Your 32-Week-Old Baby

If you’ve spent any time comparing your now-eight-month-old to their newborn photos, you might have noticed that their eye color has changed slightly. You’re not imagining things; it’s extremely common for babies to end up with a different shade of eye color than the one they were born with. Wondering when baby’s eye color will fully set in? Dr. Chris Klunk, a board-certified neonatologist with Pediatrix Medical Group, explains exactly what’s going on (and how you might be able to predict the final result).

Eight months is also prime time for—you guessed it—another sleep regression. And just like the one from a couple months ago, this one can also be blamed on some important cognitive and physical developmental leaps. Read on to learn more about what’s on the horizon for baby’s new skills.

🚼 Baby’s Development 

Eye Color

While some babies are born with darker eyes that stay more or less consistent, many babies start out with lighter eyes that shift over time. This is because melanin (the pigment in skin color, hair color and eye color) continues developing after birth.

“Most sources say that you are likely to start seeing serious changes in your little one’s eye color by around six months old,” Dr. Klunk says. By week 32, that means you might notice shifts as dramatic as blue turning to green or brown, or something more subtle like light brown turning to a more solid, deep brown.

But as exciting as it can be, don’t expect the final answer just yet. “They achieve something pretty close to their final eye color by around one year of age, though mild changes can happen for the next couple of years,” Dr. Klunk says.

If you’re tempted to predict what color baby’s eyes will be long-term, you can make educated guesses, but there’s no definitive test, Dr. Klunk says. He recommends using some of the genetics tables online, which use both parents’ eye colors to show you the odds of baby’s eye color. (Yes, we’re talking about Punnett squares, taking you back to high school biology.) But he also reminds parents that Punnett squares only estimate probabilities, so keep your expectations flexible. “The genetics of eye color are not straightforward,” he says.

😴 Sleep

Sleep Regression #3

If your baby’s sleep suddenly goes sideways again, you know what it’s time for. Around eight to ten months old, some babies go through a third big sleep regression. If they aren’t sick (which can cause very brief sleep regressions), then this one is likely fueled by a couple big developmental leaps.

One of the biggest culprits right now: separation anxiety. That’s right, the same major cognitive milestone we talked about last week doesn’t just affect your baby’s sense of attachment (and your sense of guilt), it can also affect baby’s sleep patterns as their brain works hard on forming those new neural pathways. 

Baby may want shorter naps or wake more often at night, simply because they’re starting to realize that they miss you. They may cry the second you put them down, wake up calling for you more often or need extra reassurance to fall asleep. The good news: just like the past two regressions, this phase is temporary and should only last a couple of weeks. And a consistent routine plus calm reassurance can help.

And as an added bonus, there’s a major physical milestone on the way too, which can equally influence this sleep regression. If baby seems extra wiggly and active at bedtime, especially if you’ve noticed them trying to push up onto their knees, it all may hint that crawling could be right around the corner. Baby’s brain is busy building the coordination (and confidence) to get there, which means they’re focused on anything but sleep.

👀 Looking Ahead

• Clapping: In the coming weeks, you may notice baby bringing their hands together intentionally—sometimes to clap, sometimes just to explore the feeling. It’s a fun milestone that also builds coordination (and often leads to new games and new ways of demanding attention).

• Army crawling: Before traditional hands-and-knees crawling clicks, many babies do an “army crawl,” scooting forward on their bellies using their arms. If you see lots of pushing, rocking or determined face-first movement, baby may be practicing this next big mobility leap.