Your Little Gourmet: Babys Fifth Month Guide

Baby smiled her real smiles at you and you were so charmed,you decided nothing could be better. But baby has more instore for you in her fifth month. Endless entertainmentcoupled with increasing interest in her surroundings makesyour five month-old baby an ideal playmate.

Squeals and smiles

You will be amazed by the repertoire of sounds your baby canproduce now. She is always eager to communicate with youwith her smiles, and squeals of delight. Laugh and your babylaughs with you. Baby babble is almost at its peak now.

In baby's fifth month, she can sit with support and haulherself up a little bit when she is laid on her tummy. Shecan pay attention to tiny objects, but it is wise to keepsuch objects well out of your curious baby's reach.

More sleep, yet less rest for you

Your five month-old baby sleeps for longer stretches atnight, which means your under-eye circles might soon goaway. But when he is awake, he loves your company and wantsall your attention. His daytime naps continue and give you afew short breaks to get that pile of laundry done.

Are you ready for real food?

Probably. Once your baby's tongue thrust reflex hasdisappeared and she seems interested in what you are eating,you might want to premiere with solids. Start feeding babywhen he neither has a full tummy nor a ravenous appetite.The trick is to know when to begin, and more important whento stop. When she looks disinterested and turns her headaway, it is time to abandon project cereal until the nextmeal.

In baby's fifth month, she will be open to the idea oftrying out a cup. Pour a few drops into her mouth. Most ofit will probably be spilt, but the earlier you start a cup,the fewer the spills later in childhood. A sippy cup has itsown advantages, but it might be tough to wean an older childfrom a sippy.

Unfortunately, along with your dimples and your lovelygolden hair, your baby also inherits some of your foodallergies. Wheat, cow's milk, soy, peanuts and fish arecommon culprits.

Feeding your five month-old baby is one of the messiesttasks you will ever perform. The baby-on-your-lap method isby far the most logistically tricky. An infant seat candouble as a feeding chair. Make sure you strap baby in andnever leave baby unsupervised in an infant seat even for amoment.

Get some exercise

Most mobile walkers and jumpers are unsafe and some haveeven been banned. A safer option would be an exersaucer or astationary walker. A baby swing can work miracles as itcalms your baby while you are occupied. But too much use ofthe baby swing can impair his practice of motor functionssuch as walking, crawling and cruising.

Health is wealth

In baby's fifth month, a medical examination is generallynot scheduled unless you have specific health concerns orquestions. Read all about environmental hazards that canaffect your baby both at home and outdoors. Try to minimizeyour baby's exposure to environmental hazards by adequatelychildproofing your home, monitoring baby all the time andfollowing safety measures.

Parenting is a demanding job and there are no jobregulations or specifications. Keep yourself informed sothat you know what is best for your baby.

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