How Your Baby is Growing?
Congratulations! You and your little one have crossed the first six months smoothly and have grown in love with each other day. This month will be your baby’s half birthday. All the stages of baby development are very interesting to learn but the months six to nine are also full of fun and laughter. Your little one is no longer restricted to one place and gone are the days when you could find him exactly where you left him. These days, your 6 month old baby will surprise you each day. You should leave your baby 6 months old on the floor on a soft play mat as much as possible as he has started rolling. Most babies this age can roll from front to back or vice versa. They will practice these newly acquired skills to perfection. You will be amused to see your baby trying to get on all fours and rocking at his place in an attempt to crawl. Some babies skip this step and directly go on to sitting and crawling.
Social skills are something that we all need in each and every step of life. The origin of these skills happens at this very stage. Your little one is now no longer a eat, sleep, cry person. He is growing as an individual and so are his special senses. He loves to look around, be surrounded by people, hear the human voices, noises on the road etc. He is ready to flash back a toothless smile at anyone who is willing to look and smile at him. At this stage your baby craves for a lot of love and a lot of attention. Gradually as he grows up, he may become selective about who he likes and who should carry him. At present he is just happy being picked up and cuddled.
You should respond to him in all possible ways. This will form the base for an interactive habit in the future too. When you think he’s being good, give him a positive feedback. He will love the attention and interaction. All babies love their mothers touch and voice as it gives them a sense of satisfaction and security.
Since your little one is on the move these days, wear him clothing that is safe and comfortable. You should take care that there are no unnecessary buttons and pointed items that could hurt the baby. Also your little one will want to put everything into their mouth so all these small items could pose as a choking hazard.
Baby 6 Months Old – Growth and Development
- Feeding: By now your baby is feeding very well and for shorter duration. When the outside foods begin, the breast feed will go down so ensure that you feed the baby first and then offer the food. So that the small quantity of the mashed food will just be an introduction of food textures and tastes. With time the quantity can go up as your baby starts taking it better. Feeding your 6 month old can however be a challenging task. If there is a rejection, do not worry, try again after a week and you are sure to get there. This will be one of the many baby milestones. And don’t worry about your 6 month baby weight.
- Sleep: Most babies start sleeping through the night by 6 months of age. Their day naps are shorter and they are more active and interested in play rather than sleeping. A sleeping 6 month old baby for long hours is really rare now.
- Movements: The new movements this month are the cat like pose with rocking to and fro at the same place. This is the first step towards a proper crawl. You can encourage your baby by putting a toy in front of her and seeing her attempts to get it. Don’t give in too easily and see them put the effort and reach the toy. Your baby is interested in small and colorful objects. Be careful about the toys around the baby as they can be potential choking hazards.
How is Your Life Changing?
Your baby is six months old and you have adapted well to a routine by now. It is an exciting time for you and your little one as you begin the weaning phase. Breast feeding normally continues as usual with the introduction of small quantities of mashed and pureed food. As the baby grows older and the scope for solid and semisolid food increases, you should expand the spectrum of the outside food while dropping one feed at a time. Before adding more food and dropping a breastfeed, keep a gap of at least one month. By following this routine your baby 6 months old will be having a wide range of foods by the time he is 9-10 month old and feeding around three times a day. Weaning your little one off breast milk totally is not a good decision as they still need the milk. You can switch to whole milk or cow’s milk after your child turns one.
You can also introduce finger foods to your baby. Do so when your baby is in the sitting position and do not leave him alone with the finger foods. At present your baby will only suck on the foods and try to gnaw it. As he gets bigger and the little teeth come up, you can expect a bite or two.
Important for This Month
- Hand orientation: You may notice that your baby is using one hand more than the other to hold toys and to do other stuff. But the orientation of whether the baby will be a lefty or righty will be determined only by the age of 2 to 3 years. You should not try actively to introduce any force on the use of the hand as it could harm other activities and also affect his hand eye coordination.
- Games and activities: Your little one loves to play games now. Peek a boo is surely one of his favorite. Lead your baby, mimic her and sometimes let him lead. By doing this you are teaching your baby about taking turns and also a little something about patience. Your baby 6 months old can hold his head by now so water activities are also a good possibility. Splashing with him will make him squeal and you can have fun by watching him imitate you. Put your baby in the play gym for some time every day after a feed and let him entertain himself by exploring the sounds and colors. Keep a watch as he may reach out for those hanging 6 month old toys and pull them down too.
- Weaning: By six months of age you will be thinking or already into the weaning phase for your baby. Weaning means starting of outside food for the baby in addition to breast milk and formula. Most of the first foods will include rice cereal, oat cereal, mashed fruits, mashed and pureed vegetables etc. You should start with one food at a time and make sure to give it for 3-4 days to know whether it suits your baby or not. With the introduction of outside foods, you will also notice a change in the color and consistency of the baby’s poop. This is totally normal for your baby 6 months old.
Note:
Each baby is a unique individual and grows at their own pace, some fast some little slower. These are general guidelines on child development stages. If your baby is doing newer things with each passing day and showing curiosity in his surroundings and people, you can be rest assured that all is well. Your little one is sure to meet the developmental milestones sooner or later. However if your baby 6 months old is disinterested in his surroundings and not responsive, you should check with the pediatrician.
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