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YOUR 13-MONTH-OLD BABY’S DEVELOPMENT

13 month old baby
 
Dr Simon Carvell
Medically reviewed by
15th Aug 2021

After their milestone birthday last month, your baby will be becoming increasingly toddler-like in the coming weeks. Read on to learn more about what to expect from your baby’s development at 13 months:

Baby’s Growth and Overall Health at 13 Months

Your little one will probably be increasing in confidence when it comes to moving around. This means they will be keen to show off these newfound skills and exercise their independence, so you can expect a few stumbles along the way. These unsteady moments are normal and help your tot to develop their balance.

At 13 months old, babies often start to show more of an interest in toys. Your little one may now enjoy activities such as playing with toy bricks by banging them together and may be able to build a tower of two bricks.

After their first birthday, you should find your baby does not outgrow their clothes quite as quickly, allowing them to get plenty of wear from their 12-18 month size outfits.

In terms of your little one’s size, generally, a 13-month-old baby boy will measure between 70cm and 83cm and weigh between 7.2kg and 13kg. At 13 months, baby girls typically measure between 68cm and 82cm and weigh between 6.8kg and 13kg.

If you are concerned about your baby’s growth, it is best to discuss this with your health visitor or GP.

Baby’s Sleep at 13 Months

Most 13-month-old babies sleep for 14 hours each day. The majority of your little one’s sleep will probably take place at night now, and they may have dropped down to one nap instead of two. At 13 months, most babies have an afternoon nap that lasts for a couple of hours.

You will probably find that your little one will nod off and have a nap if you are out and about in the afternoons. So, if you are in the car or pushing them in their pushchair, chances are they will use this time to have a nap while on the go.

Baby’s Food and Feeding Schedule at 13 Months

Helping your little one to develop healthy eating habits is essential at this age. You can do this by feeding them a balanced diet, with each meal containing starchy foods, protein, fruit/vegetables, and dairy.

Your 13-month-old should have three portions of dairy products each day. Children under two years old should have full-fat dairy products.

It is recommended that children aged from six months up to 5 years are given daily vitamin A, C, and D supplement drops unless they are drinking 500ml or more of milk each day. If you are unsure whether your tot needs vitamin supplements, your health visitor will be able to advise you.

Baby’s Personality at 13 Months

Your 13-month-old baby will now understand most of what you say and will try hard to get you to understand what they want. They may be able to say a couple of words now but will try other methods to help you understand them. This means that they may point or try to pull you over to things they want. But be warned; they will show you their frustration if they cannot make you understand what they are trying to tell you. This includes throwing or pushing away things that they do not want.

Now that your baby is probably only having one nap each day, you may find that they are very cranky if they miss this. So, if you are making plans, you may want to make sure they don’t clash with nap time; otherwise, your little one may be overtired and grumpy.

Baby’s milestones at 13 months

  • Your baby will be on the move a lot now, whether that is walking, cruising, or crawling.
  • At 13 months, babies may be able to say a couple of recognisable words and will experiment with different syllables and sounds.
  • Your little one’s understanding will be developing, and between the ages of one and two years, they can understand around five times more words than they can say.
  • Your baby will probably now say Mama and Dada to the correct parent.
  • At 13 months, your baby may now experiment with objects by throwing, banging, or shaking them.
  • Your baby may be able to stand and hold onto your legs for support.
  • 13-month-olds normally now have favourite toys and people.

Games and Activities for Babies at 13 Months

If you are looking for extra games and activities for your 13-month-old, why not give these a try:

Keep talking

Talking to your little one all the time about what you are doing is a great way to encourage their communication skills and develop their vocabulary.

You could also point to different parts of the body and name each part to familiarise your baby with these. Before long, they will be able to copy you.

Play with bricks

Take two toy bricks and show your little one how to stack one on top of the other. You could try taking turns stacking the bricks to create a simple tower.

 

How mum's feeling at 13 months postpartum

 

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Mum's View

"A year after having Reuben, I finally feel like myself again, I have time to myself. I can relax, do things I enjoy. I also enjoy being a mum, although I still massively struggle with my anxiety, I feel a million times better than I did at the start of this year. I have started getting back into makeup and doing things I enjoy."

 

Mum of 1, Chloe

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emmas diary tips

Mum's View

"I'll be the first to admit, body positivity hasn't come easy to me. Learning to accept my post-partum body was hard but after while I learned to embrace my new ‘mum tum’ and I soon felt so much more at home in my own skin. I looked at my soft, squishy belly and instead of disappointment and shame, I felt proud and empowered!"

 

Mum of 2, Sally

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emmas diary tips

Mum's View

"You’d think it would be easier as this is my second child, and second time returning to work. But I’m finding it just as hard!

I cried multiple times a day for the first few days back, why am I admitting this to you? Because I know I won’t be alone! And if someone else can read this and know they aren’t alone either, then I have achieved what I wanted."

 

Mum of 3, Hebe

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Parents' tips this month!

 

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What to expect from your child at month 14

 

 

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