Older Baby · Week 27 · Around 6 Months
Your 27-Week-Old Baby
At 27 weeks, many babies sit with little or no support and are showing the signs that make this the usual window for starting solid foods alongside milk. Expect more babble and a baby who wants to be part of everything. Development varies.
Milestones describe common patterns, not deadlines. Every baby develops at their own pace.
This week at a glance
Movement
Sitting steadier and reaching with a raking grasp.
Communication
Consonant babble like 'ba-ba' and turning to your voice.
Feeding
The usual window for first solids alongside milk.
Sleep
Two to three naps with a longer night; teething may disrupt it.
These are common patterns for this stage, not requirements for this exact week.
Track this week
A quick check-in on what you have noticed. There is no right answer, and “not yet” is completely normal.
Development and milestones
Movement
- Sits with a straighter back for longer
- Takes weight on the legs when held
- Uses a raking grasp
- Reaches with purpose
Thinking and understanding
- Looks for a partly hidden toy
- Bangs and shakes to see what happens
- Shows favourite objects
- Studies faces closely
Communication
- Consonant babble ('ba-ba', 'da-da')
- Turns to your voice
- Uses different cries and sounds
- Laughs in games
Social and emotional development
- Reaches to be picked up
- Begins stranger wariness
- Lights up for familiar people
- Enjoys interactive play
Sitting, first foods and babble appear across a wide range. Not reaching them at 27 weeks can still be completely typical.
Feeding
Around 6 months is the usual point to add solids while breast milk or infant formula stays the main source of nutrition. Start small and follow your baby's interest — there is no fixed amount every baby must eat.
- Simple, iron-containing first foods — mashed dal, khichdi, ragi porridge, soft banana or steamed apple
- A few spoons once a day, building up gradually
- Continued breast milk or infant formula as the main nutrition
- Responsive feeding — refusal on any day is normal
- No honey before 12 months
- No added salt or sugar in the first year
- Small sips of cooled boiled water with meals, if you wish
- Safe food shapes with close supervision
Feeding safety
- Sit your baby upright and well-supported for meals
- Supervise every meal — never leave a baby alone with food
- Avoid whole nuts and hard, round foods
- Offer soft, mashed or safely shaped foods
- Learn the difference between gagging (normal, noisy) and choking (silent)
Sleep
Common sleep pattern
Many 6-month-olds manage a longer night stretch with two to three naps, though teething, new skills and starting solids can all ripple through sleep.
Why sleep may change
- Teething
- New skills like sitting
- Starting solids
- Changes in routine
What may help
- A predictable wind-down
- A calm, consistent sleep environment
- Following awake windows rather than a rigid clock
- Removing anything your baby could pull into the cot
Safe sleep reminder
- Place your baby on their back to begin sleep
- Use a firm, flat sleep surface
- Keep pillows, bumpers, toys and loose bedding out of the cot
Play and activities
Supported sitting play
Supports: Trunk control and grasp
Sit your baby with a shallow basket of safe objects to explore.
Safety: Stay within arm's reach in case of a topple.
Cause and effect
Supports: Early problem-solving
Offer a drum, crinkly book or stacking cups to knock over.
Safety: Keep every piece too big to swallow.
First-foods exploration
Supports: Accepting new textures
Let your baby touch and taste soft foods at family mealtimes.
Safety: Never leave a baby alone with food.
Naming games
Supports: Vocabulary
Point to and name body parts and objects.
Safety: Floor or lap level is safest.
Roll the ball
Supports: Reaching and turn-taking
Roll a soft ball back and forth in supported sitting.
Safety: Use a ball too big to fit in the mouth.
Babyproof before the next step
Mobility safety matters a lot at this stage. A quick sweep now keeps new skills safe.
- Never leave your baby alone on a raised surface
- Keep small objects and choking hazards off the floor
- Move hot drinks away from reach
- Check the cot is clear as your baby becomes more active
- Begin planning outlet covers and stair gates before crawling
Growth
Growth is a pattern, not a weekly target.
What matters most
- Weight, length and head circumference over time
- By 6 months many babies have roughly doubled their birth weight — an average, not a target
- Feeding, energy and overall wellbeing
- Any sudden change in the growth curve
Percentiles are read alongside the overall pattern — not used to diagnose on their own.
Vaccinations to check
There is no universal vaccine assigned solely to Week 27. Six months is a common review point on Indian calendars — check your baby's record and confirm what is due.
What is due depends on:
- Previous doses already given
- The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) schedule
- The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) schedule
- Your state programme
- Your paediatrician's guidance
- Any catch-up requirements
If you are signed in with a baby profile, your next recorded vaccine appears on your dashboard. Always confirm timing with your paediatrician.
When to contact a doctor
Seek urgent medical care
- Breathing difficulty
- Baby is unusually floppy or very difficult to wake
- Choking
- Signs of severe dehydration (few wet nappies, no tears, a sunken soft spot)
- Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea with a worsening condition
- A seizure or loss of consciousness
Discuss promptly with your paediatrician
- Cannot sit with support
- Does not babble or respond to sounds
- Seems very stiff or very floppy
- No interest in reaching for objects
- Loss of a previously acquired skill
Loss of a previously acquired skill should be discussed promptly.
ParentVibes offers general information, not medical advice or diagnosis. If you are worried, contact your doctor.
What comes next
Coming next: Week 28
In the coming week, movement, gestures and early communication may continue developing as the first birthday approaches.
You may notice
- Hands-free sitting
- A wider range of first foods and textures
One safety reminder
Never leave your baby alone with food as solids expand.
One play idea
Offer stacking cups to bang together and knock down.
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Helpful for this stage
Frequently asked questions
What foods can I give my 27-week-old baby first?
Simple, iron-containing single foods are a good start — for example well-mashed dal or khichdi, ragi porridge, soft banana or steamed apple. Offer a little once a day and build up as your baby shows interest. Avoid salt, sugar and honey in the first year, and keep breast milk or formula going.
How do I know my 6-month-old is ready for solids?
Readiness signs include sitting with support and steady head control, showing interest in your food, and being able to move food to the back of the mouth rather than pushing it out. Most babies reach these around 6 months. If you're unsure, ask your paediatrician before starting.
How much solid food should a 27-week-old eat?
There's no universal amount. Solids at this stage are for learning and adding iron, not replacing milk, so a few spoons that grow over days and weeks is normal — and some days your baby will eat almost nothing. Follow their cues and keep milk feeds as the main nutrition.
Why is my 6-month-old suddenly shy around strangers?
Stranger awareness is a normal developmental step that often appears around now — it shows your baby can tell familiar people from unfamiliar ones. Give new people time and let your baby watch from your arms; it usually eases with gentle, unpressured exposure.
Should a 27-week-old be sitting up on their own?
Many can sit with little support around 6 months and go hands-free over the following weeks, but the range is wide. Keep offering supported sitting and floor play; mention it at your check-up if your baby cannot sit with support or seems very stiff or floppy.
Is it normal for sleep to get worse at 6 months?
Yes, it's common. Teething, new skills like sitting, and starting solids can all disturb sleep for a while. A consistent wind-down and safe-sleep basics help; persistent, worrying changes are worth raising with your doctor.
Can my 6-month-old drink water?
Once solids start, small sips of cooled boiled water with meals are generally fine, but milk should still provide most fluids. Large amounts of water can fill a small tummy and displace milk — check with your paediatrician if you're unsure how much to offer.
Sources & references
Formal milestone and safety guidance comes from the organisations below. Week-level framing is ParentVibes's editorial interpretation — none of these organisations publishes a specific “week 46” standard.
Infant and young child feeding
Supports: Complementary feeding from ~6 months
Visit source →Learn the Signs. Act Early. — developmental milestone checklists
Supports: Month-based milestone framework (not week-by-week)
Visit source →A parent's guide to safe sleep (HealthyChildren.org)
Supports: Safe sleep recommendations
Visit source →Baby — feeding, sleep and development
Supports: Feeding, sleep and baby-care guidance
Visit source →Indian Academy of Pediatrics — immunisation
Supports: Indian immunisation guidance
Visit source →Medically reviewed by Dr. Prachi, Physician · Last reviewed July 9, 2026
Reviewed for developmental, feeding, sleep and general-health accuracy. General information only — not a substitute for advice from your own paediatrician.