Your 8-Month-Old: Their Name, the First Crawl, and Pulling Up
Written by the Growbaby team
Written against AAP, CDC, NIH and NHS guidance. How we write these guides
Published Aug 4, 2026 Updated Oct 16, 2026
At a glance
- Your baby responds to their own name, reliably rather than by chance.
- The AAP and the NHS put crawling at around 7 to 10 months, and the AAP says a few babies scoot or slither instead.
- The AAP says to set the crib mattress at its lowest position before your baby learns to stand.
- Separation anxiety commonly emerges in this half of the first year.
- Dropping and throwing is still experimentation, not testing you.
Two things arrive together this month and they are related. Your baby can now leave, and they now mind when you do. Mobility and separation anxiety show up in the same window, which is why the month can feel like a contradiction: a baby who wants to be everywhere and also wants you in sight.
The AAP ties the crib mattress to a skill rather than a month: lowest position before your baby learns to stand, and MedlinePlus lists pulling up on furniture in the same 6 to 9 month band as the start of crawling.
What is new this month
Two things arrive together and they are connected. Your baby can now leave, and now minds when you do. Mobility and the beginning of separation anxiety land in the same window, which is why the month can feel contradictory: someone who wants to be everywhere and also wants you in sight.
Responding to their own name is a different kind of step. It means a particular pattern of sound has been separated out from everything else and attached to themselves.
Crawling, pulling up, and the crib
Eight months sits inside every official crawling range: the AAP and the NHS say around 7 to 10 months, and MedlinePlus says from 6. The NHS adds that not all babies crawl and some shuffle around on their bottoms instead. Our crawling guide compares the sources and sets out what the CDC says about its checklists.
The sources give different ages for pulling up. MedlinePlus puts it in the same 6 to 9 month band as the start of crawling, and the CDC’s 1-year checklist lists it. The AAP says a baby who has just learned to pull up may not know how to get down, and suggests showing them how to bend their knees.
The AAP’s crib rule is tied to that skill: the mattress goes to its lowest setting before standing starts. The rest of the house is in our babyproofing checklist by age, ordered by the next skill.
Week by week, in the app
One thing to notice and one thing to try, for every week of the first three years. Here is what this month covers. The app works out which week your child is in from their birth date and brings each one to you on the day.
- Week 31Your baby Recognizes Their Name
- Week 32Your baby is Starting to Crawl
- Week 33Your baby is Dropping and Throwing Objects
- Week 34Your baby is Inspecting Objects
- Week 35Your baby is Pulling Up to Stand
Read next
- When Do Babies Roll Over?Tummy to back usually comes first, at around five to six months.
- When Do Babies Start Crawling?The AAP and the NHS both put crawling at around 7 to 10 months, and MedlinePlus says babies may start crawling or scooting as early as 6 months.
- When Can Babies Start Solid Foods?The AAP recommends only breast milk for approximately 6 months, then foods alongside continued breastfeeding.
- When Do Babies Sit Up?Sitting is two separate skills on the CDC’s list, three months apart.
- Growth chart at 8 monthsThe WHO median weight, length and head size for a 8-month-old, girls and boys, with the typical range around each.
This week, for your baby
Growbaby works out which week your baby is in from their birth date and brings that week’s activity to you on the day, so you are not looking up where you are. Plus adaptive soothing for the nights and Growy for the questions in between.
Frequently asked questions
Reliably rather than by chance is the thing to watch for, and it commonly arrives around eight months. It means a particular pattern of sound has been separated out from everything else and attached to themselves.
There is no single age, and none of the sources cited here says it follows crawling by a set number of weeks. MedlinePlus lists pulling up and holding a standing position on furniture in its 6 to 9 month band, the same band in which it says crawling may begin. The CDC’s 1-year checklist includes pulling up to stand. The AAP says that once it starts, your baby may not know how to get down at first.
Separation anxiety commonly emerges in the second half of the first year, and it is a sign that your baby now knows the difference between you and everyone else. It is developmental rather than a setback, and it passes.
Sources
This guide is for general informational purposes only. Growbaby is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Every baby develops at their own pace; for any question or concern about your baby’s health or development, always consult your pediatrician or another qualified healthcare provider.
