87 Week Old Baby: Your Baby's Development and Your Recovery This Week

Your toddler has an engine that never seems to switch off, and harnessing it makes for better sleep at night.

At around 20–21 months, your toddler walks with real confidence, hops, runs around the house, and pushes or pulls toys with ease. Climbing onto low furniture is a skill they're quietly proud of, and they'll show you again and again.

• Big outdoor play in the morning if you can, a park, a garden, even just a brisk walk.
• An indoor obstacle course for rainy days: cushions on the floor to jump over, a blanket tunnel, a box to climb in.
• Music and dancing. A toddler on a loud music session burns energy faster than most things.

• If evening bedtime is a nightmare, look back at the day, was there enough physical play? Was the afternoon nap too long or too close to bedtime? Most 21-month-olds do well with one nap of 1.5–2 hours ending by 3 pm, and a bedtime around 7–8 pm.

• Climbing is getting better, not worse. Keep re-scanning the house from their eye level, what they couldn't reach last month, they can reach now. Cleaning products, medicines and sharp objects all need to go up another shelf.

• Vomiting, unusual sleepiness, a swelling that keeps growing, or pupils that look uneven, head to the emergency room. Most bumps just need a cuddle and a cold cloth.

• If your toddler shares a bed with you or sleeps near grandparents, consistency on bedtime, same time, same wind-down, same room layout, matters more than where they sleep. A soft lullaby (lori) works the same in a joint family bed.

An engine that never switches off can wear out even the most devoted driver. All that running and climbing is healthy baby development doing exactly its job, even when your own battery is blinking low. On the loud days, remember: tired is not failing, it is mothering.

Around 20.5 months. The "second baby" question starts coming from many directions.

The pressure

• Indian families often start asking about a second baby around 18 months, sometimes earlier. The pressure can come from in-laws, parents, neighbours, even friends. It's about cultural assumptions, not your readiness.

A few things to know

• WHO recommends at least 18–24 months between births for the mum's recovery and the older child's needs
• 36+ months between births is associated with even better outcomes
• A second pregnancy starting before the body has fully recovered (anaemia, pelvic floor, mental health) is harder on mum
• There is no "right" gap, your body, life, finances and family decide

Talking points with relatives

• "We're enjoying this one for now." "We will plan when we're ready." "Our gynae has advised waiting." Whatever feels true.

For your body

Get bloodwork done (CBC, ferritin, Vit D, B12, TSH)

• pre-pregnancy nutrition matters. Pelvic floor recovery matters. Mental health stable matters.

Eating well

• Three meals + two snacks. Iron, calcium, B12, Vit D, basics that matter even more if you're considering another pregnancy.

Indian-mum reality

• Many Indian women go from one pregnancy to the next quickly, sometimes within 12 months. It is possible but harder on the body. If you are not ready, you do not have to be.

Worth flagging

• If pressure from family is causing real distress, talk to your gynae and possibly a therapist. They can help articulate why the timing matters medically, sometimes a doctor saying "wait" lands better with relatives than mum saying it.

Indian-mum honest note

• The second-baby pressure can come with shame or guilt, both unfair. Your timeline is medically and personally valid. Many gynaes recommend at least 18 to 24 months between births. Some Indian families wait longer or stop at one, both are healthy choices.

Whatever you decide about growing your family, and whenever you decide it, the choice belongs to you and your partner alone. Protecting that decision from noisy opinions is an act of mother self care. Your timeline is not late or early; it is simply yours.