Women are already anxious by nature, and when it comes to their children, it’s even more so. Even before they’re born, we imagine every step of their development, how wonderful it will be to watch them discover the world and each part of their bodies. Every stage is a delightful part of motherhood, and one of them is when the baby starts to sit up. Therefore, we shouldn’t rush their development, much less demand that they do the same as other babies. After all, each baby has their own pace for discovering and feeling safe to try new things, and only when the back and neck muscles are strong enough to support the body’s weight will they dare to try a new position.

For those who can’t hide their anxiety and tend to try sitting their baby up too early, know that this is extremely harmful to the spine, as the one who needs to feel safe, ready, and strong for the next stage of development is the baby. The baby will show when they are ready by trying until they succeed. There is no exact month that indicates when a baby starts to sit up, but around 4 to 7 months old, they start to get stronger. They can already hold their head up with a firmer neck and might even try rolling from side to side. But it’s usually around 8 months that the baby will be able to sit without any support, without swaying and falling from lack of balance, which is very common at the beginning.

Helping your baby through activities and games to strengthen their muscles is also a good idea, and you can start doing this from 4 months old. Laying the baby on their tummy on the bed or a blanket on the floor, showing them toys that grab their attention and encouraging them to lift their neck to look is a great strengthening exercise. You can also see that their hearing and vision are developing properly and responding to stimuli.

If your baby is already 6 months old and still cannot support the weight of their head with their neck, you should consult a pediatrician. Even though each baby develops at their own pace, at this age they should have stronger neck muscles, which will be essential for crawling and later supporting the whole body’s weight when they take their first steps. Remember that premature babies usually take a little longer to develop, so the pediatrician or a specialist should be consulted to evaluate the case.

And When Does the Baby Start Walking?

Every step is a step, each stage of development a new discovery, and so it will be with their first steps. Like all the other stages, there’s no specific right time or age, but rather an estimate of when it will happen, and parents can use as a reference the level of motor coordination development their baby has reached. The baby will only start walking when they are ready, confident, and feel safe, and they will need to go through all the other developmental stages for every muscle in their body to be strengthened enough to support their weight.

By around 8 months, babies usually feel more independent and start trying to stand up holding onto furniture. Some early bloomers feel so steady and secure on their legs that they start walking quickly at this stage, but most babies practice a lot to become fully steady. Around 10 months, many babies are more stable and might even try taking their first steps without holding onto furniture. For some, this might happen only as they near their first birthday, but it’s absolutely normal for babies to take up to 18 months to start walking. So if your baby hasn’t started yet but is being monitored by a pediatrician, there’s no reason to worry—just wait for their time.

Parents can help build their child’s confidence to take their first steps, so avoid using walkers. Contrary to what was previously thought, they do not help babies develop and actually prevent them from learning to walk correctly, and are even considered by specialists to be harmful to leg muscles. Hold their hands and let their tiny feet walk on the floor at first—this will encourage and strengthen their legs.

Another tip is to position yourself in front of your baby with your arms open, calling them to you, encouraging your child to let go and move toward you. Using toys to attract them is also widely used with this method. Avoid putting shoes on at this stage—even though they’re cute and stylish, shoes can interfere with your baby’s sense of security while taking steps. So if possible, let your baby go barefoot while trying to walk, as this will help with balance.

This is a moment of great anxiety for parents, but get ready! Once they learn, there’s no stopping them! If they were already exploring every part of the house before, now that they’re walking, they will feel even freer and more eager to explore the world. So, extra caution is needed!!

See also: Baby’s First Steps

Photos: Emily, sean dreilinger