Your Baby at 7 Months—A Lot Is New for Him and You!

New choppers, new chow, and new experiences

Your baby’s world at month 7 will be one of increasing mobility and independence. Solo exploration of his surroundings will bring a lot of smiles to his face. Lucky for him (or not), he’ll be getting brand new teeth to show off while he’s at it! 

Feeding schedule: At 7 months, your baby will likely be drinking 7 to 8 fl oz of formula or breastmilk, 3 to 4 times a day.

He sleeps more, so you can too: Your 7-month-old will want about 11 hours of sleep each night. By this stage, so will you.

Bring out the teething rings!

If it hasn’t already, your baby’s first tooth could be arriving soon. It’s known as “cutting a tooth” for good reason: it can sometimes hurt your little one’s gums. Here are some signs to watch for and ways you can help your baby cope with the pain of teething:

Signs of teething

He might drool more heavily and bite on his (or your) hands and fingers
You could see a rash develop on his chin from his saliva
The discomfort of inflamed gums might make him irritable and keep him up at night

 Relief for teething 

Give him a frozen teething ring or other teething toy
Give your baby a soft washcloth that’s been wet and frozen to chew on
Replenish your stock of bibs and try to keep cloths close by to help keep his clothes and face dry

Your baby’s nutrition—all about the options!

Let’s be honest, babies get bored with the same meals over and over, too. At 7 months, he’s ready for some new options. So, if you didn’t introduce solid foods last month, you may want to now. After all, he needs something to do with those new teeth he’s cutting.

Here are some new foods to consider in addition to breast milk or formula: 

Iron-fortified baby cereals (rice, barley, oats) 
Pureed meat (fully cooked beef, pork, chicken) 
Pureed or strained fruits (bananas, pears, apples, peaches) 
Pureed or strained vegetables (well-cooked carrots, squash, sweet potatoes) 
Pureed tofu 
Pureed legumes (black beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, kidney beans)

Remember to introduce new foods gradually and one at a time to help spot potential food allergies. If your baby has a severe reaction to a specific food, contact your healthcare provider. 

Your baby’s development: he’s all eyes—and ears, and knees, and hands, and...

Every baby grows and learns at a different pace, but by the end of his seventh month he’ll likely be able to keep you on your toes by: 

Getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth (is crawling next?)
Eating soft finger foods on his own (under your watchful eye and ample supply) 
"Creep" or scoot around on his belly (hey, where’d he go?)
Look for something he’s dropped (that you’ll have to hand back so he can drop it again)

Your baby's language, recognition, and social skills are coming along quickly, too! Encourage his development with these easy activities you both can do together: 

 Chat with your baby every time you are together 
Expose him to a variety of sounds and help him locate their sources 
Imitate sounds your baby makes and encourage him to do the same with your sounds 
Provide quiet times when the radio and TV are not on so your baby can focus just on you talking 
Make a photo album of familiar faces and things; point to and name the images to help your baby absorb new words

Baby’s sleep patterns at 7 months

If your baby developed separation anxiety last month, it could keep him up at night. He also might stay awake later or wake more often to practice his newest crawling and sitting abilities. If this is the case, perhaps an earlier bedtime will help. 

Have questions about SIDS? Learn about SIDS at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Consider babyproofing

With his added dexterity, increasing mobility, and expanding curiosity, he’ll soon be reaching and grabbing for everything. Protecting him (and your things) takes a watchful eye. Consider doing a little research and planning on babyproofing strategies and techniques as a sure-fire way to help create peace of mind for you and a safer home for your little one. 