Baby development six months after birth

At six months, your baby’s weight will settle at double the birth weight. His or her motor skills will be more advanced and involve much more activity. Your baby’s eyesight will also have developed further, and he or she will be able to respond to sounds better and even mimic some sounds.

With teething starting around this time, your baby will want to chew on random objects and breastfeeding might become a little more difficult. This is the stage when you should start introducing solid foods to your baby so that he or she can slowly start transitioning to the foods you eat.

At six months old, your baby is now ready to start his or her gastronomical journey with the introduction of solid foods. In many countries, including India, this stage is considered to be of ritualistic importance. In many parts of the country, Indian babies are first introduced to boiled and mashed rice. It is important to remember that this is a unique and novel experience for your baby, so do not rush into it or pressure your baby to have more solid foods than he or she wants. Here are a few things you should keep in mind while introducing your baby to solid foods:

• Babies usually like sweet foods first, so you might want to start with mashed bananas, apples, carrots, pumpkin, rice and lentil water (dal ka paani), etc. Make sure you cook, steam and puree or mash the food before feeding the baby.
• Do not add sugar to your baby's food. Rely on the natural sweetness of seasonal fruits and vegetables. This will also teach your baby to eat healthily and stay away from secondhand sugars later in life.
• There are many baby foods available in the market, but consult your paediatrician before choosing one. Most packaged baby foods have added sugars and preservatives, which can condition your baby early on. It’s best to rely on home-cooked mashed foods during the first year.
• Do not give your baby honey before his or her first birthday. Consuming honey can cause botulism at this stage of development.
• Feed your baby with a spoon, but don’t overfill it. Start with half a spoon so that your baby can get used to the taste, not spit out the food or choke on it accidentally.
• Talk to your baby while feeding him or her. Eating along with or in front of the baby, especially if you’re having the same fruit or vegetable, is a good way to promote the habit.
• Do not push your baby into eating solid foods or force him or her to finish the entire serving. Feed the baby according to his or her demands.
• It’s natural that your baby’s digestion will change with the introduction of solid foods, so diarrhoea, constipation, passing gas, etc are normal. Keep your doctor in the loop and go for a checkup if you feel the symptoms are turning severe.
• Do not assume that introducing solid foods means your baby doesn’t need breast milk any more. Until the baby learns to rely solely on solid foods for nutrition, breastfeeding or bottle-feeding should be continued.

While introducing your baby to solid foods in the sixth month is a milestone, you can gradually start the process to stop breastfeeding - try not to stop suddenly as this can health consequences for you and your baby.

According to the World Health Organization, babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and breastfeeding should be continued up to 12 months at least. Your baby will take a couple of months to adapt to solid foods, digest them properly and learn to derive nutrition solely from them. 

So, it’s best to continue breastfeeding your baby as and when needed for the first year or 18 months. Once the baby is done weaning, the need for breastfeeding will naturally reduce. If you cannot breastfeed the baby because of a difficulty in lactation or because you are working, then you can introduce the baby to formula milk. However, you should know that formula milk available in the market is made from cow’s milk, which does not have as many antibodies as human breast milk does. 

Babies derive hydration from breast milk, so they don’t need to be given water. You can give them water after the sixth month if your paediatrician recommends it, but make sure it is boiled or safe for consumption. Giving packaged juices to your baby is not a good idea since they have added sugar and preservatives, so make sure you don't give the baby any before he or she is 12 months old.

By the sixth month, most babies begin to sleep through the night along with two or three short naps in the daytime. While this might give parents a lot of respite, you should be aware of the danger of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), especially since your baby might roll on to his or her tummy while sleeping now. Make sure the baby’s sleep environment is safe, and there are no loose clothes, comforters, toys, etc., around.

Teething pains can also disrupt your baby’s sleep, so if the baby wakes up, try soothing him or her with a frozen toy, pacifier or by rubbing his or her gums.

In the sixth month, your baby will get the third vaccination doses for the following diseases:

• Rotavirus (RV)
• Pneumococcal disease (PCV13) 
• Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough (pertussis) (DTaP) 
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) 
• Polio (IPV)

Hold your baby correctly during his or her vaccination so that they feel secure and don’t twitch while the injection is administered. Babies often get mild reactions to vaccinations, which include fever, skin rash and swelling at the injection site. These symptoms are temporary and can be dealt with by applying an ice pack to the swelling, breastfeeding and swaddling. The baby might not want to eat much for 24 hours after the injection, and this too is normal. However, if any of these symptoms worsen, then you should contact the doctor immediately.

Now that your baby is six months old with more developed motor skills, you should start thinking about baby proofing your home. It won’t be long before the baby starts crawling and moving around the house rapidly during playtime. But until that happens, here are a few things you must do during the sixth month to make sure your baby is safe:

• Keep sharp and breakable objects out of the baby’s reach. Electrical sockets, wires, etc., should also be kept away from babies.
• Try and make sure the baby doesn’t fall down or injure himself or herself. Do not leave the baby all alone at any point of time.
• Ensure that the baby’s sleep environment is safe. Keep comforters, blankets, clothes, toys, etc., away from the area.
• Share a room with your baby but not the bed. Adult beds are not safe for infants.
• Your baby will start teething, so make sure he or she only chews on sterilised toys which are safe.
• Your baby will be introduced to solid foods, but make sure the food isn’t too hot and is cooked safely.

You and your immediate family have been working hard to create a special bond with your little one. Your baby is now aware of how much he or she depends on you. A corollary of this closeness is that your baby can feel unsafe when you or their favourite caregiver - grandparents, help, etc. - are away.

This is usually nothing to worry about - you can manage it by showing your child that the separation is temporary and that you love your baby very, very much.

• If your child starts crying when you leave the room, start by habituating your baby to small absences - just a few minutes at a time so that your baby understands that you always come back.
• Smile and wave goodbye to your baby, so he or she associates this action with you being away temporarily. The idea is to cause your baby as little distress as possible during this time, so create a goodbye ritual that he or she understands and can build a positive association with. You can also leave behind an object that your baby associates with you to comfort him or her (please make sure that this object is not a choking hazard).
• Some babies may experience separation anxiety at night, making their sleeping patterns a bit erratic. They may wake up several times in the middle of the night, for instance. Soothe your baby and give him or her assurances that you are around. Cuddle your baby, sing to your baby, get them calm down and then let them fall asleep in their crib. Under no circumstances is it a good idea to have your baby sleep in your bed, as this can lead to entrapment or suffocation.

By age two or three, children begin to understand that you exist even when they can't see you. This helps to reduce the separation anxiety. In the meantime, be patient and consistent as you show your baby that you love them even when you have to be away from them sometimes.

Now that your baby is six months old, you will be able to sleep better and through the night. This should help you feel better rested than you probably have been in the last few months, but you should also ensure that you are eating healthy and getting enough exercise. Being social will help your mental health, and a healthy diet and physical activities will reinforce your self-esteem and confidence.

If you’re a working woman, you might have rejoined work by this stage, so make sure you spend enough time with the baby once you come home. Do not overcompensate by bringing the baby new toys or not saying “no” when he or she puts something in their mouth that they shouldn’t. This will lead to behavioural issues later. 

Your baby will start teething during this stage, and if you are still breastfeeding (which is recommended), the baby might accidentally hurt you while breastfeeding. Here are a few things you can do to avoid sore breasts or any other related issues while breastfeeding your teething baby:

• Give your baby chewing toys, especially frozen ones, right before feeding. You can also massage the gums before or during breastfeeding.
• A baby who latches on correctly during breastfeeding will ideally not be able to bite the breast. So check the baby’s latch and correct it if needed.
• Biting is most likely to happen when your baby is done feeding and is still latched on. Pay attention to the signs and stop breastfeeding right after your baby is full.
• Babies usually want your attention while breastfeeding, so do not engage in other activities that can distract you like watching television, talking on the phone or to people around you, etc.