Your 24 Week Old Baby – Development, Milestones & Care

Time sure flies when you’re having fun. Your little one is six months old already, and it’s time for his half-birthday celebration. Your precious one has come so far and achieved so many important developmental milestones, but there’s a lot that he will be achieving as he grows up. You must be having tons of questions related to your 24-week-old baby’s development, and it’s only normal if you want to know how your little one is developing each week. Join us as we dig up some amazing facts and information you need to know about your little wonder’s development.

Now that your baby is 24 weeks old, let’s tell you how he will be developing this week!

Your 24-Week-Old Baby’s Development

Your 24-week-old baby’s weight and size will vary depending on his growth and development. Along with those exciting expressions, you will also notice that your 24-week or 6-month-old baby can almost fully sit by himself, play with toys and pass it on to others. Your little one at 24 weeks is ready for light foods along with breast milk and formula. You might be wondering if your little one is left-handed or right-handed, but it is too early to tell at this stage. Your baby needs to be at least 2 or 3 years old in order to be sure if he is right-handed or left-handed.

[Also Read: 6 Months Old Baby Developmet]

Your 24-Week-Old Baby’s Milestones

• Physically your little one will now be almost twice his birth weight and size. His skin and complexion will be much clearer by now as compared to the time he was born.
• Your baby should be able to recognise your touch, voice and feel. He will start making funny expressions and feel happy and excited, confused and angry at times. He will start recognising people around him, especially if you live in a joint family.
• As his bones and muscles get stronger, he will now be able to sit and roll around by himself!
• As he is developing both mentally and physically, you might witness that he regularly wakes up at night. You need to support him by feeding and soothing him back to sleep. Your baby’s gums must started hardening already.
• As his nervous system and brain are developing, you will now notice that he brings his bare feet to his mouth and starts sucking and chewing on it. Be patient and let him enjoy this experience as he has started gaining control over his lower body movements.

[Also Read: 6 Months Old Baby Milestones]

Feeding

As his body goes through major developments, it’s now time to introduce light and easy-to-digest food along with breast milk or formula. Some of the good options are finger foods like rice puffs, boneless fish, and fruits like apples, bananas, mangoes, etc. Also, remember there are certain foods which you need to completely avoid till the time your baby reaches the correct age. In spite of the conflicting information you will come across, it is highly recommended that the transition to solid foods should start by the 6^th month.

When you introduce a new food to your baby, be ready for that million-dollar expression on his face. He will get to use his tongue, lips, and gums in different ways while eating solid foods. It is good to have patience as it can be a little messy during the initial phase, as he starts to chew and swallow the food in his mouth for the first time. You can use a large-size bib that also covers the neck and hands to prevent those beautiful clothes from getting stained. Use a high chair with a plastic mat beneath, as cleaning can be easier once you have finished feeding him. Use soft spoons, which are easily available in the market if you are feeding foods like yoghurt, soup, etc.

[Also Read: 6 Months Old Baby Food]

Sleeping

• As your little one will start with semi-solids and solid foods, there will be a change in his feeding pattern. This change may disrupt his sleeping pattern.
• Your baby’s brain will continue to develop, and as his teething phase continues, he may find it difficult to sleep peacefully through the night. He may wake up frequently at night, and you may have to feed him and soothe him to sleep.
• As the months pass by, you might also notice frequent wailing at night, especially when your baby turns 8–10 months old, as this is the period when your baby will be super active and crawling around. As you cannot prevent him from waking up frequently, you can ease his discomfort and put him back to sleep.

Teething at 24 Week

Most babies are born without teeth, while some are born with their first teeth. Teething mostly starts around 3 or 4 months, and some may even have their first teething episodes by the 12th month. So, most babies start teething around 6 months, i.e., 24 weeks. Babies start putting their hands in their mouths to soothe the teething irritation in their gums. By 24 weeks, both top and bottom front incisors appear. The first teeth to come out usually is the lower front teeth. During this time, your little one may experience some discomfort in the gum area and try to soothe it by putting their hands in their mouths or biting or chewing on things accessible to them. You may find the gums around the teeth to be swollen and tender, because of which the baby may drool more often than usual.

You can massage your little one’s gum with a clean finger and give them a cool pacifier or teething rings to soothe the irritation. Since your little one is new to solids, it might not be the time to introduce teething biscuits but for later.

A 24-Week-Old Baby’s Care Tips

• While you care for your baby day in and day out, you’re likely to get exhausted. So take time and try to enjoy the moment with your growing baby. When he’s 24 weeks old, it is the perfect time to secure your baby in a pram and go around for a walk or visit.
• Try not to be overprotective and limit his exposure to a particular place or area. Let him explore and positively deal with his inquisitiveness.
• Be very careful in what you choose to feed to your baby, speak to a nutritionist and get a balanced diet plan.
• Your baby still needs at least three daytime naps in the duration of 1-3 hours. So put him to sleep even if he is in the mood to enjoy and play. You can do this by telling him bedtime stories.
• Try not to be too fanatical about cleanliness around your baby, and don’t prevent her from sucking each toy or other articles. Till the time it’s harmful to him, you may let him explore.

[Also Read: 6 Months Old Baby Care]

Tests and Vaccinations

You need to keep a check on the dates for vaccination of your 24-week-old baby. At 6 months of age, your baby will be recommended the Influenza flu vaccine. So check with your doctor and get your little one vaccinated.

Games and Activities

Your 24-week-old baby is now full of energy and very active. He needs a lot of time on the floor to explore things around him and also exercise his limb muscles for physical development. Your baby will also start bringing his legs to his mouth to suck and chew! It will be a fun game for a few weeks, and this will prepare his legs and hips for crawling. It will also help him to get into the sitting position from lying down.

Your baby will also love games involving rhyming, talking, singing, and any kind of sound-generating activity. You can make animal sounds and show him pictures to make him laugh and teach at the same time. He might also start mimicking you with this fun game.

Finger puppets are another good option. Little kids really enjoy finger puppets, and you can find his active involvement in this game.

[Also Read: 6 Months Old Baby Games and Activities]

Spotting Development Delays

Every baby is unique and grows at its own pace. In many cases, baby growth and development are slow but normal. So you need not worry in case your 24-week-old baby has not achieved the general physical milestones.

If your baby was born prematurely before 37 weeks of pregnancy, then he might take a little longer time before he can do the same things other babies can do. Premature babies are given dual dates, namely a chronological age which is the birth date of the baby and a corrected age, which means the baby’s actual due date. So you need to measure your baby’s development from her corrected age and not his chronological date.

When to Consult a Doctor

Consult a doctor if you encounter any kind of unusual behavioural changes like crying uncontrollably, high fever, lack of interest in playing, etc., in your baby. He may experience diarrhoea owing to the changes in his diet; it is better to consult a doctor in such cases. These signs may or may not be related to teething or something which is perfectly normal, but it is better to have a proper discussion with the doctor.

This is the best time to develop a strong bond with your little one. So just enjoy the special moments with your family. Capture these precious moments, which will serve as a treasure in the years to come. Happy parenting!

References/Resources:

1. Your baby’s developmental milestones at 6 months; UNICEF; https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/your-babys-developmental-milestones-6-months

2. Your baby’s development: 6-9 months; NCT; https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/your-childs-development/your-babys-development-6-9-months

3. Important Milestones: Your Baby By Six Months; CDC; https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/milestones-6mo.html

4. Your Child’s Development: 6 Months; Nemours KidsHealth; https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/development-6mos.html

5. 4-6 Months Milestones; Pathways.org; https://pathways.org/growth-development/4-6-months/milestones/

6. Your child’s developmental milestones from 0 to 6 months; HSE; https://www2.hse.ie/babies-children/checks-milestones/developmental-milestones/0-6-months/

7. Your baby’s growth and development – 6 months old; Pregnancy, Birth and Baby; https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/babys-growth-and-development-6-months-old

8. Infant development: Milestones from 4 to 6 months; Mayo Clinic; https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/in-depth/infant-development/art-20048178

9. ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH YOUR INFANT OR TODDLER; Government of Newfoundland and Labrador; https://www.gov.nl.ca/education/files/earlychildhood_everyday_i_learn_through_play.pdf

10. Your guide to teething month by month; NCT; https://www.nct.org.uk/baby-toddler/teething/your-guide-teething-month-month

11.  Baby’s First Tooth: 7 Facts Parents Should Know; American Academy of Pediatrics; https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/teething-tooth-care/Pages/Babys-First-Tooth-Facts-Parents-Should-Know.aspx

Also Read:

23 Week Baby Development
25 Week Old Baby Milestone and Care
Development Milestone of 26 Week Old Baby