Once you have a baby you will see that he/she is growing at such a fast pace with each passing day. You will witness something new about your child every day. Six months is quite a milestone for your baby.
Your 6 months old baby is already half a year old. By six months, you will witness so many different phases in your baby’s development, behavior, eating habits and so much more. It is very important to stay knowledgeable about what all should be expected once your baby turns 6 months. You need to make some changes in the way you handle your baby and the way you feed him.
6 Months Old Baby Changes
Here are some of the main changes in 6 month old baby will go through:
6-Month-Old Baby Growth
Till the 6 months of age, the baby grows at a good pace of about 1 ½ to 2 pounds a month. But from the sixth month, the baby’s growth will slow down to 1 pound a month. The overall development of the body including the height will slow down too. Six months is also a milestone for your baby because of how strong they are getting.
6-Month-Old Baby Behavior Change
6th month is the time to start having fun with your baby. Till six months babies just take feed, sleep, cry and poop. But in the 6th month, they laugh, play, and react to you in every way.
They finally start to behave human-like. Some babies even start to crawl at the 6th month. So all you gotta do is run after them all the time. They raise their arms, legs and make all sorts of movements from their body.
They like your attention and the way you play with them. They even start to make different sounds to grab your attention. You will find out their favorite song on which they hop and the rhyme that makes them go to sleep.
1. 6-month-old baby sleeping pattern
Most babies sleep for about 6 to 8 hours at a stretch for six months. The 6 months old baby has trouble falling and staying asleep. As your baby is more active in 6 months, he/she will be wanting to play more and sleep less so they can be in a bit of trouble at this time when it comes to sleep.
You can always switch to a sleeping method as suggested by many experts. But some parents also say that in the 6th month their babies don’t wake up much at night. They take a full 8hours of sleep in one go, which is quite a relief for parents.
6-Month-Old Baby6 months old baby sleeping
Changes In The Brain
6 months old baby has specific sounds for specific emotions like happy, sad, or frustrated. Their minds also actively respond when you talk to them or play with them. Babies into 6 months start to recognize faces and identify those with who they feel comfortable.
They actively react to strangers by crying or getting frustrated. They like to explore at this time like looking into mirrors or looking at birds or animals. They are also very attracted to colors and also enjoy their favorite toy out of their collection.
They make sounds and also react to their name. They like to taste and touch everything near to them. Due to these behaviors, they must be kept under the eye so they don’t harm themselves.
Food for six month old baby
Many mothers terminate breastfeeding when their baby reaches 6 months of age and some mothers like to keep the breastfeeding on while adding other components to their child’s diet.
Your pediatrician will recommend you to start with solids like pureed fruits and vegetables, curd, cow milk, light soups, and little pieces of soft cheese, bread, or biscuits. They react to different foods in different ways and also develop their liking or disliking towards certain food items.
If your baby has rejected a certain food stop feeding that for a few days and then try again. A mother can develop a good and healthy eating habits by not giving up on any food. This is the time when a baby’s tastes change daily.
So don’t give up, you will also get a chance to monitor if your baby is allergic to any food item. If he/she gets rash or diarrhea or vomit in response to a particular food. Do discuss with a pediatrician if that happens.
Be Cautious
If your baby is not responding a certain way, it can be a matter of concern that needs to be discussed with the doctor. Look out if your child is not reaching to things around him/her if he/she is not responding to your affection or sounds or isn’t reacting at all. Also, make sure your baby is making sounds at this time, all the senses need to get active. Also, reach out to your doctor if your baby’s growth is exceptionally slow and is not handling his head neck on his own.
A 6-month-old baby is quite a being that needs proper handling. Your baby will require a lot of hands-on care as they become more active and mobile. Start to feed your baby right and spend as much time as you can talking and playing with them. A crucial time starts as your baby turns 6 months, so good luck with that.
Also Read: How To Protect Babies From Infection
