Baby Milestones at 4-6 Months: Is your Baby on Track?

Congratulations are in order as you have survived the first 4 months! It all went by so quickly too! One minute you had a tiny newborn and now you have a cooing and giggling 4-month-old! No doubt the first few months were difficult with a lot of learning and growing for both you and your baby, but the good news is that the 4 to 6 months stage is a lot fun! Your baby is more alert and mobile, plus their personality is blooming too. They love to babble and giggle at all the funny faces around them and are even more curious about their environments. Every day will bring exciting new adventures. Every experience — from cuddling before nap time to listening to chatter — will help your baby learn more about the world. So, get the camera ready and be sure to capture the ‘awww’ inducing moments!  

Month 4:

Time stands still for no man or baby in this case! Month four is all about rapid development and a key milestone is imitating. You will have a little mimic on your hands as your baby will be copying sounds, movements, and even facial expressions showcasing their social and communication skills. Experts say imitation is a form of “social glue”—it builds trust—and is vital to the way babies learn. So, chat away with your child and remember to keep those expressions happy! Another significant milestone is rolling over, but there’s a difference between front-to-back and back-to-front. Some babies can do both right away, while others can’t. Don’t worry though as all babies develop at a different pace and should be a pro by month seven. They will also begin experimenting with the building blocks of speech and it is super cute to watch them babble away.  But the cutest milestone of all at this stage is……. laughter! You’ll be delighted to hear your baby’s first laugh and get ready for lots of it because babies are hilarious!

Key milestones:

• Copying sounds, movements, and facial expressions
• Rolling over
• Babbling
• Laughing

Month 5:

So here we are at month five and you have a little human who is becoming much more expressive which is an important milestone at this stage. They can go from being loud and boisterous to quiet and calm, you don’t know which one you’re going to get! But what is guaranteed is the thrill and joy you get from watching your baby show excitement, delight, and even, frustration. By this month they will even begin to smile at the mirror and will absolutely love getting some face time in front of a mirror……don’t we all? It’s also a great way to calm them down during a crying fit, just give them some mirror time and they will be captivated by their own adorability. They will also become quite the intrepid explorer as they discover the joy of grabbing toes and finding other wiggly, jiggly body parts and start bringing objects to their mouth.  You’ll have to be super attentive and ready to snatch away any no-no’s!  

Key milestones:

• Smiling at the mirror
• Expressing new emotions
• Refining basic movements

Month 6:

Month 6 - the halfway point has arrived! What an interesting six months you’ve had, so much hard work and a bundle of love! This month brings a few spectacular milestones. They’ll be able to respond to their own name, take turns in a conversation and even start to string some vowel sounds together, oohs and ahhs galore! They’ll also start moving… a lot! Your baby will be rolling over competently in both directions and as a parent, you’ll get so much joy from watching these little movements. These moments are so fulfilling and fun to capture. The big milestone during this month is sitting. Your baby will soon be sitting unsupported and it’s such a proud moment for mama and papa. Whip the camera out and get ready to capture this milestone for your memory book!

Key milestones:

• Responding to their own name
• Moving… a lot
• Sitting

So that rounds up our 4-6 months milestones! What a delightful six months you’ve had, there have been ups and downs, but you’ve done it!  You have built an amazing bond with your little one which will only getting stronger every day. Look how much your little human has learned and changed in just 6 months...in fact, you both have! Also please remember every baby is different and follows their own developmental timeline. Don’t get too caught up in whether your little one’s development lines up EXACTLY with a developmental chart or else you will worry yourself sick! Just continue being the amazing parent you are!