5 month Milestones! What to Expect!

I feel like 5 months is quite the milestone! I cannot believe our baby has been in the world for 5 months! A lot of things have happened. A lot has changed. Life is different now. But not always in a bad way! We are mostly out of that 4 month regression at this point, although sleep has never fully recovered. 

In some ways, baby is much more like a person this month! It sounds like they want to talk to you, there's the beginning of laughing, they are interested in what you have in your hands and how your mouth is moving. It's like you can see their wheels turning in their brain! 

language

What should you notice about babies' language:

1. ​Baby should be looking in the direction of sounds
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​Get toys that make sounds and hold the toys adjacent to baby so they have to turn their body to find the source​
2. Expressively, you should hear baby making lots of noise! Cooing and babbling
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​Repeat back sounds that you hear baby saying! This reinforces their speech production.  You should be hearing things like 'ba' and 'da'.
3. You may hear sounds /p/ /b/ and /m/, but not in reference to anything in particular. Baby is making lots of vocal play sounds
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​​Repeat back the sounds they are saying. You can also begin targeting labels of words or objects that contain those sounds (i.e. book, up, mama, moo, papa) 
4. Giggling and laughing should continue to gain speed. You will find the silliest things or phrases can make baby giggle! 
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​​Repeat the action or phrase that made them laugh! Be dramatic and exaggerated in your intonation and your movements! For example, don't just tickle, take a deep gasping inhale and build up by lighting your arms high above their head before you drop down and say 'tickle tickle tickle tickle!!' They should start to anticipate what is to come! 
5. Baby should start responding to the sound of their name!
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. Be sure to call baby by name in isolation (not in a string of a words in a sentence). When baby looks at you in response, have something fun ready for them or make a silly face to get baby to laugh! They are making the connection now that they should be looking when someone calls their name. This should continue to grow into a stronger skill into month 6!​

---

social

1. You may notice baby responding to your facial expressions and tone of voice. If you are frustrated, baby seems to respond negatively or becomes upset. 
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​You can practice making a stoic face without apathy. Watch babies reaction! Between 5-6 months, you should begin to see them almost imitate you. Now change it and give baby a big smile! They should react accordingly and begin to smile!
2. Baby should start communicating their needs in subtle ways, like reaching up with their hands when they want you to pick them up!
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​​When you notice their gestures during repeated daily activities, honor their request! This is the beginning of how we learn to express language. It is all reinforcement. If you want to go up and you raise your hands for mom to pick you up and it happens, what do you think the likelihood is that you will try that again? What if it is ignored? You may try once or twice, but after that you can see it isn't working so they make stop that gesture. If baby is not giving you cues, try doing hand over hand (physically take their hands and have them reach up towards you while saying 'up' and then pick them up right away so they begin to make the connection!
3. Baby should start recognizing familiar people
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​Get excited when someone comes into view that they know! "Look! It's grandma! She's here!!"

Play

Playing is still new to baby at this point, but they are starting to engage with toys more and more!

1. ​Baby should recognize frequently used toys or objects
2. How can I encourage this?
   1. ​Start familiar play routines with toys! Use familiar language with toys as well! I give examples below on how I use this sound puzzle to play with babies (slightly older babies), but you can use those same words starting right now!

literacy

If you are reading to your baby daily, and I cannot recommend enough that you do so, they should start taking an interest in participating with you! 

1. Baby may show an interest in wanting to hold the book or turn the pages
   1. Baby should start reaching for books and showing an interest in holding and manipulating the,
   2. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​​Allow them to participate! I recommend you use board books exclusively, otherwise you will surely have ripped pages. You can use hand over hand to help them learn how to turn the page. You may need to start the turn and also have to release their hand from the page before you can read. ​

Cognitive

Your babies brain is developing rapidly this month!! They are understanding things on a more sophisticated level for the first time. 

1. Object Permanence: Now that baby is learning that an object is underneath something- it didn't just completely vanish- they are able to 'find' objects.
   1. How can I encourage this?
      
      1. ​Hide objects under a blanket, but leave it partially covered and within reach.
         
      2. Play peek-a-boo!
         
2. Babies are starting to imitate you in subtle ways!
   1. How can I encourage this?
      1. ​Be a great model!