Your baby is halfway to a year already and beginning to notice that there’s a fascinating world out there just waiting to be explored.
And that means the days of being able to plop your baby down in the middle of the floor, confident he’ll stay put, are numbered.
This is the month you'll start your baby on solids if you haven't already, and also when your baby can start sitting up better. Month 6 may also have baby's first tooth in store!
Here's what else your 6-month-old is doing. What’s keeping baby busy these days in the milestone and development department? Plenty! If he’s like half of all babies, he’ll likely be able to sit up without support. The “average” baby sits unsupported somewhere around 6½ months. Some very normal babies start sitting at 4 months and others wait until as late as 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 be eating solids in earnest now. Your baby will probably be able to bear weight on his legs when held upright and may even be ready to hit the road 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). Stimulating your now-older baby requires new activities and toys that will help boost large and small motor skills as well as social, intellectual and language development. Think: stacking toys and games (ones with different-size rings or multi-colored cubes); toys that encourage crawling (cars, trains and balls 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 colorful board books that will keep your baby entertained. Who’s making great strides in the growth department? Your 6-month-old baby is! Thanks to a continuing diet of breast milk or formula (around 24 to 30 ounces a day) and solids (ranging from about 1 to 2 tablespoons to 3 to 9 tablespoons of cereal, proteins, fruit and vegetables each per day), your baby will weigh somewhere between 13 and 23 pounds and measure somewhere between 24 and 29 inches if he's a boy. If you have a little girl, 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, remember to pay attention to dietary do's and don'ts, such as introducing new foods one at a time and avoiding certain foods altogether (steer clear of honey until after the first birthday, for example). Time for baby's 6-month well-baby visit, and likely, his first flu shot. At about the 6-month mark, you can begin introducing your baby to a sippy cup. Starting the transition around now means your baby may accept the cup more readily, and it will give him plenty of time to master the skill before you need to completely wean him from the breast or bottle. At first, he'll do little more than play with the cup (and sputter and spit as you dribble a few drops into his mouth). But soon he'll learn that his fascinating new toy can be a source of delicious drinks. To help him make the leap, start with a lightweight, unbreakable plastic cup. You may need to try a few different shapes, sizes and styles before you hit on the one he likes best. If you choose a cup with a spout, remove the spill-free valve before you offer it to your baby. It will be messier, but he'll get the idea of drinking much more quickly. Most babies 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 can lead to tooth decay because of the way the liquid is extracted and then pools in the mouth). Serve up water first — it's the easiest, least messy option. Your baby's language skills are soaring. He isn't ready to form words, but he'll happily practice making lots of sounds, imitating what he hears. And he'll use his growing repertoire of sounds and movements to let you know what's on his mind (whether you can understand what he's getting at is another story). With his burgeoning communication skills ripe for the learning, now's a good time to begin teaching him some simple sign language. He'll soon connect your hand movements with the wants and needs he's trying to express ("more," "eat," "milk," "all done"), and it won't be long before your baby can make the signals himself. He also loves games and finger-plays like itsy bitsy spider and patty-cake — or any silly song or sound you care to repeat (and repeat and repeat). Don't be surprised if your baby tries to chime in on the chorus. Has baby been waking up often during the night? First, make sure he finishes his last feeding of the evening before dropping off to sleep and that he's getting enough to eat throughout the day too. You might even try gently waking him just before 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 up to be fed overnight, chances are at this stage that he's searching for comfort. So instead of offering the breast or bottle right away, attend to him in other loving ways, like patting him or cuddling him. Another deterrent you can try: Make those unwelcome nighttime feedings undesirable by shortening nursing sessions or cutting back the formula in his bottle. Second, make them boring. Don't give your baby the idea that nighttime is playtime. Keep the lights off or very dim, and keep bubbly conversations and sing-songs to a minimum. Soft lullabies are the exception! And unless his diaper is especially dirty or sodden (or if he's prone to rashes), leave it on until morning — even a diaper change is just too much activity. Vitamins, minerals and fatty acids boost your baby from top to bottom, promoting healthy brain and nerve development, as well as proper functioning and development of his eyes, skin, immune function and more. The secret to getting them into your little one’s diet: Feed him the rainbow. Carrots and sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamin A; green veggies, bananas and beans are packed with B vitamins. Turn to tomatoes, strawberries and cantaloupe for C; and cereal and grains for E. You may cringe if you see your little one chugging bathwater that's dirty or (worse) has been peed in. But don't worry: Dirty bathwater (and your baby's pee) doesn't contain anything his body hasn’t already been exposed to, and therefore won't make him sick. A bit more of a concern is the soap in the water. If you’re using products made for infants and kids, you have nothing to fret about. But if you used an adult shampoo, bubble bath or essential oil, you might want to give the Poison Control Center 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 down. Still, your little bather would need to guzzle a whole lot of bathwater to get really sick. If it’s just a sip or two, there’s no need to disrupt the routine. Here are two fun ways to exercise with your little one. 1) Dance with your darling to some favorite tunes (you won’t even notice you’re getting in a workout!). And not only will your little one love the movement, 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.) 2) Stream a video. There are plenty of postnatal videos for moms to choose from these days, but even an episode of Sesame Street has enough singing and dancing to do the trick (that beloved red furry monster can definitely inspire some calorie-burning movement!). Does your baby seem to shower affection on a favorite stuffed animal or doll? At 6 months, babies can be surprisingly social (stranger anxiety has yet to develop) and delightfully generous with smiles, giggles, shrieks and squeaks. And toys like these are just right for boosting those emerging social skills. Teddy bears and other friendly faces, for example, provide an always-available audience for his chatter, and at this stage of the game he doesn't mind if they are the silent type. In fact, their silence is helping him learn the back-and-forth, give-and-take of socializing, even if he's doing all the talking and the toys are staying mum. After all, good friends listen! So if you hear your baby cooing to his "buddy" (or to himself in the crib mirror) after a nap, don't interrupt the party. Give him a few minutes of talk-time before you pick him up. The same no-interruption rule goes for when the two of you are chatting. If he's babbling, wait until he takes a break to respond. And remember that fuzzy friends can make great peekaboo partners, which also demonstrates to a baby the pleasure of taking turns.Your 6-month-old baby's development
At a Glance
Your 6-month-old baby's growth
Your 6-month-old baby's health
Postpartum & baby tips
Reviewed January 23, 2023 From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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