When do babies pull to stand and cruise? Ages and safety

Most babies pull themselves up to stand somewhere between about 9 and 12 months, then start "cruising": stepping sideways while holding on to furniture. Australia's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says pulling up to stand usually happens between 9 and 12 months. Pulling up to stand and walking while holding on to furniture are both on the CDC's 12-month checklist, which lists skills 75% or more of babies have by that age.

Standing alone usually comes a little later. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's 12-month page says babies may stand on their own for a moment around their first birthday, and its 12–18 month page says toddlers may stand without help between 12 and 15 months.

A standing baby can suddenly reach the top of the coffee table, climb the drawers and topple out of a cot. This guide covers what to expect, how to help, and the safety changes to make before your baby pulls up.

When do babies pull to stand, cruise and stand alone?

The World Health Organization followed healthy babies in five countries and found wide normal windows. In its motor development study, standing with help ranged from 4.8 to 11.4 months (half by 7.4 months), walking with help from 5.9 to 13.7 months (half by 9.0 months) and standing alone from 6.9 to 16.9 months (half by 10.8 months). A baby who first stands alone at 8 months and one who first does so at 14 months are both inside that normal window.

Taking a few steps alone is on the CDC's 15-month checklist. Our first steps guide covers walking, shoes and what comes next.

What does pulling up and cruising look like, stage by stage?

1. Pulling up. Your baby hauls themselves up on the sofa, the cot rails or your legs. The AAP's 8–12 month movement guide says babies pull themselves to standing "every chance she gets". Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's 9-month page says 9-month-olds may pull up using furniture.
2. Getting stuck. Many babies can get up before they know how to get down, and cry for help. The AAP suggests showing your baby how to bend their knees and lower themselves without falling.
3. Bouncing and swaying. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's 11-month page says babies may bounce, sway or rock while standing.
4. Cruising. Your baby steps sideways along the furniture, hand over hand. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's 10-month page says that over the next month or so babies may cruise, stand for short moments without support and move more confidently between sitting, crawling and standing. The AAP says babies cruise alongside furniture when your hands aren't available.
5. Standing alone. Your baby lets go and balances briefly. "Stands momentarily without support" is on the AAP's 12-month milestones.
6. Walking with a hand held. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says 12-month-olds may walk while holding someone's hand. Kids Health's 12-month milestones also list pulling up to stand and cruising.

Your baby may still prefer crawling for a while, even once they can cruise. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby notes that babies may still prefer crawling while they gain confidence.

How can I help my baby pull up and cruise?

1. Give lots of floor time. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's walker page says the floor is a safe space for babies to learn to roll, sit and pull up to standing.
2. Offer safe things to pull up on. The CDC's 9-month tips suggest putting your baby close to things they can pull up on safely, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests soft furniture. The AAP says anything your baby uses for support should have no sharp edges and be weighted or attached to the floor.
3. Make a cruising route. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests lots of safe chances to practise standing and cruising, with a clear space to try small steps again and again. Sturdy furniture placed close together gives your baby a path to follow.
4. Put toys just out of reach. The AAP suggests intriguing objects just beyond reach, and miniature obstacle courses of pillows, boxes and sofa cushions.
5. Try push toys. The CDC suggests letting your baby push things like empty boxes, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby suggests a toy trolley or stroller that is stable and designed for your baby's age.
6. Practise sitting down. Hold a toy low so your baby has to bend their knees to reach it.
7. Keep feet bare indoors. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says crawling and walking in bare feet indoors helps feet and toes develop normally, and non-slip socks are fine if it's cold.

Cheer them on. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby notes your baby will hear the excitement in your voice even before they understand the words.

Is it safe for my baby to stand up in the cot?

Standing is normal, but it changes how the cot needs to be set up. The AAP's room safety checklist says:

• set the mattress at its lowest position before your child learns to stand
• falls are the most common cot injury and usually happen when the mattress is too high for the child's height
• don't use bumpers, which toddlers can use to climb and fall out
• remove a mobile once your baby can get up on hands and knees, or by 5 months, whichever comes first

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby's falls prevention guide adds keeping cot sides up and keeping the cot free of anything your baby could stack and climb on. Keep putting your baby down on their back for sleep. See safe sleep, and our 9–12 month sleep guide for babies who practise standing at bedtime.

How do I stop furniture and TVs tipping over?

A cruising baby pulls on everything, and toddlers climb. Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital in Australia says on its tip-over prevention page that two children die each year on average from toppling furniture and TVs, with hundreds more injured. More than half of tip-over injuries involve children under 4, often after they climb or use pulled-out drawers as steps.

The AAP's tip-over page says that in the US a child goes to A&E with a tip-over injury at least once every hour, and 77% of tip-over deaths from 2000 to 2019 were in children under 6. If you rent, the RCH suggests asking your landlord in writing before installing anchors.

Do I need stair gates once my baby can stand?

Yes. The AAP says to place sturdy gates at the top and bottom of stairs and keep the stairs gated at all times. The NHS safety guide says to keep using gates at the top and bottom of stairs until your child is at least 2 years old, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says babies around 12 months may try to climb stairs.

While you're checking the house:

• fit window locks or catches; the NHS says these should restrict the opening to less than 6.5 cm (2.5 inches), and to keep low furniture away from windows
• remove trip hazards such as rugs without anti-slip mats and electrical cords, and cover sharp table corners (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)
• keep cords, unstable furniture and hot drinks well out of reach (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)
• once your baby can pull up and flip over, the AAP suggests retiring the change table and changing nappies lower down, such as on the floor

Are baby walkers or jumpers a good way to practise standing?

No. Every major source advises against baby walkers:

Pregnancy, Birth and Baby explains that babies in a walker don't practise balancing, use their toes more and spend less time on hands and knees. The AAP says a baby in a walker can move more than 3 feet (about 1 metre) in a second, and can roll down stairs, reach hot items or end up in a pool or bath. It suggests a stationary activity centre with no wheels, or a playpen, instead. Our first steps guide has more on walkers and shoes.

What if my baby was born early?

If your baby was born more than 3 weeks early, the CDC's online checklist says to use their corrected age. The AAP's corrected age guide says to subtract the number of weeks your baby was born early from their age in weeks, and to use corrected age to track development during the first 2 years. A 12-month-old born 8 weeks early has a corrected age of about 10 months, so pulling up but not yet cruising may be typical for their corrected age.

When should I talk to a GP or health visitor?

Call 999 now if your baby

• falls from a height of 1 metre or more and hits their head, loses consciousness, has a seizure, or seems unwell and vomits more than once after hitting their head (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)
• has difficulty breathing, has blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin or lips, or is hard to wake (the NHS urgent help guide)

Get medical help straight away if

• furniture or a TV has fallen on your baby, even if they seem fine; the AAP says to see a doctor or go to A&E right away, because internal injuries may not be obvious
• you think your baby has a head injury, a broken bone, pain or a lot of bleeding after a fall (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)

Talk to your GP or health visitor soon (don't wait for the next check) if your baby

• stops doing something they could do before, such as pulling up or standing. The CDC says to act early if a child has lost skills, and Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says to see your doctor at any age if your baby stops doing something they had learned.
• seems stiff or floppy, struggles to stay balanced, or doesn't seem equally strong on both sides of their body (AAP; Pregnancy, Birth and Baby)

Talk to your GP or health visitor if

The CDC's advice is not to wait: share your concerns and ask about developmental screening.

What's worth writing down?

Note the dates your baby first pulled up, cruised and stood alone, and which side they lead with. If you're unsure about how they stand or move, a short video of them pulling up and cruising along the sofa gives your GP or health visitor a clear picture.