Baby milestones in the first year: the complete checklist for parents

A baby's first year goes faster than you think. One day you have a newborn who does nothing but sleep and cry. A year later the same child is walking across the room on their own. In between are dozens of moments you never want to forget.

In this article you'll find a complete overview of the milestones in your baby's first year, from 0 to 12 months. Plus how to keep track of them, and which app helps most.

Why recording milestones is so worthwhile

The first smile, the first time they roll over, the first spoonful of purée. In the rush of being new parents you forget the details remarkably quickly. Three months later you can't remember exactly when it was. A year later you can't remember at all.

Recording milestones isn't only for the album. It also helps you follow how your child is developing and gives you something lovely to share with the grandparents. And in fifteen years' time you'll have a diary your child can read for themselves.

The complete milestone list: 0–12 months

Month 0–1: the very first weeks

Your newborn is small, fragile and overwhelming all at once. The milestones in the first weeks are subtle, but unforgettable:

• First breath outside the womb
• First skin-to-skin contact with mum or dad
• First feed (breast or bottle)
• First bath at home
• Umbilical stump falls off (usually between day 7 and 14)
• First wink (still a reflex, but special all the same)
• Follows faces with their eyes. The world is starting to register.
• First little cry that isn't crying

Month 1–2: first responses

Your baby starts to recognise the world and respond to it. These are the moments parents look forward to most:

• First real smile. This time it's a response to you, and not a reflex.
• Recognises mum's and dad's voices
• First little sounds and cooing
• Holds eye contact for longer
• Smiles back when you smile
• Briefly lifts their head during tummy time

Month 2–3: more sociable and active

• First laugh out loud
• Follows moving objects with their eyes
• Holds their head steady and upright
• Interest in toys
• A wider range of sounds
• Responds to their name (early signs)

Month 3–4: discovering with their hands

• Discovers their hands. Stares at their own fingers, fascinated, for minutes on end.
• Grabs hold of toys
• Brings objects to their mouth
• Rolls over for the first time (tummy to back, or the other way round)
• Blows spit bubbles
• Sleeps for longer stretches

Month 4–5: stronger and more alert

• Props up on their forearms during tummy time
• Rolls over both ways
• Understands cause and effect (shaking makes a noise)
• First tooth (can also come later)
• Clearly reacts to music
• Recognises familiar faces

Month 5–6: halfway there!

• Sits with support
• First solid food
• "Walks" on your lap (bounces along)
• Plays actively with toys
• Saying "no" starts to work
• Babbles in vowels (a, o, e)
• Recognises their own name

Month 6–7: on the move

• Sits unaided (briefly)
• Starts to crawl (or shuffle along on their tummy)
• Passes toys from hand to hand
• Babbles with consonants (ba, da, ma)
• Wary of strangers (stranger anxiety begins)
• Feeds themselves small pieces of food (first self-feeding)

Month 7–8: exploring

• Crawls independently
• Pulls up to standing on furniture
• First "mama" or "dada" (sometimes earlier)
• Drops toys on purpose (and wants them back)
• Claps their hands
• Understands "no"

Month 8–9: communicating

• Points at things
• Waves bye-bye
• Plays peekaboo (checks you're still there)
• More varied babbling
• Stands upright with help
• Eats with the family at the table

Month 9–10: nearly one!

• Walks along furniture (cruising)
• Understands simple instructions ("give it to mummy")
• Pincer grip. Picks up small pieces between thumb and forefinger.
• First shoes
• Plays copying games
• Says 1–3 words with meaning

Month 10–11: close to the first birthday

• Stands unaided (briefly)
• First steps (can also come a bit later)
• Plays with other children
• More words
• Drinks from a cup
• Helps take their clothes off

Month 11–12: one year old!

• First birthday
• Walks independently (or soon after)
• Uses a spoon or fork
• Has a clear personality and preferences
• Understands far more than they can say
• Plays pretend

How to keep track of milestones: practical tips

You can record milestones in a paper baby book, in a notebook or in WhatsApp. It's easiest with an app built specifically for it. Read more about what to write down for each milestone in our article on recording your baby's first year.

What to record with each milestone:

• The date (as precisely as you can)
• A photo or short video
• A short note: who was there, how it went, how you felt
• The context: was it hot, were there visitors, was it just an ordinary morning?

Golden rule: write it down in the moment, or that evening at the latest. Waiting until the weekend costs you details you'll never get back.

What parents miss most afterwards

Besides the well-known milestones, there are a few things parents miss most later on, precisely because they seemed so obvious at the time:

• The favourite lullaby. Which song did you sing? How long did that ritual last?
• The first fear. What was your child scared of? Ghosts, thunder, the hoover?
• The cuddly toy. Its name, what it looked like, why it was so special.
• Funny names for things. "Kite" for aeroplane, a made-up word for the fridge.
• The favourite-food phase. Weeks of nothing but bread with chocolate sprinkles (hagelslag), and then suddenly never again.

Started later? You can always fill in the gaps

Lots of parents only start keeping track properly later on. That's fine. You can always go back and fill things in:

• Go through your photos by date. Most phones store the date and time.
• Ask the grandparents what they remember. Grandparents sometimes recall details you've forgotten.
• Look through old WhatsApp messages and forwarded photos
• Watch old videos. You'll also see how old your child was and how they talked.

Even a partial timeline is valuable. Start with the moments you still remember clearly and fill in from there.

Which app helps

A baby diary app like Ouderliefde lets you add a photo, date and note for each milestone. The timeline is chronological and easy to follow. Grandparents can view it through a sharing link. And in 12 years you'll have a complete diary of that first year.

The app also has ready-made milestone lists, so you don't forget anything. Handy when you want to record a milestone at 3 in the morning and don't want to think about it too hard.