Your 5-month-old baby's growth and development (2024)

At 5 months old, your baby is growing by the day – and exciting things are on the horizon, like sitting up and trying solid foods. Right now, your baby is at the adorable stage between cuddly newborn and active baby, so soak it all in. Here's what to look forward to this month.

Your baby's development

Your baby is working hard to gain the skills required to move around without your help. Once your little one can roll over in both directions, they may start rolling across the room and end up in different spots than where you put them down. Make sure you've done your babyproofing!

Your baby is becoming more social and interested in other people, but saves their biggest smiles for the people they know and love the best – like you. At 5 months old, your baby knows their name and may turn toward you when you say it. Your baby is more attuned to your tone of voice, too. When you say hello in a loud, silly voice, your baby may squeal and grin back.

5-month-old milestones

Here are some of the milestones that your 5-month-old baby may reach:

• Playing. At 5 months old, your baby probably loves playtime. And the great thing is, playing helps your baby learn, develop skills, and boosts their senses. Holding toys in front of your baby so they can practice reaching and grabbing them, playing "peek-a-boo," or attending a parent-baby music class are all good ways to play together. Check out these ideas for easy games to play with your baby.
• Rolling over. Although not all babies will totally master this skill yet, some babies will be rolling over from front to back and back to front around 5 months. (Flipping from back to front is harder because your baby needs stronger neck and arm muscles for that maneuver.) Your baby may love their newfound ability, or may not like the view once they've flipped over. Either way, encourage them.
• Sitting up. Most 5-month-olds can't sit up without support yet, but your baby may enjoy sitting while propped up by pillows. This can help your baby develop the core strength needed for sitting, too. Just be sure to stay right next to your little one in case they topple over.
• Moving objects. Your baby may be able to pick up larger, easy-to-grasp objects like soft balls and blocks. Passing things from one hand to the other usually won't happen for another few months, but your baby is getting better at grabbing things. Your 5-month-old may begin reaching with both hands at the same time, touching their fingers together, and banging objects on a table or hard surface.
• Understanding cause and effect. At 5 months old, your baby is gaining the ability to recognize cause and effect. This means they might purposely throw a toy and giggle at the sound it makes, or realize that if they cry a certain way, you'll pick them up. Your baby is learning that their behavior has an impact on others – namely you!

Although babies follow fairly predictable patterns of development, all babies are different. It's a good idea to be aware of milestones and tell your baby's care provider if you have any concerns about developmental delay. But keep in mind that some babies just need a bit more time to learn skills and hit milestones.

5-month-old weight and length

How much should a 5-month-old weigh? Every baby is different, but in general, you can expect the following weights and lengths for baby boys and girls:

Baby boys

Average weight for a 5-month-old: 16 pounds 9 ounces
Average length for a 5-month-old: 26 inches

Baby girls

Average weight for a 5-month-old: 15 pounds 3 ounces
Average length for a 5-month-old: 25 1/4 inches

Keep in mind that these numbers are all averages and it's perfectly normal if your baby weighs or measures more or less. Your baby's healthcare provider will ensure that your baby is growing correctly by plotting their measurements on an individual growth chart at every checkup.

5-month-old feeding

How much does a 5-month-old eat? Whether your baby breastfeeds or takes a bottle, your 5-month-old will have between 24 to 32 ounces of formula or breast milk every 24 hours.

Formula-fed babies will drink about 6 ounces at every feeding, and will want five to six bottles per day. (That's true for babies who drink breast milk from a bottle, too.) That will work out to a bottle every 3 to 4 hours, with longer stretches at night.

Breastfed 5-month-olds will usually nurse five or six times a day. But babies aren't always predictable – yours may want to nurse more often, and may have some shorter and some longer feeding sessions.

There's no hard and fast rule about how often your 5-month-old should breastfeed. (And some breastfed babies may want to nurse for comfort and not just physical nourishment.) Keep watching for your baby's hunger cues to decide when to feed them.

Should you wake your baby to feed? Usually it's fine to let sleeping babies sleep – especially in those longer chunks that may be happening at night. At 5 months old, it's generally not necessary to wake your baby for a feeding unless your baby's healthcare provider has told you otherwise.

Wondering when your baby can start eating solid foods? Babies are typically ready to start solids between 4 and 6 months old, as long as they're showing signs of readiness.

Signs of readiness for solid foods include:

• Being able to sit upright in a high chair or infant feeding seat
• Having good head control
• Being able to move food to the back of their mouth and swallow it (rather than pushing it back out with their tongue)
• Opening their mouth when food is offered

Note: If you're exclusively breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendsOpens a new window waiting until about they're 6 months old introduce solids because breastfeeding exclusively is so beneficial for your baby.

After your baby starts solids, breast milk and formula will still provide the majority of your baby's calories and nutrition until they're 1 year old. The AAP recommendsOpens a new window breastfeeding your baby until they're at least 12 months – and longer if you and your baby want to.

Read more about 5-month-old sleep and feeding schedules.

5-month-old sleep

Technically your baby isn't sleeping more at 5 months old than during the newborn months. But since sleep is happening in longer, more predicable stretches, you may be feeling more rested.

But just how much should a 5-month-old sleep? The answer varies a bit – some sources say your 5-month-old needs between 12 and 15 hours of sleep (including nighttime sleep and naps) every 24 hours. Other sources put that number at 12 to 16 hours per day, or at 14 to 15 hours a day (about 10 hours at night and 4 hours as daytime naps).

Your baby may be sleeping through the night by now – which for a baby means 6 to 8 hours at a stretch. Nighttime wake-ups are still common, but hopefully after a feeding, your baby will fall asleep again for another 3 to 4 hours (giving you an almost-normal night of sleep).

At 5 months old, your baby may still be taking three naps per day (morning, afternoon, and evening) or might have transitioned to two naps (morning and afternoon). Naps will typically be one or two hours each.

If your baby's sleep isn't falling into predictable patterns, check out this sleep schedules for 5-month-olds, and these expert sleep strategies for babies.

Since your 5-month-old can roll and move now, it's extra important to make sure your baby is sleeping safely:

• You may need to move the mattress down in your baby's crib so your baby can't fall out.
• A bassinet isn't safe once your baby is between 4 and 6 months old or starts pushing up on their hands and knees.
• Swaddles aren't safe once your baby can roll over.
• Crib bumpers, quilts, loose blankets, stuffed animals, and pillows aren't safe for your baby to sleep with.
• The AAP recommendsOpens a new window that your baby sleep in your room, but not in your bed, at night for at least the first six months and ideally for the first year.

Your 5-month-old is in the sweet spot for sleep training if that appeals to you. There are many different approaches to sleep training – it doesn't just mean letting your baby cry it out. There are "no tears" methods, "fading" methods, and other techniques.

Sleep training isn't for everyone, but it can be eye-opening to realize that sleep is actually a skill that both parents and babies can learn. You can teach your baby to sleep better, and in turn, you'll get more sleep too – and that's a beautiful thing.

Your baby's health

There's no well-baby visit at 5 months old, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a lot going on with your baby's health this month. If you have any concerns, call your baby's healthcare provider. Many providers offer telehealth visits, so you can check in without leaving your home (or disrupting naptime). Your next well-baby visit will be your baby's 6-month checkup.

This is also a good time to catch up on any vaccines that your baby may have missed. You can schedule a vaccine visit, which doesn't require your baby's doctor, so you'll be in and out a lot faster.

Here are some health concerns that may crop up this month:

• Diaper rash. Diaper rash is common, but if your baby has a diaper rash that just won't go away, call your baby's healthcare provider. Babies can actually get yeast diaper rashes that don't respond to regular diaper rash creams. You may need a topical antifungal cream to treat it.
• Teething. Most likely, you have a month or two before your baby starts teething. Most babies get their first tooth when they're between 6 and 10 months old. But some babies do teethe early. If you notice swollen, red gums, excessive drooling, and unusual fussiness in your baby, teething may be the culprit.
• Spitting up. By 5 months old, many babies will have started to outgrow a tendency to spit up. (It's more common for babies to spit up in the early months because their digestive system is still developing and they're lying flat.) So if your baby is consistently spitting up at this age, seems to not be gaining weight, or has just started spitting up, call your baby's doctor.

Your 5-month-old baby: Week by week

Want to learn more about what's happening with your baby this month? Get more details on your 5-month-old's weekly development:

• Your 5-month-old: Week 1
• Your 5-month-old: Week 2
• Your 5-month-old: Week 3
• Your 5-month-old: Week 4