Skip to content

STAY UP TO DATE. Join our email list »

First Things First First Things First

Your Baby’s First 6 Months

You will spend these first months getting to know your new baby. You will get into a routine together, and you will start to learn the ways your baby tells you what they need. You are your new baby’s whole world. You will give them all the things they need, including love, attention and a feeling of safety.

Baby's first 6 months

Your Baby’s Brain

Right from birth, your baby is taking in new experiences through all of their senses. These experiences create new connections in their brain, and you are the source of most of these experiences. When you play with, sing and talk to your baby, you help their brain to develop and make the connection between you stronger.

Feature VIdeo Graphic


Giving Your Baby Loving Care

You can show love to your baby with your care and attention. Babies feel safe and secure when they can feel, hear or see you close to them.

  • Hug, cuddle and kiss your baby.
  • Talk in a soothing voice or sing to them. Read On Arizona has some ideas on how to talk to your baby on its Smart Talk page.
  • Respond to your baby’s cries right away. Babies don’t become spoiled when you take care of their needs or give them attention. In fact, babies often cry less when you respond to them quickly.

Feature VIdeo Graphic

Ages and Stages

As your baby grows, you will notice new things that they can do. All babies are different, but there are age ranges when babies usually do certain things.

From birth to 3 months

From birth to 3 months, your baby may begin to:

  • Try to look at you.
  • Hold their head up during supervised tummy time.
  • Open and close their hands, and bring their hands to their mouth.
  • Start to smile at people.

From 3 to 6 months

From 3 to 6 months, they may:

  • Make babbling sounds like “ga”, “ooh” and “ba.”
  • Reach for a toy with their hand.
  • Let you know if they are happy or sad.

If you have questions about how your baby is developing, talk to their doctor.


Helping Your Baby Sleep

Newborn babies usually sleep for about two hours at a time. As your baby gets older, they will sleep longer. When your baby wakes up at night, change and feed them, then put them back in their crib. Keep the lights dim. You can soothe your baby by talking quietly to them. You also can start a bedtime routine that helps your baby know it’s nighttime. This can be a bath, a story and a last feeding.

In the daytime, you can encourage your baby to be alert when they are awake. Daytime is the best time to sing and play with them. When you see signs that your baby is sleepy, like yawning or fussing, put them in their crib. This helps them learn to fall asleep on their own.

Research shows that physical activity helps babies get more sleep.


About Tummy Time

Tummy time is when you place your baby on their stomach while they are awake and you are watching them. This helps babies strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles. You can start tummy time with your baby right away. Try to give your baby some tummy time a few times a day. You can wave a toy or talk or sing to them to make tummy time interesting.

Some babies get fussy during tummy time, and that can cause their parents to give up on it. To help make tummy time easier and help your baby grow and develop in their first year, try these expert tummy time tips.

Feature VIdeo Graphic


More Ways to Find Help

CDC Milestone Tracker – A mobile app to track your baby’s development.


The First Things First Parent Kit was developed in partnership with Health Research for Action/UC Berkeley. © 2022 The Regents of the University of California. Additional video, graphic and other content © 2022 First Things First. All rights reserved.

Baby's first 6 months

Your Baby’s First 6 Months

    You will spend these first months getting to know your new baby. You will get into a routine together, and you will start to learn the ways your baby tells you…

    Toddler Years

    Looking Ahead to the Toddler Years

      Before you know it, your baby will become a toddler. The toddler stage starts around age 1, and at this time your child’s brain is still developing very…

      Soothing your baby

      Soothing Your Baby

        During the first months, crying is your baby’s main way to communicate with you. Often you will know what different-sounding cries mean. But sometimes it’s…

        Encontrando cuidado para la salud

        Finding and Using Health Care

          There are different ways to get health care and different ways to pay for it. You can learn about them, and then feel confident about seeing a doctor when you…

          Feeding your baby

          Feeding Your Baby

            Feeding is the most important thing that parents do for their children. During feedings, your baby is awake and you can deepen your relationship with them.…

            Virus

            About Viruses

              Viruses are a kind of germ. There are millions of viruses in the world, but only a small number of them can make people sick. Our bodies learn to recognize…

              Breastfeeding

              About Breastfeeding

                Breast milk helps babies grow and protects them from many health problems. For women, breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding can be…

                Vacunas

                About Vaccines

                  Vaccines can reduce your worry about your family getting sick. Vaccines are medicines that prevent serious diseases, like measles, whooping cough, tetanus and…

                  Bottle-feeding

                  About Bottle-feeding

                    Whether you pump breast milk or feed formula, feeding your baby from a bottle offers flexibility. Parents and caregivers can use bottle-feeding time to form a…

                    Stay Up To Date.

                    Join our email list to keep up with the latest news and information from FTF

                    Send me:

                    © First Things First. All Rights Reserved. • Privacy PolicyAccessibilityWebsite FeedbackOmbudsman-Citizens Aide