WHAT SHOULD SHE EAT?

Even at your baby reaching 9 months and one week, you are still recommended to carry on breastfeeding her, unless otherwise instructed by your doctors. Human milk is still the very best for your infant, and till she reaches 1 year, you can continue to breastfeed her. If your baby does not cause you any stress or any other problems due to your feeding her on breast milk, your pediatrician will usually recommend that you continue to do so till she is 1 year old. By now you would have started her on solids, so she can be exposed to a good combination of both solids and milk. At all levels, your baby is raring to go! She is now growing fast, and is slowly but gradually becoming very independent. So if she is able enough to eat on her own, by all means, allow her to do so.  This will surely inspire her to work towards more and more independence! Slowly introduce her to newer and newer foods.

WHAT WILL SHE DO AT THIS TIME?

Your baby is a bundle of curiosity, as she grows, at 37 weeks, she is growing more and more curious and interested in the world around her. She has become inquisitive, and like a little detective, wants to investigate everything. So you might find a sea of white on the floor, as she unravels the toilet tissue roll, or she might be under the drawing room sofa in search of a bug! Encourage her to be on her own, crawl and explore her surroundings as this will help build her co-ordination between eyes, arms and legs.
Your baby has become smart enough to understand who her Mom and Dad are. She might become extremely shy at this stage, and might not just go to anybody. Do not force her to go to strangers, as this is a phase and might soon pass. This could be because your baby might feel that the other person may not give her food and water like you do. Tell the people you are meeting that your baby is going through a phase, and she might not want to go to them, not just yet. They should understand.

WHAT YOU COULD HELP HER DO!

This is a great time to introduce her to pots and pans and other simple toys. So you could set her down in the kitchen floor, and allow her to dabble in vessels, and close your ears to all that noise that she makes! Your baby is also copying all your actions now, as she observes people around her, this learning is going on all the time!  So do not be surprised if you see her with her hand on her ear, copying your ‘speaking on the phone’ action!

HOW MUCH WILL SHE SLEEP?

Your baby is now past 9 months, and should be sleeping about 11 to 12 hours at night and sleeping for around an hour or an hour and a half during the day, in 2 or 3 short naps. Do not cut short her sleep timings as sleep is a very crucial factor aiding her development. Try sticking to a regularized sleep pattern, for if it gets disrupted, your baby will tend to get cranky and have more trouble sleeping at night, waking up more often than normally.

WHAT SHE WILL WEIGH

Your baby is growing well and should be soon topping the double figure scales. If you have not checked her weight recently you will find that her weight curve  has really moved well. There are growth spurts during this phase, so get her weight checked during this time. Usually, your baby should weigh anywhere between 8 and 11kgs. It all depends on individual growth, so you can consult your doctor on this, to be sure.