A lot of parents consider the half year mark as one of the most enjoyable stages in their child’s development due to the physical, social, and emotional changes that are beheld at this age.

Each child is different, though, and it is important to not get hung up on average baby weights, average baby heights, or developmental milestones – they should only be used as guidelines. That being said, this article provides all the information necessary for the correct care and monitoring of a 7-month baby.

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Baby Development by Month: Seventh Month

A seven-month-old baby is a curious creature, and it will be processing all new information that it receives – visuals, sounds, and smells. They are also eager to get moving and will start to make an effort to navigate the room by bouncing, rolling, crawling, and shuffling their way around.

This is all positive and beneficial to their development and should be encouraged. In fact, a lot of parents like to leave objects of interest slightly out of reach of their child so that they are compelled to move in order to investigate it further. Be careful, though, to not expose your child to sharp or dangerous objects, and never leave your child unassisted on high surfaces that could lead to them falling off.

A 7-month baby may also start to show signs of teething. Look out for excessive drooling and fussiness as an indication that tiny tooth buds are beginning to emerge. In order to soothe your baby’s discomfort, you could purchase a teething toy for them to chew on. After the first few teeth appear, remember to look after them by using a baby toothbrush and a tiny amount of baby safe toothpaste. The two top middle teeth are usually the first to appear, but patterns of teething are unpredictable, and it is not uncommon for other teeth to sprout first. Some babies don’t sprout any teeth until they are over the age of 1.

Average Baby Weight and Physical Changes

The average baby weight of a 7-month baby boy is between 18 to 19 pounds for boys and 16 to 17 pounds for girls. The average baby length at this age is between 26 and 28 inches. These measures can vary greatly, though, depending on the baby. The most important thing to look out for is that your baby is consistently gaining weight, and they should have doubled in weight since their birth.

Your baby’s growth will have slowed since they were first born, and they will be gaining around 1 pound in weight every month. A baby’s head size will also grow around a quarter of an inch every month.

Baby Movement Milestones

When your baby is 7-months old, they are likely reaching lots of movement milestones and, if they haven’t yet, they probably will soon. At this age, most babies are able to roll over completely while lying down and should be able push their torso and head upwards while lying on their tummy. A 7-month baby may also start to grab onto nearby objects and pull themselves upwards into a standing position – some babies may even have enough strength in their legs to remain standing for a short period of time.

Your baby’s ability to grasp is improving and becoming more coordinated and it’s they will probably be able to transfer an object from one hand to the other, bang objects together, and move objects towards their mouth. If your baby is particularly active, they start to crawl (or attempt to crawl) when they are 7-months old. This can be encouraged by giving your child enough time on their tummy in order to work their muscles.

Baby Vision Development

A seven-month-old baby can see clearly for up to several feet away. Their depth perception is constantly improving, as is their ability to differentiate between different colors. Most babies are able to track objects intently while moving and they will also have an intense fascination with faces. A baby’s vision development is essential for their hand-eye coordination and, as they get older, they will attempt to grab more items within their field of reach.

In order to aid your baby’s vision development, parents or caregivers should go for regular works out of the world so that their child can get use to different sights. It is also a good idea to read brightly colored books with lots of different shapes so that they have the opportunity to process all kinds of new visual information.

Baby Hearing Development

As your baby’s ability to hear improves, so will their ability to talk. Babies imitate what they hear, and it is important for parents and caregivers to talk and sing to their baby as much as possible. This will both soothe your child with a familiar voice and teach them new consonant and vowel sounds. Most babies will be babbling and cooing at the age of 7 months, but some consonant sounds may be too difficult for them to manage yet.

Just as babies will recognize the people close to them based on their tone of voice, they will also detect a stranger by the unfamiliarity of their voice. This can lead to your child becoming unsettled and restless as they may feel unsafe.

Baby Sense of Smell Development

A 7-month baby’s sense of smell is a useful indicator for the foods that they like. This is especially important at this stage, as most parents aim to introduce solid foods. If they like the aroma of a particular food, they will react by smiling or making appreciative noises, while they may cry or frown if they don’t like the scent.

The same can be applied to people. Baby’s detect their family and caregivers mainly by scent. An unfamiliar scent from an unknown person gives rise to stranger anxiety. If a baby becomes particularly unsettled when somebody unknown to them approaches, it is important to soothe them to reassure them that they are safe. High levels of stranger fear during infancy has been linked to anxious behaviors later in life.

Baby Feeding Schedule

If you’re wondering how much food a 7-month baby should eat, there is no definitive answer. Each baby eats different amounts depending on their stage in development, food preferences, and mood. Typically, 7-month old babies will have around 3 to 4 meals per day. If your child is breastfed, they will need around 25 to 30 ounces per day. Caloric requirements for babies at 7-months old are around 750 to 800 kcal/day for girls and 800 to 850 kcal/day for boys.

If introducing solid foods, honey, cow’s milks, candy, nuts, and high-nitrate raw vegetables should be avoided. Good choices of solid foods to slowly introduce include banana puree, pea puree, baby brown rice, and various vegetables. If your child is not ready for solid foods, don’t force them to eat it. Introducing solid foods is a long and slow process. If you are particularly worried about your baby’s aversion to solid foods, you should seek advice from your doctor.

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Baby Sleep Schedule

Sleep is essential for a baby’s physical and mental development. A 7-month baby will sleep for 14 to 15 hours per day and will likely sleep for a longer duration at night, with shorter naptimes during the day. Establishing a regular sleep schedule is important at this age as it will teach your child to follow a certain pattern.

How to Change Baby Sleep Schedule

A baby’s sleep routine is usually devised around playing, feeding, and bathing. Though each sleep routine will be personal to the parent or caregiver’s circumstance, there are a few tips that one can follow in order to change and develop a new baby sleep schedule:

• Put your baby to sleep while they are tired but still awake. This will help your baby build an association between their bed and tiredness.
• Limit playtime on an evening. Most playtime sessions should be scheduled for the morning as this is when your baby’s brain is at its most active.
• Allow baby to self-soothe. A lot of babies will sleep through the entire night at 7-months old, but some might not. If your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, try and allow a period of time for them to self-soothe before rushing in to comfort them. This will help your baby deal with situations in which they might not feel secure.
• Stick to schedule. Whichever schedule works for you, stick to it. Babies crave routine.

Baby Emotional Development Milestones: Seventh Month

A 7-month old baby is able to express their emotions in numerous ways and you will likely be able to tell when they are happy or not by their facial expressions and noises. Babies love playing at this stage, and parents should schedule plenty of morning play sessions in order to aid their cognitive development and fuel the bond with their baby.

A baby’s emotional development may also lead to separation anxiety. If their parents or caregivers are not present, a baby can quickly become unsettled and their unhappiness will manifest as crying, screaming, or other sounds of discontent.

Baby Daily Routine at Month 7

A baby’s daily routine is dependent on the circumstances of their parent or caregiver. It is important, though, to have a loose schedule for the day. When developing a routine for a 7-month old baby, it is important to remember that most babies of this age sleep for 14 hours per day, including 2 to 3 daytime naps. A 7-month old baby will also have 3 to 5 feedings and should eat around 30 ounces of food per day.

Baby Causes for Concern at Month 7

There are certain signs and symptoms that parents should be aware of in their baby. You may need to seek medical assistance if your baby:

• Doesn’t recognize you by sight
• Isn’t interested in toys, colorful objects, or new books.
• Doesn’t laugh or smile when happy.
• Is not making any babbling or cooing noises.
• Is not able to track moving objects with their eyes.

Baby Checklist at Month 7

To ensure babies are making good developmental progress, a lot of parents monitor their activities using milestone checklists. Most babies at month 7 will be able to:

• Roll over completely while lying down.
• Differentiate between many different colors.
• Track moving objects with their eyes.
• Respond to their own name.
• Reach for objects with one hand.
• Enjoy playing with people and toys.

Milestones should not be adhered too rigidly, however, as all babies develop at different speeds.

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