7-Month-Old-Baby: Your Baby Is a Copycat
Daily life for you and your baby is full of surprises and challenges, big accomplishments and small wins. Being open and flexible is the key to getting through the joys and the hiccups together. Here, learn what a 7-month-old baby might be doing this month, including which development milestones you might see. We’ll also offer tips on topics such as introducing solids, car safety and antibiotics use. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and see what’s coming up this month.
Baby Development Milestones
There are many exciting milestones to keep an eye out for once your baby is 7 months old. Here are some of the highlights:
Physical Development: Sitting Up
At around seven months old, your little one might already have developed enough muscle strength in his or her tummy to be able to sit up unassisted for a few minutes. While doing so, your little one is learning the balancing skills necessary for crawling. This is an important milestone, and there are more amazing accomplishments ahead. Just remember: every baby develops at a different rate, so if your baby hasn’t learned to sit up yet, it’s probably not a cause for concern. You can always check with your baby’s paediatrician if you’re at all concerned.
Senses: The Imitation Game
From around this month, you may have an extra special role to play in your baby’s language development as your little one slowly starts to imitate the sounds in your speech. Your baby might have even progressed to joining two sounds together. Encourage these efforts by talking to your little one often and by repeating easy words like ‘mama’, ‘dada’ and ‘dog’. You can also help by pointing at things that you can both see (like the family cat or a book). Instead of just babbling back at your little one, use real words to communicating with your baby.
Movement: More Coordinated and Independent
One of the most striking changes you could see this month is an improvement in your baby’s ability to coordinate his or her movements. Remembering that each baby is unique, this month you might see your baby
transfer objects from one hand to the other
stand on two legs while you hold him or her with both hands
bang on toys to make noise
hold and drink from a cup
Personality: Getting Emotional
Your 7-month-old baby is beginning to express a whole range of new emotions while learning about what he or she can and can’t do. Your little one might get frustrated if unable to reach a toy or crawl yet. Your baby might also get upset if you take a toy away from him or her, or might cry if you or your partner leaves the room. Call out to let your baby know you’re still around. Babies at this age can also start to become shy around strangers. Don’t worry if your little one acts clingy – it’s a sign that he or she loves you and feels safe with you, and doesn’t understand yet that you’ll always come back.
Want to know more about your baby’s personality? Find out via our quiz whether your baby’s a wild child or cool as a cucumber.
How to Support Your Baby's Development
Seven-month-old babies love objects and toys with different shapes, colours, sizes and textures. They also love things that make sounds or flash lights when handled. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to buy your 7-month-old baby lots of toys to encourage his or her development. In fact, you might find that your little one’s just as interested in ordinary household items such as pots and pans, wooden spoons and magazines with colourful pictures. Just make sure whatever your baby wants to handle is safe and that you provide supervision while he or she’s playing.
To help your baby learn to move and balance, you can place a few favourite toys slightly out of reach and encourage your little one to stretch or move to get the toys. During tummy time, try to get him or her to look up using noisy and colourful toys. This will help strengthen the neck and shoulder muscles needed for crawling. Limit the time your baby spends in car seats and baby walkers, as they can slow down his or her physical development.
Talking and reading to your baby, reciting nursery rhymes, listening and responding to all those babbling noises and taking him or her on walks or other outings are all great ways to help your little one learn and develop. You could also sing to your baby while dancing together to music. Playing peek-a-boo, letting your baby play at dropping things and encouraging him or her to look for them can also help your little one to explore his or her ever-expanding world.
Feeding Your 7-Month-Old Baby
Now that your baby has started eating solid food, keep on showing him or her how much fun eating can be. To get your little one interested, offer different foods and let him or her choose. Allow plenty of time for eating so your baby can go at his or her own pace. Let your little one feed herself with his or her fingers… never mind if it gets very messy!
To make cleaning up easier, cover your floor with newspaper or a mat. It’s also a good idea to include your baby in family mealtimes. Babies learn by copying their parents. This is a great way to show your little one how to eat. It will also help your baby know when it’s time for food.
Baby Growth Chart Calculator
Keep an eye on your baby’s height, weight, and head circumference to average growth with our simple tool.
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*Input details of your baby’s last measurements **Source: World Health Organization
How Much Baby Food to Give Your 7-Month-Old
From seven months on, your baby should have about three savoury meals a day including finger food, but no pudding. Since babies tend to know when they are full up, don't force your little one to finish a meal if he or she doesn't want to. Serve up smaller portions, but more frequently. And there’s no need to worry if your baby hasn't eaten much in a day – it is more important what he or she eats over the course of a week.
How Solids May Change Your Baby’s Poo
When you start giving your baby solids, you may notice the colour and consistency of her poo changes. It might become more solid and smelly! If you notice extremely loose, watery stools, contact your baby’s health visitor, child centre or GP, who’ll look into what may be irritating your little one’s digestive system. As your baby grows, you’ll need to change nappy sizes, too. Check out our handy guide to finding the right Pampers nappy size for your baby.
How Much Sleep Does a 7-Month-Old Baby Need?
Most babies this age sleep for about 11 to 12 hours a night and need about 2 to 3 hours of naptime during the day. It’s best to let your baby nap as long as he or she wants — just make sure your little one’s up for long enough during the day to be tired enough at bedtime to fall asleep easily.
To help your 7-month-old baby wind down and fall asleep more easily, you may want to create a short, relaxing bedtime routine.
A Day in the Life of Your Baby
Your 7-month-old baby’s daily schedule may include sleeping, feeding, bathing and playing. Here’s just one example of what a day in your baby’s life might look like:
Car Safety
As your baby grows, you might be wondering when it’s time to upgrade your baby car seat. Experts recommend that babies and toddlers ride in an approved, properly fitted rear-facing car seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the seat's manufacturer.
Car seats come in three sizes and your 7-month-old baby needs a group0+ seat. For more info on this, read this short article on baby-proofing your car.
It’s best to position the baby car seat on the vehicle's back seat, but it’s also possible to place it in the front, unless there is an active passenger airbag. Your baby must be securely fastened into the seat each time he or she travels, even for short trips. The car seat also needs to be correctly installed, no matter whose car your baby is in. Try to avoid using a second-hand baby car seat unless you are sure it’s not damaged.
Your Baby’s Health: What Is Croup?
From time to time your baby might catch a cold or develop a cough. Always consult your baby’s health visitor, child centre or GP if you think your baby may be ill. Here are some health concerns worth knowing about:
Croup. During the fall and winter months (but even at other times) your baby may develop a barking cough or a rasping sound when he breathes in. This may be caused by an inflammation of the upper airways, which is a condition called croup. This viral infection usually affects children aged six months to three years. Croup causes the airways to swell, so if you notice your baby struggling to breathe, take him or her to the GP right away. If you’re interested, read up on coughing in babies.
Pneumonia. The risk of this infection of the lungs is most common in the cooler months. Symptoms include your baby having a cough, laboured breathing, chest pain or being lethargic. If you suspect your baby may be ill, take your baby to the doctor who will be able to make a diagnosis. Pneumonia can be caused by viruses or bacteria: your health visitor, child centre or GP will recommend appropriate treatment.
Important Information on Antibiotics
Antibiotics are useful and powerful medications for treating bacterial infections, but they are ineffective against common viral infections, such as the viruses that can cause colds and flu. Your baby’s health visitor, child centre or GP is best placed to advise whether antibiotics are needed to treat your baby’s specific condition.
In some cases, viral infections can lead to bacterial infections, so whether your child needs antibiotics must be assessed by the doctor. If antibiotics are prescribed, it’s very important that your baby complete the whole course as advised by the doctor, even if he seems better before the course is finished, or the infection will be more likely to come back and become resistant to antibiotics.
FAQs at a Glance
Each baby is different: They take their first steps any time between eight and 20 months, typically somewhere around their first birthday.
Your Life as a Parent: Tips for Reducing Stress
Like all parents, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Stress won’t disappear altogether, but there are some things you can try to help manage your stress levels:
Get help. Can you find someone to pitch in with household chores or child care?
Stay flexible. You might have great routines, but a baby can throw a spanner in the works. Be prepared to deviate from your plans or to-do lists if need be.
Don’t compare your life to others. Reduce the time and energy spent feeling guilty and try to avoid comparing yourself to others on social media.
Enjoy a little ‘me time’. Catch up with friends, plan some one-on-one time with your partner, or simply block out some alone time. It may take a little coordinating with a babysitter or relative to make sure you have child care arranged, but having a chance to recharge your batteries will do wonders for how you’re feeling.
Limit how much you take on. It might help to delay a project like renovations or say ‘no’ instead of ‘yes’ to helping a friend with something. With so many changes going on in your baby’s first year, now may not be the best time to make your life more complicated. However, if you think that taking on something a little different — like a creative hobby or a personal goal — might help you feel less stressed, then by all means give it a go!
Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Eating well, getting as much sleep as possible and adding a little exercise to your routine can reduce stress levels. Of course, ask your GP to give you the all-clear before starting a new exercise regime.
Checklist for This Month
Double check that your baby car seat is still right for your baby’s weight and height.
Start looking ahead — check out what kinds of things may happen when your baby is eight months old.
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7 month old baby - checklist
How we wrote this article
The information in this article is based on the expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the National Health Service (NHS). The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.
