You’ll notice your baby's personality becoming even more pronounced. By the end of month 4, she might be laughing out loud and trying out her conversation skills as you interact vocally with her.
She’s speaking your language—sort of
Your baby is now developing language skills and understanding—and she’s looking to you for help. Here are a few ways to encourage her advancements:
- Talk to your baby often as you dress, feed, or bathe her
- Provide quiet time (turning off the radio and TV)
- Encourage your baby to turn her head toward sounds
- Repeat sounds often and try to get your baby to mimic them
That little body needs a lot of nutrition
This age is important for making sure your little one’s immune system is getting the same love she is. Whether you’ve chosen to breastfeed or formula feed, it helps to know the value of the various nutrients that work together to help strengthen baby’s immune system:
- Carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are macronutrients that supply energy, provide cell membrane structure, and promote growth and development.
- Vitamins and minerals are essential to many key metabolic processes that occur in our bodies. For example, zinc plays a vital role in the normal growth and function of many cells and tissues, including immune cells.
- Nucleotides are important substances that help build and repair cells. They are especially important during times of rapid growth and development, such as infancy.
The importance of 2’-FL human milk oligosaccharide* (HMO)
Babies need prebiotics, which feed good bacteria in the gut, and the gut houses 70% of the immune system. 2’-FL HMO is an immune-nourishing prebiotic previously only found at significant levels in breast milk and is also in Similac® formulas like Similac Pro-Advance®.
While breast milk is the best nutrition for your baby, if you choose to formula feed, Similac Pro-Advance can help strengthen your baby’s immune system to be more like that of a breastfed infant. It provides complete nutrition for a baby's first year, including support for his brain and eye development.
Sleeping patterns at 4 months
- Your baby might be sleeping about 12 to 15 hours a day, including naps.
- She might start rolling over and waking herself up. If possible, give her a few minutes to see if she will go back to sleep on her own.
IMPORTANT: Keep thick blankets, comforters, pillows, and stuffed toys out of your baby's crib.
Your baby is laying the groundwork for speech with every coo and gaga she makes. Keep talking with her.
Your baby’s growing awareness of you as a separate person may now show itself in some separation anxiety. A good way to help reassure her that out of sight doesn’t mean out of her control is to play "peek-a-boo” games.
Playtime is learning time
Every baby develops on a different schedule, but by the end of month 6 your baby will likely be able to sit up without support and use this new-found skill to explore her world by:
- Exploring textures and shapes by finding objects and putting them in her mouth. (Keep smaller objects that can cause choking out of your baby's reach.)
- Picking up items by "raking" them with her fingers. (You will want to be even more careful now about what you leave around the house.)
Give her a solid start
Check with your baby's healthcare provider to determine if your baby is ready for you to introduce solid foods into her diet. When you do introduce solid foods, start them gradually and one at a time to check for allergic reactions. If she has a severe reaction to a specific food, contact your healthcare provider.
At this age, you might consider these solid foods in addition to breast milk or baby formula:
- Iron-fortified baby cereals (rice, barley, oats)
- Pureed meat (fully cooked beef, pork, chicken)
- Pureed or strained fruits (bananas, pears, applesauce, peaches)
- Pureed or strained vegetables (avocados, well-cooked carrots, squash, sweet potatoes)
Find more information on Starting Solid Foods.
Sleeping patterns at 6 months
- At this age, your baby will probably be sleeping through the night, waking up occasionally.
- If she isn’t growing out of waking up several times each night, talk to your healthcare professional about possible causes and solutions.
- During daylight hours, a 6-month-old will be wide awake and active for extended periods. Two or three short naps totaling 3 to 4 hours should be all she’ll want.
Have questions about SIDS?
Learn about SIDS at the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Get the whole tooth about teething, new food options, and your 7-month-old's development in next month’s article. Read ahead to Month 7.