Your 7-Month-Old Baby's Milestones and Development

As your baby turns 7 months old, you can expect them to be building on what they were doing at 6 months. For instance, they are likely becoming a champ at sitting up, reaching for and grabbing toys they want, and maybe even making those first moves toward crawling.

For you, life has suddenly gotten a whole lot busier. Not only are you likely on high alert with your baby's new mobility, but you also are probably deeply entrenched in the process of introducing solid foods—a process that can be both fun and messy!

"When it comes to development at this age, every baby is different," says Marie Trace, MD, a specialist in developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital for Rehabilitation. "Each baby continues to expand on the skills they are learning in order to achieve the next step. But at this age, we expect that most babies can sit without support, support weight on their legs, reach out with both hands and use them symmetrically, and transfer objects from hand to hand."

Here is what else you need to know about your 7-month-old baby, from sleep to feeding and beyond.

An Overview of Your Baby at 7 Months

As your baby approaches the 7-month mark, it can help to think of this time in their life as a period of transition. "At 7 months, your baby will be improving on the things they started developing at 6 months of age," says Benjamin Levinson, MD, a primary care pediatrician with Nationwide Children's Hospital. "Typically, they can sit upright without support and should be able to move around the room whether that is just rolling around, creeping, or even crawling."

Many pediatricians, like Dr. Levinson, encourage parents to not get caught up on comparisons or to push their baby to hit milestones before they are ready. Your baby will develop at the pace that is right for them. Of course, if you are concerned about your baby's growth and development, talk to a pediatrician or health care provider.

One of the highlights of your baby's development at this age is how social they are becoming. They enjoy interacting with others—especially their family members—and often laugh and babble. Because this carefree and uninhibited joy is so contagious, you may find yourself laughing right along with them.

"At 7 months, some babies are even beginning to respond to their own name," adds Dr. Trace. "Although this is not a milestone that as a pediatrician or as a mother is talked about a lot, it is still an important social skill for kids to develop."

So, call your baby by name often. You also can use their name in games and while reading books as well. Most babies are delighted at the sound of their own name and will reward you with a huge grin.

7-Month-Old Physical and Cognitive Milestones

Once your baby reaches 7 months old, they are likely a lot more active than in months past and will require more hands-on care from you or others. They are becoming more mobile and exploring the world around them with their newfound skills.

Crawling

One such skill that starts to emerge at this age is crawling. Although there isn't a magical age when this skill appears—and it may never emerge for some kids at all—most babies begin crawling in some form between 6 and 10 months. Some babies will crawl earlier, some will crawl later, and some will skip it altogether.

You also may notice that your baby has a different type of crawling than you might have originally expected. In addition to more traditional crawling, it is completely normal to see babies use an army crawl, a backward crawl, a crab crawl, and even a scooting crawl. As long as your baby can move around and explore, you probably have nothing to worry about, says Dr. Trace.

To promote movement, give your baby plenty of opportunities to explore the world around them. But be sure to stick to their nap and bedtime routines as best you can so that you both can get the rest you need. Most of your baby's growth happens while they are sleeping.

Language

Another milestone your baby will expand on this month involves language and communication. Your baby will continue to babble as they did at 6 months, but they also may make specific sounds tied to emotions like happiness or frustration.

They also will "talk" with you by making sounds, string vowel sounds together like "oh" and "ah" and babble consonant sounds like "mmm" and "bbb." They may even recognize specific words like ball and dog.

"At 7 months, we are expecting to hear vowel sounds and they should be starting with some consonant sounds," says Dr. Trace. "There also is a clear response to sounds, noise, and visual stimulation."

7-Month-Old Feeding Milestones

During this month, you are likely continuing to introduce new foods and textures to your baby. But keep in mind, there is no rush. Some babies need time to adjust to the concept of solid foods. For this reason, many pediatricians recommend following your baby's lead when it comes to eating—and also try to have fun with introducing solids.

Allow your baby to experiment with self-feeding too. Even though they may not have the skills or coordination to feed themselves right now, giving them a few spoons with pureed food already loaded on it helps create autonomy and independence when it comes to eating.

"By 7 months, you are probably still expanding your baby's diet and can offer some small, extremely soft finger foods because they do not yet have the pincer grasp," says Dr. Levinson. "You also can start giving them greater quantities of food if they seem interested. And if your baby doesn't seem to like baby food, it is OK to give them table food as long as it is soft enough."

You also can offer your baby a cup with some water at this age. Even though they are getting all the fluids they need from breastmilk or formula, introducing a cup allows them the opportunity to practice and makes the transition smoother when they get older.

7-Month-Old Sleep Milestones

At this age, your baby probably has a more predictable sleeping schedule than they did in the first few months of their life, but there are still things that can disrupt their sleep at this age like teething, the beginnings of separation anxiety, and even waking up to practice developing skills.

"It's normal to see a change in their sleep cycle or how they fall asleep," Dr. Trace says.

But it's also not something you should worry too much about. If your baby seems to be regressing with regard to sleep or if they are waking up quite a bit, you may want to talk to a pediatrician or health care provider. It is possible that there is something else causing them to wake at night and they can help you identify what that is.

If, however, you are just having sleep struggles in general, there are some things you can do to establish more consistent sleep, like developing a bedtime routine and putting them to bed earlier. "I recommend putting your baby in their crib while they are still awake but sleepy," Dr. Levinson says. "If you put them down asleep, they will wake up scared when you are no longer with them."

It is also important to continue with safe sleep practices by always putting your baby to sleep on their back in a crib with a firm mattress. They should not have blankets, crib bumpers, or toys in the crib at this age.

"Move the mattress down to the lowest level as they start trying to pull up," Dr. Levinson says. "You also should still be following the ABCs of safe sleep (alone, back, crib) at this age and putting them down on their back."

7-Month-Old Health and Safety Milestones

Your baby may begin teething at this age if they have not done so already. Be prepared for this development by having pain reliever and teething toys on hand.

A pediatrician or health care provider can advise how much pain reliever to use and how often. Keep in mind that you shouldn't give your baby a pain reliever without discussing it with their pediatrician because dosing is often based on weight.

You should also be sure your home is safe for your growing baby. In addition to baby-proofing your home, watch for things that your baby could grab or pull on, like hot pans and cords to blinds. Sequester unsafe areas like the cat litter box, dog food, and house plants, and make sure you are using secure baby gates near stairs, around fireplaces, and other dangerous areas of your home.

Finally, your baby should still be riding in a rear-facing car seat. You should check the car seat at this age to ensure that your baby has not outgrown it, that it is still in good working order, and that it is still securely installed in your vehicle.

How to Support Your 7-Month-Old Baby's Development

One way to keep your baby engaged is to play with them on a regular basis during their wake windows, says Dr. Trace. While it is important to allow them some freedom to safely explore, this also is a good time to read books and play with toys together.

"Typically at this age, babies will enjoy social play such as peek-a-boo," she says. "They also are seeking out others' eyes to make eye contact so they can smile."

You also can cover objects like a ball or stuffed animal with a blanket and then remove it. Because your baby is on the cusp of developing object permanence skills, they will delight in this game.

When to Contact a Health Care Provider

All babies develop at their own pace and it may be normal if your baby takes longer to meet certain milestones. However, reach out to a pediatrician or health care provider if your baby is seems either very stiff or very floppy or doesn't hold their head up in a seated position. Take note of how your little one interacts with family members, and speak with a health care professional if they don't seem interested in affection or cuddles or if they don't smile, laugh, and babble.

Additionally, be sure to get in touch with a provider if your 7-month-old seems to have issues with vision or hearing. They should turn their head to follow a sound and they should be able to follow objects with their eyes.

Again, all babies are different, and it's important not to compare milestones. It's very likely that your baby will evolve and develop at their own pace. But as always, be sure to speak with a pediatrician or health care provider any time you have concerns or questions about your baby's development.