What Are Baby Milestones, and Why Are They Important?

 

Most new mums will spend ages reading book and researching online what their baby should be doing and when.  I bet lots of mums could tell you what age their baby is meant to hold their head up, what age they are expected to roll over or sit up, and when they should watch out for their baby's first steps.

I'm not here to debunk these ages.  In fact they are often fairly accurate.  BUT..... 

Every baby develops at a slightly different pace.  Some babies reach their milestones early, others might delay slightly.  Some babies might reach one milestone early and the next one late, or vice versa.  Some babies might reach a milestone very early, for example roll over for the first time at only 3 months, but then not roll over again til 7 months!  I have seen all of these variations in my classes and my career as a nanny and maternity nurse and also in my Hartbeeps and Baby Massage and Baby Yoga classes.

Why am I sharing this information?  I'm sharing it because I know our tendency is to compare our baby to other babies or to the "average baby" as stated online.  But remember, if your baby is happy and healthy, they are ok! Of course if you notice an extended delay in your baby reaching their milestones, or other signs of developmental delay, please don't hesitate to consult with your health care provider.  But in most cases, we just need a little patience and a little practise.

In my Baby Milestones (Baby Yoga) classes we do lots of practise of what we call "assisted milestones" movements.  We do movements that help babies learn the motion and muscles needed to perform these movements on their own, as well as helping them build the strength and mobility to be able to do so independently.  We practise such movements as rolling from back to front, and rolling front to back, sitting up, crawling, standing and walking on a flat foot, and more!

I have seen with my own eyes and heard from the mouth of mums in my classes that through practise of our "assisted milestone" movements they have seen their baby reaching those milestones!!!  

It's so exciting to hear a mum tell me her baby has been able to crawl for the first time!  The class celebrates together when a baby takes their first steps in my class.  My heart melts when I see how proud a baby is of themselves the first time they roll over independently.  

So don't fret!  You are doing a great job mummy!!  And in the meanwhile, come and join us for our Baby Milestones (Baby Yoga) classes.  

Peace ✌️, Love 😍 and Massage 💆‍♀️