Babies Growth & Development When Do Babies Usually Start to Stand? By Vincent Iannelli, MD facebook Vincent Iannelli, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Iannelli has cared for children for more than 20 years. Learn about our editorial process Vincent Iannelli, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sarah Rahal, MD on November 30, 2020 linkedin Sarah Rahal, MD is a double board-certified adult and pediatric neurologist and headache medicine specialist. Learn about our Review Board Sarah Rahal, MD on November 30, 2020 Print monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Standing and Pulling Up Related Milestones When Not to Worry What to Watch For Developmental Delays Pulling up and standing are fun, exciting milestones for babies and parents alike. These important skills help babies develop their arm and leg muscles and give them a whole new, upright view of the world. Plus, standing is the prelude to cruising and walking, which means your baby will soon become a lot more mobile. According to the Denver II Developmental Assessment milestone's chart, infants can usually begin to: Stand, holding on to things between 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 months Pull to a standing position between 8 to 10 months Stand for about 2 seconds between 9 to 11 1/2 months Stand unassisted between 10 1/2 to 14 months Standing and Pulling Up It's important to note that not all infants will reach these milestones during the above time frames. The milestone chart simply tells us when 25% to 90% of infants first performed these skills. This means that at least 10% of toddlers could take a little longer to reach these milestones, while others may stand or pull up sooner. With time, the majority of babies will eventually meet these milestones. Most of those that come to the skills a bit later will perform them by a few weeks or a month or two after the typical range. It's perfectly normal for babies to arrive at these (and other) milestones on their own schedule—as long as standing and pulling up come by about 18 months. Related Milestones Other important things to know about these milestones include that: Most younger infants are able to stand up with support and bear some weight on their legs between 2 and 4 1/2 months. This is an expected and safe developmental stage that will progress to pulling up independently and won't cause them to have bow-legs. Most toddlers can walk backward between 13 and 17 months. Most toddlers begin running and walking up steps at 14 months. Toddlers with undiagnosed developmental hip dysplasia can probably stand and will likely learn to walk with a limp or waddling gait. If you notice these behaviors, consult your child's physician. Most babies start cruising by age 1—soon after learning to stand and pull up. Walking is more variable, with a few infants taking their first steps before 9 months and others waiting until around 20 months or later. Your 10-Month-Old Baby’s Development & Milestones When Not to Worry It's common for parents to worry if their baby doesn't meet every milestone on schedule but it's not a reason to panic. Performing these skills later than normal does not necessarily indicate any developmental or longterm problems. Additionally, remember that it's normal for babies who were born prematurely to reach milestones later than their full-term peers. Most often, your baby will simply learn these skills a little later but the skills will come. This is particularly likely if your child has met other developmental milestones a little later than usual but did eventually catch up. It's important to recognize that reaching milestones isn't something that can be pushed on a baby and it doesn't need to be taught. Babies learn these skills instinctually, which means parents do not need to do anything to help their child along other than provide routine infant care and allowing for opportunities to try out their emerging skills. For example, a child needs access to something to pull up on (such as the railing of a crib) in order to try out this skill. Additionally, be sure to give your child room to move in a safe, child-proofed space. Other than that, all parents need to do is wait, watch, and then cheer when their little one eventually shows off their standing and pulling up prowess. Guide to Your Baby’s First Year What to Watch For While you should do your best not to be overly stressed when a milestone is late, do trust your instincts. If you have a sense that something might not be right with your baby's development, communicate your concerns to your child's pediatrician. An underlying issue is more likely when a delay in standing or pulling up is accompanied by other missing milestones. For example, it may be cause for concern if your baby also doesn't yet: Bear some weight on their legs Roll over Sit up (by 9 months) Babble Laugh Respond to games, such a patty cake or peekaboo Respond to their environment Seek your attention through their actions Additionally, there is a greater chance that your child has a developmental delay if their body seems very stiff, with tight muscles. Children Can Have Various Developmental Disabilities and Functions Developmental Delays While it is expected that milestones may come a bit earlier or later than average, extended delays aren't normal and may be cause for concern. Sometimes this (or other) milestones don't arrive weeks or even a few months after the typical timing. When this happens, it's called a developmental delay. Your child's pediatrician will assess your baby's progress toward these milestones at their well visits. If your child's skills are outside of the norm, your doctor will evaluate whether or not there are other medical concerns at play. Some medical conditions that might cause a delay in standing or walking include: Down syndrome Cerebral palsy Congenital orthopedic problems Muscular dystrophy By 18 months, your pediatrician should make sure that your toddler can sit, stand, and walk independently. Talk to your pediatrician or consider a referral to early childhood intervention (ECI) or a developmental specialist if you have concerns that your baby isn't standing on time or is a late walker. A Word From Verywell Only first steps beat the excitement of watching your child hit the pre-walking milestones of pulling up and standing. It can certainly be stressful if your baby is late to reach these milestones but aim to lean toward patience while giving your child the space to develop these new skills. Most babies will eventually master pulling up and standing—even if it takes them a bit longer to get there. Toddler Milestones Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Track your baby’s most exciting moments with our milestone checklist. Get it free when you sign up for our newsletter. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Milestone Moment: Know the Signs. Act Early. Noritz GH, Murphy NA. Motor delays: Early identification and evaluation. Pediatrics. 2013;131(6):e2016-27. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-1056