University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Bulletin #4222

Months 5 and 6

How Baby is Changing

Baby has lots of energy! She seems to be moving all day long when she isn’t asleep. Many 5-month-olds can move around by rolling or wriggling. You’ll need extra patience to keep up with her.

She knows her mom and dad from strangers, and may cry when one of you leaves. Don’t sneak out! Tell her you’ll be back.

Soon she will show signs of being afraid of people she doesn’t know well. Let her get used to new people slowly.

Baby may like toys that make noises now. Ring a bell or squeeze a squeaky toy and watch her try to find out where the sound came from. Then let her try it herself. Say different sounds. Does she copy you? 

Baby has discovered her feet and may love to suck on her toes. She’s getting stronger and may start to push up on hands and knees. For safety, remove toys that are strung across her crib, like crib gyms.

From this age on, your baby will be very interested in toys that she can touch, look at, chew, suck and bang together.

What Is Your Baby Like?

Now that you’ve had a few months to get to know your baby, you’re probably noticing that he has a personality all his own. The part of personality he was born with is called temperament. Research on temperament shows that babies may differ in these ways:

Rhythmicity: Some babies eat, sleep, even go to the bathroom at around the same times each day. Others never do things at the same times from one day to the next.

Approach/Withdrawal: Does baby shy away from new things, or does he like them?

Adaptability: Some babies won’t take their formula if it isn’t just the right temperature, and can only sleep in their own cribs. Others seem to do fine wherever they are.

Intensity of Reaction: Some babies whimper quietly if they’re cold or hungry. Others howl as soon as they’re unhappy.

Threshold of Responsiveness: Some babies notice the tiniest change in their surroundings. Others can sleep through thunderstorms.

All these things together make up your baby’s temperament.

Some combinations are easier to live with than others.

“Easy babies” are somewhat active, have regular body functions, adapt easily to change and are usually happy.

“Slow to warm-up babies” have variable body functions, pull away from new things a little, and adapt slowly to change.

“Spirited babies” tend to have irregular body functions, withdraw from new situations, adapt slowly to change and react very strongly.

If your baby is spirited, remember these three things: 

1. He’s not difficult on purpose, and he is not a bad baby. He can grow up to be just as bright and loving as other children.

2. This is the “style” he was born with, but he may change as he grows.

3. A spirited baby needs a more caring and patient parent who will accept him and help him learn.
   To help this kind of baby, introduce new things slowly so he can get used to them. For example, try new foods a week later if he doesn’t like them at first. Praise him when he accepts something new. He needs to learn how to adapt.

Get Together

Some parents make a regular date to be with other parents and babies. Once a week, two or three parents and babies will get together for an hour or more.

Babies enjoy these play groups. Parents may enjoy them more! You can watch your babies grow together, and learn from each other.

You can use each other for emergency babysitting, too. Every parent has days when her baby drives her crazy. It helps to have a friend you can call on for an hour or so if you need to run an errand, or even if you just have to have some time alone. No one raises a baby without help. Who can you count on?

Introducing the Cup

Many 5-month-old babies are ready to start learning how to drink from a cup, although they still need to use a bottle most of the time.

Choose a non-breakable cup with handles to hold onto. A small cup is best, as a large cup could cover her eyes when she drinks from it, and scare her.
Try these steps:

1. Give baby the empty cup to hold and look at.

2. Let her watch you and her brothers or sisters drinking from a cup.

3. Put a spoonful of water or juice in the cup, and let her help you tip it so she can drink.
   
   As she gets better, put more in the cup, and encourage her to hold the cup herself. Be ready for spills and drips! Practice in the bath.
   
   If your baby rejects the cup, don’t force her. She’ll have lots of time to learn later.

New Foods for Baby

Remember to start new foods one at a time. Give each new food for three or four days in a row before starting another new food. Single-ingredient foods are best to start. If baby gets a tummy ache or rash, you’ll know which food may be to blame. 

Check with your baby’s doctor or clinic to find out what foods to offer first. 

Commercial Baby Foods

Babies just starting on solids need foods that are pureed or mashed so they are very soft and fine-textured. You can buy baby food at the grocery store in powdered form or in jars.

When using baby food in jars, be sure the safety button on top is down when you buy it. Listen for the “pop” when you open the jar so you know the jar wasn’t opened before.

Don’t feed baby straight from the jar. Saliva from the spoon can spoil the leftover food. Put a small amount into a dish instead. If food is left over from the dish, throw it out.

Refrigerate the rest of the jar and use it up within three days.

Don’t use regular canned foods for your baby. They have too much salt and may have preservatives or artificial colors that are not good for babies.

Homemade Baby Foods

You can use a blender, food mill or sieve to make baby food yourself. Use foods that are steamed, boiled, roasted, broiled or cooked in a microwave with no added fat, salt or sugar. Extra liquid may be needed to puree the food smoothly. Remove skin, bones and fat from meats. Peel vegetables and fruits and remove seeds. 

Some vegetables are dangerous for babies because they have high amounts of nitrates. Do not fix homemade beets, spinach, carrots or cabbage.

Clean hands for 15 seconds thoroughly. Wash between fingers, under fingernails and up to the wrist in warm soapy water. Dry with a clean towel.

For cutting boards, use a non-porous, smooth surface. Glass is best; hard plastic is good. Wood is fine as long as it is cleaned properly. To clean, put cutting boards in dishwasher and run through the complete cycle, including the steam dry process. If a dishwasher is not available, hand wash cutting boards by scrubbing in hot, soapy water and rinse in clean water. If automatic dishwashing is not available, only scratch-free cutting boards are to be used.

Your county Extension office has more information on nutrition and food preparation.

High Chair Safety

When your baby starts to lean forward out of his infant seat, and you’re afraid he’ll tip over, it is time to use a high chair. Here are some things to look for to be sure the high chair is safe for your baby:

• It should be sturdy, with a wide base so it won’t tip easily.

• There should be a seatbelt with a crotch strap to go between baby’s legs to keep him from sliding out.

• The tray should lock securely on both sides, with no sharp edges.

• Belt buckles and tray locks should be easy for you to use, but not for baby. 

• The seat should not be slippery. If it is, put rubber bathtub stickers on it so your baby does not slide around.

Dos and Don’ts for Using a High Chair:

• DO always use the seatbelt and crotch strap.

• DO lock the tray into place.

• DO be sure baby’s fingers are out of the way when you lock the tray.

• DO keep the high chair at least 12 inches away from the counter or table when baby is in it. He could push off and tip over.

• DO watch baby closely when he is in the high chair. Some babies have slipped down between the leg straps and choked.

• DON’T let your baby stand up in the high chair.

• DON’T let other children climb on the high chair.

Baby Gets Moving

Baby’s first year is filled with milestones: his first smile, first tooth, first time sitting alone. Last month, you read that learning to talk is a process with many steps. Physical development is the same way.

In between the milestones of sitting, crawling, standing and walking are smaller steps. Physical development follows a fixed order. Baby’s control moves from head down to feet and from trunk outward to hands and feet.

One baby may sit sooner than another, but every baby first holds up his head and neck, then learns to use his arms and hands and finally his body, legs and feet.

If your baby seems to be developing more slowly than other babies, remember he has to do things in order and on his own schedule.

Some babies take turns, first working on language then grasping, and later on sitting and crawling, for example.

Speedy physical development by itself does not mean baby is advanced in other areas. And slow physical development alone doesn’t mean baby is slow in other areas. If your baby is very slow, talk to his doctor.

Think Twice About Baby Walkers

Baby walkers have had so many safety problems that some officials want to ban them. Experts believe up to 40 percent of babies using walkers will be hurt by them.

Babies in walkers have fallen down stairs and been badly hurt or killed, sometimes even with safety gates on the stairs.

Some babies have lost fingers when the walkers folded up. There is also a choking danger from some models if the strap buckle slips and lets the baby slide down.

There are other safety concerns with walkers, too. Babies in walkers can move three feet per second, faster than parents can react. And they are up higher so they can reach things parents may not have put away yet, like cleaners or other poisons.

Some research also suggests that babies in walkers for longer than two hours a day may sit and walk late.

If you decide to use a walker:

• Close doors to stairways and latch safety gates.

• Keep a close eye on baby.

• Remove dangerous things from baby’s reach.

• Use it for less than 2 hours a day.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA) is starting to certify walkers and put labels on safer models. To get the JPMA approval, walkers must be made so they don’t collapse accidentally, pinch fingers or tip over easily. Watch for the JPMA label if you’re buying a new walker.

Baby-Proof Your Home

As a parent, it’s your job to make baby’s world a safe place for him to learn and grow. Baby-proofing helps protect him from dangerous things in your home, and helps protect your precious objects from damage.

Start by getting on your hands and knees and looking around your home from a baby’s eye view. Watch out for:

Small or sharp things: Anything baby can reach will go into his mouth. Keep floors and tables clear of coins, cigarettes, dust balls, paper clips, staples and anything else smaller than ½ inch that you do not want him to eat. If the knobs on your TV or stereo are small and come off, electronic stores sell larger ones that babies can’t choke on.

Keep knives, scissors, and razor blades out of baby’s reach. Throw out broken glass and other sharp objects right away. Don’t leave them in open wastebaskets.

Electrical things: Cover unused electrical outlets with plastic plugs you can buy at the hardware store. Keep lamp cords out of the way behind furniture. Move fans up high.

In the kitchen, don’t leave cords dangling. Turn pot handles toward the back of the stove.

Poisons: If you can, move cleaning supplies to a high place. Put child-proof locks on cupboards with dangerous chemicals.

Children drink things just to try them, even if they taste bad.

Some houseplants are poisonous. Check a plant book.

If you have a party, pour leftover drinks down the sink. It takes very little alcohol to poison a child. Cigarettes can also poison children who eat them. 

Medicine cabinets should lock. Don’t take medicine in front of your child, and never tell him medicine is “candy.” Even aspirin, Tylenol or vitamins can kill in large amounts. Keep the phone number for Poison Control near your phone. 

Plastic bags: The thin plastic bags that cover dry-cleaned clothes are very dangerous. A baby can get the bag over his mouth and nose and suffocate. Balloons can choke babies (except the shiny Mylar kind). Throw broken balloons out immediately.

Stairs: Install safety gates at the top of open stairways, and be sure to keep them fastened all the time when baby is around.

Valuables: It’s easier to change your home than to change your baby, and it saves you lots of saying “No, don’t touch that.”

Discipline and Safety

Baby is starting to get into things, and he may get hold of something you don’t want him to have. Since everything he picks up goes into his mouth, it’s time to think about child guidance for safety reasons.

One form of child guidance for babies is to baby-proof your home (see previous section). This prevents baby from hurting himself or breaking your things.

Baby needs to explore. It makes more sense to baby-proof than to follow him around saying “No” to everything he does.

Another form of child guidance is to redirect. This means moving baby away from a hazard (a lamp cord) to something safe.

You can substitute by getting your baby interested in a toy he can play with, then gently removing the thing you don’t want him to have.

Don’t slap your baby’s hands or yell at him. He can’t control his behavior yet, and only learns that it’s OK to hit. It’s up to you to keep him out of danger, not to punish him for getting into it. Try the three methods listed above (baby-proofing, redirecting or substituting), instead.

For more information on family issues, contact your county Extension office or the Family Living Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, 5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5717, (207) 581-3448/3104 or 1-800-287-0274 (in Maine).

Published and distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

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