Baby is entering his 19th month… And it’s not necessarily a restful period! Now that he has passed a year and a half, he is crying out for his autonomy. Doctor Noémie Nathan, pediatrician in Montreuil, gives us his advice on baby’s development this month.
Your 19 month old baby continues to assert itself: it manifests itself loud and clear when it does not agree with you, when it wants something, or when it is not happy. He is also increasingly autonomous, both to move around and to eat. It’s time toencourage this autonomy, always under surveillance of course! 19 monthsthis is also the time to teach him cleanliness, to reassure him if he has night terrors and to accompany him in his learning. We take stock of baby’s development with Doctor Noémie Nathan, pediatrician in Montreuil.
19 months, it’s time to initiate him to cleanliness
What evolution at 19 months?
Your 19 month old baby is now very comfortable with his body: he moves around the house without any problem. Some children are even great adventurers, and do not hesitate to take on the stairs on their own. Be sure to always keep an eye on him because he is not yet aware of the risks he runs. Always keep in mind that in a few minutes, he can find himself high up while you still thought he was by your side. They are lively and opportunistic, so don’t lose sight of them for a moment! Also take advantage of every moment to encourage him to speak and develop his vocabulary. : read him little stories in the evening, talk to him as much as possible by showing him objects, animals… He will be very interested.
What if baby at 19 months does not walk?
To the end of 18th month, all children must be able to walk. Each child has a different motor path, but if your baby is not yet walking at 18 months, the pediatrician will refer him to several specialists (neurologist, psychomotor therapist) to check that nothing is preventing his development. He can also give him an x-ray of the pelvis in order to eliminate a dysplasia.
Why isn’t my 19 month old talking?
Some children prefer to fully control their abilities before speaking
At 19 months, baby is in full development of language. He is supposed to verbalize certain emotions, needs, and show the desire to interact with those around him. However, your child may still not speak at 19 months without this indicating an underlying disorder. Assuming that each child evolves at their own pace, there are some who prefer to be in total control of their abilities to get started. These won’t go through the trial and error phase, and later on, you’ll see them lining up sentences of six or seven words perfectly. On the other hand, if your mother’s intuition leads you to think that there is some problem, you can always ask for a speech therapy assessment to assess her communication skills. Certainly your pediatrician will also refer you to an ENT to check his hearing, but know that we do not officially speak of delay or dysphasic disorder before two years.
Why does my baby wake up at night crying and have night terrors?
The night terrors take place in the first part of the night (until midnight) when the child is in deep sleep. He will then be stuck between waking and nightmare, crying hot tears in a great state of agitation that is very difficult to calm down. These night terrors are often linked to the child’s state of fatigue and frequently occur after an intense day, without a nap or when the child has been very stimulated. For his comfort, the ideal is to try not to upset his rhythm too much by trying to maintain a nap in the afternoon. If the nights are very restless, you can try herbal medicine which gets good results. When the child is in a crisis, you have the choice of waking him up or, on the contrary, trying to reassure him by staying close to him. Be careful, however, because night terrors can progress to sleepwalking.
His character ? More and more curious!
Your child is more and more curious : he wants to explore all his environment, touch and return everything he finds. Be careful not to leave dangerous objects within reach. And since baby is not able to deal with the demands of his environment, it is not surprising if his insatiable curiosity is coupled with a phase of opposition, where thee “no” becomes one of his favorite words… like yours by the way. Rather than enjoin him a permanent refusal to each fact or gesture, explain to him that his target object of the moment has no interest (or let him realize it under your supervision), divert his attention with something more appropriate for him, or judiciously place new objects (and not necessarily toys!) in the corners he likes to rummage around. This will prevent you from being in constant refusal, and give your baby even less opportunity to imitate you.
Baby has impressive seizures?
A disarming situation for parents, torn between embarrassment and anger
At 19 months, baby is capable of throwing big tantrums. Crises that can last a few minutes, but also sometimes more than an hour! Know first of all that it is a way for him to express his desire for autonomy, largely frustrated by his parents. Not being able to understand or channel this opposition, he violently expresses what is going on inside him. Nothing to do with whims so, at this age, it’s a healthy way to feel the emotional storm he’s going through. However, there is no question of leaving him in this state of distress, stressful for everyone.
19 months, the right age to stop diapers?
In terms of cleanliness, it all depends on the children. Some show themselves at this age to be very interested in the potty. If this is not the case, don’t panic: each child grows at their own pace, the most important thing is not to rush them. The start of school is not yet for now! Why not take advantage of summer and sunny days to start potty training?
What activities for a 19 month old baby?
At 19 months, baby loves playing outside, climbing, toboggan. He is also beginning to appreciate the little ones. concentration games or board games like dominoes.
Baby health at 19 months
Your 19 month old baby must have received in recent weeks the MMR vaccine (Measles Mumps Rubella). If necessary, check with the help of your doctor that it has been carried out and noted in his health record.
My baby has a stuffy nose
At this age, it is still difficult to determine whether ENT symptoms could be a sign of an allergy. Most often it is simply a cold that drags on. wash baby’s nose as often as possible and systematically blow your nose when you wake up to help clear the mucus of the night.
What height and weight for a 19 month old baby?
- If your baby is a boy, at 19 months, he measures on average 83 cm and weighs between 11 and 12 kg.
- If it is a girl, she measures on average between 81 and 82 cm and weighs between 10 and 11 kg.
What diet at 19 months?
Your baby is now doing very well with his spoon, fork and glass. From time to time, he starts to eat with his hands again, or to put it everywhere. This is not a reason to get upset: just remind him that he has cutlery and that it is better to use it.
baby eats little?
If his growth curve and his weight do not suffer, no problem! It’s definitely related to his opposition phaseto which is added at this age a period of food neophobiae. He dreads new foods and systematically refuses them. You will have to use tricks to transform these new ingredients and the meal into a fun moment, such as mixing the avocado and presenting it like a magic mayonnaise! Or, give him a small amount of a pleasure food in addition to a new dish. And if your baby’s appetite is still derisory during meals and this worries you too much, offer him small regular snacks. Make sure they stay healthy (apple wedges, pieces of cheese, squares of dark chocolate…), and especially without sugary and/or industrialized foods such as crisps or packets of cakes. Above all, babies must not associate hunger and the pleasure of eating with this type of food!