If having a 5-month-old baby is starting to feel like you’re engaging in a competitive sport, you’re not alone. At this point of mamahood, it can feel like the comparisons, the advice, the shoulds, and the should-bes are coming at you so fast you might want to propose “5-month-old milestones” as a new event at the Olympics.
Well, guess what? While it’s important to track some 5-month-old baby milestones to ensure that your little one is on track, you have full permission to not engage in the comparisons.
Check-in with your healthcare provider if you’re stressed about anything. Otherwise, shrug it off.
Right. Now that that’s out of the way, here’s the wonderfully good news: having a 5-month-old baby means you’re in the happy zone. This period (from about 4 to about 18 months) is known as the Golden Age. Why? Because, for the most part, your baby is choosing comedy over drama.
5-month milestones
The 5-month-old milestones can be particularly exciting because this is a period filled with transitions.
Your little one has been around for almost half a year and they’ve decided it’s pretty cool here.
As a result, they figure it’s best to get moving and talking as soon as possible—and while those activities might not be quite happening just yet, they’re certainly on the horizon.
Here’s some of the cuteness that may be in store for you:
Baby development 5-month milestones
- Sitting. Yes, at about this point your baby is learning a very valuable lesson: how to use their bottom for sitting. Very beneficial, we must say. Your 5-month-old baby might be doing this via a few different methods. One option is they might get themselves up with the help of their hands. Another is they might make use of you or another surface of sorts to help them do the job. Once they’re up, however, they will likely be able to hang out in this position unsupported. Look at those muscles working!
- Rolling. Typically from front to back. Tummy time can really help with this. Get your favorite playlist out and hang on the floor with them. Cute!
- Holding objects. Another very important life skill, gearing them up for a lifetime of cellphone usage. They might take and hold a toy. Or they’ll just follow it with their eyes like a little puppy.
- Chewing. On hands. Maybe on toys. Maybe on you. Yum.
- Teething. Possibly. If they’re a little cranky and accompanying their bad temper with a fair amount of drool, they are likely teething. Teething rings of various descriptions are useful in this regard—and you may always want to have a tissue on hand. A surprising quantity of saliva can come from that little mouth.
- Smiling. Awww, stop it. It’s too much. Heart exploding stuff, really.
- Babbling. Okay. They’re gearing up for speech so that one day they can give you really wild excuses as to why they stayed out so late. At this point, their speech sounds a little like some sort of alien language unknown to humankind. Fascinating stuff.
- And, sleeping! We don’t want to jinx it but your 5-month-old baby might just sleep through the night. The whole night. Not kidding.
At around this time, your 5-month-old baby also gets to know some really fascinating things about the world, as if they’ve taken their first Physics and Philosophy course:
- Object Permanence. This has likely set in at this point. They understand that there is a permanent world beyond what they experience. Whoah. Trippy. Peek-a-boo, anyone?
- Cause and effect. While many adults have still not quite learned this lesson, your 5-month-old baby is starting to develop an understanding of cause and effect. I drop my spoon on the floor; it’s no longer there. When it’s no longer there, mama seems to pick it up for me. And a game is born.
5-month-old baby weight
A 5-month-old baby typically weighs in at between 14.5 and 17 lbs—about half as heavy as a bar of gold and far more entertaining.
5-month-old baby foods
How much baby food for a 5-month-old? you ask. Here are some rough guidelines:
- Breastfeeding your 5-month-old baby: At this point, you’ll probably be doing about 5 to 6 feeds a day, with between 5 and 6 ounces a pop. So that comes out at between 24 and 36 ounces in total for the day.
- Bottle feeding your 5-month-old baby: Formula-wise, you’re going for about the same amount: typically about 5 or 6 feeds with a grand daily total of between 24 and 36 ounces a day.
- Solid food for your 5-month-old baby: Within the next month or so, you may want to start the solids journey. At this point, think anything mushy. This can mean puree you buy from the store, or some mashed-up veg. Some favorites are avocado, banana, and carrots. Also, you might want to get going on some baby cereal. Brown rice cereal is a good one to start.
You and your 5-month-old baby
Time for some real talk. Postpartum depression is a very real thing, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. If you’re experiencing symptoms, reach out. There are a range of different treatments available, from talk therapy to antidepressants to hormonal medication.
If you have support, making some time for yourself can do a world of good. A little exercise, a nice meal, a chat with a friend—phew, they all go a long way. Feeling blue has no bearing on whether you’re a good parent or not. If you’re feeling down, you don’t have to go it alone.
Here’s to you and your sweet-as-can-be 5-month-old baby.
(You’re nailing this, by the way!)
Read also: 5-Month-Old Baby Activities: Ideas to Try
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