My Baby Stages← to the homepage
Baby at 4–6 months: getting ready for solids
Stage: 4–6 months
Sleep
3 naps; stretches of 6–8 hours at night become possible
Feeding
The NHS advises starting solids around 6 months — not before 17 weeks. Look for the readiness signs (sitting with support, good hand-eye-mouth coordination, swallowing rather than pushing food back out) before you start. Milk remains the main source of nutrition throughout this stage.
Formula: 4–5 feeds a day, 160–200 ml. Don't push past roughly 200 ml per bottle — little tummies don't need more per feed.
Nappy size
Size 3, 4–9 kg.
Development at this stage
- Rolls from tummy to back
- Explores hands and feet, brings everything to the mouth
- Recognises familiar faces and responds to own name
- Starts strings of babble (bababa, dadada)
Play & do together
- Peekaboo! From now on your baby gets the game more and more
- Let them feel different textures: soft, smooth, bumpy
- Place toys just out of reach — reaching and rolling is play and practice in one
- Share a baby book and name the pictures — it's never too early to start with books
Care & things to watch
- Daily vitamin D drops continue if breastfed
- Sun: keep your baby out of direct sunlight for the first 6 months (shade, clothing, sun hat); from 6 months use at least SPF 30 on exposed skin
- Introduce peanut and egg from around 6 months, when solids start — early introduction reduces the risk of food allergy. Use smooth peanut butter (never whole nuts) and well-cooked egg, one new food at a time. If your baby has severe eczema or an existing food allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor first — earlier introduction may be advised for this group
- No honey, added salt or added sugar before age 1
- Bathing 2–3 times a week; a bath can become a calming part of the bedtime routine
- Babyproof the house ahead of mobility: this stage moves fast
- Around this age sleep architecture matures, so nights can temporarily look more restless (waking between sleep cycles) — a normal development that usually settles within weeks
Enter a birth date once and see what matters this week — free, no account needed.
Create your own overview →Other ages: 0–6 weeks · 6–12 weeks · 3–4 months · 6–9 months · 9–12 months · 12–18 months · 18–24 months · 2–3 years · 3–4 years · 4–5 years
Also handy: which nappy size fits? · how much formula per day? · the full weaning plan
📱 Also as a free app: Google Play · App Store