12 Month Milestones: First Words, First Steps, 1 Year Check

Developmental milestones at 1 year cover the 10 to 12 month window when most babies pull to stand, cruise along furniture, pick things up between thumb and finger, wave, point and babble in strings. Many say 'dada' or 'mama', drink from a cup you hold, and some take first steps, though walking arrives anywhere from about 10 to 18 months.

The checklist below is the 8 to 12 month band of the ACECQA developmental milestones document(opens in a new window), which is the same checklist BabyLog records for each baby. The plain-language context comes from the Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) and healthdirect(opens in a new window). For the whole first two years, start with baby milestones by age; this page zooms in on the last stretch of the first year.

What are the milestones at 10 to 12 months?

Most babies at 10 to 12 months are on the move (crawling, cruising or standing), feeding themselves finger foods, communicating with gestures and a word or two, and playing simple games with you. The ACECQA document groups the 8 to 12 month milestones into five areas; social and emotional are combined below so the table matches the four areas most Australian guidance uses.

The right-hand column comes from the Raising Children Network's 11 to 12 month page(opens in a new window) and the 12 month milestone list in NSW Health's Blue Book(opens in a new window). The middle column starts at 8 months, so a baby who ticked half of it back at 8 months is not behind on the rest.

When do babies start walking?

Babies usually start walking somewhere between about 10 and 18 months, and both ends of that range are normal. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby(opens in a new window) puts crawling between 7 and 12 months and pulling to stand between 9 and 12 months, with first steps following in their own time.

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby · Learning to walk

Babies usually start walking sometime between about 10 and 18 months of age.

The Raising Children Network makes the same point from the other side: on its 12 to 15 month page(opens in a new window) it notes that some children do not walk without help until 15 to 18 months. A baby who cruises confidently along the couch at 12 months and lets go a few months later is following a common path. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby advises against baby walkers, which delay walking skills and cause injuries, and suggests bare feet or grip socks indoors.

The two walking questions worth raising with your child health nurse are a baby who is 18 months or older and not yet walking alone, and a baby who has started walking and then begins to limp, waddle or refuse to walk.

What do first words and gestures look like at 12 months?

At 11 to 12 months most babies communicate with pointing, grunting, nodding and waving, and may say one or two single words they understand, such as 'dada' or 'mama'. The Raising Children Network describes babble that sounds more like a conversation(opens in a new window) and a baby who points at something and looks at you to share it.

Understanding runs ahead of talking. Your baby might look around for the ball when you say 'ball', follow 'give me the block', and hand over a toy when you hold out your hand. A baby who points, waves and babbles is communicating well even if no clear word has arrived yet.

When do babies move from bottles to cups, and to cow's milk?

Breastmilk or infant formula stays the only milk drink until 12 months, and after 12 months full-fat cow's milk can be offered in a cup to a baby eating a balanced diet. The Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) also says a formula-fed child eating well probably will not need formula after 12 months, breastfeeding can continue for as long as it suits you both, and reduced-fat milks are not recommended under 2 years.

Cup practice starts earlier than the milk switch. Small amounts of cooled boiled water in a cup from 6 months teach the skill, and NSW Health's Blue Book(opens in a new window) suggests replacing bottles with cups at around 12 months. After 12 months tap water no longer needs boiling, and water and milk are the drinks to reach for. The amounts, and how milk fits around three meals and snacks, are in how much milk for a 1 year old.

What immunisations are due at 12 months?

The 12 month point on the National Immunisation Program schedule covers meningococcal ACWY, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and pneumococcal vaccines, with a meningococcal B dose for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The vaccines on the National Immunisation Program schedule(opens in a new window) are free, though a GP or clinic may charge a consultation fee.

States and territories fund some additional vaccines, so the schedule for your area is worth a look too.

The 12 month child health check

The 12 month visit is one of the scheduled child health checks in every state and territory. NSW Health's Blue Book(opens in a new window) lists the topics for the 12 month visit as your child's development, your own questions, healthy eating and active play, teeth, sleep, immunisations, safety, sun protection and growth. Before the visit it asks parents to answer a short set of questions, including whether you or anyone else is concerned about your child's hearing, whether you are concerned about their vision, whether they have a turned or lazy eye, and whether they have difficulty seeing small objects. Those answers steer the nurse's hearing and vision review at the check. Other states schedule a check in a similar window under different names; the full state-by-state picture is in baby health checks in Australia.

When to talk to your child health nurse

Variation is normal at 12 months, and one skill arriving late rarely means anything on its own. healthdirect(opens in a new window) and the Raising Children Network(opens in a new window) suggest a chat with your child health nurse or GP if at 12 months your baby:

• does not babble, copy sounds or gestures, or try to tell you what they want with body language, sounds or words
• does not use gestures such as waving or pointing
• does not respond to their name, seems uninterested in sounds, or does not make eye contact
• has an eye that is turned in or out most of the time
• cannot sit without support, is not crawling or moving around somehow, or does not bear weight on their legs
• does not try to pull up to stand, or uses one hand much more than the other
• does not feed themselves finger foods or hold a bottle or cup
• does not look for things they saw you hide

Any skill your baby loses, at any age, warrants a review straight away. The ACECQA document's own 'seek advice' list for this band adds a baby who is not responsive to carers, not interested in holding toys, or not learning to eat solids.

A baby who cruises, points and babbles at 12 months is on track. First steps and first words arrive on their own schedule.

Keeping track through the first birthday

The 12 month check is the first one where the nurse asks about words, gestures, cup drinking and standing all at once, and the honest answer to 'when did that start?' is usually 'a few weeks ago, I think'. Notes made at the time are far easier than reconstructing the month from memory.

BabyLog's milestone checklist is the ACECQA list in the table above, so marking a milestone as one to watch and then observed takes a tap, with the date and your baby's age stamped on it. Milestone tracking is part of Pro. Also on Pro, a checkup report pulls a chosen period into one quality-checked summary, with feeding and sleep patterns, growth charts and the milestone checklist for the stage you pick, and can be shared with the nurse or a childcare educator as a private link or PDF.

Watch this window unfold at your baby's own pace, and track your baby's development with BabyLog. Looking back a few months? Start with 8 month milestones. For what comes next, the hub's milestones from 12 to 24 months covers walking, first sentences and toddler play.

Common questions