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Infant Developmental Milestones: Birth to 6 Months

In the first six months of life, your little one will transform from a sleepy, defenseless newborn into a smiling, babbling baby. Here are the developmental milestones you can expect each month.

Sabrina Rogers-Anderson Writer & Author

When you have a new baby, every coo, cuddle and smile (or was it gas?!) is more precious than gold. Every day, your little one seems to be changing or learning a new skill. But how can you tell if your baby is reaching developmental milestones on time? Our guide to motor, social, language and cognitive milestones from birth to 6 months will help you keep track.

Keep in mind that this is a general guide and each baby develops at a different rate. Just because they haven’t reached a milestone according to this timeline doesn’t mean something is wrong. If you have any concerns, speak to your pediatrician.

Baby development: The first month

By one month of age, your baby may:

Make jerky movements with their arms and legs
Have strong reflex movements, including the grasp reflex
Keep their fists clenched
Be unable to support their head, which will flop if unsupported
Move their head from side to side when lying on their back or stomach
Focus their eyes at a distance of 8 to 12 inches
Stare at black-and-white or high-contrast patterns
Go quiet at the sound of a voice or turn toward familiar voices
Get startled by loud noises
Enjoy looking at human faces

Warning signs: Contact your doctor if your baby feeds poorly, rarely moves their arms or legs, seems too stiff or too floppy, doesn’t respond to loud sounds or blink to bright lights, doesn’t focus or follow a moving object with their eyes, or their lower jaw trembles constantly.

Baby development: The second month

By the time your wee one turns two months old, they may be able to:

Make smoother movements with their arms and legs
Start unfolding their hands
Lift their head about 45 degrees when lying on their tummy
Follow objects with their eyes
Begin to recognize people at a distance
Pay close attention to faces, especially those of their parents
Look for sounds
Make noises other than crying, such as cooing or gurgling
Start to make distinctive cries for different needs, such as wet or hungry
Vocalize when they hear a familiar voice
Start smiling at people

Warning signs: Act early by calling your pediatrician if your baby doesn’t react to loud sounds, follow objects with their eyes, lift their head up when lying on their tummy, notice their hands, or smile at the sound of your voice.

Baby development: The third month

Check out what your baby might be able to do by three months!

Stretch out their arms and legs
Open and close their hands
Raise their head and shoulders 45 to 90 degrees when lying on their tummy
Support their upper body with their forearms
Bear some weight on their legs and push down with their feet when held in a standing position
Bring their hands to their mouth
Swipe at objects
Grasp and shake toys (but no reaching yet)
Follow objects 180 degrees with their eyes
Lift their head to look for sounds
Begin to babble, coo, squeal and make simple vowel sounds such as “ooh” and “ah”
Begin to imitate sounds, facial expressions and movements
Smile at the sound of a parent’s voice

Warning signs: Talk to your doc if your little one can’t grasp and hold objects, smile at people, or support their head at all.

Activities to stimulate your baby’s development from 0 to 3 months

Here are some ways you can interact with and stimulate your baby from birth to three months:

Look into their eyes: This will help bonding. When they look away, they’ve had enough and need a rest.
Smile: It will make your baby feel safe and secure.
Talk: Tell your baby what you’re doing as you go about your day to help develop language skills.
Sing: Babies love hearing mom sing even if it’s out of tune!
Play: Dangle a toy above their head and let them follow it with their eyes, read a book or play peekaboo. Playing helps their brain development.
Do tummy time: It’s important to do tummy time every day to help strengthen your baby’s head and neck. At this age, 1 to 5 minutes is enough. You can read more in our article about Why Tummy Time is so important.
Massage: After their bath, gently massage their body with a natural baby lotion. This will relax your baby and help you bond.

Baby development: The fourth month

By four months, your growing baby may be able to:

Hold their head unsupported (though it may still be wobbly)
Lift their head and chest about 90 degrees when lying on their tummy
Roll from their tummy to their side or maybe even their back
Bear more weight on their legs when held upright
Sit with support
Hold their hands together
Grasp objects with both hands
Try to reach for objects (but most likely miss them)
Babble with more expression
Make consonant sounds such as “b” and “m”
Smile spontaneously
Laugh
Express when they’re happy or sad

Warning signs: It’s worth talking to your pediatrician if your baby can’t move one or both eyes in all directions, coo or make any sounds, hold their head without support, bring objects to their mouth, or push down with their legs when held upright.

Baby development: The fifth month

Shouldn’t your baby be crawling by now? Not yet! Here’s what your baby might be able to do by five months of age:

Roll from their tummy to their back
Play with their feet and toes
Put their feet and other objects in their mouth
Reach for and grasp objects successfully
Transfer an object from one hand to the other
Sit with support for longer periods
Wiggle or rock on the floor
Watch objects that are dropped
Put consonant and vowel sounds together, such as “ba-ba” and “ya-ya”
Smile at their image in the mirror
Cry if you take a toy away
Differentiate family members from strangers

Warning signs: Make an appointment with your healthcare provider if your baby has a stiff body or awkward movements, floppy hands or a weak grip, or if they don’t turn toward you when you speak or they don’t make any sounds.

Baby development: The sixth month

Where did six months go?! By the time your little one celebrates their half-birthday, they may be able to:

Hold their head steady
Lift their chest and part of their tummy off the floor by bearing weight on their hands
Roll over in both directions
Sit with their back straight when propped up or begin to sit unsupported
Bear most of their weight when held upright and they may even bounce
Rock back and forth when lying on their tummy and they might start to push themselves backward
Grasp and study small objects
Be curious about objects around them and try to grab things that are out of reach
Respond to their name
Respond to sounds and express their emotions by making sounds
String vowels together such as “oh” “ah” “eh” or try to copy your speech
Enjoy playing, especially with their parents

Warning signs: See your pediatrician if your little one doesn’t show affection for you or other caregivers, reach for objects, roll over in either direction, make vowel sounds, squeal or laugh, or if they seem very stiff or very floppy.

Activities to stimulate your baby’s development from 3 to 6 months

From three to six months, your baby will change quickly. Here’s what you can do to help them develop and grow – and have fun at the same time!

Talk: Whereas your conversations used to be only one-way, your baby will now start to answer you by making sounds when you talk. Actively listen to their responses and make facial expressions to teach them about communication.
Play: Singing nursery rhymes, playing with toys and reading books to your baby will stimulate their brain and strengthen your bond.
Do tummy time: Your baby still needs to spend some time on their tummy every day to help strengthen those neck and upper-body muscles. They’ll probably be able to do it for longer periods now, so let them play on their tummy until they started to look tired or fed up.
Go for walks: Take your baby for walks in their stroller or baby carrier and point out the trees, birds and clouds to help them learn about the world around them.
Establish a routine: Following a similar routine each day – for example, feed, change diaper, play, sleep – can help your baby feel secure.

Must-have products for babies from birth to 6 months

Looking for products that are going to help your baby reach the above mentioned milestones? We’ve got you!

At The Tot, we never use or recommend anything that hasn’t passed The Tot Test. This means we’ve looked deep into third-party testing, examined ingredients lists and asked in-depth questions about a product’s composition to ensure it’s free of the ingredients we avoid.

When it comes to baby toys, we like to steer clear of chemicals such as:

BPA + BPS
Harmful Phthalates
PVC
Lead & other heavy metals
Formaldehyde
PFAS chemicals
Flame retardants
Pesticides and herbicides

Click here to view the full list of ingredients we avoid and why.

All Tot Tested and approved, below are our following product picks for babies from birth to 6 months of age:

Teethers & soft toys
Developmental activities & toy sets
Activity gyms
Board books
Playmats
Starting solids feeding set

Teethers & Soft Toys

It’s no secret that babies love exploring with their mouths! Having non-toxic teethers and soft toys on hand like the below will be great for honing hand-eye coordination, providing a sensory experience and soothing sore gums.

Hart + Land Teether Blue

HART + LAND Double Silicone Teether

$25

EXCLUSIVE

Available in more colors

Infant Developmental Milestones: Birth to 6 Months

Baby development: The first month

Baby development: The second month

Baby development: The third month

Activities to stimulate your baby’s development from 0 to 3 months

Baby development: The fourth month

Baby development: The fifth month

Baby development: The sixth month

Activities to stimulate your baby’s development from 3 to 6 months

Must-have products for babies from birth to 6 months

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