In month six, you could start to feed your baby some solid foods. This is such a fun time for your baby and for you as you experiment with different tastes and textures and discover your baby’s favourite foods!
Your Child’s Development
Your baby is approaching six months old - that’s half way to her first birthday! In this six month, she is becoming much stronger and is probably trying to roll out of your hands when you are changing her nappy. This can be nerve-racking and you may wish you had a third arm. Your baby’s newfound strength is due to muscle growth in her neck, arms, legs, and back. As a result of his squirming, you may find your arm muscles are getting stronger as well.
In the sixth month, you may consider weaning your baby. Many parents begin feeding some solids such as cereals and starter baby foods. It’s wise to start out slowly so you can find out how each food affects your baby. It is usually recommended to start with cereals. If you notice constipation, switch to an oatmeal or barley cereal as rice cereal can cause constipation in some babies. Read more about first foods for baby here.
Once she has been started on solid food, and as long as she can chew, this may also be the time that your baby wants to try finger foods. Start with foods that are very easily dissolved - there are several baby snacks in the shops that dissolve easily and taste good. You can also try tiny pieces of fruit such as banana. You must monitor your baby at all times when she is eating and ensure that she is sitting up when eating.
Once you know how your baby does on cereals (usually after about a week) you can start to feed her some baby foods. Start out by blending fruits or vegetables, and only feed one item at a time. For instance, if you give your baby green vegetables, stick with it a couple of days to make sure there is no reaction. Some fruits and vegetables can cause nappy rash or a skin rash. If you notice a reaction, don’t rule that food out forever, just wait a few weeks and try it again. Remember, your baby’s intestinal track is brand new and up until now, has had nothing in it except for milk, so, just go slow and discuss your baby’s diet with your paediatrician.
Play is one of the most important parts of your baby’s day. Whether the game involves making sounds at each other or singing songs, playing with you will help him learn important social skills as well as aid in developing his cognitive skills.
Touching is your baby’s way of exploring and learning about the world around him. Her sense of touch is now very discerning and she can tell the difference between textures and loves to feel as many as she can. Today’s baby toys include many different textures such as fuzzy fabric, crinkly plastic and squishy rubber. Make sure that your baby can explore textures that are safe and notice her expressions as he does.
