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6 month milestones
Here are the CDC milestones most babies reach around 6 months.
Social and emotional
- Knows familiar people.
- Likes to look at themselves in a mirror.
- Laughs.
Language and communication
- Takes turns making sounds with you.
- Blows raspberries.
- Makes squealing noises.
Cognitive
- Puts things in their mouth to explore them.
- Reaches to grab a toy they want.
- Closes lips to show they do not want more food.
Movement and physical
- Rolls from tummy to back.
- Pushes up with straight arms during tummy time.
- Leans on hands to support themselves when sitting.
Around 6 months is when the WHO recommends starting solid foods alongside breast milk or formula. Offer a variety of iron-rich foods and follow your baby's pace. Breastfeeding can continue up to 2 years and beyond.
Common questions
What should a 6 month old baby be doing?
Around 6 months, most babies: knows familiar people; takes turns making sounds with you; puts things in their mouth to explore them; rolls from tummy to back. Every baby grows at their own pace, within a range of time.
What if my baby was born early?
Most pediatricians count milestones from the due date, not the birth date, until about 2 years. That is called corrected age, and it is how Bobbychips counts milestones too.
What if my baby is not doing these things yet?
Most children reach each milestone within a range of time, so one missing item is not a verdict. If you have questions, or your baby has lost a skill they once had, talk to your pediatrician. The CDC's advice is to act early rather than wait.
The day at this age, in numbers: 6 to 8 month old schedule.
Every baby grows at their own pace, and these are general guides, not medical advice. If you ever have questions about how your baby is growing or developing, your pediatrician is the best person to ask.
Sources: the CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone checklists and the World Health Organization's infant and young child feeding guidance.
A guide like this, on the day
Bobbychips emails a guide like this one when your baby reaches each of these ages, counted from the due date for a baby born early, and keeps a checklist of the milestones in the app.