• Be patient with baby as he/she learns to eat without help; Being messy is normal.
• Give 3 meals and 2-3 snacks each day.
• Start giving more table food; Avoid raw honey and chunks that could cause choking.
• Vary the thickness and lumpiness of baby’s food.
• Do not give baby soft drinks, tea, coffee and flavored drinks.
• Avoid forcing baby to eat; Babies may say no to a food 10-12 times before trying it.
• Help baby to use a cup.
• Let your doctor know if baby has had any reactions (such as throwing up, diarrhea, or a rash) to a new food.

• The average amount of daily sleep is about 12 to 16 hours.
• Your baby is probably still taking two naps a day — one in the morning and another sometime after lunch —
  but every baby is different. Waking at night is common at this age.
• Check on, but do not pick up baby if he/she wakes at night.
• If you haven’t lowered baby’s mattress all the way, make sure you do so now.

BACK-TO-SLEEP

(guidelines for reducing the risk of SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

• Always place baby to sleep on his/her back
• In your room in a bassinet or crib not in your bed
• In crib which meets current safety standards: Bars should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart. Allow no more than a width of 2 adult fingers between the crib mattress and frame. For full crib safety and standards visit www.cpsc.gov
• Use a firm mattress without any bumpers, blankets, quilts, pillows, plush toys, ribbons or ties
• Avoid overheating by keeping the room temperature comfortable
• Consider putting your baby to sleep sucking on a pacifier

General Care

• Keep Daily routines for baby; Continue feeding, sleeping, bathing and playing routines.
• Make the hour before bedtime loving and calming.
• Watch over baby as he/she explores inside and outside of the home.
• Avoid yelling or scaring baby.

Healthy Teeth

• You may notice more teeth beginning to erupt in baby’s mouth. If your baby has pain, use a cold teething
  ring. Talk to your doctor before giving acetaminophen for pain.
• Continue to clean baby’s gums and teeth as soon as you see the first tooth. Use a soft cloth or toothbrush
  with a small smear (size of a grain of rice) of fluoride toothpaste.
• Do not give a bottle in bed or prop the bottle
• Have regular times for baby to eat. Do not let him/her eat all day.

• Separation anxiety is common around 9 months, and baby may cry when you leave. Stay calm, and keep goodbyes short and loving.
• Talk, sing and read with your baby daily.
• Show and tell baby in simple words what you want him/her to do.
• Play interactive games such as peekaboo and patty cake. Name baby’s features as you touch them (Ex. hand, nose, ears, mouth, etc).
• Give baby balls, toys that roll, blocks and containers to play with.
• Limit screen time for your baby (TV, videos, computers, phones).
• Help baby when he/she needs it.

By 9 months, it’s common for many babies to:

• say “mama” and “dada”
• understand “no”
• sit without support
• pull to stand
• walk along furniture (“cruising”)
• start to use thumb and forefinger to grasp objects (pincer grasp)
• wave bye-bye
• enjoy playing peek-a-boo

     * All babies develop at different rates, and meet developmental milestones differently.

Car Safety

• Visit healthychildren.org for complete car seat guidelines provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
• Make sure car seat is installed correctly (the Fire Department will check car seats for correct installation)
• Make sure seat is rear-facing in the back seat, and never in the front seat with a passenger side airbag
• Never leave baby alone in the car
• Always wear a seat belt, and do not drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Child Safety Seat Inspection:
1-866-SEATCHECK (732-2432) or www.seatcheck.org

General Safety

• Do not smoke/vape or allow others to smoke/vape around baby
• Do not leave baby unattended
  • Never leave a baby alone with siblings or pets, in the bath, on a changing table, or any other raised surface.
• Make sure your home’s water temperature is set to below 120º F
• Do not carry or drink hot liquids while holding baby
• Test baby’s formula temperature with your wrist
• Keep small objects such as balloons, bags, toys from other children away from baby.
• Never feed baby hard pieces of food such as raw carrots, hot dogs, grapes, apples, peanuts, and popcorn.
• Do not use a baby walker as they are more likely to cause accidents.
• The kitchen is a dangerous place. Avoid letting baby crawl in kitchen by using a playpen or high chair.
• Don’t leave hot irons or hair care appliances plugged in.
• Never feed baby hard pieces of food such as raw carrots, hot dogs, grapes, apples, peanuts, and popcorn.
• Lock up all cleaning cleaning supplies, medicine, an poisons. Call Poison Help if your baby eats them.
• Keep up with childproofing:
  • Place gates on stairs, and close doors to rooms where baby might get hurt.
  • Lock up all cleaning cleaning supplies, medicine, and poisons. Call Poison Help if your baby eats them.
  • To prevent drowning, close bathroom doors, keep toilet seats down, and always supervise around
    water (including baths).
  • Don’t leave hot irons or hair care appliances plugged in.
  • Keep small objects such as balloons, bags, toys from other children away from baby.
  • The kitchen is a dangerous place. Avoid letting baby crawl in kitchen by using a playpen or high chair.
    Turn pot handles inward on the stove.
• Protect your child from gun injuries by not keeping a gun in the home. If you do have a gun, keep it unloaded and locked away. Lock up ammunition separately. Make sure kids cannot access the keys.
• Avoid sun exposure by keeping your baby covered and in the shade when possible. You may use sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) if shade and clothing don’t offer enough protection.

• Always follow the advice of your doctor when giving any medication.
• Use our Medication Dosing Chart as a guideline for the appropriate dose of Tylenol (acetaminophen) or
  Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen) to give baby.