Your baby is 5 months old, and we are almost halfway through baby’s first year. By now, your little one is able to differentiate between familiar people and strangers. Physical development is progressing fast, and your baby is learning more and more skills. Five months is an exciting time as you watch this growth and development continue.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that your baby can either do or will soon be doing.
Baby development at 5 months is quite significant. By now, if your little one lies on their tummy, their exercises are quite strenuous, extending arms and legs and arching their back. If the baby lies on their back, they will even be able to lift up their head and shoulders. Your baby is not too far off sitting by this point, and may even be able to sit unsupported for a brief moment. If your baby is already doing these kind of “sit-ups,” make sure to put plenty of cushions around, try to stay nearby, and keep a watchful eye as this can be a time of bangs, bumped heads, and tears.
You can encourage your five month baby to develop the appropriate muscles for sitting by putting them on the stomach and placing toys just about within reach. The baby can now stretch out an arm and bring toys into their mouths by themselves, without you needing to do it for them. Just make sure that all toys are safe and baby-friendly, without jagged edges or small parts that can break off and be swallowed, or any peeling paint.
So what’s baby eating? You still don’t need to give your baby solids unless your health care professional deems it absolutely necessary.Current medical opinion suggests that the time for solid baby food is the age of six months and that the best baby foods at this age are still breast milk or formula. However, this time is drawing closer and you will see that the baby will start to get more interested in what other people are eating. Infants start wriggling a lot more during feeding times, but just be patient and give your baby lots of cuddles and kisses while you try to give them something to eat.
One of your baby’s favourite activities will be blowing raspberries and bubbles. Don’t worry – this does not mean that they will necessarily grow into an obnoxious toddler that will spit at everybody, it’s just a newly acquired skill that will provide some amusement for a short while. Babies tend to repeat new skills and noises as they learn them.
It’s possible that the baby knows their own name. You can have a lot of fun calling it and watching them respond. A baby at 5 months will start experimenting with consonants, especially “m” and “b,” and you will hear this sound repeated over and over.
Most importantly of all, your baby is beginning to express emotions and to even develop a sense of humour. They will laugh at your funny faces, hold out their arms to you to be picked up, nestle against you to show love, and cry when you leave the room.
Five months is a special baby age, because at this time your little one will express their emotions, show love, or cry, but will not yet have developed more negative attributes, such as insolence, disobedience, or being spoilt. This is a time to really enjoy parenting and nurture your growing love for your child even more.