Baby Development: 0 to 6 Months

The first six months are full of wonder. Your baby is learning to connect with the world: through your voice, your touch, and those heart-melting first smiles. Here's what to look for and how you can support their growth.

Every baby develops at their own pace. These milestones are general guides, not strict timelines. Premature babies may reach milestones later based on their adjusted age. If you're concerned, speak with your GP, child health nurse, or paediatrician.

Movement & Physical Development

0-3 months

  • Lifts head briefly during tummy time
  • Moves arms and legs actively
  • Brings hands to mouth
  • Opens and closes hands
  • Pushes down on legs when feet placed on firm surface
  • Reflexes present: grasping, rooting, startle (Moro)
How to help: Daily tummy time (start with 1-2 minutes), hold baby upright against your shoulder, offer safe objects to grasp.

3-6 months

  • Holds head steady when supported upright
  • Pushes up on arms during tummy time
  • Rolls from tummy to back (around 4 months)
  • Begins rolling back to tummy (around 5-6 months)
  • Reaches for and grasps toys
  • Brings objects to mouth to explore
  • Supports weight on legs when held standing
How to help: Place toys just out of reach during tummy time, let baby practise sitting with support, offer a variety of safe textures to explore.

Language & Communication

0-3 months

  • Turns towards sounds and voices
  • Startles at loud noises
  • Makes cooing sounds ("ooh", "aah")
  • Cries differently for different needs (hunger, tired, pain)
  • Quietens when spoken to
  • Begins social smiling (around 6-8 weeks)
How to help: Talk to your baby during nappy changes, feeding, and bath time. Respond to their coos; these early "conversations" build the foundation for language.

3-6 months

  • Babbles with consonant sounds ("ba", "da", "ga")
  • Laughs and squeals
  • Responds to their name
  • Makes sounds to get attention
  • Begins to imitate sounds
  • Enjoys musical toys and singing
How to help: Read simple board books daily, sing nursery rhymes, narrate your day. Copy your baby's sounds back to them; it teaches turn-taking in conversation.

Social & Emotional Development

0-3 months

  • Gazes at faces, especially yours
  • Social smiling begins (6-8 weeks)
  • Calms when picked up or spoken to
  • Begins to recognise familiar people
  • Enjoys skin-to-skin contact
  • May begin to self-soothe (sucking fingers)
How to help: Hold, cuddle, and respond to your baby promptly. You cannot "spoil" a newborn; responsive care builds secure attachment.

3-6 months

  • Smiles at people spontaneously
  • Enjoys playing with others; may cry when play stops
  • Shows emotions: joy, frustration, excitement
  • Recognises familiar faces and begins to know strangers
  • Enjoys looking at themselves in a mirror
  • Responds to others' emotions (smiles back at you)
How to help: Play peekaboo, make funny faces, and respond to your baby's expressions. These interactions are building their social brain.

Cognitive Development

0-3 months

  • Watches faces intently
  • Follows moving objects with eyes
  • Recognises familiar objects and people at a distance
  • Begins to use hands and eyes together
  • Prefers bold patterns and high-contrast images
How to help: Use high-contrast cards or books, slowly move a toy across baby's field of vision, give plenty of face-to-face time (babies are born ready to study your face).

3-6 months

  • Explores objects by mouthing, shaking, banging
  • Shows curiosity: reaches for new things
  • Watches a toy that falls (beginning of object permanence)
  • Transfers objects from one hand to the other
  • Responds to cause and effect (shakes rattle → noise)
  • Recognises familiar words like their name or "milk"
How to help: Offer a variety of safe toys with different textures and sounds. Let them explore; mouthing is how babies learn at this age.

How to Support Your 0-6 Month Old

Respond to Cues

When you respond to your baby's cries and signals, you're teaching them the world is safe. This responsive care builds secure attachment, the foundation for all future development.

Talk and Sing

Narrate your day, sing songs, read books. Your baby is absorbing language from day one. They especially love the sound of your voice; it's been their favourite since before birth.

Tummy Time

Start with short sessions from birth and build up gradually. Tummy time builds neck, shoulder, and core strength. Get down on the floor with them; your face is the best motivation.

Face-to-Face Play

Make eye contact, smile, pull faces. These simple interactions are powerful brain-builders. Babies can focus best at about 20-30cm, roughly the distance from your arms to your face.

Sleep Routines

Babies need a lot of sleep (14-17 hours for newborns). A calm, consistent bedtime routine helps them learn day from night. Always follow safe sleeping guidelines: back to sleep, face uncovered.

Look After Yourself

The early months are intense. Accept help, sleep when you can, and know that you don't need to be perfect. A good-enough parent who is present and responsive is exactly what your baby needs.

When to Seek Advice

Talk to your GP, child health nurse, or paediatrician if your baby:

  • Doesn't respond to loud sounds
  • Doesn't watch things as they move (by 2-3 months)
  • Doesn't smile at people (by 3 months)
  • Can't hold head up when pushing up during tummy time (by 4 months)
  • Doesn't coo or make sounds
  • Doesn't bring things to mouth (by 4 months)
  • Doesn't push down with legs when feet are placed on a hard surface
  • Seems very stiff or very floppy
  • Doesn't reach for objects (by 5-6 months)

Early intervention makes a real difference. Trust your instincts; you know your baby best.

References

Related

Next: 6-12 Months