Stages of development: what does a 5 month old baby do? What are its activities?
Your baby is now 5 months old and the progress he has been making since birth is dazzling. His curiosity and his growth allow him at this age to be more and more active and in interaction with his close entourage, to the delight of his parents.
Gross Motor
Around the 5th month of life, baby begins to have what is called voluntary motor skills. That is to say, he begins to move, to act, with a purpose. “At 5 months baby already knows very well recover when you put him flat on his stomach, leaning on his arms, his hands with his nose in the air. He also sits up straight when you carry it against you without having to hold his head“ reveals Dr. Catherine Salinier, pediatrician.
When does baby start to sit up?
It is also an age during which he also begins to to siteven if you still avoid sitting them yourself in favor of a free motor skills. “But in the game, we can see that he can last a few seconds” continues the pediatrician. Finally, he can quite wriggle with his 4 limbs, he is also capable to rotate directly on his belly and change direction once placed on his playmat, for example. It’s not time to crawl yet, but baby go try to move.“Obviously it’s a continuum, moderates the pediatrician, and not a fixed date. These are the progress observed on average at 5 months, it may be a little before or after. “
Fine motor skills
What a joy to finally be interactive! At 5 months, in fact, baby can grab an object that is handed to him. And it’s all an exploration that begins and a period of great discoveries. The baby will then take the object offered to him, with one hand, then put it in the other handmanipulate it, observe it and immediately put it in your mouth. “At this age you have to keep in mind that everything goes through the mouth, that’s how he looks, how he touches an object, it’s completely normal”recalls the pediatrician, who then insists on the notion of prevention for baby’s safety.
How does baby trade?
At 5 months, that’s it, baby reach out to you, his parents, or to people he knows very well. If he does not extend his arms, we need what is called the “motorcycle”: he waves his arms and wrists so that we take them in the arms. “Babies thus show that they recognize their loved ones well, they don’t do that to strangers” reveals the pediatrician.
At this age, baby also plays with his voice : he understands that his glottis makes sounds, and he has fun. It’s a moment when he starts to shout, to do high-pitched sounds, coughing to try out his voice. This can sometimes worry parents at first, but it is a lot of fun for baby. And he loves when we encourage him “Oh, but you are sick, are you coughing?” to make it repeat. Take the opportunity to encourage him.
Finally, when we have a good approach with the gaze, baby has fun imitating usit reproduces our facial expressions, and even stick out your tongue in response. A real joy.
What activities for my 5 month old baby?
With his newest advancements, he becomes even easier to play her baby and to provoke reactions and communication. You can encourage him to touch objects, without risk for him, take them from him, give them to him. This is also the time to get closer to him, react to his interactions and offer him voice intonations, noises that he will like to imitate. Finally, baby has a lot of fun in front of a mirror, even if he does not yet know who it is.
Good news for tired parents: very often, at 5 months, baby’s sleep starting to settle down. “It is said that children sleep through the night around 6 months, but already at 5 months, they are able to accumulate several hours of sleep and perform longer and longer periods, especially at night. says the pediatrician. Babies finally have a good knowledge of the day/night cycle who settles in, which allows them to better enjoy the nights.
And what naps?
During the day, on the other hand, baby sleeps less, and in cycles of 45 minutes, which he can accumulate in the afternoon but which sometimes constitutes shorter naps. You have to get used to it, it’s a completely normal development.
Food: what does a baby eat at 5 months?
At 5 months of life, food is still mainly provided through breast milk or immediately. But 5 months is also a good time to start food diversification if this is not the case yet. “We can start introducing pureed and cooked fruits and vegetables, one food at a time, from 4 months. At 5 months, we can start without fear” hears the pediatrician. But it also depends on the attitude of the child, if he is very curious, if he follows the spoon with his eyes and shows that he wants it” explains the pediatrician. On the other hand, if the baby is breastfed and the mother is not in a great hurry, diversification can wait a little longer, but should not exceed the age of 6 months.
What medical examinations are expected at this age?
Baby has completed his first series of vaccines. But he must return to the pediatrician every month for a complete examination, and verification of his good growth.
How tall and weight is baby at 5 months
At 5 months, children measure between 62 and 65 cm approximately, and weigh between 5.5 and 6.5 kg. During the 5-month consultation, the pediatrician mainly checks if baby turns his headif he is in the interaction, and if he stands alone without the need to hold his head.
Additional examinations if necessary
If it exists a doubt about his eyesight, baby’s vision will also be checked, otherwise it will be checked later. Finally, it is sometimes the moment, according to your pediatrician, to do an x-ray for the congenital dislocation of the hip and also ensure the good bone development of your child.