5-Month Baby: Start To Sit

A 5-month-old baby generally starts trying to sit from his prone position by supporting his body with both hands. Even so , the position is not yet stable. To help, you can place a pillow on the right and left and continue to accompany.

A 5-month-old baby with male sex generally weighs 6-9.2 kilograms with a length of 62-70 cm. While baby girls weigh from 5.5 to 8.7 kilograms with a length of 60-68 cm.

Various 5-Month Baby Abilities

Babies of this age have experienced more development than 4-month babies . The following capabilities might be indicated:

Motor Ability

At the age of 5 months, the baby's motor skills are already visible. Some things that babies can do at this age include:

• Roll from your back to your stomach and vice versa. Sometimes, babies at this age can sit without being supported for a while. He will sit from his prone position by supporting his body with his own hands. To help stabilize the sitting position, position both legs stretched out like a V. Place the toy in front of it to be played and place a pillow around it. This development indicates that babies are preparing to crawl in the next few months.
• Babies can reach objects that are within their reach, begin to learn to move them from one hand to another. Little starts to throw objects in his grasp just to see the object fall. If you place the toy hanging on the bed of the little one for him to reach, you should move the toy so it doesn't fall on him when he pulls.
• At this age of 5 months, it's possible that your child can hold a bottle of baby's milk. However, you should avoid leaving him alone when he drinks from a bottle. Choked and non-swallowed milk can enter the canal that connects the back of the throat to the middle of the ear. This condition risks causing ear infections .

You can train motor muscles by placing toys within the reach of the baby and waiting for them to grab the toy. Or, you can teach the baby to move toys from one hand to another. Using toys that can ring, sing, and clap can also stimulate the development of body coordination. Even so, all stimulation should be given as necessary so that the baby is not exhausted.

Speaking Ability

Regarding the ability to speak, there are several things that a 5-month-old baby can do, including:

• Get used to the sounds that are heard everyday around him, such as the sound of TV, the sound of a pet or the sound of a telephone. The voice no longer disturbs or attracts his attention, but he will turn to the source of the sound he first heard.
• Can pay close attention to you when you talk. His jokes began to be more diverse and more frequent.
• Start saying a few words, like 'ma', 'pa', 'ba', or 'ga'. Some other babies can combine one word with another word. Even though the words he said have not been addressed to you, but 1-2 months he will call you with a call that you often call.

Social Ability

A 5-month-old baby can realize if you are calling his name or talking about him. He will turn towards you. In addition, he usually can interact more with his surroundings, marked by the following behaviors:

• He can raise his hand as a sign he wants to be carried or cry when you move away from him.
• In addition to crying, smiling and laughing, a 5-month-old baby can scream, mimic a voice, and speak in a different tone according to the response to his mood, such as feeling happy, satisfied, disappointed, or sad.
• He likes to be listened to, responded, and invited to talk.
• He will also laugh when he sees an expression or something he considers funny.
• A 5-month-old baby who has been able to recognize the people closest to him, may cry if he is among people he or she is not familiar with. This is a natural reaction when your baby shows an anxious and unsafe expression.

However, that doesn't mean you need to avoid taking it to a place full of new people. Your child only needs your patience to learn to recognize the surrounding environment.

Other Things to Look For

In addition to motor skills, speech and social skills, there are several other things that you must pay attention to when your baby enters the age of 5 months, including:

• A 5-month-old baby might be interested in the solid food that adults are eating around. However, you should wait until he is 6 months before giving complementary foods (MPASI) or you can ask your doctor when is the best time for your baby. In addition to being more at risk of causing allergies, at the age of 5 months the function of the organs of the body to chew and swallow is not fully able to work properly, as well as the digestive system.
• After being able to sit down, include the baby in a family meal at the dining table. A 5-month-old baby usually likes to pay attention to the people around him who are being
• Most babies can sleep soundly throughout the night. If possible, make it a habit to put it in the baby's bed in a drowsy state, not when it's asleep, so he learns to calm himself to sleep. A 5-month-old baby still needs two naps. Usually in the morning before and after lunch.
• At this age, the baby's vision will also be sharper and the perception of color will develop. He can distinguish differences in gradations in the same color, for example pink and dark red. Even so, he still prefers bright colors, like red, yellow, green, and
• Give a new experience to children, such as taking him to the park around the house or to the supermarket. He will be happy to pay attention to new, colorful objects and recently visited places.

Consult a doctor

Every child is unique. No need to worry if at the age of your child you don't have the abilities above. If the baby is born prematurely , then he needs more time to be able to do things that his age can do.

A 5-month-old baby should be able to detect moving objects and small objects more, and can recognize and distinguish between one color and another. Check with a doctor if his eyes do not follow the movement of objects or people around him.

In addition, if the baby has not been able to sit down, you can continue to position him prone so that he is trained to straighten his head and chest to strengthen his neck muscles. This is the basis so that he can sit by himself. Another movement to help strengthen his leg muscles is to help him stand on your thigh.

At the age of 6 months later, the baby moves more actively so that it requires more space and extra attention. This is the time for you to start preparing a safer home condition for your toddler by closing the power jack, storing sharp objects in a closed place, hot water, and also storing chemicals, such as cleaning fluids, which risk endangering your child.

Read the next developmental cycle in a 6-Month Baby: Start Eating Solid Foods