The seventh month is significant, as it is the beginning of the next phase of development for your little one. You can observe them building on the baby milestones they reached in the previous month. They will get progressively more active and mobile – so this is a good time to baby-proof those edges and corners!

Important Development Milestones For 7 Months Old Babies

There are many baby milestones your baby may achieve this month, mainly having to do with perfecting previous skills they have learned. However, don’t be too worried if they do not exhibit all of them yet. Every baby develops at their own rate, and there is nothing to worry about except in specific circumstances. So, without further ado, here are a few major baby development milestones you may be seeing this month:

• By the 7th month, they will have made significant headway with regard to their language development. Your baby should be able to make vowel sounds proficiently and get started on consonant sounds, like “ma-ma-ma”¹
• On a related note, they will also be able to respond to sounds and other stimuli clearly. They may giggle at the things you say, calm down when you sing to them, look around at sudden noises, etc.
• They will be able to communicate their feelings with particular sounds. They will make specific sounds to show happiness, to show frustration, tiredness, and more
• Many babies begin to be able to crawl at around this time, and your baby might as well, particularly if you give them regular tummy time. However, do not be worried if they do not, as more babies these days are crawling a little later, at 9 month²
• However, whether or not they are crawling, your baby should still be active and mobile at this time. Crawling is not the only way babies move around, and many babies even skip crawling entirely. Your baby could instead be scooting, creeping or even just rolling around.
• At this point, your little one may be able to get to a sitting position on their own, from their tummy. They may even be able to stand while being supported by someone or something. However, this will probably happen a little later³
• Most importantly, the milestones they achieved a month ago will have improved a lot. They will be able to sit well, reach for the objects around them, grab things and move them from hand to hand, and like mentioned above, maybe even start crawling

Related Reading: Why Do Some Babies Crawl Backward?

Development Milestones For 7 Months Baby

There are also many smaller baby milestones that you may notice your baby achieving, and they are still just as significant as the more well-known ones. like crawling and sitting:

• During this time, you will probably see your little one’s first teeth emerging from their gums. Chances are, the bottom front teeth are the first to show up. You can prepare for this occasion by recognizing when the baby starts teething – they will be drooling more than usual, biting random objects, etc.⁴
• Stranger anxiety is also something that will become very apparent at this age. They will prefer to be with familiar faces, like their parents or caregivers and other close family members. They will fuss when put in the care of strangers and will cry until you are out of sight and they have adjusted to the new person. Distracting them with a toy may also help this transition⁵
• The little one’s vision will improve by heaps and bounds by the 7th month of their lives. They will have been incredibly shortsighted at birth, being able to see only a few inches ahead. But by now, they should be able to manage several feet ahead of them. They will also have developed full-color vision and will be able to differentiate between various colors and shades_⁶
• Your baby will also gradually become a lot more sociable. They will enjoy mingling with other people, especially the people closest to them. They will respond well to play and laugh and babble, making their own facsimile of conversation

Related Reading: 8 Signs Your Baby Will Walk Soon!

Feeding Milestones At 7 Months

Your baby will have made some major developments in their diet by this point. Although they are still dependent mainly on breast milk or formula milk, they will still have achieved some baby milestones in this regard.

• At the age of 7 months, your little one will have to nurse around 4-6 times a day if drinking breast milk, and around 3-4 times (7-8 ounces each time) if drinking formula. They are also expected to have started on solids, mainly pureed food items
• As your little one will be somewhat used to having pureed solid foods by now, you can start them on chunkier foods. Give them mashed fruits and vegetables. Also, give them a few tablespoons of iron-fortified cereal. These new food items will teach the baby to chew, and also to adjust to new tastes and textures⁷
• Make sure to try only one new food item at a time, and wait for a few days before the next. This will help you identify any symptoms of food allergies, such as rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

Related Reading: Side Effects Of Cerelac For Babies

Sleep Milestones

With regard to sleep development, the baby milestones your baby reaches this month largely have to do with building on what was achieved in the previous month.

At 7 months of age, the baby becomes better at sleeping through the night. They should be able to manage about 11 hours at this stage. During the daytime, they will take two naps that last an hour or two each. Overall, the baby should get around 12-16 hours of sleep⁸

Speech Milestones

As your baby grows more social with each passing day, naturally, their communication and speech skills will also improve. They will be able to respond, communicate and interact better every day. So here are a few baby milestones you will be observing this month. The more you encourage them to talk, the more eager they will be.

• The baby at 7 months old is familiar with their name. They will respond if you say their name. This response can vary, from just a turn of the head to a giggle or sound, depending on the way you say it⁹
• Their name is not the only word the baby will recognize. Simple and common words, like “no” will also be known to them, and they should be able to respond when you say it. They may not obey the word, but they will recognize it
• Although they may not be able to speak to you just yet, the baby will still be able to communicate with you non-verbally. A whole range of facial expressions is available to them. You may catch them smiling, frowning, pouting, and more. They will also be able to identify their own emotions through your voice tone and facial expressions
• The little one will also be able to babble consonant chains, as well as vowels by this age. They will repeat sounds like “da-da-da” and “ga-ga-ga”. They will be able to laugh and blow raspberries. You will also find them making different sounds to communicate different things, such as making a particular sound for frustration or happiness¹⁰

Related Reading: 9 Early Signs Of Intelligence In Babies

Physical Milestones

The baby does a lot of growing in the first year of their life, and the seventh month is no different. There are many physical baby milestones that the baby will achieve at around this time:

• They will have grown ½ to ¾ inch in length and gained around 1 to 1 ¼ pounds in weight. Their growth rate has reduced from previous months but is still significant
• The baby should be able to sit without support at this age. They will even be able to bear some weight on their legs, though walking is still some time away
• Their fine motor skills will have improved. They will be able to reach out with both hands at the same time, grab things in their vicinity, and transfer them from one hand to the other¹¹.

How To Keep A 7-Month-Old Baby Busy

When you are a new mother to such a young child, one thing you might be worrying about is what to do with a 7-month-old baby all day. You need to ensure the baby is getting all the encouragement for the development they need while keeping them occupied for long periods of time. Here are a few fun, engaging 7-month baby activities.

• This is the perfect opportunity to teach the baby cause and effect. It is an engaging game while being an important lesson. Show them that when they press that particular button on their toy, music will start playing. Or when you play with the car in that particular way, it will light up. Teaching them to make things happen on their own is not only an important milestone but also a way of increasing their self-confidence
• There are many fun games you can play with your baby when you are trying to think of things to do with a 7-month-old inside. Games like Peek-a-boo, the Itsy-bitsy Spider, and This Little Piggy are all classics for a reason. Skills like fine motor skills, object permanence, etc. are enhanced through games like this
• Puppet play is a fun and useful way to occupy your baby. You can use a stuffed toy or plushy, or make a sock puppet. Use the puppet to sing songs, tell stories and play with the baby. This puppet acts as a substitute for another human and can help your baby become more social. Your baby might find comfort in playing with and talking to this new friend
• This is also a good age to have some fun with water, as long as you pay close attention to the baby and take all necessary precautions. You can do this in your tub, but if you want to be a little more adventurous, it is one of the best things to do with a 7-month-old outside, in a small inflatable pool. Fill it with some water, throw in some cool new water toys, and let your baby splash to their heart’s content!

When To See A Doctor

Although most of the time, it doesn’t matter if your baby is a little late or a little early with regard to various baby milestones, there are some things you need to watch out for. These may be signs of a developmental delay or some underlying condition that needs to be investigated. If you notice any of the following in your little one, consult their doctor as soon as possible:

• The baby does not recognize or respond to their own name. They do not respond to the sounds around them
• The baby does not make eye contact with anyone. They do not act very socially and show no affection for the people closest to them, like parents or caregivers. They show no interest in games like peek-a-boo and do not babble or smile or giggle
• The baby uses only one side of their body or only reaches out with one of their hands
• The baby seems too stiff and has tight muscles, or conversely, the baby is too floppy. Their head flops back when they are in a sitting position. They cannot sit with or without support.
• They are not able to bear some weight on their legs

Conclusion

7 months mark the beginning of the next phase of development for your little one. Thus, there are a wide variety of baby milestones you will find this month. From sitting to moving around, to communicating, and developing cognitively, there are many new skills learned this year. They will also practice and perfect the skills they learned in the previous months.

As each baby is different, it may be that your little one achieved the above milestones a little earlier or a little later than average. This is, by and large, nothing to worry about – they will develop at their own pace. However, some delays and behaviors may be something to investigate. If you witness those signs, it is better to be safe than sorry, and contact your baby’s doctor.