You're playing with your baby and notice the tiny sounds and movements — a coo, a wiggle, a smile. Occasionally, they make a noise that's not quite a cry but not completely calm, and you can't help but wonder, What are you trying to tell me? Am I missing something here?

Having welcomed my first baby in September last year, I've been in this exact spot more than once — and if you're reading this, I'm sure you have too. Our babies are constantly sending signals through their bodies, and yet it can feel like we're trying to translate a language no one has actually taught us.

It's in these moments many of us ask ourselves if we're not 'reading' things right or if our baby might need a little extra support. That's where child development expert and accredited Inklings practitioner, Brittany Wennan, comes in to help you see just how much communication is already happening between you and your baby.

All babies are unique and so are their cues.

One of the first things Brittany wants you to know is that there is no one 'right' way for a baby to behave.

"All babies are unique, and that extends to their communication styles, cues, and behaviours," she told Mamamia. Infant development, she said, is "partly informed by the social environment of the baby and their family," which means the way babies communicate is often "contextual and unique to your family's culture, values, and ways of child-rearing."

That's why comparing your baby to the one at playgroup who is already waving, or the cousin who seems to 'talk' non-stop, can often be limiting. While she explained that development does follow broad patterns, the timing and style can be very different. "Every child develops at their own rate, and there is a wide range of what is considered typical development," Brittany said.

Instead, she encouraged parents to stay curious. "Remaining open to understanding communication invitations is a gentle reminder to caregivers: you're the most important communication partner in your baby's world — and the expert in the life of your baby."

When you're not sure what your baby is saying.

So what happens when you really don't know what your baby is trying to tell you? That's a question Brittany hears often. Her response is not to hand you a checklist of everything your baby 'should' be doing, but to gently guide you back to connection and support.

Brittany said, "The best way to understand your child's development is to have your child checked early and regularly with a medical professional like a child health nurse, general practitioner, or paediatrician. If you are concerned about your child's development at any time, it is important to seek support. Early access to the right supports can make a huge difference to how children develop and grow."

One of those supports, for families in South Australia, is Inklings, a free program for babies aged six to 18 months who are showing early differences in their social interaction or communication, or whose parents simply have questions about how they're engaging. Inklings offers up to 10 one-on-one sessions with a trained practitioner (such as a nurse or allied health professional) and sessions can be delivered in children's centres, health clinics, at home or via telehealth, making it accessible and family-centred for busy households.

Rather than focusing on what a baby isn't doing, the program helps parents build on their own strengths in responsive and nurturing communication with their baby, using short videos of everyday interactions to slow down and really see all the subtle ways their baby is already reaching out.

Watch: SA Inklings practitioner explanation. Post continues after video.

The cues you can look for (and the ones you might be missing).

There are often specific cues Brittany looks out for to help her understand a baby's unique connection and interaction preferences, which may be a helpful starting point for us too. Some examples include:

Gesturing: "Holding up a toy, reaching out for a cuddle, or leaning towards a toy or object to show interest. Pointing or leading their caregiver by their hand to show them their current interest or focus. Safely exploring the properties of an appropriate toy or object with their mouth."

Moving: "Movement of their body to be closer to their parent or appearing more comfortable playing just in the presence of their parent. This could look like wiggling, moving, waving, or sometimes, it's the subtle nod of the head in response to social smiles, social touch, and social talk."

Communicating: "Initiating communication and interaction through facial expressions and actions, such as smiling, joining games like peek-a-boo, clapping, or responding to their name. They may also point or show you things, copy movements like pretending to pat an animal or comb their hair, and explore sounds through babbling or repeated noises."

In other words, your baby is 'talking' to you all the time, not just with cries, but with their eyes, hands, body and play.

How communication evolves from six to 18 months.

Brittany said babies are born with the ability to engage with us in their own way from birth. But she emphasised their ability to do this depends on how we respond and communicate with them in return. Below, she explained what some of these cues might look like as they develop:

In the first six months.

"Typical cues would be crying when separated from their caregiver, following their caregiver with their eyes, expressing emotions through squealing, grunting, or whining, exploring new ways to communicate such as blowing raspberries, and maybe responding with their own one-to-two syllable sounds," Brittany said.

Towards 12 months.

"Communication evolves into more commonly understood gestures and sounds. Play is a child's job. Through play-based environments, children seek connection through simple games such as peek-a-boo, familiar rhymes, and songs," Brittany said.

"Babies at this stage seek connection through using simple gestures like raising arms to be picked up and babble may start to contain easier to understand words like 'hi', 'bye', 'mum' or the dreaded 'no!'.

By 18 months.

"Babies are becoming more independent but still require the close connection of a thoughtful caregiver to share interests or make sense of tricky emotions. As we move into toddlerhood, babies desire more independence, autonomy, and control and really enjoy making choices," Brittany said.

"Babies by 18 months can understand and follow simple one-to-two-step instructions and are rapidly learning things like copying animal noises and pointing to body parts. It is at this point that communication starts to evolve and become easier to understand. We would anticipate the ability to say six to 20 clear words and put two-word sentences together, like 'mummy home' or 'want milk'."

If your baby is still developing some of these skills, Brittany would gently bring you back to that idea of variation and to the importance of checking in early with a trusted health professional or looking into a program like Inklings if you do have concerns.

Why observation is a 'superpower'.

One of Brittany's favourite phrases is: "Observation is a superpower, and sometimes cues can be very subtle."

It's important to remember the pace of a baby is so much slower than that of an adult, so it really requires a 'slow and curious approach' according to Brittany. Everyday routines such as a meal or snack time can be a perfect opportunity to do this.

"When we slow our pace during this routine, we can notice the communication cues around feeding, like wanting more, being finished, or around food enjoyment. Babies have food preferences just like adults do!" she said.

"When we take the time and remain interested in the baby's communication, we can understand and respond to these cues better. Over time, and at a baby's pace, they can build critical baby-led interaction skills which are the foundations for social interaction and communication development."

It's not about watching your baby with a clipboard in hand. It's about pausing just long enough to see the way they move their body towards you, the way they stop and listen when you sing, the way their hands reach for a particular toy over and over again. Those tiny moments are your baby's way of telling you who they are and what they need.

And if you ever find yourself wondering if you're missing something, you don't have to figure it out alone. You are the most important communication partner in your baby's world and there are supportive programs like Inklings, and professionals who understand baby communication deeply, ready to walk alongside you as you and your baby learn each other's language.

What were some of the unique communication signals you noticed when you had your baby? Tell us in the comments section below.

If you're in South Australia, check out Inklings — self-referring is simple, and it's full of tools to support your baby's communication.

Featured image: Getty.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

If you're seeking greater understanding of your baby's communication, Inklings is here to help.

Inklings is a free, research-backed program supporting parents and caregivers of babies aged six to eighteen months, delivered by the South Australian government in partnership with the program owner, The Kids Research Institute Australia, and the Commonwealth Government Department of Health, Ageing and Disability as co-funder. Through one-on-one sessions with trained practitioners, you'll gain confidence in understanding and responding to your baby's cues. To check your eligibility and learn more visit inklings.org.au/sa