Your Baby's 6 Month Developmental Milestones

In an exciting development, your 6 month old will have a greater reliance on getting their necessary hours of rest at night. Their sleeping patterns are beginning to match with a circadian rhythm, meaning more hours awake during the day to play.

This time is when many parents find themselves settling into a routine as their baby's sleep becomes more predictable. It's still normal to call on friends or family members if things get too overwhelming. Your sleep is just as important as your little one's, so be sure to find a healthy balance between the two.

If you notice your baby struggles with falling asleep or staying asleep, consider contacting a paediatric sleep specialist. Your doctor, Child and Family Health or Well Child nurse can also be contacted for advice on how to get your baby to sleep.

Sleeping patterns

At 6 months of age, many babies are starting to sleep more at night, even if it is not necessarily consistent. This usually takes up 11 to 12 hours of their daily 14 to 17 hours of needed sleep.

The other few hours are left for naps during the day, ranging between 2 to 3. It is common for your little one to start gearing towards dropping their last nap before bed. This is a common phase and may mean you offer a shorter catnap to carry through until bedtime.

However, every baby is different, so don't feel discouraged if their sleep schedule doesn't look like this. So long as they're getting enough hours of rest, and the schedule is something you can work around, then it's more than okay to have their sleep hours spread differently.

The hours between naps should be filled with playing and feeding. This will ensure that your baby stays awake as needed and is more likely to sleep through the night. Remain responsive to their behaviour and ensure that you are checking in with their sleep, hunger, or play cues to know what activity would benefit them best. The best sleeping pattern is the one that works well for you and your little one.

Sleep safety

At 6 months your baby's development has them moving around and being increasingly more active. Even with their new skills, it's still important to place their safety first when it comes to sleeping. That's why they still need to be placed to bed on their back with no objects or bedding in their crib. This ensures their well-being throughout the night.

Beyond eating solid food, there are numerous important milestones to celebrate by the 6 month old stage. Most children are capable of the following milestones, but many take things at their own pace so don't be worried if your little one hasn't hit the mark for everything listed below.

Physical 

Physical development at the 6 month old stage is focused mainly on building the foundations of more exciting movements. You can see the beginnings of your baby's understanding of crawling and standing through the following skills:

●      Rocking back and forth.

●      Sitting upright without additional support.

●      Rolling over in both directions when laid down.

●      When placed in a standing position on a hard surface they will push down their legs to try and hold their weight.

You can encourage your baby's physical development by creating games for them to play that exercise these skills. An example of this is encouraging rolling over by placing a favoured toy just out of their reach. Be prepared for some frustration and grumpiness at the time as they learn these new skills, it is all part of normal development as they master something different.

Cognitive

Curiosity is the word when it comes to cognitive development at 6 months. Your little one is at the stage where they want to touch everything and learn more about the world around them.

You may notice certain behaviours such as:

●      Looking at nearby objects and trying to grab those out of their reach.

●      Moving objects between hands and fidgeting with them.

●      Regularly bringing their hand to their mouth for stimulation.

Providing your baby with age-appropriate toys will allow them to experience a range of textures and items that are easy to move. Playing peek-a-boo and other games with partly hidden objects can encourage this curiosity. It also teaches your baby about cause and effect as well as object permanence, the building blocks of more advanced skills in their future. Object permanence means knowing that an object still exists, even if it is hidden. It requires your baby to form a mental picture of the object.

Emotional

In terms of emotional developmental milestones, you may have noticed an increase in your baby's attempts to connect with those around them. They are happier and more prone to responding to other's emotions. Because of this, talk to your baby in a soft tone and allow them to explore their facial expressions.

 Communication

Language development is a major part of the 6 month mark. Your little one can start expressing themselves more clearly with their mouth, making sounds and recognising some common ones used around them.

Your baby at this age will likely express the following skills:

●      Responding to external sounds by making sounds of their own.

●      Putting together vowel sounds, especially in response to your sounds.

●      Beginning to make some consonant sounds.

●      Recognises and responds to their name.

●      Will make particular sounds to express positive and negative emotions.

Encourage their language skills by regularly engaging in conversation. Repeat any sounds they make to prompt them to keep trying to speak. Frequently using their name can also help your baby learn to respond to it and identify it with themself. Further encouragement can be provided by pointing out and naming objects, or reading age-appropriate picture books with simple yet catchy language.

Social

The inherent desire to connect with others is not just the focus of emotional development in 6 month old babies. Socially, this kind of behaviour is common and shows an indication of wanting to understand others and themselves. Additionally, your baby's personality is sure to shine through in these interactions, so be sure to watch out for their hidden nuances when they:

●      Differentiate between familiar faces and those of strangers.

●      Enjoy looking at themselves in a mirror.

●      Express joy at playing with you and others.

Connections can be built through regular interactions, so try games like peek-a-boo or patty cake. Maintaining eye contact can also help your baby learn social skills and make connections with others.

Milestones to monitor

Although all babies develop and learn new skills at their own pace, it is best to talk with your healthcare professional if you notice your baby:

●      Doesn't laugh or make vowel sounds.

●      Can't roll over in either direction.

●      Has difficulty putting things into their mouth.

●      Doesn't show any affection to parents or close family members.

●      Does not attempt to grab nearby objects.

●      Seems floppy/stiff or is unable to attempt sitting.

If you think you have a reason to be concerned about your baby’s development, speak to your Child and Family Health or Well Child nurse or family doctor.

When your baby learns new skills, this is typically practised and explored best through playtime. Interacting with your baby during these moments will not only encourage their development but also strengthen the connection between you and your little one.

At 6 months your baby is overflowing with curiosity, a desire to explore and experience everything around them. Most children express this by grabbing everything in their surroundings and babbling more. Encourage this behaviour for their overall development and create further learning opportunities through fun activities such as:

●      Introducing toys with varied textures and functions for stimulation.

●      Reading soft books with colourful pictures.

●      Playing clapping games like patty cake for motor skills.

●      Singing or playing music.

●      Helping them to sit up.

●      Repeating words or sounds they make.

Making playtime fun allows babies to feel encouraged and happy to try new things and practice skills. Expanding on these activities as your little one grows allows for them to remain appropriate for their age and stage of development.

The 6 month old stage marks another wellness check-up, including more vaccinations. Your baby has grown so much since their last appointment with a healthcare professional, so it's high time their development is celebrated.

Health check

During a health check, there is a strong focus on your baby's physical development. Beyond routine weight and height checks, their developmental milestones will be noted. This check-in will look over your little one’s development and how they are progressing through their developmental milestones.

These check-ins allow a professional to observe your baby's ability to:

●      Make sounds, especially stringing together vowels or consonants.

●      Pass objects between hands.

●      Bring objects or hands to their mouth.

●      Play with their toes.

●      Roll over in both directions.

●      Interact with themself in the mirror.

●      Laugh.

●      Sit up unassisted, or assisted so long as they have good head control.

This is an excellent time to bring up any concerns or questions you may have about your baby's development.

Dental care

For those babies who have been teething, there may be a chance that some pearly whites are poking through the gums at this age. Your healthcare professional will check for any signs of growing teeth during this appointment and advise you on how best to take care of them.

Typically, this visit covers key areas like how to brush your baby's teeth and manage teething symptoms[1] . These tips can help with behaviours like waking up at night, drooling, and increased fussiness. Find out what works best for your baby and pay attention to their cues.

Vaccinations

In Australia, the National Immunisation Program Schedule provides the childhood immunisations recommended for all children, free of charge. If you have started the Immunisation Program your next vaccination is at 6 months. This includes immunisation against the following:

●      Diphtheria.

●      Tetanus.

●      Whooping cough.

●      Polio.

●      Hepatitis B.

●      Hib vaccine.

Speak to your Child and Family Health nurse, doctor or healthcare professional with any questions you may have about immunisations.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, the National Immunisation Schedule sets out the free vaccines offered to babies, tamariki, teenagers and adults at certain times in their lives. Your 6 month old baby is not due for another vaccination until they are 12 months old. Specifically, the Pneumococcal vaccine.

Speak to your Well Child provider, doctor or healthcare professional with any questions you may have about immunisations.   

Self-care tips for parents

Maintaining your physical and mental well-being is key to being an organised and happy parent. It can be stressful to take care of a fussy baby when you're hungry, sleep-deprived, or ready to take a break. That's why all parents should take the time to organise moments of self-care for themselves.

If you need more sleep, you can try:

●      Avoiding caffeine or other stimulants in the evening.

●      Avoiding screen time before bed.

●      Going to bed at the same time each day.

●      Creating as restful of an environment in bed as possible.

●      Avoiding napping in the evening.

●      Taking brief naps throughout the day when possible.

●      Soothe yourself before bed with a warm shower or bath.

For those looking to reintroduce physical exercise into their daily schedule again, you can enjoy benefits such as:

●      Boosted mood from heading outdoors and getting enough vitamin D.

●      Improved confidence by setting and reaching achievable goals.

●      Centring yourself through gentle exercises like yoga or meditation.

●      Increased levels of 'feel good' chemicals like serotonin and dopamine from exerting yourself.

Some other key takeaways for improving self-care as a parent include:

●      Eating a balanced diet.

●      Staying hydrated.

●      Making time to regularly socialise, especially doing fun activities with loved ones.

●      Reach out to support groups such as parents or playgroups.

●      Communicating effectively with your partner and/or support network.

●      Picking up old or new hobbies.

Self-care is also about treating yourself to enjoyable or luxurious activities that place you first. Don't hesitate to schedule pamper sessions during your free time and make sure to be kind to yourself as a parent. You're doing an amazing job raising a 6 month old baby and you need to celebrate it!

If additional support is needed, don't hesitate to reach out to your loved ones and support network. You're never alone in the journey of parenthood, even within a professional capacity. Your doctor, Child and Family Health or Well Child nurse can provide expert advice on any developmental milestones and guide you through how best to take care of your little one.