Your 6-month-old's development: Week 4

Bouncing baby

Your baby can now support some of her weight on her legs, and she loves to bounce — something that can strengthen her muscles for walking later on. Hold her under her arms and help her stand up on the floor or on your lap.

You may need to help her start moving by lifting her off the ground (or your lap) but once she starts, just watch her go! Be ready for lots of giggles.

Handy skills

Your baby's fine motor skills are coming along. By now she can probably scoop things up with one hand and transfer an object from one hand to the other fairly easily. Fine motor skills involve small, precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements and are used for actions like picking up things between the thumb and finger.

Gross motor skills are required for activities like crawling, which use large muscles such as those in the arm, leg, or feet or the entire body. To encourage your baby's development of these skills, place a toy just out of your baby's reach and watch her try to get it. If she cries because she can't quite reach it, give her encouragement — but not the toy. She's just venting frustration and will become more physically confident more quickly if you don't make everything easy for her.

After a few tries, she'll be able to lean forward to grab the toy and then straighten herself again. Before long, she'll be rocking back and forth on her hands and knees or maybe creeping (pushing herself around on her belly) or even repeatedly rolling over to move about the room. Help her move around easily by dressing her in loose, comfortable clothes.

Your baby's also showing an interest in small parts and the details of the objects around her. Her ways of exploring are growing beyond banging and gumming, although those are still part of every toy interaction. As she explores, be sure to keep buttons, coins, safety pins, balloons, rocks, and other choking hazards out of reach.

Fun friends

At this age, babies tend to gravitate toward stuffed animals, big and small. One might even become your baby's favorite security object. If so, it'll soon be covered in drool and accompanying you everywhere. Don't worry: A "transitional object" like this can be a sign of emerging independence as your little one learns to separate herself from you and depend on herself — slowly but surely.

When adding new members to your plush family, look for soft, well-stitched toys. Other good playthings include balls, nesting cylinders, pop-up toys, and large dolls.

One way to tell if your baby has a favorite plaything or two is by trying to remove it from her. You may now find her protesting loudly when you take something away.

If your baby insists on sleeping with a favorite friend, make sure it's small — your baby could use a larger one as a stepping stool to climb out of her crib or it could impair her breathing if it's too close to her face.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

source: babycenter

Your 6-month-old: Week 4

How your baby's growing:

At this age, babies tend to gravitate toward stuffed animals, big and small. One might even become your baby's favorite security object. If so, it'll soon be covered in drool and accompanying you everywhere. Don't worry: A "lovey" like this can be a sign of emerging independence as your little one learns to separate from you and slowly but surely becomes more independent.

When adding new members to your plush family, look for soft, well-stitched toys. Other good playthings include balls (nothing small enough to fit in the mouth), nesting cylinders, pop-up toys, and large dolls.

One way to tell if your baby has a favorite plaything or two is by trying to take it away. You may now hear a loud protest when you remove anything your baby really wants.

• Learn more fascinating facts about your 6-month-old's development.

Your life: Handling grandparents with grace

New grandparents mean well. They really do. They just tend to mean well a little too much sometimes.

Try not to react too defensively or judgmentally if your parents or in-laws criticize your parenting style, dispense unwanted advice, or otherwise try to influence your choices for raising your baby. Being confident in your own parenting skills will make these unsolicited opinions easier to handle. They may have more years of parenting experience than you do, but you and only you are the parent of this particular child, a fact you can (and may need to) gently remind them of.

By the same token, the wisdom of their experience can be useful. Thank them for their input even as you graciously and clearly stick to your position, if it works better for you right now.

As for spoiling, that's just the job of a grandparent. Your baby won't suffer from being held and loved, unless the extra attention routinely interferes with feeding and sleeping practices you've set up. Excessive gift-giving is sometimes a source of consternation for parents, but grandparents usually do this out of genuine love and generosity. If there are strings attached, they're only as manipulating as you let them be. When you really object to something, remember to start your response on a positive note. Thank the grandparents for their largesse and, if you feel you need to, kindly explain what you'd prefer for your baby.

3 questions about: Vegetarian diets for babies

Is it okay to feed my baby a vegetarian diet?
Yes. Your baby can get all the vitamins, minerals, and protein she needs from a nutritious, balanced vegetarian diet. In fact, feeding her that way comes fairly naturally at this stage: A 6-month-old still derives most of her nutrients from breast milk or formula, and the first solid foods you should introduce, after cereal, are mashed or strained fruits and vegetables.

Anything I should watch out for?
A balanced diet is critical for any baby, but particularly if she's skipping a meal here and there. She'll need protein, which fuels the ability grow and heal, so with a meatless diet you'll need to make an effort to include alternative sources. Let your baby's doctor know whether you plan to further limit your baby's diet to a vegan one — that is, one that doesn't include eggs or dairy products — because you'll need to take special care that she gets enough of certain nutrients, including vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, calcium, and zinc. A vegan diet is especially low in iron, so you should make sure she gets iron-rich foods like whole grains, fortified cereals, and leafy greens such as spinach.

What are some good vegetarian sources of protein and other nutrients?
Alternatives to meat and poultry that are appropriate for a baby eating solid foods are cottage cheese, tofu, beans (well cooked and mashed), enriched whole grains (bread, pasta, rice, and cereal), yogurt, and cheese. Make sure to offer foods in bite-size pieces.

source: babycenter

Your 6-month-old's development: Week 4

Bouncing baby

Your baby can now support some of her weight on her legs, and she loves to bounce — something that can strengthen her muscles for walking later on. Hold her under her arms and help her stand up on the floor or on your lap.

You may need to help her start moving by lifting her off the ground (or your lap) but once she starts, just watch her go! Be ready for lots of giggles.

Handy skills

Your baby's fine motor skills are coming along. By now she can probably scoop things up with one hand and transfer an object from one hand to the other fairly easily. Fine motor skills involve small, precise thumb, finger, hand, and wrist movements and are used for actions like picking up things between the thumb and finger.

Gross motor skills are required for activities like crawling, which use large muscles such as those in the arm, leg, or feet or the entire body. To encourage your baby's development of these skills, place a toy just out of your baby's reach and watch her try to get it. If she cries because she can't quite reach it, give her encouragement — but not the toy. She's just venting frustration and will become more physically confident more quickly if you don't make everything easy for her.

After a few tries, she'll be able to lean forward to grab the toy and then straighten herself again. Before long, she'll be rocking back and forth on her hands and knees or maybe creeping (pushing herself around on her belly) or even repeatedly rolling over to move about the room. Help her move around easily by dressing her in loose, comfortable clothes.

Your baby's also showing an interest in small parts and the details of the objects around her. Her ways of exploring are growing beyond banging and gumming, although those are still part of every toy interaction. As she explores, be sure to keep buttons, coins, safety pins, balloons, rocks, and other choking hazards out of reach.

Fun friends

At this age, babies tend to gravitate toward stuffed animals, big and small. One might even become your baby's favorite security object. If so, it'll soon be covered in drool and accompanying you everywhere. Don't worry: A "transitional object" like this can be a sign of emerging independence as your little one learns to separate herself from you and depend on herself — slowly but surely.

When adding new members to your plush family, look for soft, well-stitched toys. Other good playthings include balls, nesting cylinders, pop-up toys, and large dolls.

One way to tell if your baby has a favorite plaything or two is by trying to remove it from her. You may now find her protesting loudly when you take something away.

If your baby insists on sleeping with a favorite friend, make sure it's small — your baby could use a larger one as a stepping stool to climb out of her crib or it could impair her breathing if it's too close to her face.

Remember, your baby is an individual

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. Developmental guidelines simply show what your baby has the potential to accomplish — if not right now, then soon. If your baby was premature, keep in mind that kids born early usually need a bit more time to meet their milestones. If you have any questions at all about your baby's development, ask your healthcare provider.

source: babycenter