Your baby at 5 months
In short
- Many babies now sit with a little support, enjoying the brand-new upright view of the world.
- Usually around this age: first laugh (3 to 5 months), rolled over (4 to 6 months), first taste of food (5 to 7 months), and first tooth (5 to 12 months).
- Milk feeds unchanged. A taste is an experiment, not a meal.
What does a day look like at 5 months?
A guide, not a schedule: every baby finds their own rhythm.
- Sleep
All babies change their sleep patterns as they grow, and it can feel as though every time you settle into a routine, it changes again. Growth spurts, teething and illness can all affect how a baby sleeps. A simple, soothing bedtime routine may help them settle, and your health visitor can help if sleep becomes a struggle.
- The night
Waking in the night is normal well into the first year and beyond, and babies vary enormously. Always put them to sleep on their back, in their own clear, flat sleep space, which is the safest setup.
- Milk and food
Milk feeds unchanged. A taste is an experiment, not a meal.
- Play
A little and often, building up from a few minutes a few times a day while she is awake and watched. It strengthens the neck, shoulders and back for rolling and sitting. Short bursts on your chest count too.
Checked against NHS (nhs.uk), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, checked on 12 October 2026
“always place your baby on their back to sleep in the feet-to-foot position - this means with their feet at the bottom of the cot, Moses basket or pram”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“use a firm, flat mattress”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“keep your baby's cot clear of anything that could cover their face and head - do not use pillows, duvets, cot bumpers, loose blankets, soft toys or anything to keep your baby in place, like pods or nests”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“making sure the baby sleeps on a firm, flat mattress, lying face up (rather than face down or on their side)”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“not having pillows or duvets near the baby”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“always putting them to sleep flat on their back on a firm flat mattress, and putting them on their back again if they roll over”
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), read on 12 October 2026“always putting your baby to sleep in a clear, flat, separate sleep space”
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), read on 12 October 2026“removing any bumpers, pillows or soft toys from the cot as these can cause your baby to overheat or affect your baby's breathing if they're too close to their face”
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), read on 12 October 2026“Put your baby on their BACK for every sleep, never on their front”
UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, read on 12 October 2026“Put your baby in a CLEAR, FLAT, FIRM, SEPARATE sleep space.”
UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, read on 12 October 2026
Checked against NHS, checked on 2 October 2026
One official page, quoted word for word; a second publisher is not recorded yet.
“Only do tummy time when your baby is awake and alert, and you're there to keep an eye on them.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Tummy time helps strengthen the back, neck and shoulders, as well as giving them a different view of the world!”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Some soon sleep through the night, while some do not for a long time.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“make sure they sleep on a firm, flat mattress lying on their back”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“keep your baby's cot clear of anything that could cover their face and head”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“You can start doing tummy time from birth by lying your baby on your chest (but only do this when you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep).”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Try doing this every day, for a short amount of time, you'll gradually build tummy time until your baby is used to it.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“All babies change their sleep patterns.”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“And remember, growth spurts, teething and illnesses can all affect how your baby sleeps.”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“It can feel as though every time you have settled into a routine, it changes again.”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026
Written against NHS (your baby’s first solid foods)
What is your baby learning at 5 months?
Sitting with support
Many babies now sit with a little support, enjoying the brand-new upright view of the world.
First foods
Around 6 months is when the NHS suggests starting first solid foods, alongside the usual milk. Expect mess, and enjoy it.
A name, and maybe a tooth
Your baby starts responding to their own name. The first tooth may appear around now too, though some arrive much later, all normal.
Usually around this age
- MovementRolled over4 to 6 months
- ConnectionFirst laugh3 to 5 months
- FirstsFirst taste of food5 to 7 months
- FirstsFirst tooth5 to 12 months
Coming in the next months
- MovementSat up alone6 to 9 months
- MovementCrawled7 to 10 months
When to ask a professional
If your baby has lost a skill they could do before, or you are worried about their development or think they might be behind, talk to your baby’s doctor or paediatrician.
Checked against NHS, NHS Healthier Together, checked on 2 October 2026
One official page, quoted word for word; a second publisher is not recorded yet.
“During your baby's reviews your health visitor will discuss your baby's health and development, and ask if you have any concerns.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“If you're worried about your baby's development or think they might be behind, talk to your health visitor or GP for advice and support.”
NHS Healthier Together, read on 2 October 2026“Have lost skills which they could do before”
NHS Healthier Together, read on 2 October 2026
Written against NHS (your baby’s development), WHO (motor development milestones)
What does your baby eat at 5 months?
When to start solids: each country says it its own way
- United Kingdom
Around 6 months, when the three signs below appear together. Not before, and if your baby was born early, ask your health visitor or GP first.
NHS (your baby’s first solid foods) - Spain
From 6 months, as the Spanish paediatric association puts it: when your baby sits almost unaided and can hold a finger-sized piece of food and bring it to the mouth. Until then, milk alone is all they need.
AEP EnFamilia (alimentación complementaria) - Italy
After 6 completed months, as the Italian national health institute puts it: milk alone no longer covers what they need, so the diet is completed with other foods while breastfeeding carries on, at the child’s own pace.
ISS EpiCentro (raccomandazioni sull’alimentazione infantile) - France
Between 4 and 6 months, as Santé publique France puts it: when your baby holds their head up and shows a clear interest in food. Every food family can be discovered in that window, including the ones that can cause an allergy.
Santé publique France (Manger Bouger, entre 4 et 6 mois) - Germany
At the earliest after the completed fourth month and at the latest at the start of the seventh, as the German federal health education centre puts it, beginning with a vegetable, potato and meat purée at midday.
BZgA (kindergesundheit-info.de, Beikost einführen)
The three signs
- They stay sitting and hold their head steady.
- They coordinate eyes, hands and mouth: they look at food, pick it up and put it in their mouth by themselves.
- They swallow food rather than pushing it back out.
Getting ready
Watch for the three signs. Milk is still the whole meal; the first tastes come when the signs are there, on your country’s timing above.
- What to offer
- Milk. Where your country starts in this window: a single vegetable, cooked soft, a few spoons at midday.
- On the plate
- If anything, a smooth purée from a spoon.
Is this normal at 5 months?
Gagging or choking, what is the difference?
Gagging is loud, with coughing and red faces, and it is a normal, protective reflex as babies learn to eat. Choking is quiet: the airway is blocked, so there is little or no sound. Always stay within arm's reach at meals and let them feed at their own pace. Learn infant first aid for choking. If the airway is blocked and they cannot cry or cough, shout for help and start back blows at once, and get your emergency number called straight away: by someone else, or on speakerphone if you are alone, so your hands stay free.
Is it normal to bring up milk after feeds?
Small, effortless posseting after feeds is very common and usually harmless while the baby is feeding well and gaining weight. Frequent winding and keeping them a little upright after feeds often helps. Call your emergency number or go to the emergency department if the vomit is green or yellow, or has blood in it or looks like ground coffee. Get an urgent appointment with your baby’s doctor, or call your local urgent medical line, if it is projectile, there is blood in the poo, the tummy is swollen or tender, they keep being sick and cannot keep fluids down, they refuse to feed, or they will not stop crying and are very distressed. See the doctor if they are not gaining weight.
Flaky yellow patches on the scalp?
That is cradle cap, very common and harmless. It usually clears on its own within a few months. Lightly massaging an emollient (moisturiser) or a little coconut oil into the scalp helps loosen the scales; then brush gently with a soft brush and wash with baby shampoo. Do not use olive oil, and do not pick the crusts. It does not bother the baby.
Other babies are ahead of mine, should I worry?
Every baby grows and learns at their own speed, and no two babies are the same. Most reach each milestone at around the same age, but some get there earlier or later, and it is common for children to develop at different rates. Your baby's health and development reviews are there to make sure their development is on track, and to ask anything.
Drooling and chewing everything, is it teething?
Teething often brings drooling, chewing, sore gums and a little extra fussiness, usually from around 6 months. Something cool and firm to chew, a clean finger to rub the gums, and extra cuddles help. A high fever is not caused by teething. Treat a high temperature, diarrhoea or being genuinely unwell as separate from teething, and check with your baby’s doctor if you are worried.
Hard, infrequent poos since starting solids?
Stools often change and can firm up when solids begin. Offer extra water with meals, plenty of fruit and veg, and whole grains. Gentle tummy massage and bicycle legs can help things move. If there is blood, ongoing pain, a hard swollen tummy, or it does not settle, check with your child’s doctor or paediatrician.
Checked against NHS (nhs.uk), Parent Club (Scottish Government), nidirect (Northern Ireland), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), checked on 12 October 2026
“Gagging is a normal reflex as your baby learns to chew and swallow solid foods.”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“Choking is quiet.”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“Gagging is a normal reflex that prevents your baby from choking.”
Parent Club (Scottish Government), read on 12 October 2026“Choking is when food gets lodged in the throat and they are unable to breathe.”
Parent Club (Scottish Government), read on 12 October 2026“If your child's coughing isn't effective (it's silent or they can't breathe in properly), shout for help immediately and decide whether they're still conscious.”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“Call 999 if the blockage doesn't come out after trying back blows and either chest or abdominal thrusts.”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“If your child's coughing isn't effective, it's silent or they can't breathe in properly or speak, or are unconscious, call for help immediately on 999.”
nidirect (Northern Ireland), read on 12 October 2026“Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call NHS 111 if your baby:”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“has vomit that's green or yellow, or has blood in it”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“is projectile vomiting (being sick with more force than usual)”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“has blood in their poo”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“is refusing to feed”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“is not gaining weight or is losing weight”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“In infants, children and young people with vomiting or regurgitation, look out for the 'red flags' in table 1, which may suggest disorders other than GOR.”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“Bile-stained (green or yellow-green) vomit”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“Frequent, forceful (projectile) vomiting”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“Blood in stool”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“unexplained feeding difficulties (for example, refusing to feed, gagging or choking)”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“faltering growth”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“have green or yellow-green vomit”
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), read on 12 October 2026“have blood in their vomit, or the vomit looks like ground coffee”
NHS inform (NHS 24, Scotland), read on 12 October 2026“Most babies start teething at around 6 months, but others start teething before they are 4 months old and some after 12 months.”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“their temperature is slightly raised but less than 38C”
NHS (nhs.uk), read on 12 October 2026“Most infants start teething around 6 months of age.”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“Clinical features may include pain, increased biting and chewing, drooling, gum-rubbing, sucking, irritability, wakefulness, ear-rubbing, facial rash, decreased appetite, disturbed sleep, and in some cases mild temperature elevation (temperature less than 38°C).”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026“Consider teething as a cause of symptoms in an infant or young child up to the age of 3 years, only after other possible causes have been excluded.”
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, and its Clinical Knowledge Summaries), read on 12 October 2026
Checked against NHS, NHS Healthier Together, checked on 2 October 2026
One official page, quoted word for word; a second publisher is not recorded yet.
“Gagging is a normal reflex as your baby learns to chew and swallow solid foods. Gagging is loud.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Choking is quiet.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“If your child's coughing isn't effective (it's silent or they can't breathe in properly), shout for help immediately and decide whether they're still conscious.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“It's common for a baby under the age of 1 to bring up a little bit of milk during or shortly after a feed, without being distressed.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Your baby does not usually need to see a doctor if they have reflux, as long as they're happy, healthy and gaining weight.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“hold your baby upright during feeding and for as long as possible after feeding”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“is projectile vomiting (being sick with more force than usual)”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Cradle cap is a harmless skin condition that's common in babies. It usually goes away on its own within a few months, but there are things you can try to make it better.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“It is not itchy or painful and does not bother your baby.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“During your baby's reviews your health visitor will discuss your baby's health and development, and ask if you have any concerns.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Most babies start teething at around 6 months, but others start teething before they are 4 months old and some after 12 months.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“their temperature is slightly raised but less than 38C”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Some teething rings can be cooled first in the fridge, which may help to soothe your baby's gums.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“Some people think that teething causes symptoms such as diarrhoea, but there's no evidence to support this.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“It's often caused by diet so can happen when using formula milk or when you start introducing your baby to solid foods.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“lie your baby down and gently move their legs like they're riding a bicycle - this can help get things moving”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“if your baby is happy lying down, give them a gentle tummy massage”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“If you think your child may be constipated, take them to a GP.”
NHS, read on 1 October 2026“has vomit that's green or yellow, or has blood in it”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“has blood in their poo”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“is refusing to feed”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“is not gaining weight or is losing weight”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“lightly massage an emollient (moisturiser) or coconut oil on to your baby's scalp to help loosen the scales”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“do not use olive oil, it may not be suitable for use on skin”
NHS, read on 2 October 2026“Every baby grows and learns at their own speed, and no two babies are the same. Most babies reach certain milestones at around the same age, but some might get there earlier or later.”
NHS Healthier Together, read on 2 October 2026“If you're worried about your baby's development or think they might be behind, talk to your health visitor or GP for advice and support.”
NHS Healthier Together, read on 2 October 2026“Have lost skills which they could do before”
NHS Healthier Together, read on 2 October 2026
How big are babies at 5 months?
| Length | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Girls | 64.0 cm | 6.9 kg |
| Boys | 65.9 cm | 7.5 kg |
Written against WHO Child Growth Standards
Which vaccines come around this age?
Every country, and some regions, keeps its own calendar, so the vaccines due at 5 months depend on where you live. Here is each one, from its own health service:
What comes next?
Peekaboo suddenly makes sense.
Feeds, sleep and nappies in a tap, and the next nap before it comes
In the app you log the day together or on your own, every phone in sync. You see your baby’s growth on their own curve, tick off milestones as they come, get a forecast of the next nap from your own logs, and ask Iris, who answers with all of it in mind.