6 Month Old Baby Development & Milestones

At half a year old your baby has entered a very exciting phase where they begin to explore the world around them with more confidence and freedom as they begin to roll easily and may even get into a sitting position with limited or no help and maybe even doing those adorable pushups in preparation to crawl soon.

If you are all enamoured by their babbling sounds, squeaks, communication skills and how far they have come, you are not alone. It is a huge milestone and you have come a long way. Let us look at the baby development milestones this month.

6th Month Milestones

You will se huge changes in your bubba, not just physical but even cognitive as their left and right sides of the brain begin to communicate you'll notice more coordinated and controlled movements, better grasp and confidence in your baby to do things.

Mirroring your Emotions

Your baby may constantly observe you and learn from you. She will even mirror your emotions and understand when you are stressed or unhappy. Many babies this age cry when the mommy or daddy cry and are very reactive

Rolling Over

If your baby has not already rolled from back to stomach and vice versa they will master the skill this month, remember to baby proof the house. Don't panic if your baby is not there yet as every baby is different and reaches milestones at their own pace. If you still worried talk to your pedeatrician.

Sitting Up

Many babies can hold for a few seconds to a minute independently now or help themselves up using their hands as tripod stand. Some babies are getting there so use pillows to ensure they don't hurt themselves in the vent of a fall. Keep propping them up on your lap or on a sofa/ high chair to help them stregnthen their core muscles. Always keep an eye on them to avoid accidents.

Objects Grasp and Movement

Your baby should be able to grasp things effortlesly and bring them up closer, some can even move them from one hand to the other. Their movements, grap are getting better and more controlled.

Playtime

Make playtime interesting to engage different muscles of your baby. Try peek-a-boo, music and toys that dangle, move or make your baby reach for them. You will see your baby all smiles and giggling so don't hold back on the silliness.

Communication

Your babba might be responding to your talks and some might start to say repetitive sounds/ words - mama, dada, baba, papa. Be on the look out for some fun sounds, babbles and rants as a response to your questions and expect some hilarious reactions.

Feeding Routine

If not already on solids, now is a right time to try to introduce your baby to solid foods. Things to note before you do is your baby should be ready and receptive - opens mouth when food is offered, can hold up its head, can sit in a high chair and push food to back of throat and swallow. While there may be spit ups and struggles initially the baby should still seem comfortable and eager to try.

Even though you have started solids most babies still rely on milk as their primary source of nourishment. Don't try to force solids or hold back on breastmilk or formula. As your baby gets used to solids their appetitie for milk will naturally come down.

You can replace a feed with solid once your baby accepts solids. Most babies still continue to have 4 - 5 feeds of 6 to 8 ounces or 180 - 240ml and it is completely normal and necessary for your baby's growth and development.

Your doctor would have recommended you to use Vit D drops, don't stop them until your doctor says so. In most cases it is not until your baby is 1 year old.

Popular Breastfeeding Positions

Sleep Routine

Sleep gets more in to a pattern with around 9 to 10 hours of sleep at night and 2-3 naps a day adding up to 12-15hours each day. You may see your baby resisting naps and may eventually reduce the number as they grow.Ensure to put them to sleep at same time each day following a similar sleep routine (after a warm bath, reading a book or a stroll, etc.) so them understand its time to sleep.

Many babies may even sleep through the night almost 8hours with no or any interupptions, even if they do get up a feed will put them right back into sleep giving you a good nights rest and your normal sleep back.

Height & Weight

The average weight for six month old baby girl is around 7.3kg and height of 26 inches.

The average weight of five month old boy is around 8kg and height of about 26.5inches.

On an average babies grow 2 pounds or around 1kg in weight and about an inch in height each month until 6 months of age and half a kg and half and inch here on till 12 months of age. Every child is unique and so is their growth rate so don't be alarmed if they are not close to these numbers as some babies may be above the average numbers and some take longer based on how much they feed, how often they feed, if they had a low birth weight or were premature or had any illnesses. Know that it is normal to fluctuate a little from the normal at this age, talk to your doctor about your concerns.

Safety

It is time to baby proof the house as the baby starts to roll, they may use that as a way to move around the house and they may not be in the same place as you left them so baby proofing becomes imperative.

They tend to take everything to their mouth so ensure small itens, toyus or anything they can choke on are not accessible. It is also time you bring down the crib's matteress height to prevent any falls and also would be ideal when the baby begins to pull themselves up.

Avoid using bassinets & cradles once the baby begins to roll as there is a danger of rolling over. Avoid Swaddling, blankets, bumpers, toys anything that the baby can grab, get stuck on or roll into as it could be dangerous when baby is left unattended.

4 Month Old Baby Development & Milestones

5 Month Old Baby Development & Milestones

6th Month Doctor's Visit

Doctors perform a complete physical exam at the 6 month mark along with a third dose of the vaccines to prevent a contagious and deadly diseases like Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Influenza B, Pneumococcal, Rotavirus and Polio. You may have these vaccines a bit earlier depending on which country you live in.

Share your concerns or questions if any about the vaccines, it is essential you understand the benefits of these. It is also strongly advised to never miss any vaccinations recommended by your doctor.

Your doctor or the nurse will also check the height, weight and head measurements and map them against the growth chart to track progress and check if they fall within the normal range. They will also do thorough physical exam from baby top to bottom to look for any anomalies or rashes or infections.

The doctor will enquire about the baby's feeding pattern, sleep, bowl movements, any signs of fussiness or distress. Now would be the right time for you to bring up all your concerns however small so you can be at peace knowing everything is fine