Your Baby at 7 Months—A Lot Is New for Them 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 their surroundings will bring a lot of smiles to their face. Lucky for them (or not), they’ll be getting brand new teeth to show off while they’re at it! 

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

They sleep 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

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

 Relief for teething 

Give your baby a frozen teething ring or other teething toy
Give them 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 their clothes and face dry

Your baby’s nutrition—all about the options!

At 7 months, your baby may be ready for some new meal options. So, if you didn’t introduce solid foods last month, you may want to now. After all, your baby needs something to do with those new teeth they’re 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 you think they are having a reaction to food, immediately contact your baby's healthcare provider. If it's a severe reaction, call 911. 

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

Every baby grows and learns at a different pace, but by the end of their seventh month they’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 their own (under your watchful eye and ample supply) 
"Creep" or scoot around on their belly (hey, where’d they go?)
Look for something they dropped (that you’ll have to hand back so they can drop it again)

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

Chat with your baby every time you are together 
Expose them to a variety of sounds and help them locate their sources 
Imitate sounds your baby makes and encourage them to do the same with your sounds 
Provide quiet times when the music and the 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 them up at night. They also might stay awake later or wake more often to practice their newest crawling and sitting abilities. If this is the case, perhaps an earlier bedtime will help. 

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

Consider babyproofing

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