Milestone: Cruising
After your tot gains the confidence and strength to pull up into a standing position, cruising is the next step (pun intended!).
This is when tables and couches become important “helpers” in a busy baby’s quest to walk. At first, babies will slide, side-step or shuffle along things, putting a lot of their upper body weight onto the furniture as they get the hang of being upwardly mobile.
Give your baby plenty of chances to move, explore and keep working on cruising. It may be a few weeks or months before they walk independently (there’s still a lot of muscle building, coordination and new movements to master before that magical moment happens!).
As with any developmental milestone, each baby will cruise on their own timetable (however, it commonly occurs between 8-12 months). You can encourage cruising by praising your baby when they try this new skill (even unsuccessfully) and by placing objects at the opposite end of a table or couch to entice them to cruise over to reach it. Make sure all sharp furniture corners are covered with cushioned protectors and that shelves and dressers are securely attached to the wall.
Keep in mind: despite the fact that they’re on their feet, babies don’t need to wear shoes to foster cruising or walking. Allowing your kiddo to wear socks or simply be barefoot (indoors) helps strengthen their arches and ankles.
Mom’s Body: Why are Stretch Marks Still Around?
Even if you diligently applied creams and oils to your quickly expanding belly (OK, let’s be honest, full body!), stretch marks due to pregnancy are often inevitable. They occur in up to 90 percent of pregnant women by the third trimester, so you’re in good company if you’re still seeing by those red, pink, brown or purplish lines on your tummy, breasts, hips and/or thigh areas.
While stretch marks are permanent, the good news is that they lighten up and fade over time. There’s no magic ointment on the market to totally get rid of them (although daily moisturizing keeps your skin soft and supple). Creams that contain collagen-building retinoids can improve the appearance of stretch marks. But if you’re breastfeeding, you’ll want to ask your doc if these types of creams are safe to apply. Laser and micro-needling treatments also improve stretch marks by triggering your body to create collagen. If the stretch marks bother you a lot, you can talk to your dermatologist about the process and time commitment required to see significant results.
The best advice? Learn to love your lines and consider them a reminder of how awesome the human body is for creating another human.
Saying No to Your Kiddo
We know it’s hard to imagine saying no to your sweet little babe, but when they do something that’s potentially dangerous, it’s your cue to set limits and discourage certain behaviors. At this age, your baby won’t fully understand what “no” means, although they’ll sense if your tone is more matter-of-fact or stern than usual. While infants are too young for discipline, it’s a good time to set boundaries that will keep them safe.
If your baby is doing something that you’d like them to stop (ie: pulling on a lamp cord or the dog’s tail), try to distract them or redirect their attention toward something else. This approach (when used consistently) will steer them away from those oh-so enticing outlets and wagging tails. Be prepared to do this a lot as your little one starts to understand what’s OK and what’s off-limits.
Babylist Staff
Editor
Babylist editors and writers are parents themselves and have years of experience writing and researching, coming from media outlets like Motherly, the SF Chronicle, the New York Times and the Daily Beast, and the fields of early childhood education and publishing. We research and test hundreds of products, survey real Babylist parents and consult reviews in order to recommend the best products and gear for your growing family.
