During the 9th month you need to be extra cautious about the safety issues as your baby may start crawling. Read more about the growth milestones.Completing 34 weeks, or 8 months with your baby is not a matter of joke, last year this time, did you ever think you would make it this far? Yes, of course you did! And now you're the mom to a happy and healthy little angel. That is quite an achievement, and you need to give yourself a pat on the back. There are no things more satisfying than seeing your baby grow-up in front of your eyes, especially since you play a key role in ensuring that.
Have you maintained a record of your
baby's milestones? It would be a good way to keep track of her growth. If you haven't, maybe now would be the time to start, because your baby is just getting started.
Is Your Baby Left Handed?
So what if she is? You have to keep in mind that the "handedness" of your baby is determined before birth, and if she is meant to be left handed then so be it. Anyway, during the 9th month, it is nearly impossible to tell which hand would be the predominant one. You'll be surprised to know that at this stage, all babies are more or less ambidextrous. They can use both hands to do their work, be it eating or even picking up things. It is advisable to let this develop on its own. Parents shouldn't try to force their baby to use a particular hand. Your
baby's brain is developing at a rapid rate now, if you try to force her to use the right hand, it might create difficulty for her.
Safety Measures for Your Baby
Now that your baby is 8 months old, you need to keep an eye out for her. She is growing stronger with each passing day, which means she knows how to resist. Now that might end up causing problems for you. It also means it would be difficult to keep an eye on her at all times. With an eight months old baby
crawling about the place, you have to be on high alert. You have to take precautionary measures that will allow her to explore the world around her, but safely.
Poisonous Stuff in Homes
At 34 weeks, your baby is quite
intelligent, given her rapid brain development. She is clever enough to know what you want her to do and what you don't. And chances are, she would want to do the exactly opposite of what you want her to. Talk about a naughty baby! While some of her mischiefs are perfectly harmless, some might end up being fatal for her. For example, what if she manages to get into your medicine cabinet? Do you realize how dangerous that could be for her? You might have thought that there was no way your baby could open the drawer and take out the box, but babies can be determined if they want to be. Hence, it is imperative that you keep all kinds of poisonous material in locked cabinets, so that she can't reach them.
Milestones This Week
At 34 weeks or during the 9th month, your baby should have made a lot of progress. In these eight months, she must have picked up a lot of new different skills. For example, she should be able to initiate games with you now. It could be something as simple as peek a boo! But that's progress nonetheless. Plus, she should be able to stand up on her own now, without support. That usually means she is about to start walking soon. She should be able to pull into a standing position from a sitting one now. All these are recent developments as her muscles grow stronger. If your baby hasn't hit these milestones yet, there is no reason to feel disappointed. Give it a month or two, each baby reaches milestones at different ages. There's no need to panic yet!
Separation Anxiety?
Now that your baby is growing up, you've probably gone ahead and taken the tough step of leaving her with the babysitter. No matter how much you try, there are places where you simply cannot take your baby. Now getting a good babysitter is of the utmost importance, especially with the stories you hear nowadays. If you've got yourself a good sitter, congratulations! Now comes the hard part. You might be experiencing separation anxiety as you leave your baby, and that's perfectly normal. But you cannot let it show, it might cause the same reaction in your baby, and that is something you need to avoid. In fact, she might be perfectly satisfied playing with your babysitter in your absence!
Now that your baby is gradually growing into a toddler, you have to take certain steps, no matter how hard they seem. After all, that is a part of the learning experience, both for you and the baby. You need to allow her some space, it would do you both some good.
When do babies start crawling? What kind of safety measures should be taken when babies start crawling? How to boost baby’s growth and development? Discuss here. 
