There’s probably not too much on the docket for this appointment, which means you might have a little extra time to talk to the pediatrician or other healthcare provider and ask any questions you might have. Take advantage of it!
At the appointment
Baby can get their third dose of the hepatitis B vaccine anytime from 6 months old to 18 months old, so this could be the appointment when it’s administered. Otherwise, this should just be a typical appointment where the healthcare provider tracks growth and development and talks to you about nutrition and wellness.
The healthcare provider will also be on the lookout for milestones like looking for things after dropping them, pulling on things to stand up, being cautious around new people, pointing things out, sitting up, repeating sounds, looking at books, crawling, playing peekaboo, and coming to you for play and comfort.
Questions to ask
Now that Baby is older, you can understand a little better what they like and why they behaves in certain ways. And although it’s not really fair to consider a nine-month-old as “acting up,” it might be the case that there are some emerging behaviors that you would like to discourage. Questions you might have around now could revolve around handling different behaviors, and introducing new foods, and feeding techniques:
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How can I shape my baby’s behavior without being negative?
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Should I vary the texture of Baby‘s food?
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How long should I continue to breastfeed or bottle feed?
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Is it okay for Baby to watch TV or play with a phone?
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What if Baby doesn’t meet their milestones right away? How can I help them catch up?
Sources
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“AAP Schedule of Well-Child Care Visits.” HealthyChildren.org. American Academy of Pediatrics. December 18, 2015. Web.
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“Well-child visits.” MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. February 5, 2015. Web.
