Between five and six months, your baby will start showing more interest in other babies and enjoy watching them. Babies show a preference for familiar people, which may result in the development of clinginess and separation anxiety. Clinginess usually peaks between eight and eighteen months, but can sometimes last until the age of three years.
Infants and sleep
Newborns sleep a lot and the amount of sleep gradually decreases the older they get. Babies between three and six months sleep around 12 to 15 hours a day, while the average number of hours per day between six and twelve months is 11 to 14. Not every baby needs the same amount of sleep. Between the age of three and six months, babies start to increasingly develop a pattern in the production of melatonin at night. You’ll notice that your baby starts sleeping more often at the same time of day. Even though your baby developed a day-night rhythm at around three months, he or she may start going through sleep regressions. Your baby may also sleep more poorly during a leap. Sleep regression usually takes place in the first year during leap four (four months) and leap six (eight months).
Infants and eating
During the first months of life, your baby only drinks breast milk or formula. But your infant will also eventually start eating solids. This is always a fun and exciting moment for new parents: how will your child respond to the new tastes and textures? Apart from the first solids, milk continues to be the most important part of your child’s diet until age one. At first, most children are not thrilled about the new textures and flavors and not every baby will immediately enjoy solids in addition to milk. Have your infant get used to solids gradually and keep in mind that every baby develops at its own pace. You can start giving your baby solids at six months.
From four months, you can offer your baby some fruits and vegetables in order to get accustomed to new tastes and textures. You can then gradually start trying more types of foods from around seven or eight months. There are lots of different ways to get your child used to solids. You can puree everything, but once your child is ready, you can also offer finger food. The approach you take depends entirely on you and your baby. As your child starts eating more and more solids, they may want to drink less milk. But it’s important that your child drinks enough fluids, so offer something to drink with finger food, such as lukewarm tea or a little water. As your child gets older, he or she can start eating the same foods as the rest of the family.