Health & Baby

Baby Development: Your 6-Month-Old

You may find it hard to believe, but you’ve made it halfway through your infant’s first year! In just six short months, your baby has started to learn how to communicate and to eat solid foods. 

This portion of WebMD’s month-by-month guide provides a few of the baby milestones you can expect your child to achieve in the sixth month.

Sixth Month Baby Milestones: Growth

During the first few months of life, your baby was growing at a rate of about 1 ½ to 2 pounds a month. By now, she should have at least doubled her birth weight. At six months, baby’s growth will slow to about 1 pound a month. Height gain will also slow, to about a half-inch each month.

Sixth Month Baby Milestones: Motor Skills

Your baby may be starting to sit up alone by six months. To get ready, babies first prop themselves up with their hands, but over time they can start to let go and sit unsupported.

Your 6-month-old can probably roll from his back to his stomach and vice versa. Some babies can propel themselves around the floor using this rolling method. Or, they may creep forward or backward -- sliding around on their tummies while pushing against the floor. You may notice your baby rise up on hands and knees and rock back and forth. 

Sixth Month Baby Milestones: Sleep

Most babies are sleeping six to eight hours at a stretch by six months. When babies at this age have trouble falling or staying asleep, some parents turn to a method developed by pediatrician Richard Ferber. The Ferber Method, as it is known, involves putting your baby into the crib while she’s still awake. If your baby cries, wait for a progressively longer period of time each night before going in to provide comfort. This method works well for some families, but you may need to experiment with several different sleep methods before you find the one that works best for you.

Now that your baby can roll over independently, don’t be alarmed if you put her to sleep on her back and she wakes up on her tummy. The risk of SIDS is much lower at six months than it was in the first few months of life. Still, it’s a good idea to keep stuffed animals, pillows, crib bumpers, and other soft items out of the crib for now.

Sixth Month Baby Milestones: The Senses

You may notice that your baby’s eyes have changed from their birth color. Lighter-colored eyes may go through several shifts before settling on their final shade at about six months. If your baby still has blue eyes now, chances are they’ll stay that way permanently.