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Baby at 6–9 months: weaning, sleep and milestones

Stage: 6–9 months

Sleep

2–3 naps

Feeding

Build towards 3 solid meals a day alongside milk: combine vegetables and fruit with potato, rice, pasta or bread and some meat, fish, egg or pulses. From around 8 months food no longer needs to be completely smooth — soft lumps and finger foods (soft fruit, cooked vegetable sticks) develop chewing skills.

Formula: 3–4 feeds a day, 180–200 ml. Milk gradually provides less of the daily intake as solids take over.

Nappy size

Size 3–4, 6–12 kg.

Development at this stage

• Sits without support
• Reaches and grasps, passes objects hand to hand
• Starts crawling or shuffling
• Understands simple words like 'no'

Care & things to watch

• First teeth often come through now: brush from the first tooth, twice a day, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste (at least 1,000 ppm)
• Daily vitamin D drops continue if breastfed
• Peanut and egg should be introduced by now — not started yet? Begin gently, one at a time
• Still no honey, added salt or sugar; no cows' milk as a main drink before 1 (fine in cooking)
• Avoid small hard foods (whole nuts, raw carrot chunks); always cut grapes and cherry tomatoes lengthways — until age 4
• Cover sockets, secure stair gates and pad sharp edges
• Free NHS dental care for children: register your baby with a dentist once the first teeth appear
• More restless nights at this age can also come from teething or early separation anxiety — usually temporary, and no reason to doubt your approach

Other ages: 0–6 weeks · 6–12 weeks · 3–4 months · 4–6 months · 9–12 months · 12–18 months · 18–24 months · 2–3 years · 3–4 years · 4–5 years