Parents Want to Know 101: 6-Month-Old Baby Milestones

Thursday, June 19, 2014

6-Month-Old Baby Milestones

Six-month old milestones can be amazing!

By Sharon Rose

Your baby is 6-months-old and you have made it half-way through Baby's first year. Your baby has grown so fast, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds a month. Now, expect your baby's weight gain to slow to about 1 pound a month, but look forward to many developmental milestones beginning at 6 months. Get ready for giggles and more smiles. Let's talk about what's next.

This is such an exciting time in your baby's growth and development. You can expect your baby to start sitting up alone by six months. Babies will first hold themselves up, in a sitting position, with their hands. One day you will turn towards your baby to see him sitting with no support. Such a memorable moment! ....and there's more!

A 6-month-old can be expected to roll from his back to his stomach. You can no longer leave him alone on your big bed and think he will stay where you left him. Don't be surprised, if you put him to sleep in his crib on his back, to awaken to find him on his stomach. That's an "Aha!" moment that most parents will always remember.

This is, also, the time that you can expect your baby to start crawling. You will notice your baby on hands and knees rocking, back and forth. Take the rocking back and forth as a clue that the crawling will begin soon. At any moment they will just take off. If you haven't already, you will need to child-proof your home. Put anything of danger, such as poisonous cleaning products or sharp objects, out of reach. You will find that your baby's curiosity is developing very fast and you will not want anything harmful to be in their path.

At 6-months, your pediatrician will usually recommend that you start your baby on solid food. From my own parenting experience and research, I recommend that you start your baby with an iron-fortified rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Introduce strained fruits and vegetables one at a time. Each time you introduce a new food wait a few days before introducing another to make sure your baby is not allergic to it. A cautionary note: Do not give your baby honey until at least one-year-old because it can carry the bacteria that causes botulism.

The grandparents will be so pleased to notice that their grandchild recognizes their faces. At 6-months your baby knows the faces of parents, grandparents and other familiar family and friends. A fear of strangers usually shows up about this time. Babies are, also, fascinated with their own image. A mirror is a great toy to add at this age.

There will be more interaction between you and your baby. Schedule playtime and enjoy playing with your baby. Parents are baby's first playmates. Babies love games like Peek-A-Boo and Pat-A-Cake. Also, once your baby is sitting up on his own, bath-time play is so much more fun! If you have other children, train them in the appropriate way to play with your baby and include them in Baby’s playtime.

Playtime with your baby will bring smiles and happy giggles.

There is so much to be expected with the milestones of 6-month-olds, and going forward. It is helpful and important to know what to expect and to prepare yourself to do your best parenting. Watching and waiting for your baby to do something new everyday has begun!

*Tips for Your Baby’s Sixth Month:

1. Be on the lookout for signs that your baby is not hitting important milestones, like babbling, sitting unassisted, smiling, making eye contact, or responding to sounds. If you’re concerned that your baby has missed any milestone, call your pediatrician.

2. Play peek-a-boo and similar games with your baby. It will help teach the idea of object permanence, that objects still exist, even when they’re out of sight.