By now your baby has probably started clapping its hands, crawling and grasping small objects. Waking up less or napping more at night may be signs that your baby is channeling its energy into growth. Your baby will be fascinated and challenged by the world around it. Therefore, it will need you constantly and will not leave you even for a minute or two. Its mobility means that as you go about your routine, there will be a small shadow following you everywhere.

Baby Development

Your baby has gained less than half a kilo since last month and has grown about 1 cm in length.

Babies don`t have a filter to hide their emotions (pain, grief, anger). In addition, they have limited experience and face many new situations to fear. At these moments, your baby will turn to you for relaxation and confidence. You may find that it becomes more resistant when you lift it, dress it, or change its clothes.

Most babies learn to crawl between 6 and 12 months old – but some babies never crawl and instead, use other methods of getting around. By now, your baby may be pushing itself on its tummy, sliding behind it, or actually crawling.

Milestones

1. Dropping and throwing: Your baby will be excited to discover that it now has much better control of its hands and fingers. It will drop and throw quite a few objects in the process.

1. Conversation: By now it may start saying "Mom", "Daddy" and waving its hand to say good-bye.

1. Emotional development: Your baby may be worried if it can`t see you around. It can also distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar people.

1. Teeth: Two or more teeth may have erupted by now, which could increase the tendency to chew something.

1. Feeding: The baby may start to hold things by itself, so you can let it feed itself by using the BLW method.

1. Gestures: Baby will start using its hands to point, shake its head if it doesn`t want to, or push you if it wants something.

1. Can search for and find a toy and hold it in hand.

1. May turn to a sound it hears.

1. Can sit upright and watch the surroundings.

1. Can pass something it is holding from one hand to the other.

1. Can put some weight on its feet when held upright.

1. May try to pick up a toy that is out of reach.

1. With the strengthening of its hands, it can grasp the object it is holding. It may even object to the taking of a toy or any object in its hand.

1. Can stand up holding on to a place or someone.

1. Can stand up while sitting.

1. Can move forward by holding on to the furniture.

1. Fear of strangers can be seen more clearly this month.

1. Can point, and accompany someone by waving goodbyes like “bye bye” behind it as it leaves.

1. May try to attract attention by shouting or making noise.

1. Tries to say some words consciously.

1. Crawls in the direction it wants to go.

1. Can stand by leaning on a place.

1. May consciously drop something in its hand.

Nutrition

Until now, breastfeeding has been a relatively less painful experience. Now that it has its first teeth out, it can begin to explore its biting adventure! There are many ways that can help you avoid being bitten by your baby.

First of all, your baby doesn`t bite to hurt you. One of the reasons could be to breastfeed in the same position, you could develop a sore spot due to the repetitive pressure of its teeth. Therefore, you can change the positions in which you breastfeed. When your baby bites, a soft but firm `no` and sucking on the breast can prevent it from doing it again. If you laugh or react harshly, the behavior may be reinforced.

Be sure to include foods containing iron vitamin in your baby`s complementary food meals. Its deficiency can cause anemia, which negatively affects development in infants. For the first 6 months, breast milk and formula met all of your baby`s nutrients except vitamin D. Now, you should make a healthy and balanced distribution of the supplementary food meals that are starting to replace them and the foods that provide each vitamin to the nutrition program.

Anemia Tips

The most typical symptoms of anemia are pale skin and fatigue. Other symptoms include rapid heartbeat, irritability, loss of appetite, brittle nails, and a sore or swollen tongue. But it`s also common for a baby with anemia to show no symptoms.

If the blood test confirms that your baby`s iron levels are too low, the doctor may recommend dietary changes or iron supplements. Store iron supplements safely and follow directions for giving them carefully, as iron overdose is very dangerous.

You can prevent or treat the type of anemia caused by iron deficiency by making sure your baby gets enough iron.

1. Determine if your baby is at high risk for anemia. Risk factors include preterm birth or low birth weight, insufficient iron in your own diet if you`re breastfeeding, or a lack of iron-fortified formula in a formula-fed infant`s diet. If you`re worried, ask your baby`s doctor if it`s a good idea to adjust its diet or add a supplement.

1. Do not give your baby cow`s milk before 1-year-old. Cow`s milk is low in iron and can irritate your baby`s intestines and cause iron losses over time.

1. Beginning around 8 months, introduce iron-rich foods such as beans, spinach, egg yolks and lean meats, poultry and fish.

1. Give your baby foods rich in vitamin C to aid in iron absorption.

1. Red fruits, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, cereals and potatoes are good choices in terms of iron content.

1. You should definitely not give your baby a dairy product along with iron-containing foods. This is because milk inhibits the absorption of iron.

Sleep

Now that it can use his newly developed physical motor skills, it will roll, crawl or try to stand on its own in bed or on the floor, continuing to practice for hours. All these activities can shorten sleep. For a 32-week-old baby, sleep is an essential component of its physical and mental growth, try to be consistent in its sleep schedule for a proper nap routine each day. Morning and afternoon sleep is much needed, your baby should have a sleep time of at least 40 minutes. If it misses any of its naps, go to bed early in the evening. Your baby`s sleep should not be compromised because quality sleep aids good physical growth and mental development.

Care Tips

1. Tossing a child in the air is not safe, no matter how fun it is on its part. When choosing games for an 8-month-old baby, you should avoid shaking and bouncing. Especially since the neck muscles are not fully developed yet, these movements can be more dangerous in babies under the age of 2 years. Not everything your baby likes is true, remember!

1. If it learned to stand up by holding on this month, it can try these movements on its own bed. So you have to be careful. You should definitely keep the cot at the lowest level and check it when any sound comes.

1. Get down to your baby`s level and look for potential dangers. Fix furniture to walls, fill in sharp corners, install toilet seat locks and move dangerous houseplants to higher ground. Be sure to lock out chemical cleaners and medications, turn off electrical outlets, and close security doors at the top and bottom of each staircase.

1. Reconsider ways to divide babysitting and housework with your partner.

1. The emergence of healthy development requires daily singing, reading, talking, playing and interacting with parents. If your baby is showing signs of lagging in a particular area, you and your partner can try to improve its skills in that area in fun ways.

1. Your baby is quite active now. You can review baby safety products to prevent accidents at home.

Tests and Vaccines

If you have completed previous vaccinations and controls, there is no special routine for this week.

Plays and Activities

Teach it to stack objects using colored plastic cups. Now that your baby has adapted to sitting up, using toy cars or other wheeled toys will help it have fun. Hide behind curtains and ask it to find you, such activities will strengthen its concept of object permanence.

Wooden rings attached to a stick, small drums, audio materials that say the name of the area when their limbs are pressed, are some of the educational toys that your baby can play with this period.

When to Apply to The Doctor?

Keep in mind that identifying the delay in your baby`s development and growth will aid in better diagnosis. So, if your 32-week-old baby is feeling restless or seeing signs such as immobile muscles, doesn`t laugh at creaking sounds, is very sensitive to light, can`t put weight on its legs or sit with support, doesn`t respond on its behalf, doesn`t play, doesn`t recognize people it sees all the time, consult a pediatrician for early intervention.