As your baby gets older, you may be shocked at just how quickly time goes by. It may feel like you just brought your baby home from the hospital; however, he or she is already at five months of age. You will notice that they are becoming more active. He or she may begin to interact with you more often as well.
You may be getting excited about everything your baby can do, as he or she is really feeling like a bigger part of your family now. What do you need to expect as your infant reaches 5 months of age? Take a look at a few helpful points below for your child’s development.
Weight and Size at 5 Months
Your baby will continue to grow quickly during this time. At this age, babies are still going to be measured in length instead of height because they are not yet able to stand. The average girl baby typically weighs approximately 15 pounds while the average male baby weighs approximately 16 lbs. The most important thing is that your baby continues to track on the same curve, not necessarily that he or she is close to this exact number. If you have any concerns about your baby’s weight at this milestone, please do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician.
Development at 5 Months
Your child will meet a number of major developmental milestones at 5 months. For example, your child may be able to sit up by themselves at 5 months of age. This means that you have to be careful that your baby does not roll off the couch when you walk away. Your child may also like to use common household objects as toys, so you should make sure these objects are safe for your child.
Your child should also be able to discern objects in the distance as well as colors. He or she should also be able to track moving objects across the midline. This means that if something moves from the right side of his or her visual field to the left side, your child should be able to follow it. Your child’s hearing and vision should also be fully developed, and they might be able to recognize your voice.
With more consistent head control and new motor skills, your child should be able to interact more with the environment around him or her.
Feeding Schedule at 5 Months
Your baby’s stomach is beginning to grow at 5 months of age. Therefore, he or she no longer needs to be fed every 2 to 3 hours; however, if you are breastfeeding, you still should probably feed your baby approximately five or six times per day. This generally means feeding four to five hours apart. You may be able to condense these meals during the day if you no longer want to feed overnight. If you are feeding your baby formula, they should be eating approximately 24 to 36 ounces per day. You should space this over the same number of feedings.
Around this stage, you should also speak with your child’s pediatrician about adding new foods to his or her diet. You may be giving your baby 1 tbsp of puréed food or cereal to see how he or she handles it. You may want to do this twice during the day. Remember that you should only feed one type of new food every 3-5 days to make sure they do not have any allergic reactions.
Bowel Movements at 5 Months
Your baby should generally be having one soft bowel movement per day. If you are breastfeeding, it will probably look dark yellow with small specks in it. If your baby does not have a bowel movement every day, this is okay; however, if your baby goes a few days without having a bowel movement, you may want to reach out to your pediatrician for more information.
Coughing May Develop
If you notice that your child is coughing, you may want to reach out to the pediatrician for more information. For example, a cough could be a sign that your child has some sort of a viral infection. Your child may also be coughing in response to seasonal allergies, reactive airway disease, or even acid reflux. If you would like more information about coughing, you should reach out to your pediatrician.
Sleep Schedule at 5 Months
The vast majority of babies at this age are still going to sleep between 10 and 12 hours at night. Because of their circadian rhythm, they may wake up for an occasional feeding during the night. At this stage, you should try to train your baby to sleep through the night. Occasionally, your baby may require a feeding in order to go back to bed; however, this is usually no longer required. Your doctor will talk to you more about this issue. In addition, babies at this age usually nap between 3 and 5 total hours during the day. This is usually spaced out over two or three naps.
Major Emotional Milestones
Your child should hit a number of major emotional milestones around this age as well. For example, your child should be able to not only recognize faces but also voices. If you whisper to your child, he or she should be able to recognize that it is you. With fully developed vision and hearing, your child should be able to participate in playing peek-a-boo. Consider giving this game a try, as your child will probably love it. This is also another sign that your child is developing a sense of object permanence. This could be an opportunity for you to play peek-a-boo with a toy too. As your child continues to develop his or her own personality, you should have a great time interacting with him or her.
Have Questions, or Need an Appointment for Your Baby? Contact North Texas Medical Center Today!
These are just a few of the major developmental milestones you need to keep in mind for your child around this age. The most important thing for you to remember is that your child has to keep up with his or her pediatric visits. This is important for not only making sure he or she is developing properly but also for his or her vaccines. If you are looking for a pediatrician for your child, contact us at North Texas Medical Center today. It would be our pleasure to take care of you and your child.
