What’s Happening This Week
Week 5 is the week most parents look back on as the first real bright spot. The social smile arrives. Not the reflex half-smile of the first weeks — a genuine, intentional smile in response to your face or voice. It may be fleeting at first, appearing and disappearing quickly. You may wonder if you imagined it. You didn’t.
This is a major developmental event. It marks the beginning of intentional social communication. Your baby is now responding to you as a person, not just a food source and warmth provider.
More awake time this week — wake windows may reach 75–90 minutes for some babies. During that awake time your baby is increasingly interactive: tracking your face across a wide arc, reacting to your voice with small sounds, beginning to produce soft vowel-like noises (early cooing).
Feeding This Week
Breastfeeding is usually well-established by week 5, but this week is when questions about reflux peak. If your baby is spitting up after every feed, crying during or after feeds, and arching their back, reflux may be a factor.
The distinction to make: a baby who spits up but is growing well, is comfortable most of the time, and is not in obvious pain is a “happy spitter.” This requires no treatment other than patience and extra burp cloths.
A baby who is genuinely in pain, losing weight, refusing feeds, or having trouble breathing during episodes is a different situation. Talk to your pediatrician before trying any home remedies or thickeners.
Continue on-demand feeding. At 5 weeks, breastfed babies typically feed 8–10 times per 24 hours; formula-fed babies 5–7 times. Both can vary significantly.
Sleep This Week
Slightly longer stretches may begin emerging — some babies produce a 4-hour stretch once per night by week 5. Do not count on this being consistent. Do not start sleep training. It is too early.
Continue the day/night differentiation cues established in week 2: bright, noisy days and dim, quiet nights. These cues are slowly working even if the sleep is still fragmented.
Safe sleep reminder: back to sleep on a firm surface, no soft objects, room-share.
Is This Normal?
Witching hour is real. Many babies have a predictable window — often 5–9 pm — where they are inconsolably fussy, nothing soothes them, and feeding may not help. This overlaps with the purple crying period and peaks around week 6. It’s not hunger, it’s not pain, it’s a developmental phase. It ends.
Head shape concerns. Flat spots on the back or side of the head are common at this age due to babies spending so much time on their backs. Tummy time (supervised, awake) and alternating the direction baby faces in the cot helps. Mention it at your next visit. Most cases resolve with repositioning — rarely requires intervention.
Mother’s Body This Week
If you’ve been exclusively breastfeeding, you may notice your period has not returned. This is normal — lactational amenorrhea suppresses ovulation in many mothers. But it is not reliable contraception. You can ovulate before your first period returns. If you’re not intending to conceive, discuss contraception options at the upcoming 6-week check-up.
When to Call the Doctor
- Baby is not smiling or making eye contact at all by the end of week 6 — mention at 6-week visit
- Reflux symptoms include breathing difficulty, choking during feeds, or significant weight loss
- Fever (37.5°C or above) — at this age, any fever is a reason to call immediately
- Persistent inconsolable crying that is different from the usual witching-hour pattern, especially with fever or unusual behaviour
Real Questions from Indian Mothers
These are real questions asked by parents in the Babynama community, answered by our pediatricians.
“Hi Doctor My baby is 8 weeks old. She is spitting milk even after having burp. Occurs 2-3 times today with both formula and breast milk. Should i give her more milk now?”
Yes, u need to feed in demand. Feed every 2-3 hours or earlier if baby demands, burp well after each. Some sort of spitting is normal, if baby active,feeding well, gaining weight, it’s alright
“Will iron supplement increase reflux”
Iron can cause gastric issues, change in stool pattern and can cause reflux as a side effect. It’s not a rule but it is a possibility. It’s best to know for sure by trying for your baby