Your 11-Month-Old Baby’s Milestones and Development

From sleeping to language and more.

Your baby's first birthday is just around the corner and you are likely feeling a wide range of emotions. Along with all the feelings, you're likely noticing that your baby is more like a toddler these days. From standing and moving toward walking to maybe even saying the beginnings of their first words, the 11-month mark can bring about some very exciting milestones.

If you are curious about what else you can expect this month from your 11-month-old baby's milestones, read on. We provide you with the inside scoop on what you need to know about those ever-important developmental steps as well as nutrition, sleep, safety, and more.

At This Age

  • Development: Babies this age are not only developing gross motor skills like standing and walking, but they also are making strides in communication by saying one or two words and gesturing with their hands. They also are perfecting the pincer grasp and can throw objects.
  • Sleep: Your baby needs about 14 hours of sleep, with about 11 of those hours occurring at night. The remaining three hours are usually divided between two naps, but some babies are transitioning to one nap a day.
  • Food: Babies this age are starting to reduce the amount of formula or breast milk that they are consuming in favor of solid foods. As a result, most babies this age are eating three meals a day, and possibly a snack. They should not be given cow's milk or alternative dairy-free milks until after their first birthday.


illustration of baby, 11 month old text

Joshua Seong

11-Month-Old Baby Physical Milestones

At this age, parents are sometimes concerned if their baby is not walking yet—especially if their friends' babies are walking. But, pediatricians indicate that you probably have nothing to worry about.

"Development at this age is a matter of degrees and percentages," says Corey Fish, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician and chief medical officer with BraveCare.com.

Some babies are already walking and others are just not there yet. Both scenarios are pretty common. As their legs strengthen and their core gets stronger, your baby will become more adventurous with their movement, too.

Some babies may be displaying additional skills when it comes to movement and making more independent moves like standing upright unassisted or taking one or two first steps. Other babies may be improving their crawling skills instead.

"Babies this age also can learn to crawl up the stairs if they are allowed to practice with close supervision by the parent," says Florencia Segura, MD, FAAP, a pediatrician with Einstein Pediatrics in the Washington, DC area. "And some babies this age will walk two or three steps without support and can stand for a few seconds without holding onto anything."

11-Month-Old Baby Cognitive Milestones

At this age, your baby is continuing to build their language and communication skills. Plus, they are starting to understand more of what you are saying, says Dr. Segura.

"They are starting to do something that is called 'joint attention' where they will look at something you are pointing to," she says. "They also are increasingly conscious of things that have names and their purpose, so they might try to brush their hair with a brush or hold a telephone to their ear."

In addition to saying one or two words, they may be using their hands more to communicate. But don't worry if they don't quite have words yet; they'll get there in their own time.

"Babies this age are often using hand movements to communicate their wants and needs. They will respond to simple directions as well as reach to be picked up, and point specifically to things," says Dr. Segura. "They also understand words like no—even if they choose not to listen."

Additional Behaviors at 11 Months

  • Throws objects
  • Stands for a few seconds
  • Finds toys when hidden under a cup
  • Vocalizes to songs
  • Bounces to music

11-Month-Old Baby Feeding Milestones

By now, your baby is likely eating three meals a day as well as nursing or drinking formula. Your baby is also developing more independence when it comes to eating solid foods. They may be better at picking up foods and may even attempt to use a spoon and open cup.

"At 11 months old, many babies are finger feeding and self-feeding as well as eating an increased variety of food," says Dr. Segura. "They also are getting better at using an open-faced cup during meals."

You still need to be careful about what types of foods you are feeding. Not only should you refrain from feeding them honey and cow's milk this month, but you also have to watch out for choking hazards.

"Never give babies round pieces of food that could become lodged in their throat," says Dr. Segura. "I also always tell parents the three S's—to consider the size of the food as well as make sure babies are sitting when they are eating and that they are supervised. They can choke if they are moving around and eating at the same time."

You also may want to refrain from giving your baby juice. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) indicates that juice should not be consistently given to babies under 12 months of age. After their first birthday, infants may have limited amounts of juice each day.

As far as how much food your baby should be eating at one time, Dr. Fish encourages parents to allow babies to determine how much they want to eat at a given time. You also should continue to offer a variety of foods—even foods your baby does not like.

Although you should not force your baby to eat something, it does take several tries before a baby decides if they like a particular food. You also may notice that your baby now makes faces when they eat something they do not like. Keep introducing new foods and make mealtimes fun.

11-Month-Old Sleeping Milestones

Your baby is now sleeping through the night and may start to transition to one nap a day, says Dr. Fish. This can be challenging for parents especially if they used those two naps for themselves or to get tasks accomplished while their baby is sleeping.

Some babies may even start fighting their naps altogether. But it is important to stay consistent with your baby's sleep schedule. They still need about 14 hours of sleep at this age, with some of that sleep occurring during the day.

There is a chance that your baby may go through a slight sleep regression at this age. Most likely this is due to a growth spurt or teething. Some babies will even experience disrupted sleep when they are learning to conquer a developmental milestone, Dr. Segura says. Offer comfort when your baby wakes up, but also allow them time and space to go back to sleep on their own.

11-Month-Old Baby Health and Safety Milestones

As far as safety this month, babies are now much more mobile and more adept at getting around, says Dr. Segura. If you have not baby-proofed your house yet, you should. There are a number of hazards that pose a risk to your baby like falls, eating something poisonous, or sticking things in outlets.

"The big thing at this age is the risk of falls," says Dr. Segura. "Falls happen quite a bit just when babies are learning to walk, but falls from a greater height are a big risk. Parents need to put baby gates near stairs and doorways and refrain from using unsafe equipment like baby walkers."

You also need to make sure your environment is free of things that are a choking hazard or are poisonous. 11-month-olds are still exploring their world by putting things in their mouths, so you need to look at everything in your home and consider whether it is safe for your baby.

Your baby also will continue to grow teeth this month—or begin teething if they have not done so already. In fact, some babies do not get their first tooth until after their first birthday. If your baby is teething, talk to your pediatrician about how to treat your baby's discomfort.

Some healthcare professionals will recommend over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. They can let you know how much to give your baby since dosing is based on your baby's weight. Other options for teething pain include massaging your baby's gums with clean fingers, offering solid teething rings (not liquid-filled), or a clean frozen or wet washcloth.

Other Things to Consider About Your 11-Month-Old

Your baby's first birthday is just around the corner, so it is likely you will be seeing a lot of changes or at least preparations for changes like taking their first steps, improving their language skills, and getting more skilled at using their hands to pick things up and to communicate. To celebrate your first year together, you may be considering planning a first birthday party.

Some parents choose to celebrate with cupcakes and close family and others throw a 1-year birthday bash. The important thing is that you do what you have the time, energy, and budget to do. Your baby has no idea what a birthday is, so don't feel like you have to go all out. Make your little one's celebration what you want and not what you feel pressured to do.

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Developmental milestones table. Washington University. 

  2. Infant sleep. Stanford Children's Health. 

  3. Feeding guide for the first year. Stanford Children's Health. 

  4. Your Baby's First Steps. American Academy of Pediatrics.

  5. Language Development: 8 to 12 Months. American Academy of Pediatrics.

  6. Where we stand: Fruit juice. American Academy of Pediatrics. 

  7. Baby's first tooth: 7 facts parents should know. American Academy of Pediatrics. 

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