How babies develop in their fifth month

Appointments – What to expect in the 5th month?

The intervals between check-ups at the paediatrician are now getting longer. After the first demanding months many mothers feel like getting out and about – baby playgroups and crawling groups, parents' meet‑ups or exercise classes especially for mothers are good opportunities to exchange experiences and get out of the house. There are privately organised groups, services from midwives and maternity clinics as well as offers from sports clubs and institutions such as the AWO. Look around and don't hesitate to ask other mothers and fathers.

Important developmental milestones in the 5th month

Sight: In the fifth month your baby's sense of sight is fully developed. Differences in colour, contours and distances are no longer a problem for baby eyes. Good vision also sparks curiosity: your baby delights in exciting discoveries.
Facial expressions: Your child has already picked up lots from you parents and uses facial expressions as well as their voice to convey their mood: with smiles, surprise, pleasure or a grumpy face the range of their expressions expands every day.
Perception of voice: Hearing is now fully developed and your child can recognise emotional cues in other people's voices. Their own voice becomes more and more used through babbling and a variety of sounds.
Basic trust: Your child places its full trust in you. It reaches out its arms and starts to <LINK>cry as soon as you leave the room. Many babies now hesitate when meeting unfamiliar people, which may increase over the next few months.
Motor skills: The baby's brain hemispheres are increasingly connecting and coordination steadily improves. Because your baby can now estimate distances better, they can grasp more precisely. The <LINK>fine motor skills continue to develop. When the child reaches for an object, the non‑involved hand and the feet often mirror the grasping movement. Engaging toys such as rattles or sound and musical toys promote the grasping movement.
Rolling onto the back: Your child is probably so flexible that you'll be astonished more than once. They may put their toes in their mouth and discover their own body. Many children roll from tummy to back for the first time in the fifth month.
Exploring objects: Babies in the fifth month mainly use their tongue and mouth to explore objects. There are particularly many nerve endings there – feeling with the mouth is much more intense than with the hand. Small parts that could be swallowed should therefore be kept out of children's reach.

How much should my child weigh in the 5th month?

As your baby now moves a lot, their muscles are getting stronger and they may already be able to support themselves on their forearms or perhaps on their hands. Their body weight has almost or already completely doubled since birth and lies between 6,900 and 7,500 grams. Height is roughly 64 to 66 centimetres.