Hi everyone and welcome to Month 14 with your baby and Month 14 with my baby Bracey. As I’ve discussed in prior months, Bracey was born 10 weeks prematurely. So in terms of his corrected age, he is closer to an 11 1/2 month old baby than a 14 month old. 

The average 14-month-old baby boy weighs 22 pounds 3 ounces (10.1 kilos) and the average baby girl weighs 20 pounds 7 ounces (9.4 kilos). At his 14 month checkup, Bracey weighed approximately 9.1 kilos (20 pounds), up from 1.490 kilos (3.278 pounds) at birth, so he has gained a little over 7.6 kilos or nearly 16.7 pounds since birth. He gained a bit of weight since last month, which his doctor said was fine. While Bracey’s height and weight held steady, he did move up on the charts for head circumference. During his 14 month appointment, Bracey’s doctor checked all the things he had checked in prior months and Mom was thrilled to see that things were on track. 

Growth and Development of 14 Month Old Toddler 

What should my 14 month old be doing? Your 14 month old baby can now grasp the notion of object permanence, so they will have fun taking objects into and out of a box. Many 14 month olds have started pointing and waving bye bye. Some of my older children were not at this stage. They will be turning board books on their own, usually closing the book. Try giving them one book to play with while reading another. I’ve noticed Bracey getting more interested in the books I am reading, which is great.

How Much Should my 14 Month Old be Talking 

Let’s talk a little bit about typical speech for a 14 month old. There is a wide range of when babies talk. Many 14 month olds are saying a few words (some as many as 6), some have started to combine quite a few syllables. Bracey is saying “mamama” and “bebebe,” with a Spanish accent. We have a multilingual household. I often hear him babbling to himself when he is waking up. I am noticing new consonants and new vowels, like “gegege.”  If you are concerned with this, talk to your doctor. Another thing I’ve noticed is that rather than just babbling, Bracey seems to be making facial expressions as if he is actually talking and having a conversation. The average 14 month old understands some basic directions like “get your shoes” or “no.”

Sleep Training your 14 Month Old Toddler

I have sleep trained all my babies from Day 1. All my babies have slept in the crib from Day 1 and I have only co-slept with rare exceptions. I did co-sleep a bit with Bracey because I was so exhausted when he first came home. If your baby is still waking at night and you are having trouble getting them to sleep, you might want to start to think about some changes in your strategy regarding sleep. I have always found that it was better to let my baby cry just for a few minutes before going to sleep. If they keep crying, I go back in to make sure they do not have to burp or are not still hungry, but generally speaking, I have tried to make it clear that the crib means night night and that when I put the baby down, that is it and I am not coming back. Some parents can’t do this. Keep in mind that your baby is smart and if you keep coming back, they will keep crying for you. It can become a game that can wear you out. You have to do what you are most comfortable with but this is what has worked best for me. 

Intellectual Activities for a 14 Month Old Toddler

Play music and dance, sing children’s songs, read books, count, explain body parts and clothes, and practice gestures such as nodding no, waving hello and goodbye, and pointing. Play faces such as happy, sad and confused. Repeat names of friends and family members. Play with blocks as much as possible. Get outside, hold your baby and explain things to them. The more adult the conversation, the more your baby will learn. Talk, talk, talk as much as possible!

Physical Activities for a 14 Month Old Toddler

To promote the development of gross motor skills, practice walking by cruising, getting a walker, and having your baby scoot around the house on a toy on which they can sit. Keep your baby out and about as much as possible. For fine motor skills, play with blocks, give finger foods, encourage your baby to turn the pages of books, and practice starting to pull off socks and clothing.

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Breastfeeding, Solids and Sleep Schedule for 14-Month-Old Full Term Toddler

At this stage, most experts advise three meals, two snacks and two naps: a long morning nap and a shorter afternoon nap after lunch. They also advise not having your baby sleep past 3pm so that they go to sleep by 8pm. This is the schedule I followed with my older babies at this point, who were far less premature than Bracey. I don’t always do the snacks. Rather, I give varied, healthy, robust meals. If you are concerned with how much your baby is eating, look for guidelines regarding quantities of protein, vegetables, fruit, grains and dairy. My doctor said that as long as my baby has a varied diet of fresh, pure food, he is fine. 

• 7am — breastmilk then multigrain cereal mixed w/ breastmilk or formula. You can mix with soft fruits and give quite a healthy quantity by this point. Sleep 9:30-11am.
• 11am – breastmilk then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, yogurt or cheese. You can give legumes, rice, pasta and pieces of soft whole-wheat toast with protein-based spreads. Sleep 1:30-3pm. 
• 3pm — breastmilk. Can add soft fruit, cheese or yoghurt snack.
• 7pm — breastmilk then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, cheese or yogurt. Can give legumes, rice, and pasta. Night night!

Breastfeeding, Solids and Sleep Schedule for 14 Month Old Premature Toddler

Stay on this schedule if your baby is not sleeping through the night because the extra feeding during the day and later feed in the evening will help. You also might want to consider a later evening “top off” feed at around 10 or 11pm to help your child make it through until morning if they continue to wake up. Because this helps me with the breastfeeding, I am still doing this with Bracey. 

• 7am — breastmilk then multigrain cereal mixed with breastmilk or formula. You can add soft fruits. Sleep 9:30-11am.
• 11am – breastmilk then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, cheese and yogurt. Can also give legumes, rice, pasta and pieces of soft toast with protein-based spreads. Sleep 1:30-3pm. 
• 3pm — breastmilk then soft fruit finger foods, yogurt or dairy-rich meal. Sleep 6-7pm.
• 7pm — breastmilk then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, cheese and yogurt. Can also give legumes, rice, or pasta.

Bottle Feeding, Foods and Sleeping Schedule for an 14 Month Old Toddler

If your baby is at a healthy weight and sleeping through the night, you can migrate to a three meals and two naps schedule. So take the schedule below, eliminate the third nap, and push your dinner slightly earlier. If your baby (like mine) is on the smaller side, or is not sleeping through the night, stick with three naps and four meals (and consider still throwing in a top-off feed). You might not need to still give the milk first. I am still doing this with Bracey since he really is only an 11.5 month old, but see what seems to be working with your baby. 

• 7am — bottle then multigrain cereal. Can add soft fruits. Sleep 9:30-11am.
• 11am – bottle then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, cheese and yogurt. Can also give rice, pasta and pieces of soft toast with protein-rich spreads. Sleep 1:30-3pm. 
• 3pm — bottle then soft fresh fruits, cheese or yogurt. Sleep 6-7pm.
• 7pm — bottle then finger foods from protein (fish, chicken, meat), vegetables, fruits, cheese or yogurt. Can also give legumes, rice or pasta.  

Bracey Update

Bracey has become a skilled pointer. He has also started saying mama although not necessarily while looking at me. He did say baby towards another baby which made us so happy. 

Bracey is cruising a lot, walking alongside the inside of his crib and furniture. He’s also walking with one hand and twirling around. 

Bracey is eating a lot on his own and more regular food that we make sure has the right consistency. He seems to have gotten a bit tired of soupy vegetable and fruit purees and wants more hearty food, so we are transitioning to that.  

Thanks for watching and see you back next soon for Month 15.