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MONTH 6

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DIET:
Gradually work baby into a schedule of 3 meals/day by 9 months of age. Baby food is fine, but you might also use mashed table foods such as bananas, applesauce, eggs, squash, or potatoes. You may also add soft crackers and diluted juice. (You don't need to buy baby juice.) Try to introduce a cup with a lid or a straw and move baby into a high chair for feedings. Try using a bowl and cup with suction bottoms for easier feeding and cleaning up. Breast-fed babies usu­ally nurse 4-5 times/24 hours. Babies usually get the right amount of vitamins through breast milk and formula. Formula fed babies drink 24-32 oz. /24 hours Regardless of whether you are breast or formula feeding, check with your doctor to confirm your water supply (well, city, bottle, filter). This helps to determine the need for any fluoride vitamins and vitamin D.

SLEEP:
Baby sleeps 8-12 hours at night and takes 2-3 naps during the day. If baby awakens, wait a few moments to see if she'll go back to sleep on her own. Make the bedroom quiet and dark at naptime, too. Remember that baby needs to be able to rely on a consistent bedtime routine to settle down and prepare to put herself to sleep. This might take some work, but the effort is worth it!

VOIDS:
Remember that stool and bladder habits change with the additions of new foods, the amount of food eaten at a time, and the frequency of meals.

SAFETY:
As your baby becomes much more mobile, safety concerns demand even more attention. Make sure the mattress in the crib is at its lowest point and remove the mobile above the crib. Move all chemicals and cleaning agents to high cupboards, well out of baby's reach. Cover electrical outlets with plastic disks (available at hardware and toy stores). Lock lower cabinets with child protective locks and place baby gates on all stairs. Babies can crawl up stairs as soon as they learn to crawl, but don't usually learn to crawl safely down until 12-15 months. Avoid using blue toilet cleaners that remain in the bowl. Kids seem to find these irresistible!

DENTAL:
Baby may get her first teeth. Don't be concerned about timing unless a child hasn't grown a tooth by age 15 months. Teeth usually come in two's and can be accompanied by crankiness, mouth pain, fever, a clear runny nose, a loose stool and diaper rash. Use Tylenol to relieve some symptoms and keep diaper area clean and dry.

DEVELOPMENTAL:
Baby continues to smile and may begin to "scream" as she discovers her voice. Baby is probably sitting and may begin to crawl. She is also reaching for objects she wants and is trying to feed herself. She also may be transferring handheld items from one hand to another. Baby may begin to "furniture walk," by 9-10 months, but doesn't need shoes. You don't need hard-soled high top shoes unless a child has a specific physical need. They feel like heavy ski boots on a baby! Try soft-soled shoes or socks with treads, if used at all, for moderate protection.