Adults will find themselves warming up to a 5 month old baby, who loves to socialize and interact with people. At this age, babies can easily engage other people's attention and get their best responses because of their innate charm, which may be viewed as a survival skill. Parents must see this stage as an opportunity to help their babies build their physical and social skills by the stimuli and love they offer.
How Is Your 5 Month Old Baby Developing?
1. Body Growth
In terms of growth, weight is actually more important than height in babies because it reflects how well they absorb nutrients. On the other hand, their height is determined more by genetic factors.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), growth standards for 5 month old babies are as follows: the average weight for boys is 7.5 kg, and for girls is 6.9 kg; the average height for boys is 65.9 cm, and for girls is 64 cm.
2. Sensory Development
A 5 month old baby's vision continues to improve, although a 20/20 vision is not yet developed. They can focus and see far and near objects without getting their eyes crossed. Their color perception become sharper and they begin to differentiate different shades of one color. However, they often like primary colors (red, yellow and blue).
3. Physical Development
At the age of five months, babies may be able to sit unsupported for very short periods. You can help your child sit up for a longer time by propping them on a pillow.
Parents may also notice that their babyhas the physical strength to raise their head and starts rolling over from back to tummy at this age. Their legs become more active as they prepare to roll over and learn to crawl, which may occur after a few months. Be sure to watch your baby because they can easily fall from elevated surfaces.
As the baby's gained more strength, they can gradually learn to pick up objects, transfer them between hands and use a sippy cup for drinking by themself. The baby's claw-type of grip enables them to use a raking motion to move objects. Help your baby develop fine motor skills by giving them a rattle or soft blocks to play with.
Since 5 month old babies can support their own heads, they are easier to cuddle. They also respond readily to stimulation and parents will be fascinated by their happy ways and antics.
4. Social and Emotional Skills
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Development |
Description |
|---|---|
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Become more skilled at showing emotions |
Your 5 month old baby becomes more skilled in showing emotions such as anger, boredom and happiness. However, their ability to express humor and love are still developing. They may show attachment to you by crying when separated from you or by raising their arms when they want you to pick them up. |
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Keep progressing in communication skills |
A 5 month old baby babbles and starts saying syllables such as ''ma-ma''. However, these are still meaningless words, which will soon become more like real words after a few months. Babies at this stage also start to make sense of sounds such as the bark of a dog or your voice, as you call their name. |
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Show their temperament more obviously |
Babies at five months of age can show their own temperament and express boredom, tiredness or discomfort by being cranky. Although some babies are more calm and easy to care for, some are more sensitive. |
Watch this video to learn more about the development of your 5 month old baby:
How to Take Care of a 5 Month Old Baby
1. Understand Their Feeding and Sleeping
Your 5 month old baby may want to try eating as they watch you eat with your spoon and fork. Although you may be eager to teach your child to eat solid food, avoid feeding them too early because babies still need milk as their primary source of nutrients. Avoid following a strict schedule if you are breastfeeding your baby and instead, allow them to let you know when they are hungry or just needs comforting.
Once your baby is able to roll from their back while sleeping, it will be difficult to keep them lying flat. However, it is advisable to place them on their back without the blankets you used to wrap them with when they were younger.
Some mothers breastfeed their baby to sleep, but at this age you may want to train your baby to separate feeding from sleeping. However, if your baby wants to be fed between sleep cycles and it is not a problem for you, then you can keep going as you are used to.
If you are using formula to feed your baby, make sure you follow instructions for preparation, especially when you need to increase the amount of feedings per day to avoid overweight or constipation problems.
2. Pay Attention to Their Health
Make sure you are on schedule when it comes to your baby's immunization. If you have overlooked the vaccination schedule on their fourth month, ask for an appointment now. Do not forget about your own vaccination schedules, especially for whooping cough.
Try not to be too obsessed about home cleanliness. Babies develop their immune systems in response to some dirt in the environment. However, exercise sensible precautions to keep everyone at home healthy and safe.
3. Safety Always Comes First
As your 5 month old baby becomes more active, it is necessary to baby-proof your house. Secure electrical outlets, lock up hazardous materials, put away stuff that babies can choke on, and avoid leaving hot items where your baby can get hold of them.
4. Help Your Baby to Practice Sitting up
At this age your babies may practice sitting up with the help of some pillows on their back to support their weight. It is also a good idea to do this on bed or on the floor with you sitting with your legs apart to support your baby between your stretched out legs.
5. Good Time to Introduce the Cup
As your baby learns to use their hands for holding objects, teach them to use a plastic cup for sipping water or milk a little at a time. This may take some time, so stop when they are not ready and just allow them to play with the cup. Try again later when they are ready in a few weeks or so.
6. More Tips on Taking Care of Your 5 Month Old Baby
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Tips |
What You Can Do |
|---|---|
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Keep talking to your baby |
Your baby begins developing language skills by babbling and imitating sounds. Continue talking to them even if they cannot say real words at this time to encourage language development. |
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Read to your baby |
Reading is a great way to teach your child about the world around them. Read books that help identify objects, counting, or help familiarize them with the environment. Many children like reading one book over and over, which may signify their unique preferences and personality. |
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Play music to your baby |
Allow your baby to hear a variety of music, including classical, pop and jazz music. The baby will enjoy clapping and singing along to the tune. |
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Play with your baby |
You can teach your baby to learn new words while playing. Use colorful toys and identify them as you hand them over to your baby. |
