6 Months Old: Development, Weaning Readiness, and the 6-Month Health Review

Six months is one of the most anticipated milestones in a baby's first year. It marks the point at which the NHS recommends introducing solid foods, signals a significant shift in independence, and usually brings with it a baby who is sitting, rolling confidently, and producing a rich range of vocalisations. There is also a scheduled health review around this time, giving you the opportunity to discuss your baby's development with a professional.

Here is a detailed guide to development at six months, weaning readiness, and what to expect from the six-month health review.

Physical Development at 6 Months

Sitting

Many babies can sit independently — or nearly so — at six months. Most will sit with minimal support and use their hands in front of them for balance (the tripod sit). True independent sitting, where the baby can sit upright without using hands for support and look around freely, often develops in the weeks around six months, though some babies reach it a little earlier or later.

Sitting opens up a whole new world for your baby. They can now manipulate toys with both hands, look around the room, and see mealtimes from a new perspective — all of which support the next big milestone: weaning.

Rolling

By six months, rolling in both directions — front to back and back to front — is typical for most babies, though there remains natural variation. Some babies skip rolling altogether and go straight to sitting or shuffling. The range of normal is wide.

Reaching and Grasping

Voluntary grasping is now well-established. Your baby can reach accurately for objects, transfer them between hands, and bring everything to their mouth for exploration. This mouthing behaviour is not just habit — it is an important sensory learning tool, and the mouth is extraordinarily sensitive.

Cognitive and Sensory Development

At six months, your baby is beginning to show early signs of object permanence — understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight. They may look for a toy that has been covered with a cloth, or turn to look for you when you leave the room.

Cause-and-effect understanding is growing rapidly. Your baby may repeatedly knock a toy off a surface to watch you pick it up, or bang objects together to produce sounds. This is not mischief — it is active experimentation.

Visual development is now approaching adult-like quality. Babies at six months can see across a room, distinguish fine details, and show preferences for certain images or patterns.

Language and Communication

Six months typically brings an explosion of babbling. Your baby may produce strings of repeated consonant-vowel combinations — "ba-ba-ba", "da-da-da", "ma-ma-ma" — though these are not yet intentional words. They are practising the sounds of language.

Your baby is also showing increasing understanding of your emotional state. They respond differently to happy and angry voices, mirror facial expressions, and actively seek social interaction by vocalising, smiling, and making eye contact.

Separation Anxiety: The Beginning

Around six months, many babies begin to show the early signs of separation anxiety. This is a positive cognitive development — it reflects your baby's understanding that you are a specific, irreplaceable person and that when you go, you may not come back immediately.

You may notice your baby crying when you leave the room, showing distress around unfamiliar people, or clinging more than they did at four months. This is normal and expected. Offering reassurance, maintaining consistent routines, and playing peek-a-boo games (which teach "you go, you come back") all help.

Sleep at 6 Months

Sleep continues to vary widely at six months. Many parents hope that starting solid foods will improve sleep, but there is little evidence that weaning affects night waking in babies this age.

Typical patterns at six months:

Total sleep: 13-15 hours per 24 hours
Night sleep: 10-12 hours, often with one to two wake-ups
Naps: Two to three naps per day, beginning a gradual shift towards two longer naps

Some babies do begin sleeping for longer stretches at six months, while others do not. The variation is enormous and does not reflect parenting quality or baby health.

Weaning Readiness at 6 Months

The NHS recommends introducing solid foods at around six months. At this point, most babies have developed the key physical markers of readiness:

The ability to sit up with minimal support and hold their head steady — critical for safe swallowing
Loss of the tongue-thrust reflex — the automatic pushing-out of food with the tongue, which is present in younger babies to prevent choking
Interest in food — watching adults eat with focused attention, reaching towards food

All three signs should ideally be present before starting. Age alone is not sufficient. Some babies are ready slightly before six months, others slightly after.

When you begin weaning, start with smooth purees or appropriately-sized soft finger foods (baby-led weaning). The first foods should be simple — single vegetables or fruits, then combinations. Avoid salt, sugar, honey (under 12 months), whole nuts, and foods with a high allergy risk should be introduced one at a time so any reactions can be identified.

Milk (breast or formula) remains the primary source of nutrition throughout the first year. Food before one is, as the saying goes, mainly for fun.

The 6-Month Health Review

The six-month review (sometimes conducted between five and eight months) is a scheduled assessment with your health visitor. It covers:

Physical growth: Weight, length, and head circumference plotted on the growth chart in your baby's red book
Development check: Looking at gross motor skills, fine motor skills, communication, and social development
Feeding: Discussion of milk feeding, weaning readiness, and introduction of solids
Sleep: A chance to raise any concerns
Vision and hearing: Informal observation (formal hearing screening has usually been completed by this point)
Immunisations: Ensuring the schedule is up to date

This is also an excellent opportunity to raise any questions or concerns you have had since the last review. Come prepared — write down anything you have been wondering about. Health visitors are there to support you, not just to assess your baby.

What to Mention at the Review

In addition to anything you have noticed, consider raising:

Any feeding difficulties, whether with milk or the introduction of solids
Persistent night waking that is significantly affecting family wellbeing
Concerns about motor development — if your baby is not yet sitting with any support, rolling, or using their hands to explore
Speech and communication concerns
Any signs of vision or hearing difficulty — not tracking objects, not responding to sounds

Six months is an exhilarating point in your baby's development. The months ahead bring rapid change — cruising, first words, and the beginnings of real independence are all approaching.