Your baby

Your baby is gradually getting strong enough to sit up and even stand with the proper support. At around six months, some babies begin to edge across the floor by rolling or wriggling. With the increased moving around and the ever louder babbling, your baby is sure to be demanding your attention as much as ever.

By the time your baby is six months old, he may well sleep for 10–12 hours at night, and 2–3 hours during the day in morning and afternoon naps. You can encourage your baby to sleep through the night, by keeping the lights low, speaking as little as possible and putting your baby back down in his cot straight after the night feed.

You’re now about to hit your next challenge – teething. Teething starts around six to eight months of age and may last until all the back teeth are in place at about two or three years old. Teething pain may make your baby more irritable, especially at bedtime, and you may notice your baby chewing on his hands or drooling. A teething ring, topical analgesics or finger food may provide temporary relief. By the time you can actually see the tooth, your baby will probably be feeling much better.

Your progress

However dedicated you have been to breast feeding, with the arrival of those razor sharp teeth, you’ll probably be more than ready to change your feeding routine. Your baby may switch to a bottle with almost insulting lack of concern, or he may cling to the firm belief that ‘breast is best’ for several weeks to come.

It will probably be easier for both you and your baby if you introduce a bottle or solids at just one feed time at first, then build up gradually to more feeds, so that you can both adjust to the physical changes this will bring. However some babies are canny enough to resist any formula milk until they know that breast milk is definitely off the menu…

You may find that your baby is more interested in solid food if it’s offered before he has nursed. On the other hand, a screaming, hungry baby may reject solid food until his hunger has been partly satisfied. Either way is fine. What’s more important is that you stay calm and reassuring, rather than joining your baby in wails of frustration!

Things to think about or try

Your baby may be ready for solids at six months, or a little sooner or later. Signs to watch out for are if he doesn’t seem satisfied with his usual feed, or wakes in the night more often. Waiting until about this age will help avoid digestive problems and allergic reactions, as well as ensuring your baby gets enough nutrition from breast milk or formula.

It may take a little while for your baby to get used to eating solids. Sometimes a baby seems to dislike a certain food, but he may just be getting used to a spoon, or learning a new tongue motion. It may help to offer very thin texture of food at first, then gradually introducing a thicker consistency, to check your baby’s reactions.

At this stage, breastmilk or formula milk will still be your baby's main source of nutrition for some time to come, so the amounts of other food will be small. It's best to start with a thin, smooth purée, which is easy to swallow, like baby rice. Pureed fruits, vegetables, meat and egg yolk are all good options, but go easy by introducing only one new food at a time and wait a few days before starting on another.