Your baby at 6 months: sitting, solids and the first tooth

What is new this month

Sitting alone, at least for a few seconds and often longer by the end of the month. Rolling both ways is usual, and many babies push up onto their hands and knees and rock — crawling's dress rehearsal.

The first tooth may arrive, usually the bottom front two. Some babies get theirs at four months and some at twelve; both are normal. See our teething guide for what actually helps.

Babbling becomes conversational, with repeated syllables and clear turn-taking. Babies now recognise their own name, know familiar faces from strangers, and may start showing wariness of new people — the beginning of separation anxiety.

Starting solids

Six months is when milk alone stops covering iron needs, which is why this month matters. Start with one food at a time, smooth and thick, two or three spoons once a day, building to twice.

Think iron first: well-mashed dal (the dal itself, not just the water), ragi porridge, mashed egg, and green vegetables blended into khichdi. Pair with a vitamin-C food — a little tomato, or fruit after — which multiplies iron absorption.

Milk stays the main food through most of the first year. Solids are practice and addition, not replacement, and breastfeeding continues on demand.

No salt, no sugar, no honey before one year, no cow's milk as a drink before one, and no water beyond small sips with meals once solids start.

Vaccines and checks

The six-month visit is a scheduled one in most private schedules, and the government schedule's next major set follows at nine months. Take the MCP card, and ask for the weight and length to be plotted rather than just noted.

This is a sensible month to ask about vitamin D drops, which most Indian paediatricians prescribe, and about iron if the baby was premature or low birth weight.

Mild illness is not a reason to postpone a vaccine — tell the doctor and let them decide.

When to see a doctor

The standing newborn rules still apply: any fever in a baby under three months means the hospital the same day; fast or laboured breathing, the chest sucking in, blue lips, a fit, a rash that does not fade under pressure, refusing feeds, no wet nappy for six to eight hours, or a baby who is floppy and hard to wake are all same-day emergencies at any age.

This month specifically: not sitting with support, not rolling at all, no babbling, no response to their name or to sound, not reaching for objects, not bringing things to the mouth, stiffness or floppiness, or any loss of a skill. Also same-day: choking that needed intervention, or an allergic reaction to a new food — swelling of lips or face, breathing difficulty, or hives with vomiting are emergencies.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and is no substitute for personal medical advice. For any decision about your or your child's health, please consult your doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Q: My baby spits out everything I feed her. — Normal at the start; the tongue is still learning to move food backwards. Keep offering the same food without pressure for a week or two — acceptance follows exposure, often after ten or more tries.

Q: Should I start with rice water or dal water? — Neither. The nutrition is in the dal and the rice themselves, not the water. Mash them properly instead — dal water was advice for a different era.

Q: How much should she eat? — Two or three spoons to begin with. The first weeks are about learning to eat rather than about calories, and most of it will be worn.

Q: Can I give packaged baby cereal? — It is fine as part of the rotation and its iron fortification is genuinely useful. Just do not let the packet replace home food, which brings texture and family flavours a box cannot.