Sleeping

By 6 months of age, most babies are capable of sleeping for at least six to eight hours at night. If your baby is still waking several times each night, these sleep patterns are habits that most likely will continue for many months unless you make some changes in your parenting style. Decide whether you will be content to have your baby continue his or her current pattern of nighttime waking. If not, consider the following:

• Your baby does not need nutrition during the night. Most babies wake up at night because they are used to eating, but they do not need the nighttime calories to grow properly.
• If you are breastfeeding, you can try nursing from just one side to decrease the amount of milk your baby is taking during nighttime feedings.
• If you are bottle feeding, consider giving your baby a bottle of water in place of formula at night.
• All babies (and adults) occasionally wake up at night. Your baby may make noises or squirm, but he or she needs an opportunity to fall back to sleep, otherwise your baby will never learn to do it on his or her own.

Here are some tips for helping your baby learn to settle down and go back to sleep on his or her own:

• Encourage your baby to become attached to a comforting object like a teddy bear or blanket.
• Have a soothing bedtime routine that lasts a few minutes. This may include holding or gently rocking your baby, singing or reading to your baby.
• Try to place your baby to bed while still slightly awake so your baby will not be frightened when he or she awakens.
• Try using a night light.
• Allow your baby to cry a little before falling asleep. Even babies who are sleeping through the night now may begin waking up when they are around 8 to 9 months.
• Don't start any new habits in the middle of the night that you are not willing to continue for many months.
• Don't pick up or feed your baby during the night.
• Speak softly to your baby and let him or her know that you are there, while communicating that it is time to go to sleep.

Feeding

Breast milk or formula will continue to provide nearly all of your baby's nutritional needs for the first year of life. If you are using formula, choose iron-fortified formula. If you are breastfeeding, continue taking your prenatal vitamins. Hold your baby during feedings. Do not prop up the bottle or put your baby to bed with a bottle, for this can lead to tooth decay and ear infections.

At approximately 6 months of age, you may notice that your baby can sit upright and reach out for objects like food on your table. Around the same time that your baby is able to sit and reach, his or her swallowing and chewing muscles also are maturing, which means that your baby is getting ready to eat solid foods.

Please see Starting Solid Foods for more information.

Safety

Your baby is going to become more active and will soon begin to scoot or crawl around the house. This is a good time to start looking around your home to identify and correct any potentially dangerous situations for your baby. Here are some tips for making your home safer for your increasingly active baby:

• Hide or cover electrical wires — babies love to suck and chew on wires, which can cause serious mouth burns.
• Cover electrical outlets.
• Begin placing plants up high so that your baby cannot touch and eat them, for many house plants can be dangerous to babies.
• When friends come over, ask them to put their bags and backpacks up high so that your baby does not find anything dangerous that might be inside.
• Start the habit of keeping your bathroom door shut tightly.
• Turn down the hot water temperature in your home to 120° F.
• If you have a toy hanging across your baby's crib, it is time to remove it so that your baby will not get caught on it when he or she begins sitting and standing.
• Consider making one of your kitchen cabinets or drawers a place where your baby can find safe pots, pans, plastic tubs, spoons and plastic spatulas. Soon your baby will enjoy banging pots together and taking things in and out of the cabinet.
• If you have an older child, set up a special shelf or special place where he or she can keep his or her toys out of the baby's reach. This is especially important for small toys that can pose a choking hazard to your baby. It also can be helpful to let your child know that you do not expect him or her to share all of his or her toys, just as you do not share everything in your home when you have company.
• Look under your sinks and move cleansers, detergents and other cleaning supplies to a higher, safe place.
• Gate stairs or other dangerous places.
• Do not put your baby in a walker — they do not help children learn how to walk and can be very dangerous.

For additional ideas, please see Childproofing Your Home.

Sunscreen — When your baby is 6 months old, you can begin applying sunscreen or sun block when your baby is out in the sun. However, it is still better to keep your baby covered or in the shade most of the time.

Fluoride — If you do not use tap water, please talk to your doctor about whether you should be giving your baby fluoride.

Immunizations

Your baby will receive his or her third set of immunizations at 6 months of age, followed by another set of immunizations at 12 months. The vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella can be given between 12 and 15 months.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.
Last updated June 17, 2010

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or concerns you may have.