How to Care for a Six-Month-Old Baby

Change your child's diaper quite frequently. Usually, a 6-month-old baby needs to be changed every couple of hours. Sometimes he will cry or fuss, and this could be an indication that he may need to be changed more often. Bathe your baby every day as well.

Begin feeding your baby solid foods. Between 4 and 6 months, you can begin introducing solid foods. According to KidsHealth.org, your baby is ready for solid foods if she can support her own head and neck, is interested and if her tongue-thrust reflex, "which prevents infants from choking on foreign objects, and also causes them to push food out of their mouths," is gone or diminished. Continue to supplement your baby's diet with her most important nutrient, breast milk or formula. Foods should be cooked, of a mashed consistency and be introduced one at a time. Introducing foods slowly will help you discover if your baby is allergic to anything. Feed your baby four to five times a day. According to a paper prepared by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Services, a few good food choices are: "bananas, apples, squash, potatoes, or carrots." If your baby doesn't like a certain food, she will spit it out, and that means you should wait before introducing more solids.

Put your baby down for naps. A 6-month-old needs plenty of sleep, and although each child's sleep pattern differs, most will take two to three naps a day. According to Babycenter.com, "by age 6 months, most babies sleep a total of 11 1/2 to 15 hours a day (between nighttime sleep and naps) and are capable of sleeping for long stretches at a time." Usually, when a baby is tired, he will rub his eyes or face, yawn or act cranky.

Give your baby physical affection and respond to her needs. Young children need lots of physical affection and are too young to be disciplined or scolded. When she cries, it is because she needs something; she is not crying out of malicious intent. Usually, a baby cries because she is tired, lonely, cold, hungry or needs to be changed and may cry until that need is met. If your baby still won't stop crying, Christine Porretta at Parents.com recommends using calming sights, sounds and touch to help soothe. She also suggests trying different holding positions, such as "over-the-shoulder, face down across your forearm, or head against your chest with one arm under baby's bottom."

Play. Your baby is beginning to understand the complicated world around him and needs stimulation to explore and develop coordination. Starting at 3 months, place your baby on his tummy for some time each day. This exercise prepares him for crawling. Play with your baby, talk and sing to him, show him things and interact. Babycenter.com suggests that "a good way to teach---and amuse---your baby is to make animal noises ('quack-quack,' 'bow-wow')". Another option is to place a toy just out of his reach so he needs to stretch to grab it. Give your child chances to grab, scrunch and stretch different toys.

Take your baby to the doctor. A 6-month-old baby is ready for another checkup. According to the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, and Health and Human Services, the doctor will measure length, weight and the size of her head and then check for "your baby's ability to hold her head, reach and grab objects, roll over, make sounds, and stand while she holds onto someone." Your baby may also get shots at this appointment.