32 Week Old Baby Development

Learn everything you need to know about your 32 week old baby. Track important developments and milestones such as talking, walking, growth, memory & more.

By Parents Editors

Published on June 13, 2017

Your Growing Baby

On-the-Go Baby

The reason your baby suddenly wants to be on the move all the time: Because he can. With each day, he's learning new ways of discovering his environment, with skills to perfect and a whole house to explore. Around 8 months, he's also much more goal-oriented. Instead of simply playing randomly with whatever's at hand, he focuses on interesting objects—toys, shoes, pets—and pursues them intently. Your perpetual motion machine also hates to be fenced in, and you might notice he's more wriggly or resistant when you pick him up, dress him, or change him now, so hold on tight. While it's wonderful to let Baby have the run of the house, exploring at will and building both large and fine motor skills, there will be occasions when you need him to stay in one place. Try an exer-saucer or a play pen—but don't expect it to keep him happy for long.

Naptime Struggles

Whether it's rolling, scooting, or possibly crawling or pulling to stand, babies this age are constantly developing newfound physical abilities, which they're motivated to practice hour after hour. As a result, those blessedly long naps might have gotten much shorter, or in some cases disappeared altogether. Try sticking to a regular nap schedule so your baby will be used to going down at the same time each day (say, 9:30 in the morning and 12:30 or 1 p.m. for an afternoon nap). If he misses the morning nap, bump up the next by an hour. And if he's sleeping less during the day, move up bedtime by a half-hour or hour, in 15-minute increments, to compensate. Bedtime might seem too early, but it doesn't mean he'll wake up earlier. In fact, most sleep experts agree that an early bedtime leads to better nighttime sleep, which in turn means he'll nap easier during the day.

Health and Safety Info

Head Banging

If playing nonstop with his favorite toys doesn't burn up all of your baby's energy, you might find him letting it out with a more peculiar outlet: head banging. That's right; your baby might start smacking his head rhythmically against the crib or wall these days. Many parents find this behavior a little scary—thinking their baby might hurt himself or that it's a sign of a developmental disorder such as autism.

The truth is that as many as 20 percent of babies intentionally bang their heads. Experts don't know why it happens, though some suspect that it might be a way of releasing tension, in the same way that some babies suck their thumbs or cuddle with their favorite blankies. While head banging can be one of the signs of autism, that's only if it's associated with a number of other problem behaviors, too. If by 14 months your baby doesn't point at objects, follow other people's gazes, or initiate pretend play, then talk to your pediatrician.

But in most cases head banging is a totally harmless behavior that your baby will outgrow in time. The more you try to prevent him from banging, the worse the problem might become. Be comforted by the fact that if it really starts to hurt him, he'll stop. Meanwhile, try some extra cuddling at bedtime. For some babies, that seems to eliminate the need for head banging.

Must-Knows

More Time for You

Having a baby who finally sleeps through the night—or at least limits his wake-up calls to once or twice an evening—might leave you feeling more rested than you've felt in months. But now that your baby's exploring, rolling, and crawling his way into things, you're suddenly on the go nonstop all day—and that can be exhausting. No time to sit down and take a breather? Try these ideas for boosting your energy levels during the day:

Put on some music. A fun, danceable set of tunes—such as a Michael Jackson compilation or some hip, kid-friendly music by Justin Roberts—on your MP3 player will give you an instant mood lift.
Sniff citrus. Lemon scents are known to increase energy, so sip some lemonade at lunchtime or add a squeeze of lemon to your fruit salad.
Munch an energy-dense snack. Skip the muffins and chocolate, which will give you a temporary energy lift followed by a drowsy crash later on. Instead, opt for snacks that combine carbs and protein, such as peanut butter on toast, yogurt sprinkled with sliced almonds, or apples and slices of cheese.
Get moving. Picking up your baby's blocks for the umpteenth time might feel like exercise enough, but the more you move, the more energetic you'll feel. So set the timer for five minutes and race through the house on a cleanup dash. Bonus: Your baby will think it's hilarious!