Is your baby 7 months old? Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that your little bundle of joy is now past the first 6 months of their life and already 7 months old. With many milestones and tons of development behind them already here is what to expect during their 7th month.
7 Month Old Baby Development
Communication
Your 7 months old baby has been listening to you talking since they were in the womb and now they are beginning to understand and respond to certain words like their name or the word no.
At this age babies are also beginning to master nonverbal communication and will respond to facial expressions and changes in voice volume and tone. You baby will also begin trying to communicate themselves and will happily laugh, babble, blow bubbles, or say ma-ma or da-da.
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Motor Skills
By 7 months old your baby has not only learned to sit on their own and stand with support, they are on the move and they can roll, scoot, crawl, or whatever they find moves them around.
It is important to make sure you have childproofed your house as you baby is going to be exploring and you want to make sure they are safe while they are doing it.
In addition to moving babies at this age have learned to grasp and pick up objects and can even hold a cup. It is important to make sure they have plenty of age appropriate toys to play with and explore as well as introducing them to the sippy cup so they can practice independent eating.
It is important to play with your baby and encourage them to work their motor skills.
Teething
You may notice that you little one is more fussy and drooling more than usual, if this is the case it is time to see if they are beginning to teeth.
The first teeth that usually appear first are the two middle teeth on the lower gum. While this is a joy for you it is not for your baby as teething can be painful as the tooth buds reach the surface of the gum and break through.
Luckily there are ways to help soothe your babies discomfort and help make teething more bearable and they include:
Cold Wet Washcloth: One way to help soothe a teething baby is to give them a clean, wet, cool washcloth to chew on. Washcloths are soft and safe for baby to chew on and will help with their discomfort and excessive drooling.
Chilled Teething Ring: You can purchase teething rings that can be put in the refrigerator and are made for babies to chew on. It is important to not freeze teething rings as you can cause frostbite or the bruise or damage you babies sensitive gums.
Hard Food: If you baby is eating solid foods you can give them a chilled piece of fruit or vegetable to gnaw on, but be sure to monitor them closely to make sure they do not choke.
Rub the Gums: You can either rub a clean finger over their gums or you can purchase infant finger toothbrushes to rub on their gums as this will not only help soothe them but also it is good training for when you need to brush their teeth.
Pain Reliever: You may need to administer an over the counter pain reliever like ibuprofen or acetaminophen but always check with your doctor first for the right dosage and interval between doses.
It is important to monitor your baby while they are teething because they can sometimes develop a fever or diarrhea and you will need to check with your doctor to make sure it is just a side effect of teething and not a cold or virus.
Eating
While most of the nutrition and calories your 7 month old baby is consuming comes from breast milk or formula, they now have begun eating solid foods and can begin to eat 3 meals a day.
This can be as little as a couple spoonfuls or as much as 6 ounces it all depends on the baby. It is important to make sure when you are introducing new foods to your baby that you introduce one at a time for 2-3 days to make sure they are not allergic to the food.
Babies at this age enjoy exploring new foods and the new textures and tastes they bring.
At this time your baby is also learning how to grasp and pick up objects so finger goods like cheerios, avocado, bananas, and pasta are all good choices just make sure they are cut up small enough so they do not present a choking hazard.
*It is important to note that there are some foods that are harmful to babies and should be avoided and they include honey (can cause botulism), Nuts (choking hazard), and cow’s milk (under 1 year of age their systems are not equipped to digest cow’s milk).
Separation Anxiety
At seven months old your baby may begin to experience separation anxiety as they now understand that objects don’t go away forever. You baby did not experience separation anxiety before because once you left you were gone and they had no concept of object permanence.
Now that they realize that you are going to leave they may try to cling to you or cry but this will not last forever and while it can be troublesome to a parent it is a part of life and they will most likely stop crying a few minutes after you leave it actually pains a parent more than it does their baby.
Real Life Experience With a 7 Month Old Baby
Conclusion
When your baby has turned 7 months old they have begun to really explore and enjoy their environment. This is a fun time for parents as well as they can interact and play with their baby as well as introduce new foods, objects, sounds etc. The more your baby interacts with their world the more they learn, so take the time to play with and help your baby explore their world.
More Reading: 9 Month Old Baby Development. What You Should Know
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