Month 11: Many babies feel like tiny helpers on the move – they crawl or shuffle with clear goals, pull up to stand for a better view, offer you toys as if to share the job, and then check back with hugs and smiles to make sure their favourite grown-ups are still close.

• By month 11 many babies are having three small meals a day with a mix of soft family foods and finger foods, alongside breast milk or formula, and parents are often encouraged to offer a variety of tastes and textures without adding salt or sugar.
• It is common for babies at this age to want to feed themselves, for example by picking up pieces of food, holding a spoon, or reaching for your plate, so mealtimes can be short, sociable chances to eat together while you stay close and watch how they manage.
• Appetite can change from day to day, so many parents keep an eye on the bigger picture over several days – offering iron-rich foods, fruits and vegetables, starchy foods and protein foods across the week – and speak to a health professional if they are worried about feeding or growth.

• Around eleven months many babies still sleep for many hours across 24 hours, often somewhere in the low-to-mid teens including naps, but patterns vary widely and it is still common to wake at night for reassurance or a feed.
• Parents are often advised to keep placing babies on their back in a clear, flat sleep space in the same room as an adult, with no pillows, duvets, soft toys, or loose bedding near the face and in a smoke-free environment.
• New skills, such as pulling up or practising sounds, can sometimes make it harder for babies to switch off at bedtime, so many families find a calm, predictable wind-down – a simple bath, pyjamas, quiet story or song, and dim lights – helps signal that it is time to rest.

• With a wide range of solid foods on offer, many babies’ poos at this age are thicker, smellier, and more formed, and colour or texture can change depending on what they have eaten recently.
• Some babies poo several times a day, while others go less often but in larger amounts, so many parents focus on their baby’s usual pattern, comfort, and the number of wet nappies rather than aiming for a particular number of dirty nappies.
• Plenty of wet nappies, mostly soft poos, and a baby who is generally alert when awake can feel reassuring; if nappies suddenly become very dry, very loose, very hard, or you notice blood or other changes that worry you, contact your midwife, health visitor, paediatrician or local emergency service.

• Around eleven months many babies are practising big body movements like moving between sitting and crawling, pulling to stand, and cruising along furniture, which lets them explore more of the room and join in daily life from new angles.
• Short, frequent play sessions work well at this age – for example, a few minutes of rolling balls, putting toys into a box and tipping them out, looking at simple picture books, or copying claps and waves – then a break when your baby crawls away or seems tired.
• Many babies near the end of the first year use pointing, reaching, and babbling to show what they want, so talking back, naming objects they look at, singing, and offering a few short tummy or floor-time play slots each day can support their growing thinking, language, and movement skills.

Sources

• NHS – Feeding your baby: from 10 to 12 months
• NHS – 10 to 12 months: Feeding your baby
• Wirral Community NHS – Your baby’s sleep at 6–12 months
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Movement: Babies 8 to 12 Months
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP) – Cognitive Development in Infants: 8 to 12 Months

This content is general information only and is not medical advice. If you are worried about your baby, contact your midwife, health visitor, paediatrician, or local emergency service.