All Things Month 6

Information is for month six of baby’s life.  I am in no way a doctor, medical professional, or even experienced in child care.  This is just information that I have gathered from books, websites, my pediatrician, and hearsay.  The time schedules and suggestion of eat/wake/sleep cycles are from Babywise.  The progression of development is from What to Expect the First Year.  Feeding amounts are the recommendations from my doctor.  Everything else is from various websites and friends.

Feeding/wake/sleeping:

• 32 ounces in 24 hours (less if feeding solids).
• Once baby has been introduced to vegetables, you can start introducing pureed fruits.  Introduce a new one every couple of days to gauge if baby has an allergic reaction or aversion.
• The first and last feeding of the day are the two strategic feedings.
  • It doesn’t matter what schedule your baby is on, all other feed-wake-sleep cycles will fall within those two “fixed” feeding times.
  • Need to remain consistent
• Between 16 and 24 weeks, the 6 feeding cycles will merge into 5
  • Early morning and late morning feedings merge
  • Only one feed-wake-sleep cycle between breakfast and lunch
  • May be the time that solid foods are introduced
  • Early evening cycle’s wake time extends into the evening.  A catnap may be necessary (30-40 minute doze)
  • Breast feeding moms may want to do a 10:30-11:00 “dream feed” to keep up milk production
    • Pumping is also an option
  • Below is an example schedule

 

By the end of month six, baby may be able to:

• Play with toes
• Help hold a bottle
• Speak some vowel and consonant combinations
• Respond to mother’s voice
• Turn from back to belly
• Imitate own noises such as oohs, aahs, babas, etc.
• Sit well unsupported
• All things from 1-2 weeks
• Things accomplished in month 1
• Things accomplished in month 2
• Things accomplished in month 3
• Things accomplished in month 4
• Things accomplished in month 5

Activities you can do with baby:

• Make baby her own photo album filled with familiar faces
• Build a structure with blocks and let baby knock it down
• Jack in the Can
• Freeze some giant ice cubes (I use yogurt containers).  Sit baby in highchair and let her play with the giant ice cubes.  Make sure to take cubes away once they are small enough to place in a tiny mouth.
• Cause and effect
• Blob some yogurt on the highchair tray and let baby food paint.
• Allow baby to finger paint on a wipeable surface.  If you want to save the art, you can press a paper onto the surface when baby is done.

• Sound Off
• With baby in seated position, place a toy just out of reach to the side of baby.  This will encourage twisting and shifting weight for future crawling.
• Put a pile of cooked noodles on the highchair tray and let baby explore.

• Bubble bottle
• Place ice cubes in a freezer ziplock bag.  Seal it well.  With close supervision, allow baby to play with the ice bag.  This will provide a new sensation for baby.  You can also place baby tummy down on a boppy with this bag taped to the floor in front of her.
• Signs and signals
• Place a few golf balls or other small balls (too big for swallowing) inside of a container with a hole slightly larger than the balls.  Set the container in front of your seated baby.  When baby grabs the container to mouth (as she does all objects at this point), some balls will inevitably fall out.  Show baby how to put the balls back in the container, and eventually she will learn to do this herself.
• A great fall
• Inside of a flip lid bottle (like the ones for travel shampoo). Place some cinnamon sticks and rice, or cloves and beans, or allspice and beans.  With the lid left open, let baby shake that scented rattle.

• Golf Ball Art
• Month 5 Activities
• Month 4 Activities
• Month 3 Activities