Your 8-Month-Old: Their Name, the First Crawl, and Pulling Up
By the Growbaby team · Published Aug 4, 2026
Written against AAP, CDC and WHO guidance. How we write these guides
At a glance
- Your baby responds to their own name, reliably rather than by chance.
- Crawling starts for many babies, in whatever style they invent.
- Pulling up to stand follows quickly, which changes crib height and floor safety.
- 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.
Practically, this is the month to lower the crib mattress and look at the room from floor level, because pulling up usually follows crawling within weeks.
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. Practically, this is the month to lower the crib mattress, because pulling up usually follows crawling within weeks.
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?Most babies start moving across the floor somewhere between 6 and 10 months.
- When Can Babies Start Solid Foods?The AAP recommends only breast milk for approximately 6 months, then foods alongside continued breastfeeding.
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.
Usually within weeks of crawling starting, and often with no warning: the first time tends to be discovered rather than watched. What it changes is the room rather than the routine, because anything that can be gripped is now a handrail and anything on a low surface is now in reach.
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.
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.