Your infant is halfway to a twelvemonth already and beginning to notice that in that location'southward a fascinating earth out in that location just waiting to exist explored.

And that means the days of existence able to plop your baby downwards in the middle of the floor, secure that he volition stay there, are numbered.

This is the calendar month you'll start your baby on solids if you haven't already, and besides when your baby can start sitting up better. It may too have babe's commencement tooth in shop!

Here'south what else your 6-month-onetime is doing.

Your half dozen-month-quondam infant's development

At a Glance

Sleeping nuts

At this age, babies typically sleep virtually eleven hours at dark (many straight through) and have effectually two daily naps that add upwardly to three to four hours, though it can vary.

Feeding basics

Now's the time to start solids! Introduce 1 to 2 tablespoons to 3 to 9 tablespoons of cereal, fruit and vegetables, plus around 24 to xxx ounces (up to 32 to 36 ounces at well-nigh) of breast milk or formula a 24-hour interval.

Did you lot know?

Babies typically sit unsupported somewhere around the historic period of half dozen to 6½ months old. Just at that place's a broad range of normal when it comes to when babies primary the skill.

What's keeping infant decorated these days in the milestone and development department? Plenty!

If he's like half of all babies, he'll probable exist able to sit down up without back up. The "average" baby sits unsupported somewhere around vi½ months.

Some very normal babies beginning sitting at 4 months and others wait until every bit tardily every bit the 9-month-mark. But he'll almost definitely be able to sit well in a high chair, which is perfect timing since he'll exist eating solids in earnest now.

Your baby will probably be able to comport weight on his legs when held upright and may fifty-fifty be ready to striking the route at a crawl (though babies who spend little time on their tummies during playtime may reach this milestone later — or skip straight to cruising — and that's not cause for concern).

Some little acrobats tin pull themselves into a standing position or go into a sitting position when placed on their tummies.

Stimulating your now-older baby requires new activities and toys that will help heave large and small motor skills as well equally social, intellectual and linguistic communication skills.

Call up stacking toys and games (ones with different-size rings or multi-colored cubes), toys that encourage crawling (cars, trains and assurance that roll, light up and make music) roly-poly toys (they right themselves when rolled over), toys that encourage pulling up to standing (make sure they're sturdy!) and of class, colorful board books that will keep your baby entertained.

Your half-dozen-calendar month-one-time baby's growth

Who's making great strides in the growth section? Your six-month-one-time baby is!

Thank you to a standing nutrition of breast milk or formula (around 24 to 30 ounces a twenty-four hour period) and solids (ranging from about 1 to 2 tablespoons to three to 9 tablespoons of cereal, proteins, fruit and vegetables each per day), your baby will counterbalance in somewhere betwixt 13 and 23 pounds and mensurate somewhere between 24 and 29 inches if he'due south a boy.

If you have a little daughter, she will hit the scales somewhere between 12 and 22 pounds and measure somewhere between 23 and 28 inches.

When feeding your cutie to fuel all that incredible growth, retrieve to pay attention to dietary do'due south and don'ts, such as introducing new foods i at a time and avoiding sure foods altogether (steer articulate of honey until after his first birthday, for example).

Your half-dozen-month-old baby'due south health

Fourth dimension for baby's half-dozen-month well-babe visit, and likely, his showtime flu shot.

The 6-month well-infant visit

Become prepare to hear all about what your baby volition exercise side by side at the 6-month well-baby visit, where baby volition go another circular of vaccines and y'all'll learn more about his growth and development, forth with which milestones he'south hitting and those to come. Read More

Fourth dimension for a flu shot

Babies should get the flu shot every yr (by the stop of October, if possible), starting at the age of half-dozen months. Baby'due south get-go vaccine volition demand two doses: the first one "primes" the immune system, and the 2nd one provides immune protection. Read More

Should y'all socialize your baby?

Before the historic period of 3, babies get most of the social engagement they need by being around their parents, siblings and caregivers. Early on, you lot can help your babe'due south social development past doing skin-to-skin contact, reading him stories and cuddling. Read More

How to protect baby in the cold

You tin can take your little 1 out in the cold, but be aware that babies are more susceptible to cold weather than bigger kids. Endeavour dressing your lilliputian one in a one-piece sleeper outfit, a long-sleeved shirt and pants and a snow suit (or bunting). Read More

Postpartum & new infant tips

Introducing sippy cups

At about the 6-month mark, you tin can begin introducing your baby to a sippy cup.

Starting at this time means your babe may accept the cup more readily and it will give him plenty of time to master it before you need to completely wean him from the breast or bottle.

At first, he'll exercise fiddling more play with the cup (and sputter and spit as you distill a few drops into his mouth). But soon he'll learn that his fascinating new toy tin exist a source of delicious drinks.

To help him make the leap, first with a lightweight, unbreakable plastic cup. Y'all may need to try a few dissimilar shapes, sizes and styles before you hit on the one he likes best.

If yous cull a cup with a spout, remove the spill-free valve before you offer it to your infant. It will be messier, but he'll get the thought of drinking much more rapidly.

Most babies tin can't yet muster the powerful suck they need to get liquid through the valve (plus studies show that extended use of a sippy cup tin atomic number 82 to tooth disuse because of the style the liquid is extracted and then pools in the mouth).

Serve upwardly water first — it'due south the easiest, least messy choice.

Your speaking 6-calendar month-onetime

Your baby's language skills are soaring. He isn't ready to course words, simply he'll happily do making lots of sounds, imitating what he hears.

And he'll utilize his growing repertoire of sounds and movements to let yous know what's on his mind (whether you can empathize what he's getting at is another story).

With his burgeoning communication skills ripe for the learning, at present'due south a good time to begin pedagogy him some simple sign linguistic communication.

He'll presently connect your hand movements with the wants and needs he'southward trying to express ("more than," "eat," "milk," "all done"), and it won't be long before your baby tin can make the signals himself.

He also loves games and finger-plays like itsy bitsy spider and patty-cake — or whatever silly vocal or sound you intendance to repeat (and repeat and echo). Don't be surprised if your infant tries to chime in on the chorus.

When it comes to dining, make room for baby because he'll probably desire to belly up to the table at present when y'all're sitting downwards to a meal, and he can safely begin eating solid (well, teeny, mushy and/or goopy) nutrient.

He'll continue to get the vast majority of his nutrients from breast milk or formula, so don't pay too much attending to whether the tidbits on his plate actually make it into his tummy.

His meals now are more for learning (small-motor skills, swallowing!) than for calories and diet, although you should, of form, offer him nutritious foods.

You might also want to stock upward on paper towels equally he digs in — and flings every other bite!

Stopping night waking

Has babe been waking up oftentimes during the night?

First, make sure he finishes his last feeding of the evening before dropping off to slumber and that he's getting enough to eat throughout the day also.

Yous might fifty-fifty endeavour gently waking him just earlier you go to bed for an extra feeding.

The idea is to maximize the number of calories he takes in during your waking hours, so he doesn't need to interrupt your sleep — and his — for more food.

If he continues waking, chances are at this stage that he's searching for comfort. So instead of offering the breast or canteen right away, nourish to him in other loving means, similar patting him or cuddling him.

Another disincentive to those night feedings: Make those undesired night feedings, well, undesirable, by shortening nursing sessions or cut dorsum the formula in his canteen.

Second, make it boring. Don't give your baby the idea that nighttime is playtime. Dim the lights (or turn them off completely where you can), and keep bubbly conversations and sing-songs to a minimum. Soft lullabies are the exception!

And unless his diaper is particularly muddy or sodden (or if he'south decumbent to rashes), leave it on until morn — fifty-fifty a diaper change is just too much activity!

Nutrients for baby

Vitamins, minerals and fatty acids boost your baby from top to lesser, promoting good for you brain and nerve development, as well equally proper functioning and development of his eyes, skin, immune function and more than.

The secret to getting them into your lilliputian one's diet: Feed him the rainbow!

Carrots and sweetness potatoes are loaded with vitamin A; dark-green veggies, bananas and beans are packed with B vitamins.

Plough to tomatoes, strawberries and cantaloupe for C; and cereal and grains for E.

If baby drinks bath water

You may blench if y'all see your footling one chugging bath water that'south dirty or (worse) has been peed in.

But don't worry: Dirty bath water (and your baby'southward pee) doesn't incorporate anything his body hasn't already been exposed to and therefore won't brand him sick.

A scrap more than of a business organisation is the soap in the h2o. If you lot're using products made for infants and kids, you take zilch to fret near. But if you used an adult shampoo, chimera bath or essential oil, you might want to give the Toxicant Control Eye a call (800-222-1222) to see if you should expect any diarrhea or an upset tummy, depending on how much your little mischief gulped downwardly.

Still, your little bather would need to guzzle a whole lot of bath water to get really sick. If information technology's just a sip or two, there's no need to disrupt the routine.

Practise with infant

Here are two fun ways to exercise with your picayune 1.

1) Trip the light fantastic toe with your darling to some favorite tunes (yous won't even notice you're getting in a conditioning!). And not only volition your picayune one love the motion, you'll also foster a passion for music. (No head-banging, Mommy, no matter how radical the song might be … and don't pump up the volume too much — tiny ears are extra sensitive.)

ii) Stream a video. There are enough of postnatal videos for moms to choose from these days but even a Barney picture has enough singing and dancing to do the fox. (Just because that big, lovable dinosaur is purple and sappy doesn't mean the kids' Telly star tin can't inspire some calorie-burning movement!)

Await what your six-month-one-time can exercise!

It's halftime in your infant'southward first yr (wow, already?), and your little 1 may be sitting on his ain, eating solid foods and possibly even sporting his kickoff tiny tooth.

He'll be working harder than ever at communicating with you — and commanding your attention (so put down your cellphone and kickoff giving baby his due).

Physically, your half dozen-month-old babe is moving closer to moving effectually (if he isn't already). He can probably roll over from both front to back and back to forepart, and he may surprise you by wriggling all over the room this mode.

Soon, your baby may begin to crawl, or to set for all-fours forays by hoisting himself upward on easily and knees and rocking backward and forward (or often, just hilariously back — diaper-starting time into the nearest corner).

He probably enjoys beingness held in a continuing position so he can bounce upwardly and downward (this mini-workout is strengthening those leg muscles to prepare them for the real thing: walking).

If yous place babe in a sitting position, he may exist able to agree himself upright. From here, he'll love grabbing anything he can become his paws on — and stuffing information technology direct into his mouth.

Make sure he has enough of prophylactic toys to chew on, because mouthing objects is one of the wacky yet wonderful ways he learns about the world effectually him.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Wait follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only apparent sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected wellness organizations. Larn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Expect the Outset Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, The 6-Calendar month Well-Baby Visit, February 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Influenza Vaccine (The Flu Shot) for Babies and Children, December 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, When Practice Babies Sit Up?, March 2019.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Baby Teeth Chart, Types and Guild of Appearance, Dec 2018.
  • WhatToExpect.com, When Exercise Babies Start Teething?, April 2018.
  • WhatToExpect.com, When Exercise Babies Crawl?, Nov 2018.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How to Promote a Baby's Social and Emotional Evolution, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How to Protect Babies and Toddlers From Extreme Cold, April 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, When Is Your Child Too Ill for Twenty-four hour period Care?, October 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Should My Infant Eat?, April 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Here'due south How Much Sleep Babies Demand, June 2020.
  • American University of Pediatrics, Emotional and Social Development: four to 7 Months, August 2009.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Language Development: iv to 7 Months, Baronial 2009.
  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Movement: four to vii Months, Baronial 2009.
  • American Dental Clan, Baby Teeth, 2020.

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