No one can explain the feeling of parents when their tiny baby stands up without support. Usually, babies begin to crawl when they are seven months old. But as they grow, they build enough stamina to stand up on their legs. So, standing without support is a sign your babies will soon start walking. But when do babies stand up without support?
Babies start standing up without support when they are around 8 months old. Once your baby starts standing on their legs, you must encourage them to walk. So, let’s discuss here in detail when babies stand up without taking any kind of support.
In This Article
- When Do Babies Usually Stand Up?
- How Do Infants Learn to Stand?
- Top 5 Ways to Encourage Your Baby to Walk Without Support
- What if There is Development Delay in Standing?
- How Long Do Babies Stand Before Walking?
- FAQ’s
When Do Babies Usually Stand Up?
Generally, babies begin to stand on their feet as early as 8 months. However, some babies may take longer to stand on their legs. Usually, they begin to stand by pulling something or taking the support of things like furniture or someone’s hand. But every baby has its way of learning things. So that’s ok if they take a long time to stand without support.
As a parent, you can encourage your little one to pull things and take support to stand firmly. They will slowly stand for a few seconds without taking the support. They will learn slowly and may start walking properly when they are 15-16 months old.
How Do Infants Learn to Stand?
During their growth phase, they show different signs that illustrate they are ready to stand, such as:
By 2 Months
When your baby is two months old, they begin to show signs, such as bracing their legs and kicking their feet. At this age, they begin to discover new reflexes (stepping reflex) even if they cannot walk or stand.
By 6 Months
When your baby is six months old, they develop motor reflexes and can bear some weight. However, they do not have enough strength to stand stronger at this age. But their legs are stronger enough to push things and kick someone. So, at this age, they start bouncing their feet back and forth.
By 10 Months
This is considered the growth phase of babies. They begin to hold the furniture and support your hand to stand. Maybe their legs are wide apart when trying to stand or bend forward.
Sometimes, they find it difficult to stand on their feet and start to wobble when they hold something in their hand. However, if they are trying harder, they are learning to stand without support. That’s ok if they fall when trying to stand on their feet. Parents support them and encourage them to learn new things.
By 12 Months
This can be a challenging phase for babies. Babies who were able to stand with support will slowly attempt to bend their knees and even sometimes try to sit. Some babies may even be able to stand for a few seconds without any support. They may then try to sit unable to stand anymore. With practice slowly, they will be able to stand more time.
By their first birthday, with practice and support from parents, most babies may be able to stand without support, pull themselves to a standing position and sit down after standing for some time. Babies falling as they attempt to get into various positions is normal. Parents must not panic. Instead, you can help, encourage, and motivate them. This will give them the much-needed push to go on with their practice sessions.
[Read : Fall Prevention in Babies]
Top 5 Ways to Encourage Your Baby to Walk Without Support
Although babies begin to stand on their feet when they reach a certain age, it is crucial to encourage them at different stages of growth so that they can learn how to walk without support. Here are a few things which you can teach your babies.
1. Help Them in Balancing on Stairs
Staircases are places where crawling babies love to stand with less support. The stairs are usually short in height; hence, they can take baby steps and stand perfectly. You can help your babies in pulling stairs and doing activities.
2. Keep Their Toys at a Certain Height
You can encourage your babies to stand on their feet without support by keeping their toys at a certain height. This way, they attempted to catch their toys and stand up on their feet by holding them.
3. Bouncing Up and Down
Bouncing your babies up & down is also a way to encourage them to stand properly. While bouncing up and down, keep your baby in front of you, hold their tiny hands and let them attempt to bounce with joy.
4. Give Them Solid Support to Stand up
When babies reach a certain age, they use furniture to stand. Therefore, you can offer them solid support to stand straight and walk properly. Be sure that furniture and support don’t have pointed ends because they may harm your babies.
5. Have Walking Session
You can hold the hands of your tiny baby and start walking. Encourage them by clapping in front of them and smiling. Have a walking session daily to encourage your babies to stand properly.
What if There is Development Delay in Standing?
Generally, babies start walking and standing properly around 15-18 months old. However, some babies may take a longer time to walk and stand. However, there are few cases when babies are taking time to stand due to medical conditions such as:
- Down Syndrome
- Congenital problem
- Cerebral palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
Consult with a pediatrician if your babies take a long time to stand.
[Read : Developmental Delays in Babies]
How Long Do Babies Stand Before Walking?
Babies generally stand for a few seconds, and they continue to stand like this for a few months. First, they bounce up and down by taking some support. But as they gain strength, they begin to walk.
Watching your baby standing without support is the ultimate pleasure of life for the parents. As discussed above, babies start standing on their legs by taking support at 7-9 months. So, no worries if they are taking longer than regular kids, but if they are still not able to stand properly, they must visit a pediatrician to find out the reason.
[Read : Bowe Legged Babies]
FAQ’s
1. Can a Baby Stand Too Early?
Yes, babies can stand properly too early, even before the age of 8 months. But, at the same time, some babies start walking when they are 9-12 months old without taking the support.
2. Can Standing Too Early Cause a Baby Bow Legged?
No, standing too early doesn’t cause a baby bow-legged. However, it may happen in certain medical conditions when the baby has bow-legged when they stand early.
3. When Should a Baby Bear Weight on Its Legs?
Babies start bearing weight on their legs when they are 5 months old.
Read Also: Baby Milestones – Walking