The development of the six-month-old baby

The changes in the baby are progressive and completely noticeable, so that, by the time they are six months old, the parents will perceive a greater development in their senses and motor skills. However, this cannot be expected to happen intuitively and therefore stimulation of the 6-month-old baby should be performed.

It has been a year since the mother had a 6-month pregnancy. In this period, truly amazing events have occurred for both the child and the parents. More specifically, the baby’s six months are a time of great importance for the continuation of her physical, sensory and motor development. During this period, the little one shows an improvement in the coordination of his movements, compared to a 5-month-old baby, and is much more receptive to sounds, colors and objects around him.

All this can be evidenced by seeing him hold the bottle with both hands, extend his arms towards his parents, with the purpose of being hugged or lifted from the crib or stroller. Likewise, he interacts with some toys, bites them, smells them and observes them, paying attention to details in an intuitive way. Regarding his behavior, it is possible that he becomes irritable. The meaning behind this is that, thanks to his development, he begins to better understand cause and effect relationships and seeks attention from his parents through various means. That is why it is not uncommon to frequently find an angry baby.

Furthermore, another important aspect of the development of a 6-month-old baby is associated with the memorization of some daily routines . That is, if you tend to bathe, feed or play with him every day at a certain time, over the weeks, the little one will be anxious about it at that time. This occurs because you unconsciously know that such activity is going to happen.

Similarly, the six-month-old baby has the ability to support his body weight, because his muscles and bones have become stronger, so he can acquire a crawling position or even stand up. Of course, parents should always be by her side so that she does not fall abruptly and hurt herself, because this could cause a slight trauma and make her not want to repeat that action.

Learn how a six-month-old baby develops

At six months, the baby makes a lot of progress in relation to his senses, motor skills, body measurements, feeding needs and falling asleep.

Senses: The 6-month-old baby has sharpened his sense of sight and is able to recognize the faces of his parents and relatives among others who are not known. With regard to the sense of hearing and speech, obviously the baby cannot speak yet, but he does babble a little. This is because she tries to imitate the sounds heard . In addition, her repertoire of sounds is broader than that of 5-month-old babies.

Motricity: The motor development of the baby during month 6 is significant, since he is able to sit down, due to the fact that he has acquired stability in his body. In fact, during this period there is a high possibility that he will start to crawl. In addition, fine motor skills have improved, because the baby can pick up toys and the bottle with his hands. In the same way, her reflexes are faster and in general, it can be said that the foundations of everything that she will be able to do in the future are being consolidated. It is not in vain that experts affirm that the skills that the child will be able to achieve in adolescence depend on the correct psychomotor development from 0 to 6 years of age. 

Body measurements: The development of babies in their first months of life is a process that takes place quickly. For example, the measurements of the 6-month-old baby reach between 65 and 67 centimeters, while their weight ranges between six and eight kilograms.

Food: Part of the development of the 6-month-old baby is not to completely depend on breast milk or artificial feeding, so it is time to incorporate cereals, fruits and vegetables into the infant’s diet. Of course, this intake must be done progressively, since they are foods that you have never consumed.

Falling asleep: The 6-month-old baby can fall asleep easily or at least more quickly than when he was younger, so specialists recommend that this age is appropriate for him to have his own room. Thus, her growth will be much healthier.

How to keep a six-month-old baby comfortable?

In terms of development, the 6-month-old baby experiences a completely natural process in terms of the child’s anatomy, but it depends on the parents that this stage is carried out satisfactorily, that is, by providing the necessary care so that they experience its growth comfortably.

Teething: The teething process, although painful for the six-month-old baby, is a natural and necessary process, in which the gums will become red and sensitive. In addition, the little one could have a fever, drool excessively and, due to the itching caused by the eruption of his first teeth, you will notice that he puts any object in his mouth to try to chew it and relieve the discomfort.

What is recommended for 6-month-old babies who are going through this stage are teethers. Buy one that is made with certified materials and free of toxic agents that can cause allergies.

Clothing: There are plenty of clothes for six-month-olds on the market, so choosing clothes that keep your little one warm in the winter and cool in the summer shouldn’t be a chore. 

However, it is important to keep in mind that a 6 -month- old baby is in constant movement, which means that the first requirement of his clothing would be that it allows him to have correct mobility of his limbs. 

Likewise, it is necessary to avoid the use of mittens, since it could take them to the mouth while you are not observing it and be a cause of suffocation. In addition, at 6 months, the baby has sensitive skin, with a tendency to develop allergies. For this reason, he avoids wool garments as much as possible and uses those made of cotton fabric.

Means of transportation: Parents usually buy some model of stroller for their babies, because in this way it is possible to transport them comfortably, either to go to the park or shopping. However, this equipment must comply with certain safety measures such as the incorporation of a four or five point harness, which immobilizes the infant without limiting the movement of their arms and legs. Likewise, the product will have to be reclining, padded and have brakes on the bearings, to avoid unexpected slipping.

After reading this short summary, you now have a better idea of ​​what a 6-month-old baby does. But do not forget that each child has their own psychomotor development milestones and it is best that if you have any questions, consult your trusted pediatrician.