5-Month-Old Baby

A lifetime of good sleep for your baby will depend on your little one learning how to fall asleep unassisted.

And that means it’s important to give baby the tools she needs to fall asleep (and back to sleep) solo. 

That includes establishing a bedtime routine (one that doesn’t include nodding off at the breast or bottle), and potentially trying sleep training (also known as sleep teaching), if you decide to.

It also involves learning and responding to sleep cues (eye rubbing or crankiness, for instance), putting baby down to sleep while she’s drowsy but still awake, leaving baby's room and being prepared for some tears.

It varies from baby to baby, but most little ones will be able to sit up with help between 3 and 5 months old, either by propping themselves up on their hands, or with a little support from you or a seat. 

By the time she's 6 months old, your baby will probably have developed the neck, upper body and back muscles to be able to sit without support.

As soon as your baby has mastered lifting and holding that cute head up, you can help your little one learn to sit up. Prop your baby up in a seated position in an infant seat, a stroller or your lap. 

Sitting up with support in the stroller while you take a neighborhood walk is an especially good way to encourage this milestone.

As you walk, point out all the new things she can see from an upright, seated position, like dogs, cars and other babies in strollers.

Make sure your baby has appointments scheduled for all upcoming vaccinations.

Vaccines protect kids from more diseases than ever before — 14 by the age of 2. And by keeping your child's immunizations up-to-date, you'll be helping to keep this amazing health care track record going strong.

Talk to your pediatrician about what shots are needed and when.

No need to visit the toy store! When your baby can sit up, she’ll love a drawer to explore (or a cabinet or shelf — just make sure the contents are baby-safe).

Keep your plasticware and some lightweight pots and pans in a low cupboard in the kitchen and you’ll have a low-tech way of keeping baby amused while you’re cooking or washing up (“Look at that really nice square container and lid you’ve got there!”)

Those plastic containers, along with a plastic cup and a set of measuring spoons, can travel to the tub for bathtime water play, where they can become props for scientific experiments (“Let’s see how much water you can pour into this container!”) or some pretend cooking.

And pots and lids do double-duty by letting your baby make music — there’s nothing like the sound of bangs and clashes to bring out your child’s inner composer. You can sing along too!

The best way to decide how much to pay a babysitter is to ask other parents in your area (try the members of your local What to Expect group, along with mom and dad friends) what they think is reasonable. You can also ask prospective sitters what their rates are.

Rounding off the current minimum wage in your state is probably a good starting point. But whatever the going rate happens to be, don’t stray too far below it. You want to find the best sitter you can, and offering competitive wages is part of the deal.

You can also check out babysitting sites (like Care.com and Sittercity.com) for going rates from local sitters. Most of those sites allow postings only from sitters 18 and older, but you’ll still get a general idea of how much other families in your area pay.

And you may find a terrific 18- or 19-year-old, since many college students love the hours and flexibility of babysitting.

1. Mix it up. Keep boredom at bay by trying new combos or flavors. For example, snack on a whole wheat pretzel dipped in spicy mustard or a handful of blackberries mixed into lemon yogurt.
2. Make smart substitutions. Craving chocolate? Opt for a hot cocoa (an 8-ounce mug has 140 calories and 3 grams of fat) over a chocolate bar (230 calories and 13 grams of fat). Some other smart-snacking ideas: Swap nonfat frozen yogurt or sorbet for ice cream, baked tortilla chips for fried corn chips, pretzels for potato chips.
3. Read labels. TThat package may look small, but check the serving size. If there are two (or more) servings in there, you'll get double (or even triple) the amount of fat, calories and sugar if you eat the whole thing.

Skip the silver spoon Aunt Martha sent; a small plastic-coated model is much easier on tender gums. Count on having a few on hand during feedings — one for you, and one for your baby — to foster the sense of independence and avoid power struggles (yes, those may happen, even at this tender age).

For you, choose a long handle for ultimate maneuverability, and for your baby, a short, curved handle is easier for tiny fingers to grip and will help prevent your baby from getting hurt.

Just before you're ready to start, put a bib on your little eater (yours is optional!) and a splat mat on the floor.

A word to the wise: Get your baby into the bib habit right from the start or she may resist it later. It can be made of soft plastic, cotton or paper — as long as it's big enough to cover the chest and tummy, you're good to go.