Week 32

What your baby is doing

Crawling, pulling-up, babbling

7–10 months: object permanence sharpens, separation anxiety often appears, mama/dada-like sounds emerge. This isn't regression — it's attachment maturing.

Source: CDC — Developmental Milestones (2022 revision)

Your healing body

Strength is welcome here

Postpartum is a long arc, not a 12-week sprint. The 2025 Canadian Postpartum Guideline supports going beyond the 120 min/week MVPA floor with progressive resistance training; Davenport 2025 shows trained lifters tolerate near-RM compound lifts. Symptom-based progression and pelvic-floor maintenance remain the rule.

Source: Davenport et al., BJSM 59(8), 2025 — 2025 Canadian Guideline for Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Sleep throughout the Postpartum Period

General info — not personalised medical advice.

Maternal mind

Anxiety can show up later

Perinatal anxiety often peaks 6–12 months postpartum. Intrusive thoughts about harm are common and treatable — they are a symptom, not a moral signal.

Source: O'Hara & Wisner, Best Practice & Research Clin OB/GYN 28 (2014) — Perinatal mental illness

You & baby

Separation anxiety arrives

Often peaks 8–10 months as object permanence sharpens. Predictable goodbyes and warm returns are protective — not 'reinforcing'.

Source: Ainsworth et al., Patterns of Attachment (Erlbaum, 1978)

For your partner

Sex, intimacy, and time

Desire and bandwidth aren't the same thing. Schedule connection — even 20 minutes of undivided attention — before scheduling sex.

Source: Gottman & Gottman, J Family Communication 5(4), 2005 — Bringing Baby Home

Milk, bottles & beyond

Eating as a family

By 9–10 months most babies join family meals: bigger pieces, more textures, lots of mess. Breast/bottle remains the main nutrition under 12 months.

Source: WHO — Infant and young child feeding (2023 update)

Infant sleep this week

Naps consolidating to two

Around 8–10 months most babies drop to two naps. Watch wake windows more than the clock.

Source: McKenna & Gettler, Acta Paediatrica 105 (2016) — Breastsleeping & evolved infant sleep

60-second prompt

What do you need to stop apologising for?

Write the apology you'd like to retire. Then retire it.