45 Week Old Baby Development

Learn everything you need to know about your 45 week old baby. Track important developments and milestones such as talking, walking, growth, memory & more.

Published on June 14, 2017

Happy baby girl with headband and unicorn — Photo: Getty Images/ Jena Ardell

Your Growing Baby

Oh "No"

As soon as your baby grasps the concept of "no," she'll love teasing it out of you every chance she gets. To elicit a big N-O from you or your partner, she might bang her sippy cup on the table, yank on your hair, or go for things she knows are off-limits, such as the television remote or the phone cord. She might even look at you with a mischievous grin as she does it. To her, it's less about rebelling or even getting her hands on the forbidden item than it is about getting your attention and getting a rise out of you. Consider this a primitive form of schoolyard teasing, and respond by redirecting, not scolding. Take her sippy cup away and calmly say, "All done." Or whisk her away from the phone cord and ask if she'd like to play with her toy telephone instead. Just like the kids in the schoolyard, when she can't get a rise out of you, she'll lose interest in testing your limits. Offering some extra positive attention—hugs and kisses, snuggle time with a book—might help her see there are better ways of getting your attention than acting out.

It won't be long, however, until your baby starts saying "no" herself. She might have already figured out how to shake her head, but once she spits out the word itself—an easy-to-say single syllable—she'll start to utter it incessantly, to your chagrin. Does she want to finish the rest of her morning oatmeal? No. How about a diaper change? No. She might even announce a reminder "no" to herself at the moment she does something mischievous. Getting to "yes" with a 10-month-old takes energy, but take heart—you might find she's refusing the oatmeal at the same time she dips her spoon into it.

Health and Safety Info

Keeping Baby Safe

One of the most appealing parts of your house, from your baby's perspective, is the staircase. To her it seems like a gigantic jungle gym, an intriguing place of ups and downs. By now, she's probably figured out her own method for climbing the stairs, probably some combination of cruising and crawling, but no matter how proficient she seems, stairs are still scarily efficient at causing spills and stumbles, which can result in big injuries. Make sure you're around to oversee her as she scales Mt. Everest, going up one step behind her so you can catch her if she loses her balance. Once she gets to the top, teach her the safe way to descend: feet first, on her tummy.

Your baby probably won't master climbing the stairs in upright adult-style for a number of months. In the meantime, be sure you have baby gates in place at the top and bottom of the stairs, and check to see that they're securely fastened to the wall to keep your fearless wonder safe. You might even consider mounting the gate a few steps up from the bottom. It'll give your baby a practice run of two or three stairs to maneuver up and down, but she won't be able to go far enough to get seriously injured if she slips.

Must-Knows

Tantrums Already?

Between her growing autonomy and improving communication skills, don't be shocked if your sweet baby starts throwing mini temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants. Swipe a months-old cereal bit from her hand before she has a chance to eat it, and she might fuss her protest. Put her jacket on before going out for the day, and she'll probably squirm and cry. Take away the remote control she was sucking on, and you could launch a full-blown baby tantrum, complete with kicking and screaming.

What sets your baby off is as individual as your child's personality, and some sensitive or high-needs babies might lose it at the most minor disruption. So arm yourself with an arsenal of tantrum-tackling tactics. For instance, offer a substitute plaything at the same moment you take something else away, trading a set of blocks for a forbidden remote control, for instance. Honor nap time, since getting cooperation from a tired child is virtually impossible. And no matter how loud the screaming gets, hold fast. Caving in to your baby's demands will simply teach her that long and loud tantrums will get her what she wants. Instead, quickly and calmly explain why she can't have her way, and leave it at that. If she needs to melt down, put her someplace safe (such as her crib) and let her wail until she's calmed down enough to respond to comfort. Don't intervene, and don't stress about it. Just as it's her job to test limits, it's yours to set—and stick to—them.