29 Week Old Baby Development

Learn everything you need to know about your 29 week old baby. Track important developments and milestones such as talking, walking, growth, memory & more.

By Parents Editors

Published on June 12, 2017

Your Growing Baby

From Crawling to Standing

Next milestone alert: standing. Your baby's not ready to pull herself up or start cruising around the couch quite yet (watch for that around 9 months), but she'll love getting in an upright position while you support her. The next time your baby is sitting on the floor, grab her hands and slowly pull her forward till she's upright. She might be able to balance for only a few seconds, but bearing her weight on her legs builds the muscles she'll need to pull up solo one day. Sooner than you expect, you'll find her smiling at you over the side of her crib, slightly startled but pleased as punch at what she's accomplished.

More Babbling

While your baby's busy playing and moving, you're likely to hear her babble more, too. She might try to imitate sounds now or simply explore her own vocal range, throwing in vowel and consonant sounds for good measure. Around 7 months babies also start using two-syllable, wordlike sounds: "ba-ba" or "da-da," for instance. You'll be convinced that your little genius has said his first word—then as he repeats it indiscriminately, you won't be so sure. Relax: Sometimes a sound is just a sound. But these early faux words are the perfect developmental stepping stones to words that actually mean something. Soon "ba-ba" will be your baby's way of requesting a bottle, while "da-da" is how he will greet his father.

Health and Safety Info

Keeping Your Baby Safe

Eager as you might be to see your baby pulling up, standing, even walking on her own, avoid using a baby walker as a way to get there. While it seems like scooting around in a walker should help boost your little one's leg strength, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, walkers can actually have the opposite effect; they might strengthen lower-leg muscles, but they don't exercise hips and thighs, which are what really help baby stand. They can also be safety hazards since it's easy for babies to roll to the top of a staircase—then fall down. A better idea: an exer-saucer or stationary activity center, where baby can safely stand and play.

With pulling up on the horizon, now is a great time to complete the next phase of baby-proofing. Add child-safety locks to drawers, cabinets, and doors on furniture, such as your entertainment center, because babies love using lower knobs to try to pull themselves up. Remove any breakable or possibly dangerous objects from surfaces she might be able to reach when standing up, such as the giant stack of magazines on your coffee table or picture frames displayed on end tables. Try not to leave drinking glasses there, either; teeny hands always have a way of finding them. Most importantly, bolt heavy furniture to the wall. Grabbing onto an unstable dresser or bookcase could send it toppling onto her, with potentially serious consequences.

Must-Knows

Disciplining Your Baby

Your baby's starting to understand individual words, especially when delivered in a certain tone of voice. The most important one she might ever learn? "No." You might not need to use it much now, but trust us, the day will come, probably sooner than later. And for some moms, it's hard to say. You fear becoming the naysayer in your child's life, the one who constantly puts the kibosh on all the fun. Wouldn't it be better to simply smile and encourage her along?

In a way, yes. Experts suggest that, particularly with babies under age 1, directing your baby's attention elsewhere (from the snippy puppy's tail to a book, say, or from an antique vase at your grandmother's house to a pile of brightly colored blocks) is a far more effective tactic than simply saying "No" all the time. For now, save "No" for moments when you need her to respond immediately, such as when she's in danger. If you spot your baby reaching for an electrical outlet, say "No" firmly, then whisk her out of the situation. Don't be surprised if she's back at the same behavior a minute later. She's not defying you; babies simply have a sometimes irrepressible drive to explore. As she gets older, she'll be more responsive to "No" if she hears it only occasionally. Of course, by then you might be more comfortable saying it than you ever thought you would be.