The Development of an 8-Month-Old Baby

At 8 months of age, your child is learning not only how to interact with her environment, but also how to navigate around it. She is quickly learning how to move about in a variety of ways. She also can begin to communicate her emotions more clearly and understand language.

  1. Physical Development

    • The average 8-month-old baby weighs anywhere from 14 and a half to 17 and a half pounds, with boys typically weighing about a pound more than girls at this point. He is probably between 27 and 28 inches long now. During the eighth month, he should start to be much more mobile. He can sit up on his own and may soon begin to crawl and walk while holding on to furniture. Make sure the house is thoroughly baby-proofed at this point to keep your little explorer safe as he begins moving around the home on his own.

    Mental Development

    • As her mind develops, a baby of 8 months begins to understand the meaning of various words, including "no." She should be able to say "mama" and "dada" and may use these words to identify her parents, though she will probably do so interchangeably. She is starting to understand that her actions can cause certain responses and will begin to use basic problem-solving skills, such as grasping an object and pulling it toward her.

    Emotional Development

    • Around 8 months of age, many children are noticeably wary of strangers and extremely attached to their parents. While he may be loving, happy and calm with his family, your child may seem like a completely different person around others, acting scared and nervous. When parents leave the room, he doesn't yet understand that they will be coming back and can get very upset. A special blanket or stuffed animal can become a comforting companion during this period.

    Eating

    • At this age, babies consume about 750 to 900 calories per day. Around half of these should still be from breast milk or formula. She will eat three to four times a day and consume between 7 and 8 ounces of breast milk or formula at each feeding, in addition to some solid foods. These foods can begin progressing to chewier foods such as mashed potatoes, egg yolks and gelatin. Introduce new foods one at a time, and wait at least two or three days in between new foods in case your child develops an allergic reaction. If you introduce multiple foods at once and an adverse reaction occurs, you will have no way of knowing which food caused it.

    Sleeping

    • By 8 months, most babies have been sleeping through the night and sleeping in their own room for several months already. You may be able to get your child to sleep for as long as 12 hours at a time. He will probably need about two naps during the day. While his nighttime sleeping schedule is less likely to be interrupted by a need for food, he may begin to wake up wondering where his parents are. When this happens, reassure him quickly and quietly that you are still there, but avoid spending prolonged periods of time in his room reading, rocking or otherwise soothing him back to sleep.

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