11-12 Months

12-13 Month Immunisations

It is time for your baby's next round of immunisations. These should be given within a month of their 1st birthday.

Remember to take your red book with you to the appointment.

Your child will receive the following vaccines:

1. MenB helps protect your baby against meningococcal group B infection.
2. Pneumococcal helps to protect your baby against pneumococcal disease.
3. MMR helps to protect your baby against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles).

The immunisation pages of NHS Inform includes information on when and why you should immunise your child, and what to expect after immunisation.

Public Health Scotland have produced a Protect your child against serious diseases guide. This booklet is provided by your Health Visitor within the first two weeks of your baby being born and will help you over the next five years of your child’s own immunisation journey. This is also available in other languages.

You can now chop food into a manageable size for your baby. Continue to offer healthy foods at mealtimes for all the family. Continue to offer healthy snacks such as finger-sized sandwiches, toast, cheese, well cooked egg, chicken, fish and slices of fruit and vegetables.

For more information and ideas:

• NHSGGC Starting Solids Show Cookalong and Short Recipes Videos
• NHSGGC Happy Healthy Tots: Feeding your baby or child
• First Step Nutrition Trust Eating well resources

Your baby needs less of their usual milk to make more room for food during the day. Offer tap water from a free-flow or open cup at meals and between meals. Most babies will still take a breastfeed or bottle to settle at bedtime. 

Your baby is getting more skilled at using their hands to interact with their world. Your baby can stack two building blocks. They can put objects into a container but still enjoy emptying them out.

If you are reading them a story, they will try to help turn the pages of the book.

Your baby has developed a proper pincer grasp (tip of thumb to tip of index finger) and can pick up tiny objects. They are beginning to show a preference for one hand but will still use either hand for most activities. 

Play with building blocks, build towers together and then have lots of fun knocking them down. Play with stacking cups and shape sorters. Get your baby to help you with getting their snack ready. They can put apple slices, carrot sticks, cucumber batons or pieces of rice cake or bread sticks into a box or a bowl.

Your baby is beginning to be able to roll and throw a ball. They haven't quite mastered aiming so cannot control where it goes. 

Your baby can sit from standing without bumping down. They can stand alone without holding onto anything for 3-5 seconds. They can sit on the floor for as long as needed. They can move from one position to another like lying down to standing.

Your baby can cruise around the furniture or walk holding on with one hand. They may be trying 2-3 independent steps between furniture. They will now be able to squat down to pick up a toy from the floor.

Dressing

Your baby is now starting to offer their arms and legs to help you dress them. They will hold out arms for a jacket and legs for trousers. Encourage them using lots of praise. Talk about what you are doing, name body parts and clothes. Sing songs like "This is the way we put on your ..." to the tune of "Here we go round the mulberry bush". Make routines fun.

Eating and Drinking

Your baby is now having greater success bringing the spoon to their mouth. There are lots of things you can do to encourage them to use a spoon:

• Make sure they are well supported in a highchair or on your lap or on the floor (it helps if their feet are supported on the floor or on a footrest). 
• Think about the utensils you are using:
  • Spoons with thick and/or textured handles are easier to hold.
  • Spoons with a short handle are easier to control.
  • A messy mat on the floor is a good idea too as it makes cleaning up easier.
• Think about the foods. Foods that stick to the spoon are less likely to spill such as yoghurt, porridge mashed potato.
• Load the spoon for your child then hand them the spoon.
• Practice makes progress. Use spoons in lots of different ways as part of play. Have fun at bath time or as part of messy play.

Teeth Brushing

Brushing your teeth is an essential part of looking after your body. You should be brushing your child's teeth at least twice a day. You can find out more from:

• The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD) A Practical Guide to Children's Teeth
• Childsmile Oral health for babies: birth to 3 years old

Listening and Understanding 

Your baby is beginning to understand what is going on in their environment by the words used in the context such as 'car', 'drink', 'out'. They understand a lot more words than they use. They can follow simple instructions like "come to mummy/daddy" and "give me the cup".

Talking 

Your baby may use some simple words but they may not be clear like 'ba' for 'ball'. They will be frequently using lots more sounds (vowels and consonants) and these may not be words that you recognise. Your baby may imitate playful adult vocalisations such as “uh-oh”.

Interacting

Your baby can wave 'bye' on their own. They will show affection to familiar people. Your baby will start a favourite game by themselves to get you to join in for example 'round and round the garden'. Find out more from CBeebies Parenting Action songs for toddlers

Find more information from Parent Club Top tips for chatting together with your baby.

Your baby's eyesight has fully matured and they can see as well as an adult.

Your baby now uses objects in an appropriate way. For example, if you hand them a teddy bear, they will cuddle it or give them a brush and they will brush their hair.

Your baby can be laughing one minute and crying the next. They can be affectionate towards familiar people but remain shy with strangers. Your baby now responds immediately to their name.

Your baby is starting to look at something you point to. This skill will develop over time and they will learn to get your attention too.