Your baby at 12 months

Happy Birthday Baby!!!! This month, no doubt there will be plenty of celebrating as your baby reaches an important milestone and becomes a toddler!

Both you and your family have been through a lifechanging year and it’s important to reflect back on the amazing journey you have been on. Sleep By now, hopefully your toddler is sleeping through the night and if not, then hopefully they will quickly fall back to sleep once you have settled them.

If they are still enjoying two naps a day then this will soon reduce as they may drop the morning nap or you may find they have a longer sleep during the middle of the day and can then go through until bedtime. Communication At 12 months your baby will be becoming more sociable but they may also start testing boundaries.

They will know what they want and be happy to express this to you.

If you find your toddler is doing something they shouldn’t, then now is a good time to guide them towards more appropriate behaviour, rather than telling them off. Movement At one, your toddler will be becoming more independent and they may be able to help you dress them and also turn pages when you read them a story.

They may also be trying to use things like hairbrushes and feeding themselves – they may not be getting it right all the time, but they know how it should be done.

If not already, then your toddler may take their first steps around now and if not now, then they are likely to start walking over the next few months, once they start there will be no stopping them. Feeding Your toddler will be able to use a spoon and will most likely be feeding themselves.

They will enjoy solid food and snacks as their main source of energy and nutrition and will be eating 3 meals a day as well as healthy snacks.

If you are breastfeeding, you can continue for as long as you both want, however you will find this will naturally decrease as they eat more food.

Baby will be able to use a cup now confidently to drink water and you can also now offer full-fat dairy milk as an alternative. You – 12 Months Post-Partum Congratulations!

You’ve done it, your baby is now one years old – how do you feel?

It will no doubt have been a rollercoaster of a year but looking back I’m sure you wouldn’t have changed any of it.

As a more experienced mum, you will hopefully have more confidence in trusting your decisions and abilities.

Your parenting adventure has only just begun and there is so much more to look forward too, enjoy the journey!