Baby 6 months, starting to consume solid food

In general, doctors agree that babies 6 months are ready to be introduced with solid foods as complementary foods for breast milk (MPASI). At the age of 6 months, the baby's digestive system is ready to process solid food. 6-month-old babies like to sit playing on the floor and try various body positions, and see the situation around him. Compared to 5-month-old babies, 6-month-old babies have increased body weight. Male babies generally weigh 6.4-9.7 kg with a length of about 63-71 cm. Meanwhile, a baby girl weighs around 5.8-9 kg with a length of 61.5-70 cm.

Motor Ability

6-month-old baby's feet can support some of his body weight. Help him to stand on your lap or on the floor by holding both baby's armpits. Leg and arm muscle strength is very important for the next stage, which is crawling. You can help train your muscle strength by placing toys around him to reach. In addition, 6-month-old babies are generally able to do the following things:

• Like dropping any object on the floor to pay attention to the sound that will be generated.
• Arm and neck muscles are already strong, making babies 6 months can start crawling. Some babies first crawl backwards, then after that they can crawl forward. No need to worry as long as he looks eager to explore the surroundings.
• He can easily lift objects with one hand and move to the other.
• 6-month-old babies begin to be interested in details or small objects. Watch your little one while playing, make sure he doesn't put these small objects in his mouth, to avoid choking.
• Can roll forward and back.

Because a 6 month baby can move anywhere, it certainly requires better monitoring. As much as possible do not leave him alone without supervision.

Speech Ability

In general, 6-month babies can chatter by combining consonants and vowels such as' ba ',' ah, or 'ma'. But no need to worry too much if at the age of 6 months the baby is not fond of chattering. His motor skills and understanding of language develop faster than speech, but he can already use body language to communicate. A 6-month baby can also point to something he wants, shake his head if he disagrees, or wave to someone else, even though he hasn't been able to say what he means. Reading fairy tales to babies and letting them pay attention to interesting pictures in books will make their language skills develop better. He will also grow into a child who loves books. Little will not pay attention or patiently listen to you read the story, but he will love to pay attention to the colors and images, even if only briefly. Besides singing can also be a means to improve their ability to speak and feel. In fact, music without lyrics can bring good benefits for the baby's brain development.

Social Ability

At this time, the ability of interaction will develop as follows:

• If previously he was still reluctant to respond or was afraid of the presence of new faces, at the age of 6 months he might become more open and respond to smiles and invitations from others to joke. He can immediately get along with people he thinks are interesting.
• He will try to attract your attention, both with actions that please you or not. At his age, you can begin to teach which actions are good and bad.
• Crying is no longer the only way to show expression and attract the attention of others. He can already shout, beat, drop objects that cause a ruckus, or use many other methods.
• Love to play with parents and close relatives.
• It's nice to see yourself in the mirror.
• Can recognize the faces of parents and relatives whom he often encounters. So can recognize the face of a stranger.
• Can respond to expressions shown by others.
• Respond when his name is called and respond to the sound with a voice too.

Other Things to Look For

In the first 6 months of life, the food provided is only breast milk. After the baby enters the age of 6 months, he starts eating solid foods as solids, so that your baby's stool will change color and become smelly. Give more fruits and vegetables if the stool is hard so the baby is not difficult BAB. Foods that are cut into small pieces or finger food can be an option. These foods can be cut potatoes, bananas, cheese, and other fresh food ingredients that he can hold and put into the mouth easily. Instant baby food or packaging is practical, but it may contain excess salt or sugar and preservatives. Better to process fresh food at home, like fruits and vegetables. Make sure all food is clean, has also been boiled or steamed until cooked so that the food is not hard and can be easily swallowed by babies whose teeth have not fully grown. When on the move, babies 6 months who are already actively moving need more comfortable clothes, such as cotton that absorbs sweat, not tight and not too loose. Avoid clothes with straps, ties, lots of buttons, and too many other details that can be dangerous. At this age, you can also observe whether a dominant baby is using the right or left hand. However, this trend will only really be seen after he was 2-3 years old.

Consult a doctor

The development of each baby is different so there is no need to worry too much if your baby has not demonstrated all the abilities as above. Even so, it's good to check your child to the doctor if:

• Cannot support his own head upright.
• Not seen can express affection for those close to him.
• Can't sit alone.
• Unable to reach object.
• Not responding to other people's smile or the sound around them.
• His body looks stiff and his muscles tight, or vice versa looks limp like a doll.
• Don't say any vocabulary like ‘oh’ or ‘ah’.
• Could not roll his body in the opposite direction.
• Unable to insert objects into his mouth.

6-month-old babies love to play, especially with all the objects that make sounds. Any object can actually attract his attention, like the sound of water from a faucet that fills the bucket or the sound of a used tin being hit. If you want to buy toys, make sure you buy toys according to the baby's age. You can also provide teether or toys that are safe for being bitten by a 6 month baby. Don't forget to ensure the cleanliness of the toys by washing them every day. In addition you can use various types of fabric with a variety of surfaces, which can be a base for the place to play.