Month 6
Key points
- Your baby has officially started solids! It’s a time of change and firsts.
- Physical milestones include movements in preparation for crawling, sitting and standing.
- Your baby still relies on milk as their main source of nourishment.
Six months is truly a milestone for you and your baby! So much has changed over half a year and it can be hard to remember a time without them in your life. They are increasingly social creatures who are learning all the time; like little sponges, they absorb everything going on around them.
Not only is this stage a big deal in terms of their physical and cognitive growth, but at six months of age, it is officially time to start introducing solid foods. Your baby has probably been giving you signs they are ready to try something new, too. Some parents may find it daunting: what to offer, how much and when? This is completely normal – parenting is a world of ‘firsts’.
Read on to find out the developmental milestones at this time, plus the all-important information you need about introducing solid food to your baby.
Nutrition at Six Months Old
Six months can be an exciting time for your little one’s nutrition as you start to introduce them to solid food. Just like the previous months, breast milk and/or formula is their primary source of nutrition but as they learn to eat more ‘family’ foods, they will gradually drink less milk.
One of the reasons that it’s important to introduce solids is to include iron into your baby’s diet. This is because the iron-rich stores that your baby was born with start to run out at about six months of age, yet it remains vital for brain development and the formation of red blood cells. Introducing iron-rich foods like pureed meats, iron-fortified cereals and legumes helps meet this need as your little one learns to eat solids. It’s time to get out the cute spoons, bibs and bowls that you have been dying to use!
Feeding Your Six-Month-Old Baby
Australian Dietary Guidelines, WHO and Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommend introducing solids at around six months of age. However, every baby develops at their own pace and there are no set guidelines on how much your baby should eat. Initially, your baby might want just a taste of something you are eating and that can be an easy and stress-free way to start.
You can also offer boiled, cooled water as a drink as small amounts can assist your baby’s body to digest solids. It’s a great time to introduce a sippy cup.
As well as hydration and iron – and as your baby starts to eat a variety of foods – you’ll aim for a balance of protein, good fats, calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Fibre. If you require more information, consult your healthcare professional.
Head here for simple recipe ideas.
Key things to remember when introducing solids
When introducing solids, it can be confusing. Do I still feed my baby milk? Milk first or food first? When starting out see below for some helpful tips:
- Continue offering milk feeds before solids
- Be patient and don’t expect your baby to love new tastes the first time they try them
- Offer solid food from a spoon. Solid foods should not be added to a bottle.
- At first, expect some mess and lots of spitting out – getting used to eating takes lots of practice!
- You can cook in advance and freeze solid foods until you’re ready to use them. Try freezing individual portion sizes in an ice-cube tray and then storing the cubes in an airtight plastic bag. Remember to be careful about sensible hygiene and storage.
- If you can see your baby’s teeth, clean them each day. The best time to do this is during bath time with a soft washcloth
5 signs a baby is ready to start solids
While six months is the age you can introduce solid or ‘family’ foods, also consider these factors. Is your baby…
- Starting to reach for your food and show interest in what’s happening around them;
- Sitting upright with support and can hold their head upright and steady;
- Opening their mouth in readiness for a spoon;
- Showing signs of losing the ‘poke-the-tongue-out’ reflex, which indicates their readiness to move food from the front to the back of their tongue and then swallow;
- Showing signs that they are still hungry after milk feeds and are looking for more; and,
- More active –rolling or even beginning to crawl – which increases their energy requirements.
Which Food Do I Offer First?
Babies need to be offered lots of different types of puréed foods to help them get the nutrients they need and for them to get used to tasting different flavours. It’s best to start with one food at a time, opting for simple flavours. Iron-fortified rice cereal is easy to prepare and can be made to different consistencies. It also readily mixes with other introductory foods, such as puréed vegetables and fruits.
You can also add a little of your baby’s milk to the pureed or mashed food to make a thinner, more liquid-like consistency.
Try to offer your baby a range of foods from the five main food groups, that purée easily or have a puréed texture. Below are some tried-and-tested combinations:
- Vegetables, legumes and beans: Pumpkin, sweet potato and broccoli; zucchini and potato; green beans and sweet potato; cauliflower and carrot; avocado and pumpkin; lentils
- Fruit: Melon and banana; papaya and banana; apple and pear; pear and peach; avocado and apple
- Grain (cereal) foods: Cooked quick oats; couscous; infant cereal (iron fortified)
- Lean meats and poultry: Soft-cooked, pureed chicken or beef; poached fish; tofu
- Dairy: Baby yoghurt, cheese or custard.
Solid foods are an addition to their normal milk, so keep breastfeeding or using infant formula until your baby is at least 12 months of age.
Foods to Avoid
If you focus on the five main food groups, there are countless options for your hungry baby to try over the coming months. There are, however, some foods that are not recommended. These include honey, cow’s milk (as a drink – small amounts may be used to mix cereal, for example), raw or runny eggs, added salt or high salt foods, and added sugar or high sugar foods, which should not be offered until after 12 months of age.
For food combinations and ideas, take a look at our recipes for 6–9 months.
Weight and Height of Six-Month-Old Baby
At six months old, your daughter may be about 65.7 cm tall and weigh around 7.3 kg; if you have a baby boy, he may be about 67.6 cm tall and weigh around 7.9 kg. Factors such as parents’ genetics may play a part in your little one’s weight and height.
Baby’s Mental, Emotional & Visual Milestones at Six Months
Your baby is increasingly aware of their environment, developing a better understanding of cause and effect, and improving their memory and recognition skills. At this stage, they’re displaying early forms of communication.
You may also notice your baby:
- smiles on their own or in response to you for positive attention
- starts to laugh in response to play or noise
- looks at you intentionally to engage in vocalisation and movement
- recognises frequently used words like their name, ‘no’, ‘Mummy’ and ‘Dada.
- ‘babbling’ with repetitive consonant-vowel combinations such as ‘da-da’, or ‘ma-ma’
- tracks moving objects smoothly and focuses on them more easily.
- has improved hand–eye coordination as they grasp objects directly in front of them with more control.
Did you know? At six months, your baby’s vision is well developed and they can see a full range of colours. Reading books about colours and textures, playing with coloured blocks and talking about colours when you’re out and about will all support your little one’s understanding of colours.
Teething at Six Months
It can be a shock when those first pearl-white teeth pop through, changing the shape of your little one’s face. Baby teeth start appearing, on average, at about six months old – perfectly timed with the start of family foods.
Did you know that your little one is born with all their baby (or primary) teeth? Teeth usually come through in pairs, starting with the bottom front followed by the top two middle teeth. Some babies get their first teeth without any pain, while others experience pain and discomfort.
Tips to soothe sore gums
Use a clean finger or wet gauze to rub your baby’s gums as the pressure can ease discomfort. Chill teething rings or wet washcloths in the fridge and let your little one chew on them.
As soon as your baby’s teeth start to appear, clean them twice a day in the morning and at night with either a clean, thin, damp washcloth or soft toothbrush with a small head. Toothpaste doesn’t need to be used until about 18 months of age.
Motor Development at Six Months Old
Your baby continues to go from strength to strength during this rewarding stage. The hard work of tummy time has helped to build up their muscles and balance, so they may now be able to roll over and they may be able to sit up for a few seconds. They might enjoy bouncing on their feet, building up the strength in their legs in preparation for crawling, pulling themselves to stand and, later, walking.
Your six-month-old might also:
- Push their chest up during tummy time, and rock back and forth
- Lift and hold their head steady
- Reach and grab for toys or objects with both hands as their hand–eye coordination improves
- Grasp and transfer objects from one hand to the other.
Don’t Forget!
It’s important to remember that every baby develops at their own rate. Regular checkups with your health nurse or GP will be able to ensure your baby is on track – but always get in touch with them sooner if you have any concerns. For extra resources, you can also head to Karitane or Tresillian online.
What’s Next?
Find out what developmental milestones to expect in your baby’s seventh month – from sitting, crawling and standing, to trying new food combinations and getting better sleep
We are here to support you on your journey
Making decisions around infant feeding can be challenging and we hope we can help you through this journey.
We want to make sure you are informed and supported.
Before and during breastfeeding, it is important to maintain a healthy and balanced diet and it is recommended to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of age, as it provides ideal nutrition and promotes a healthy start in life.
We understand breastfeeding is not always possible, and when necessary, infant formula is the most suitable alternative to breastfeeding. Introducing partial bottle-feeding may interfere with breastfeeding your infant and it can be hard to reverse. Other considerations include the social and financial implications of feeding infant formula. We want to make sure your baby is as safe as possible, so please refer to the preparation and storage instructions for safe use of infant formula and be aware that any unnecessary or improper use of infant formula may cause health hazards for your baby.
Your choice, our support, always. With love.
If you require further information, consult your healthcare professional or learn more about the benefits of breast milk.
