When do babies say mama with meaning

It’s pretty thrilling when baby starts babbling—finally, your little one is a step closer to talking! Of course, that also means the race is on between you and your partner to see which word baby says first: “mama” or “dada.” It’s unlikely that baby is going to start saying either word right after they begin making noises, but it naturally raises an important question: Just when do babies say “mama” and “dada” anyway?

At What Age Do Babies Say “Mama” and “Dada”?

While the timeline can differ for every child—even those in the same family—most babies start stringing together syllables that sounds like “mamamama” or “dadadadada” by 7 months, says Jennifer L. Maietta, MS, CCC-SLP, a speech-language pathologist who works with children from birth to 6 years old at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston. These initial sounds are just babbles, but as they approach 9 months and beyond, they get better at saying the actual words.

That still doesn’t mean they actually know what they’re saying at that point. “They might look at you or the dad and say it, or say it to the mailman,” says Danelle Fisher, MD, FAAP, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “They’ll say it to anybody.” But around the one-year mark, baby will likely start to use the word correctly within context. And when it happens, “it’s magical,” Fisher says. “When they look at you and say ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ and mean it, it’s the best thing in the world.”

“Mama” or “Dada”: Which Comes First?

It’s a common belief that babies naturally say “dada” before “mama.” But Gina Posner, MD, a pediatrician at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, says that’s not necessarily the case. “Some kids are really obsessed with the ‘da’ sound, and others like the ‘ma’ sound,” she says. Whichever they latch onto in the beginning will help determine which word they say first.

Still, some kids just are better able to say “da” than “ma.” “It’s not that they love dada better, but it really is the function that the ‘d’ is easier to say than the ‘m,’” Fisher says. But if the mom spends more time caring for the child, she might have a leg up, Fisher adds, pointing out that babies may say the name of their primary caregiver first.

How to Help Baby Say “Mama” and “Dada”

While you can’t rush baby’s development, there are a few ways to help teach your child to say ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’

Babies imitate their parents, Fisher says, so continually sounding out “mama” and “dada” and encouraging your child to repeat the words is key. To help baby understand what those words actually mean, make sure to teach them in context. “I encourage parents to identify each other as ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ when talking to the child,” Posner says. “For example, you can say, ‘Look at Mama! Mama has food for you.’ That way, baby starts associating a parent with a specific name.”

When it comes to fostering baby’s language development in general, the best way is to read to her, play with her, talk to her and limit screen time and electronic toys, Maietta says. Find children’s books that rely heavily on the words “mama” and “dada” and read them often—it can go further than you think.

Every child is different, but if baby isn’t saying “mama” and “dada” by 12 to 15 months, flag it for your pediatrician. Most doctors expect children to have mastered those words by that point; for those who haven’t, a hearing test or speech therapy may be recommended. If your child says plenty of other words but “mama” and “dada” aren’t on the list, don’t panic. “While the words ‘mama’ and ‘dada’ are highly motivating for parents to hear, we’re more focused on whether the child is babbling using a variety of consonants, copying sounds and movements that a parent or caregiver does, using gestures like pointing and making eye contact, and engaging in back-and-forth games like ‘peek-a-boo,’” Maietta says. “Mama” and “dada” will come in time—and it will be well worth the wait.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

Mama, you aren’t the only one googling this! Some of the most common questions we get asked are “When will my baby say ‘mama’?!” “Help! Hoooow can I get my little one to say ‘mama’? And because we know this desperation well ourselves (“Please just say “mama!” I devote my life to you and love you with allll of my being, why would you say ball or woof and not mama?!), we want to help!

Keep reading to learn why your little one when babies usually say words like mama, why your baby might not be saying ‘mama’ yet, and how to gentlyencourage them to finally say the new name you’re oh-so proud to have.

When Do Babies Typically Say “Mama”?

The first thing to consider is whether or not your baby is old enough and developmentally ready to say “mama”. Babies typically say words like ‘mama’ or ‘dada’ by 12 months old, so if they’re not quite that old yet, you might just need to wait a while longer. 

Once your baby reaches 12 months of age, try to be patient with them, and rest assured that once your baby can talk, they will talk. Babies and toddlers don’t just hold back on us for no reason. But if they’re not talking much yet, it could have to do with their inventory of speech sounds. It could also be because the foundational skills necessary to talk are not yet fully developed.

What To Do If Your Baby Won’t Say “Mama”

The first thing we want you to do is to keep it low pressure! We always want to keep communication light and fun! If your little one senses pressure—which often just comes from a well-meaning, deep desire to hear your little one say ‘mama’—it usually has the opposite effect. They tend to shut down.

Trying to work on ‘mama’ in the fun and playful ways we’ve outlined below. They’ll be more motivating to your child! And remember that little ones need lots of repetition and that all the repetition you’ll engage in with them truly does pay off. So keep at it and avoid the temptation to make it a high-pressure situation.

Work On The “M” Sound

If your baby isn’t saying ‘mama’ yet but you’re pretty sure they’re ready to, pay attention to their babbling and when they’re just playing around with their voice. Do you hear them making an /m/ sound every so often? If so, skip to step #2.

If not, or if it’s rare, “mama” will be a harder word for them to say until they learn it. Start playing with an /m/ sound during mealtime or with pretend food during play exaggerating by saying “Mmmmm!” when you eat something. Remember no, pressure, just model the sound and draw attention to your mouth. It helps to be animated when you do it!

You can also work on the /m/ sound by engaging your child in mirror play while you model it. Just remember to be silly, have fun, keep it low pressure.

Create Opportunities To Say Mama

Here are two fun, low-pressure ways to practice saying ‘mama’ with your baby:

#1 Play Peek-a-Boo. But, instead of saying “Boo,” say “Mama!” 

#2 Play a very simple version of Hide and Seek. (You’ll need another person to help your little one with this one.) While you’re hiding, have the other person model saying, “Mamaaaa! Where are you?! Maaaama!” Modeling in a sing-song voice like this is helpful to your little one and gives you lots of fun opportunities to practice.

Make A Photo Book

We love practicing names (including Mama) by making a photo book of the people who live in your home. We recommend using the small photo books you can buy from the dollar store, to keep this easy, because this is more of a toy than a keepsake. 

When you “read” the photo book with your little one and get to a page with a picture of you, say “Mama,” and hold the photo up by your face. This way, you’re drawing attention to your mouth, which allows you to model and say, “Mama! That’s Mama!” in an exaggerated way. And, if someone else is reading to your little one, they could say, “That’s Mama! Hi Mama!”

If you keep it low-pressure and model, model, model, you—and they!—will do great!

We love teaching babies and toddlers basic sign language. Introduce the sign for mama and model it repeatedly. You can try this with the ideas we’ve mentioned above such as the photo book. When you point to mama, you’ll want to use both the sign and the spoken word as you say “mama!” Read more on sign language here.

Let’s Get The Words Rolling!

We’ve created tons of free resources that teach you how to get your baby talking and communicating more at home. If you find these tips helpful, we know you’ll love them, too!

Baby Bundle (0-12 Months)

If you have a little one ages 0 to 12 months, grab the Baby Bundle! Just click the link below, drop your email address, and we’ll send you a baby talking milestones, our “All About First Words” freebie, and a baby song video!

Toddler Talking Milestones (13-30 Months)

If you have a little one 13 months and up, our toddler talking milestones checklist is for you. It will give you instant insight into which skills your toddler has down pat, which skills they’re working on, and what’s coming up next!

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