emmas logo
Emma's Diary

The Pregnancy App

star rating

FREE - On the app store

Close this popup  

YOUR 6-MONTH-OLD BABY’S DEVELOPMENT

Baby's development at 6 Month
Dr Simon Carvell
Medically reviewed by
19th Dec 2023

The past six months may have passed in a blink of an eye, but your baby has now reached one of their first big milestones and is already half a year old! This month brings new and exciting times, including some big changes in your baby’s development.

Here’s what to look out for when your baby turns six months old:

Baby’s Growth and Overall Health at 6 Months

Your baby’s physical development will be progressing fast once they reach six months old, and your little one may now be more active than ever before. Rolling from their back to their front may now be something your baby can manage without too much effort, and they may be able to move themselves a surprisingly long distance across the floor just by rolling over and over.

At six months, some babies are perfecting the art of shuffling along on their bottoms, while others are starting to make progress with the early stages of crawling. Don’t forget all babies are different, so they will each reach these stages at different times.

With your baby quickly learning to move themselves around the room, now is the ideal time to start baby-proofing your home to keep your little one safe once they get mobile. Items such as plug socket covers and stairgates are essential as your baby develops.

When held in a standing position, you may find that your baby starts to try and bear weight on their feet and bounces themselves up and down. Your baby may now also be able to support themselves in a sitting position.

Once your baby reaches six months, you may notice that they start teething, and their first tooth might appear soon after this month.

In terms of growth, at six months old, a baby boy may measure between 62cm and 74cm in length and weigh between 6kg and 10.5kg. Six-month-old baby girls may measure between 60cm and 72cm in length and weight between 5.5kg and 10kg.

Don’t forget that every baby is different, so if you have any concerns about your child’s size, it is best to speak to your GP or health visitor.

Baby’s Sleep at 6 Months

Sleep-deprived parents will be pleased to know that babies usually start sleeping for longer periods through the night at six months old. Your baby will need around 14 to 16 hours of sleep each day, and three-quarters of this sleeping time may now be through the night. So, if you are lucky, your baby may manage up to eight hours of sleep each night.

At six months, some parents choose to move their baby into their own room to sleep at night.

Baby’s Food and Feeding Schedule at 6 Months

Six months marks one of the biggest milestones for your baby, as they will start the weaning process at this stage. You may find that your baby wants to continue having the same number of milk feeds as usual when they begin their weaning journey. This is normal, as the first stages of weaning don’t always involve much eating.

Instead, your baby will be sampling new flavours, getting to grips with different textures, and generally adjusting to the idea of eating solid foods.

Baby’s Personality at 6 Months

Your baby’s awareness is growing fast, and you may have already discovered that your baby is becoming an expert at letting you know what they want. You may notice your baby reaches their arms out to you when they want to be held and cuddled but soon lets you know when they have had enough by arching their back and leaning away from you.

Six-month-old babies will watch your face intently and respond to your emotions. One of their favourite things to do is giggle, so they will always be happy to play a game of peek-a-boo!

If your baby is teething, you may notice that they seem extra fussy right now, they may not sleep as well as usual, or they may be drooling and chewing everything in sight. This means that those first teeth will soon be here.

Baby’s Milestones at 6 Months:

  • Your baby may now be starting to get mobile by either beginning to crawl, shuffle, or roll themselves around on the floor.
  • When supported in a standing position, your baby may press their weight down on their feet and bounce.
  • Your baby will recognise familiar faces and voices.
  • At six months, many babies respond to the emotions of others.
  • Your baby may now be making more sounds than before as they try to communicate with you and make sounds in different pitches.

Games and Activities for Baby at 6 Months

There are lots of ways that you can support your six-month-old baby’s development, and the following games and activities are a great place to start:

Introduce more toys

Encouraging your baby to play with toys with tactile elements to keep their fingers busy is a great way to satisfy their natural curiosity and improve their hand-eye coordination. Age-appropriate toys that have dials, buttons, and mirrors are excellent choices.

Keep chatting and singing

Continuing to chat and sing to your baby every day is a helpful way to strengthen your bond and develop their communication skills at the same time.

Encourage movement

Leaving your baby’s favourite toys close to them can help encourage them to reach out for them and move towards them, helping your baby to develop their movements and become more mobile.

 

How mum's feeling at 6 months postpartum

 

emmas diary tips

Mum's View

"I feel as if I’m getting his monthly milestone cards out every other day. He’s a total little dude with a massive personality. But, really, he’s still my little baby.

All of a sudden, we hit that 6/7 month mark and it became the norm to be constantly asked: “is he sleeping through the night?” and “is he in his own room now?”

My answer to both of those questions was a flat-out NO.

Jack has never slept all the way through the night. He’d never even napped in his room except for on me in our feeding chair."

 

Mum of 1, Rosie

emmas diary tips
emmas diary tips

Mum's View

"I'll be the first to admit, body positivity hasn't come easy to me. Learning to accept my post-partum body was hard but after while I learned to embrace my new ‘mum tum’ and I soon felt so much more at home in my own skin. I looked at my soft, squishy belly and instead of disappointment and shame, I felt proud and empowered!"

 

Mum of 2, Sally

emmas diary tips
emmas diary tips

Mum's View

"Weaning can be a really exciting time, but don’t worry if you feel worried or dread!

If I’m honest I dreaded starting weaning as it felt like another mountain to climb, and I want to reassure you it’s okay - you're not alone!

My goal for weaning Bodhi was for him to enjoy a wide variety of foods, to eat with us at meal times the same meal, and to be able to take him to restaurants and not worry about what he would eat. We are big foodies in our family and I wanted him to join us at new places and not be restricted to where sold chicken nuggets. "

 

Mum of 2, Charlotte

emmas diary tips

 

Parents' tips this month!

 

baby wishlist
6 tips to get weaning off to a good start!

Mum, Emma shares her top tips to help parents start their baby weaning journey smoothly...

 

What to expect from your baby at month 7

 

 

Approved by healthcare team

Select your baby's month

Exception occured while executing the controller. Check error logs for details.

 

THE LATEST HOT TOPICS

JUST FOR YOU

Register here
Emmas Diary APP
Emmas Diary APP
Login here