Baby in Québec, day by day
Baby at 9 months: what is happening, and what to do in Québec
Nine months: follow-up visit, soft finger foods, and a baby pulling up to stand.
Your baby
Pointing, showing, a first word
Toward the end of the first year, the baby points at what they want, waves bye-bye, understands simple requests and sometimes says a word or two. The baby eats soft finger foods and drinks from a cup with help.
Babbling and first exchanges
The baby strings syllables together, “ba-ba”, “da-da”, imitates sounds and gestures, and reaches out to be picked up. Talking to the baby, naming things, describing what you do and reading very simple books feed language, in each of the home’s languages.
On the move
Between seven and twelve months, the baby crawls, pulls up to standing on furniture, then takes first steps, sometimes well after the first birthday. Gates on stairs, furniture anchored to the wall, products and small objects out of reach: the home gets ready at the baby’s pace.
Stranger and separation anxiety
Around eight or nine months, many babies cry when a parent moves away or a stranger approaches. It is a normal stage: the baby understands you exist even when out of sight. Short, predictable goodbyes help, at home and at daycare.
First teeth
The first tooth often comes through between six and ten months, but earlier or later is still normal. Swollen gums, lots of drool and a wish to chew are common. From the first tooth, brush morning and evening with a soft brush; ask the dentist or hygienist how much toothpaste to use.
On the back, in their own bed
From birth, the baby sleeps on the back, on a firm mattress, in a crib, cradle or bassinet that meets Canadian standards, with a fitted sheet and nothing else: no pillow, comforter or bumper pad. The Canadian Paediatric Society and Health Canada recommend sleeping in the parents’ room, but in their own bed, for the first six months. Once the baby rolls over alone, any position is fine.
Vitamin D for the breastfed baby
In Québec, a vitamin D supplement is recommended for breastfed babies from birth, because breast milk does not contain enough for our climate. The product and the amount are confirmed with the CLSC nurse, the doctor or the pharmacist; this page gives no dose.
In Québec
Getting ready for the end of leave
QPIP benefits can be spread over 78 weeks after the birth, but most families go back to work toward the end of the first year. Daycare place confirmed on the portal, a few days of adjustment, feeding and nap schedule handed to the educator: all of this is prepared one or two months ahead.
The baby’s follow-up visits
After the nurse’s visit, the baby is seen by a doctor, nurse practitioner or midwife around two weeks, then around two, four, six, nine and twelve months, often at the same time as vaccines. Weight, length, head circumference and development are recorded in the health booklet. Bring your questions and your notes from the past weeks.
Register the baby on the childcare portal
Since autumn 2025, the Childcare Services Registration Portal replaces La Place 0-5. A child can be registered only after birth, and it is the desired start date that counts for the allocation of places, not the registration date. Best to create the file early, with the CPEs and daycares you want, and keep it up to date.
With Maliah
New foods, one at a time
Each new food and each allergen offered is logged in Maliah with the date and any reaction. The list of what the baby has already tasted follows the family to daycare and the doctor.
A routine takes shape
From what the family logs, Maliah shows when the baby most often feeds and sleeps, and suggests a routine you can adjust and share with the babysitter or daycare. Nothing is imposed: the baby sets the pace.
The vaccine record, checked off
The vaccines of the Québec schedule are in Maliah, to be checked off with the date when received. The app never says a vaccine is due or late: it keeps what the family noted and shows it to the doctor at the right time.
Weight, visit after visit
Each weighing is logged in Maliah with its date; the growth curve is drawn against WHO standards, as a fact, without judgment. Before an appointment, the summary for the doctor gathers the measurements and what was noted since last time.
The whole family sees the same thing
The partner, grandma or the babysitter see the last feed, the last sleep and the last diaper when they open the app, no texting needed. Everyone logs what they do, with their name and the time, and nobody asks the same question twice.
Related free tools
Sources : INSPQ : Mieux vivre avec notre enfant de la grossesse à deux ans (guide 2026) · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Pleurs · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Prévention de la tête plate · INSPQ, Mieux vivre : Baby blues · Directeur de l’état civil : Déclaration de naissance · RAMQ : Naissance ou adoption · Québec.ca : Allocation famille · Québec.ca : Dépistage sanguin chez les nouveau-nés · Québec.ca : Dépistage de la surdité chez les nouveau-nés · Québec.ca : Programme québécois d’immunisation · Québec.ca : Trouver un service de garde et inscrire mon enfant (Portail d’inscription) · RQAP : faire une demande de prestations · Agence du revenu du Canada : Allocation canadienne pour enfants · Service Canada : numéro d’assurance sociale
This article is for information; it does not replace advice from a health professional. In Québec, call Info-Santé 811 when in doubt (elsewhere in Canada, your provincial health line). In an emergency, call 911. Updated on October 27, 2026.