You may have seen your baby learning to crawl but to master the art of crawling they must be able to have their arms straight and their back straight so their body is in line with the floor; now they can crawl well on their hands and knees.

Your baby may be able sit well on his own and may even walk holding onto furniture.  Occasionally he may let go of the furniture to stand unsupported, however, he is still not quite ready to start to walk unaided but when he feels steady enough he will try to bend down to pick up a toy.

Your baby  will find ways to pull himself up using different objects and will make his way to and up the stairs in no time at all (time for the stairgates – top and bottom!).  You can start to hold his hands to help him walk when away from furniture.

With his new found independence your baby will get bumps and bruises along the way.  Lots of hugs and kisses and reassurance that he is ok and he’ll soon be off on the next exploration.

Bruises don’t need any particular treatment but you could try some of the following:

• a breastfeed will help your baby
• You should consult a health professional if you are worried about any bumps and bruises especially where baby has fallen off a bed or down the stairs or bruising behind baby’s ear
• After 24 hours if baby is still upset or seems in pain; appears to have a fever; there is swelling or pus that doesn’t reduce after 48 hours, and/or black/blue/purple spots/bruises appear and are not associated with original injury; any bruising that remains after 2 weeks – seek help for a health professional

Most of the bumps and bruises your baby will get will be very minor and nothing to worry about but always get your baby checked out.  You can’t prevent bumps and bruises but you can try to reduce any serious injury by watching your baby, being there if he falls and making sure your home is fitted with various safety devices to keep him safe and secure.