Your 11-month-old's development: Week 4

First steps

If your baby isn't walking already, she's likely to take her first independent steps soon. (If she doesn't, don't worry. Some perfectly normal babies are 16 or 17 months old before they start walking.)



You can encourage your baby to walk by standing or kneeling in front of her and holding out your hands. Or hold both her hands and walk her toward you. If she's like most children, your baby will take those early strides with her arms out to the side (for balance) and bent at the elbows, her feet turned outward, and belly out in front while her bottom sticks out behind (for balance).



As always, make sure your baby has a soft, safe environment in which to hone her new skills. Follow standard childproofing guidelines and never leave your baby unattended. Most important, keep the camera ready!

Pass on the pacifier

You might feel like it's mean to make your baby part with something she's grown so fond of, but experts say now's a good time to start weaning her away from her pacifier.



The longer your baby uses a pacifier, the harder it can be for her to stop, but another reason to make the break now is that it's the beginning of an exciting speech development phase. Your baby may be less likely to chatter away with something in her mouth all the time.



Taking away a pacifier can be tough. Go gradually: Limit daytime use and then work your baby up to not using it at night. You can also try exchanging her pacifier for a stuffed animal or toy.

New kinds of play

Around now your baby's play will probably start shifting from mastering her fine motor skills (she's got that thumb-and-forefinger grasp down pat) to exercising larger muscles. Some children this age have an attention span of two to five minutes for quiet activities — though your baby's favorite games may not be all that quiet.



Your baby probably thinks it's fun to push, throw, and knock everything down. She'll give you a toy as well as take one, and she likes games where she can put things in containers and dump them out again. This works well with blocks in buckets or boxes and with pots and pans, which she can nest inside one another. She'll thrill to the loud sounds of those pots and pans banging together, too.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

source: babycenter

Your 11-month-old: Week 4

How your baby's growing:



If your baby isn't walking already, she's likely to take her first independent steps soon. (If not, don't worry. Some perfectly normal babies are 17 or 18 months old before they start walking.)



You can encourage your baby to walk by standing or kneeling in front of her and holding out your hands. Or hold both her hands and walk her toward you. If she's like most children, your baby will take those early strides with her arms out to the side (for balance) and bent at the elbows, her feet turned outward, and belly out in front while her bottom sticks out behind (also for balance).



As always, make sure your baby has a safe environment in which to practice her new skills. Follow standard childproofing guidelines and never leave your baby unattended. And keep the camera ready!



• Learn more fascinating facts about your 11-month-old's development.

Your life: Beating parenting insecurity

Almost every mom and dad feels insecure about their parenting chops at one point or another. Try to trust your instincts, but also remember that much of your skill (and confidence) comes from experience and education. Everybody makes mistakes sometimes — it's how we learn. Ask questions or look things up when you're unsure about what to do. With time, you'll feel more confident about your ability to recognize your baby's needs and how to meet them. The angst may never go away completely, but that, too, is part of parenthood.



One great way to get support and relieve stress about being a good parent is to join a moms' group (or dads' group). There you're likely to find others with similar doubts and concerns. Just hearing and seeing how others fret and fumble can give you a helpful perspective. And if it seems like they're all perfect, that's only because you're letting your own insecurities color what you see. Stick around to get to know them better, open up a bottle of wine or make a pot of tea, and you'll eventually discover that every parent has vulnerabilities.

3 questions about: Chicken pox

Can my baby get chicken pox?

Yes, although it's unlikely. It's a good idea to know the symptoms, though. Watch for red dots, especially if you know your child has been exposed to another child with chicken pox. (It takes from ten to 21 days after exposure for symptoms to appear.) You'll see an itchy rash of small red bumps that develop into clear blisters full of fluid on a pink base, then into dry brown crusts, first on the body and scalp and then spreading to the face, arms, and legs. Your baby may also seem extra tired, not particularly hungry, and have a low-grade fever.



What should I do if my baby gets chicken pox?

You can consult your doctor, although if your baby is otherwise healthy, the illness will just run its course. To avoid infections (and scars), help sores heal by trimming your baby's fingernails and by keeping her from scratching or picking at sores. Some parents try cotton mittens. You can relieve itching by giving your baby cool baths with baking soda or oatmeal and applying calamine lotion afterward. Treat a fever with acetaminophen (but never aspirin).



Let your doctor know if symptoms seem worse than you'd expect (such as a great many sores, or sores inside the mouth or eyes), if your baby has a fever for several days, or if her skin is swollen, tender, or very red.



If you have a baby with a weakened immune system and you suspect she has chicken pox or has been exposed to it, call the doctor right away.



Should I have my baby vaccinated against chicken pox?

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends the varicella (or chicken pox) vaccine at 12 to 15 months if a child hasn't had the disease by then. (A second booster shot comes between the ages of 4 and 6.)



The vaccine causes few side effects in healthy children and keeps more than 95 percent from getting a serious case of chicken pox. The shot isn't recommended if your child has had a severe allergic reaction to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or — when she's older — a previous dose of the vaccine.



If your baby has cancer or any disease that affects her immune system, has recently had a blood transfusion, or is taking high doses of oral steroids, her doctor will carefully evaluate whether receiving the vaccine would be a good idea.

source: babycenter