Your baby is communicating with you from the very first day — long before they say their first word. Language development starts at birth, and it unfolds in stages that are genuinely remarkable to watch. Here's what to expect, and how you can help it along.
It starts with crying
In the beginning, crying is your baby's only language. From birth to around 6 weeks, it's how they tell you they're hungry, uncomfortable, tired, or just in need of a little closeness. Over time, you'll start to notice the differences — a hungry cry sounds different from an overtired one — and responding to those cues is already the start of a conversation.
Sounds and cooing (6–24 weeks)
Around 6 weeks, your baby begins to experiment with their voice. Those first "ah," "oh," and "uh" sounds aren't random — your baby is discovering that making noise gets a reaction from you. When you respond, even by just talking back, you're teaching them that communication is a two-way street.
Babbling (from 6 months)
From around 6 months, your baby starts combining sounds — "dadada," "mamamama," the classics. It might sound like words, but at this stage they don't quite know what they mean yet. They do know that babbling gets your attention, and that's exactly the point.
First real words (around 12 months)
Somewhere around their first birthday, real words start to emerge from all that babbling. "Mama," "dada," "car," "more" — one word at a time, your baby is learning that things have names. Every child moves at their own pace here.
Two-word sentences (around 18 months)
From about 18 months, your baby starts combining words. "Mama car" or "more milk" might not be grammatically correct, but the meaning is clear. Their understanding is developing faster than their speech at this point.
Full sentences (from 2 years)
From around 2 years old, language takes off. Your child's vocabulary grows rapidly, sentences get longer, and grammar slowly starts to fall into place.
How you can support language development
The single most important thing you can do is talk to your baby — a lot, and from the very beginning. Narrate what you're doing, respond to their sounds, read to them, sing to them.
- Talk during feeds. Research shows that making eye contact and being responsive during feeds supports social interaction.
- Read together. Even board books with simple images build vocabulary and attention.
- Respond to everything. When your baby babbles, babble back. When they point, name what they're pointing at.
- Keep it simple. Match your language to their stage — short sentences and clear words.
How nutrition plays a role
Language development happens in the brain, and a developing brain needs the right building blocks. The first two years are a critical period for brain growth — adequate protein, calories, and iron all support the cognitive development that language relies on.
That's one reason the quality of your baby's formula matters. Our organic formula is made with carefully selected ingredients to support your baby's development.