Five week old not interested in toys

[newmum234]

My 5 week old is still in the relentless change, feed, burp, cuddle, nap and repeat phase. I’m wondering if there’s anything else I should be doing to aid his development in between all this? He has a bouncy chair, playmat, black and white book and a cuddly toy that rattles, but seems completely disinterested in all of them. When can I expect him to start engaging and wanting to play?

Also, he’s on 7 formula feeds a day at the moment and feeds every 3-4 hours. When can I expect the number of feeds to reduce and when’s the earliest a baby will sleep through the night?

Thanks in advance.

He’s sooooo little still, don’t wish the time away - they grow, change and develop so quickly but also at completely different rates. My DD definitely wasn’t interested in toys at that point.

Sleeping through - anything from 6 weeks to waaaaaayyyyy older. There’s no magic fix for that one!

How long is a piece of string? Some babies never sleep Through the night, sorry to break it to you and five weeks is still incredibly little. They just need to be held and talked to.

At 5 weeks old they only need fingers and toes to play with, the rest is just junk.

Its very early for toys, some babies like looking at those black and white patterns. I think DS liked the baby musical toys at about 3 or 4 months.
Sleeping through the night, mines nearly 3 and still doesn't. Its down to luck really, not routine or sleep training.

At five weeks old enjoys cuddles and binge watching Netflix. Seriously no toys are needed.

That’s you binge watching Netflix I mean!

Thanks. At what age roughly can I expect him to start enjoying things like a playmat, bouncy chair and the black and white book?

Sorry but the kid doesn't even know he has hands yet, it'll be a while longer before he wants to play. He should start smiling in the next couple of weeks which is a beautiful thing. Then you can spend our days finding out how to get that magic grin.

For the rest of it, sorry, but it only happens when he is ready. Some are great sleepers some are horrendous. My first slept through for the first time at 13 months, my second is 16 months and has only just started sleeping for 4 hours at a time.

His feeds will change all the time as his development demands. As his stomach gets bigger he will take more at a time and need milk less often.

Anywhere from 4-9 months.

Oh and my niece didn’t sleep through the night until she was 4!

Only thing baby needs right now is you. Talk to them, smile at them, hold them, lots of skin to skin. You got it!
Feeding wise it’s likely to go up and down as they growth spurt and settle. Look up pace feeding and let them lead on feeding, if you’re not already.

On sleeping through, who knows. I think I slept through at 6 weeks, my DB was 5 years. Every child is different. Just please don’t sleep train, it just teaches them you won’t come if they need you.

Don't panic. This is perfectly normal at 5 weeks. All he really wants at this age is cuddles, being talked to gently (he'll find the sound of your voice very soothing and comforting) and the sight of your face. Also feeding at 3 to 4 hour intervals at this age is totally normal. It is very hard work and I remember how it felt like it would last for ever, but it doesn't.

When my DS was a baby/toddler, they used to give out a free NHS book, birth to five years which is still available online:
www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/birth-five

It's the best baby book I've come across because it gives big windows for developmental milestones like babbling, crawling, cruising, walking, first words - so you don't get into that huge panic over "my friend's baby can already do XYZ and mine's 2 weeks older and isn't showing any signs of doing it yet." You realise that, e.g., walking at 9 months isn't that unusual, but neither is starting to walk at 16 months. (Mine was on the late end of just about every developmental window except for cutting teeth. He is now a perfectly healthy, normal teen.)

This is a lovely, though demanding age. It's a time for you and he to get to know each other, he's learning so much right now!

It's all about cuddles, eye contact, giving and receiving comfort- when you soothe him, you are teaching him how to regulate his own feelings. Don't worry about all the later stuff, it will come when it's time.

He won't be interested in toys for at least another 2-3 months. He'll sleep through the night when he's ready, which may be never. Feeds will remain frequent for some time.

Are you coping OK? You do seem to be wishing your tiny baby's life away. All a 5wo needs is milk and cuddles.

5 weeks is a bit little for toys. My daughter is 9 weeks now and will look at toys, maybe try to bat at them or turn her head to watch something moving.

As for sleeping through the night. 9 week old daughter has done it twice already. 3 year old daughter still wakes up about 50% of nights but not for long. It really depends on the child.

Baby is 5 weeks. I'm not even sure they realise they're a separate person at 5 weeks.

@newmum234

Thanks. At what age roughly can I expect him to start enjoying things like a playmat, bouncy chair and the black and white book?

They can go on the playmat now, and you can show them the book, you don’t have to wait till you think they’ll enjoy it. Things like lampshades, hands, remote controls are all equally interesting.

when’s the earliest a baby will sleep through the night?

The answer to that is how long is a piece of string I'm afraid. My youngest was sleeping through by 6 months. My eldest is 4 and still not a completely consistent night sleeper!

@RoxyTheProssie

Baby is 5 weeks. I'm not even sure they realise they're a separate person at 5 weeks.

Yes it’s many more months before they even have a concept of themselves as separate from your body

Op slow down!!! Your baby is five weeks old. He will still be feeding very often for a long time yet and also most likely won't be sleeping through for a good while either. And a 5 week old baby doesn't really have the ability to play, that won't come for another couple of months yet.

I would say that around 12 weeks some babies 'wake up' and start getting more interested in the world around them, including things like baby gyms. But they are all different so some might never like any specific toy / baby kit. Two of mine liked baby gym, one hated it, only one liked black and white books etc. For now they just need cuddles / walks in pram or carrier maybe lie down on rug outside (loved by two of mine from about 6 weeks, hated by the others.

Have a google of ‘fourth trimester’, a 5 week old doesn’t even have a concept of being a separate person to you, let alone being interesting in toys. The only thing you need to do to aid your baby’s development at this stage is to feed it, cuddle it and talk to it.
Sleeping through the night? My first was 3.5 (years), second was 15 months and my third is 16 months now and sleeps through maybe 7 nights out of 10 but gets to for the day at 5am.

Feeds don’t often decrease. In fact they often increase. Babies grow, and many children and adults will eat or drink 7+ times per day.

I’m not surprised he isn’t interested in toys. He cant see very clearly, or very far, or many colours, or understand object permanence. Most babies enjoy looking at faces, eating, sleeping, farting.

Close physical contact as much as possible. He’ll let you know when he wants a change. (loudly)

I’ve heard of 3-4 month olds sleeping through but it depends on your definition. It has varied with my children. One was 11 months, one two year, one was six years old and still cannot be relied upon at age 8, and was in my bed twice last night.

I wouldn't be surprised if you're still asking these questions at 5 months!!

My almost 3.5 month old has only just figured out he has hands. He spends a lot of time chewing on his fingers and on his first toy that I bought him for 3 months +. It's a rattle with chewy bits that he loves putting in his mouth. I wouldnt have bothered with toys before then tbh. They get all the stimulation they need from what's going on around them.

They're very sweet, but arguably a bit boring when they're so little Their favourite "toy"/ activity is you/ other family members, just looking at your face, hearing you talk and sing, smiling etc. Babies usually start smiling and make their first attempts at babbling/ cooing about six weeks so you can start to have little "chats"!

They like looking at bold contrasts so might spend some time looking at a suitable mobile or a book. I used to wedge an opened book down the side of the moses basket mattress for them to look at.

I think they start to go for longer stretches of sleep at this age, maybe 6 hours at a time but not all babies do..!

Congratulations on your baby, by the way!