Newborn Development: What to Expect on Week 5

It may have been a whirlwind first month, but by now, hopefully, you have adjusted to life as a new mom. Your baby is showing a little more personality and is growing fast and healthy. As you head into your second month, here is what you should look out for –  growth with regards to 5 week old baby weight, more feeding, and other milestones.

How Your Baby is Growing

Your baby is growing steadily, and at 5 weeks, you can expect that they will continue achieving milestones in their growth chart.

5 week old baby weight and height

On average, when it comes 5 week old baby weight, you can expect them to grow heavier by 1.5 to 2 pounds every month. As a parent, you will notice this change when you are constantly carrying them in your arms. Your arms will tire out more quickly, but seeing them gain weight is a real delight.

In terms of height, you can expect your baby to grow taller by 10 inches in the next 12 months. At 5 weeks, this may or may not be noticeable unless you are constantly measuring their length. Their heads would have also grown by 2 centimeters more around this time.

Baby Development: Your Baby’s 2nd Month of Life

Developmental Milestones 

Motor skills

In terms of motor skills, your 5-week old baby should now be able to carry the weight of their head while they are lying facedown on their stomach. It means they are getting stronger by the day, fueled by their growing curiosity as they react to their senses.

If you are holding them on to your chest, they may try to crane their head back towards you, staring at and examining your face carefully. But while they may show amazing progress in terms of strength, know that it may not be enough to fully support their own heads for a long time. It is important to keep supporting their necks during this period.

Hands

Along with being able to hold their own heads for a bit, they are now also able use their hands to grip things. This is particularly satisfying to parents, as their 5-week old baby can now grip their fingers when placed in their hands. This is also the perfect time to introduce them to various baby toys, as they can now clutch them on their own.

Vision

At 5 weeks, your baby’s vision has now improved drastically, so they are more likely to focus on things that capture their curiosity. A hanging mobile in their crib can keep them locked on for hours. They will also stare at your face for longer periods, so this is the start of them getting familiar or comfortable with the people close to them at all times. With their vision improved, you will notice that they can now follow your movement from side to side, as you move about in their room.

Gurgles

Around this time, you’ll notice that they are “gurgling” a lot and moving their mouths as if trying to speak. This is their first attempt at making a conversation, mimicking words with their gurgles and mouth movements. Still, the most effective way for them to convey and get what they want is through their actions. You will notice your baby wiggling more when you get closer, and of course, crying for your attention when you are not around.

Socio-emotional development

In terms of social and emotional development, your baby at 5 weeks is already starting to get familiar with you, especially now that their vision has greatly improved. They can be very delighted to see you or cry when you are not around to get your attention. Your voice soothes them when they are having a fit.

Feeding & Nutrition

The 5th week is quite challenging when it comes to feeding your baby. For working moms, you are probably at the tail end of your maternity leave, so someone else needs to handle the feedings.

Feeding via bottle

If you have exclusively breastfed up to this point, you need to start introducing a bottle to your child just to get them familiar for an easier transition when you start working again.

At 5 weeks, you need to adjust your baby’s feeding schedule, regardless of whether they are exclusively breastfed or formula-fed.

For breastfed babies, you will notice that there are more consistent feedings now, which are now longer at more definite intervals. They are less likely to cluster-feed now, so you can bid goodbye to breastfeeding them several times in just a couple of hours.

Why Does Nipple Itching Happen While Breastfeeding?

For formula-fed babies, you’d need to increase the amount they receive, as they are now considerably bigger than they were a month ago. By the second month, you can expect them to consume 4 to 5 ounces of formula every four hours daily.

Sleep

At 5 weeks, you are probably getting used to the routine of waking up in the middle of the night from the cries of your child. Unfortunately, your baby will not sleep through the night until they are around two months old. At this age, your baby sleeps around 16 hours every day.

It is time to get them used to proper sleeping patterns, so you may want to put them down to sleep when they are a little drowsy. 

You should also avoid nursing or feeding them to go to sleep. Feed them when they are more alert and receptive, or else they can be fussy and tired to breastfeed or take the bottle well.

Baby Care Tips

Baby Health & Safety

At home, there are a lot of things that you can do to make everything safe for your child. One is investing in a proper video monitoring system that you can choose to check on them regularly. This is quite useful when you are away at work. Remove window cords at home, especially if there are any near the baby’s crib. As mentioned earlier, they are more inclined to grasp and hold onto things at 5 weeks.

What to Watch Out For and When to See a Doctor

There are some things that you need to watch out for during this time. One is the possibility of your baby getting constipated. Unfortunately, they cannot tell you what they feel, but there are signs that can help you identify the problem.

Check if there is any

• Loss of appetite
• Discomfort when they are pooping
• Change in the consistency of their poop

When you see these signs, do not think twice and call your doctor immediately.

For parents, you should be more mindful about your lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation is quite common during this time, and it can really bring down your productivity and motivation for the day. What you can do is eat energy-boosting foods, learn to sneak a few minutes or hours of sleep whenever possible, and still be up and ready to go when your baby calls for you.

5 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Boost Your Energy

Key Takeaways

At 5 weeks, your baby still needs your round-the-clock support and supervision, though you will clearly see improvements in their strength, personality, and perception. It is always important to be mindful of any change that happens to them, and if anything feels odd or unfamiliar, do not hesitate to ask your doctor.

Learn more about Parenting here.