9 Months Developmental Milestones
By 9 months, babies understand "no," play peekaboo, and may sit without support. Here are the milestones most babies reach by 9 months.
What most children do by 9 Months
- May be afraid of strangers
- May be clingy with familiar adults
- Has favorite toys
- Understands “no”
- Makes a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
- Copies sounds and gestures of others
- Uses fingers to point at things
- Watches the path of something as it falls
- Looks for things he sees you hide
- Plays peek-a-boo
- Puts things in her mouth
- Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
- Picks up things like cereal o’s between thumb and index finger
- Stands, holding on
- Can get into sitting position
- Sits without support
- Pulls to stand
- Crawls
Talk to your doctor right away if your child:
- Loses skills they once had (for example, words or social smiles)
- Doesn't respond to their name or make eye contact
- Isn't babbling, pointing, or using gestures by 12 months
- Isn't saying single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by 24 months
- Has trouble with feeding, swallowing, or muscle stiffness/floppiness
Trust your instincts — you know your child best. Acting early makes a real difference.
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Milestones are based on the CDC's "Learn the Signs. Act Early." program. Every child develops at their own pace. EarlyBegin helps you know what to do next — it doesn't diagnose or give medical advice. If you have concerns, talk to your pediatrician.