By Alison Heyerdahl

The fifth month is usually a transitional time of exciting developments in your baby's life.  His muscles have developed in preparation for sitting, crawling, and even standing with support. He can roll from his back to his tummy and is starting to make sounds reminiscent of speech. You will also notice that your baby has almost doubled her birth weight. Read on to find out more about what you can expect in the fifth month. 

Milestones

Remember that all babies develop at slightly different rates.  Some babies are only starting to approach these milestones, while others will have passed them.  Premature babies and those with special needs may develop at a slightly slower rate.

Body Development

• At this stage, your baby will be able to sit up with support.  Propping her up with cushions on the floor will encourage the development of core muscles required to keep her upright.  Later in the month, you may also notice that she can push into a sitting position independently.

• She will confidently be able to hold her head up with no support.

• He can roll from front to back.  At this stage, you will notice that once he rolls over, he makes a rocking movement with his legs in reparation for crawling.  Be careful not to leave your baby unattended on a high surface where he can roll off and get injured. 

• By five months old, babies have developed a strong grasp.  She will actively reach for objects and bring them to her mouth.

• Your baby will also be able to bear weight on her legs.  Supporting her in a standing position will develop all the muscles she needs for walking.

Cognitive Development

• At five months old, your baby will discover that when objects are hidden from view, they don't disappear permanently.  If you hide their favorite toy under a blanket, they will attempt to search for it. 

• Your baby will be able to mimic the facial expressions of those around her.

• She will smile at people and now fully recognizes familiar faces.

• Your baby realizes that certain actions spark a reaction.  A favorite game at this stage will be dropping food from her high chair onto the floor.  Your reaction to her food flinging will likely motivate her to repeat it over and over (and over…) again.

• Your baby’s eyesight will have improved one hundred-fold since her newborn days.  While it won't be 20/20 until she reaches the six-month mark, she will be able to see shapes, colors, and patterns with more clarity.

• An important development in the fifth month is that your baby will enjoy play. Playing games has the benefit of encouraging social, physical, and cognitive development.  A firm favorite among five-month-olds is peek-a-boo.

Language/Communication

• At this stage, your baby’s hearing is almost completely developed, and she will start to recognize that you call her by her name. 

• Although your baby won't be talking yet, she will be communicating through different cries – you will likely be able to tell when she is tired, hungry, or bored.

• She will be able to babble and will try to mimic language by repeating certain syllables.

• Your baby will also communicate her pleasure at affection by flashing you a beautiful smile. 

Sleep

• At five-months-old, some babies sleep through the night.  Nighttime sleep usually lasts around 8 – 9 hours.

• To develop a good sleep routine, you will have to train your baby to fall asleep and to go back to sleep if she wakes.

Feeding

• At five months old, your baby will be taking in four to six ounces of breastmilk or formula at every feeding.  Near the 6-month mark, she will be going through a growth spurt and may need to feed more frequently, so feed her on demand.

• Some parents start their babies on solids at this stage. You will likely notice that she becomes very interested in what you are eating.  This could be a cue to let her try a bit of pureed baby foods or baby cereal (mixed with a small amount of breast milk or formula) twice a day.  You can gradually increase this up to four tablespoons per meal.  Another tip: Get your baby into a bib habit as early as possible, or she may resist it later.

Conclusion

The months are flying by, and your baby has become more mobile every day. She is also growing fast and has nearly doubled her birth weight. At this stage, she will be more interested in what is going on around her as time goes on. She will also make passes at trying to converse with you in her babble-speak. If you haven’t already started with solids, now may be a good time to get her started with different foods and textures.