parenting: 9- to 12-Month-Olds Community

Tools for Parents

How Healthy Is Your Home? Track Your Baby's Development With the WebMD Baby App

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