Development milestones for the first six months

Check the physical and emotional development milestones!

Physical development milestones you can expect 

1 Month:

Weight may drop after birth but will be regained quickly
Head flops if not supported
Stares at high contrast patterns and objects but still does not reach
Hearing is fully developed
 
2 Months:

Muscles relax and twitch less
Lifts head about 45 degrees while lying on tummy
Hands start to unfold
Eyes can track close moving objects
May roll over one way
 
3 Months:

Stretches out arms and legs
Rolls over from back to side
Discovers feet and hands
Holds objects longer
May cut first tooth (third to sixth month or later)
 
4 Months:

Rolls from front to side
Lifts head about 90 degrees
Reaches for objects
Holds hands together
 
5 Months:

Rolls over from front to back
Grabs toes and feet
Wiggles forward on floor
Reaches with a good aim
Transfers objects from hand to hand
 
6 Months:

Holds head steady
Sits with back straight
Grasps small objects and studies them
Rolls in both directions
Understands that objects may be hiding behind one another

Emotional development milestones you can expect 

1 Month:

Enjoys eye contact
Smiles at faces
Recognizes parent’s voices
Begins to trust caregiver
Cries if under or over stimulated
 
2 Months:

Responsive smiling
Enjoys visual stimulation
Studies faces
Cries for attention
Persistent crying usually peaks in the second month
 
3 Months:

Makes eye contact
Smiles at faces and may laugh out loud
Knows difference between parents and strangers
Stops crying when you walk into the room
 

4 Months:

Laughs hard when tickled
Greets caregiver
Starts social gestures
May move arms to signal “pick me up”
Enjoys social interaction
 
5 Months:

Turns head toward speaker
Watches your mouth movements
Shows interest in colors
Pushes away disliked actions
 
6 Months:

May be shy or afraid of strangers
Responds to own name
Raises arms to signal “pick me up”
Likes own reflection