Understanding & Celebrating Your Baby’s Milestones

 (Because It’s Not a Race, It’s a Really Cute Stroll)

When you become a parent, there’s a strange phenomenon that starts happening around, oh, week two:

Everyone—and I do mean everyone—suddenly wants to know what your baby is doing.

Is she rolling yet?
Is he sitting up?
Has she said “mama,” filed taxes, and applied to Stanford?

And maybe the worst: Is he sleeping through the night?

Meanwhile, you’re just over here trying to remember if you brushed your teeth today (and what day is today?).

The Milestone Pressure Is Real

There’s something about the baby milestone game that turns even the calmest mom into a late-night Googler.

“When should baby roll over?”
“Should my 7-month-old be crawling?”
“Why does that one baby on TikTok speak four languages?”

Breathe, mama. Let me say this louder for the sleep-deprived in the back:

🎉 Milestones are a spectrum, not a stopwatch. 🎉

Real Talk from a Pediatrician-Mama

I’ve seen a lot of babies in my day. I’ve raised a few. And here’s what I can tell you with 100% certainty: Babies grow so differently—even in the same family.

👶 Some roll at 4 months.
👶 Some take their sweet time and roll at 6 or 7.
👶 Some crawl like little speed demons.
👶 Others scoot, rock, army crawl, or skip it altogether and go straight to pulling up like, surprise, I’m vertical now. Actually, everyone brace yourselves for the surprises. And go put child locks on everything right now.

It’s all within the wide, wonderful window of normal.

When to Relax vs. When to Raise an Eyebrow

Yes, there are certain red flags worth knowing. But most of the time, that “wait, are we behind?” feeling is just normal variation mixed with a splash of comparison and a dash of postpartum adrenaline.

To make it easy, I put together a free Baby Milestone & Red Flag Checklist—so you can track what matters without spiraling into worry-ville. (Just the facts, no doom-scrolling.)

Celebrate the Small Stuff

Let’s stop treating baby milestones like Olympic events with medals and time limits.

Instead, let’s:

• Clap for every new sound, wiggle, and attempt at crawling off the changing table.
  
• Cheer like maniacs when that first giggle erupts.
  
• Write down those firsts, not for social media, but for the memory book in your heart.
  

Because what really matters isn’t exactly when your baby hits a milestone. It’s the wonder of watching her grow into exactly who she’s meant to be.  In your front row seat.

Want a Little Peace in the Progress?

Download my free Baby Milestone & Red Flag Checklist and keep it handy for your next pediatrician visit (or your next moment of panic on the nursery floor).

And if you need calm, steady support on the motherhood path, check out the Newborn Success Podclass—bite-sized encouragement, zero pressure, and absolutely no comparisons.

You’re doing great.
Your baby’s doing great.
And that’s worth celebrating—no matter what the calendar says.