7-Month-Old Baby: Milestones & Development

There are few things in the world more adorable than a 7-month-old baby.

A 7-month baby is all about discovery and play, giggles and gurgles, murmurs and mutterings.

This phase is also right in what is known as the Golden Age of your baby’s development — post the uber-fragile tiny infant period but not yet in the “terrible” toddler time.

In this article: 📝

7 month milestones

What should 7-month-old babies be doing?

So here’s the fun part. Provided your baby is healthy, happy, and well cared for, there are no “shoulds” in parenthood.

Babies develop at different paces, and just because a child is slower to speak or crawl or do calculus, doesn’t mean that there is anything “wrong” with them.

As always, if you have concerns about your baby’s development, it’s always a good idea to consult a healthcare provider — but try, if you can, to avoid the comparison trap that many parents put themselves in.

Right, with that out of the way, here are some things you might witness at this stage:

One impressive new skill they may have picked up at this point is the ability to pass objects from one hand to another.

A 7-month-old baby might be able to sit up unaided, hold a bottle, and rollover in both directions. They also may be starting to make some serious strides towards crawling. (Yep! They’ll soon be on the move.)

What should my 7-month-old be saying?

Well, the honest truth is that a 7-month-old baby is usually saying a whole bunch of things — it’s us boring adults who simply don’t understand their baby language.

Your 7-month-old baby is likely babbling away, making pretty much no sense to the rest of us.

But every now and again, they may say something that sounds close to an actual word.

At 7 months old, your baby is becoming interested in talking so might try to imitate the sounds that they hear: mama, dada, baba, bye bye.

The rest, though, is probably unintelligible baby language right now.

7-month-old growth

Here’s an alarming fact: your 7-month-old baby is likely weighing in at about 2.5 times their birth weight. Wow. That escalated quickly.

A 7-month baby is typically somewhere between 16 and 18.5 pounds and in the region of 27 inches in height.

Your healthcare provider will keep track of these measurements and let you know if there is anything to be concerned about.

7-month-old baby food

Now, what to feed a 7-month-old baby?

While breastmilk and/or formula — about 25 to 30 ounces a day — still provide the bulk of your baby’s nutrition, solid food is also now a part of the menu.

What kind of food can I give my 7-month-old baby?

• Cereal (think oat, rice, barley). Keep it “natural” — as in, steer away from colorants and excess sugar. Your 7-month-old baby will also likely be able to handle food that is a little less on the mushy side. They may even try something like a cracker or a tiny piece of toast!
  
• Fruit and veg (think carrots, yams, avocados, banana, papaya)
  
• Protein (think beans, peanut butter, eggs, fish, and meat)

How much water should a 7-month-old baby drink?

While your baby is still getting hydration from breastmilk and/or formula, it’s time to add some water to the mix.

Somewhere in the region of 3- to 8 ounces-a-day should do the trick!

You may want to stay away from cow’s milk and juice until your little one has hit the one-year mark.

The sugar content of juice is high, and cow’s milk can be hard on that tiny digestive system.

7-month-old sleeping

Guess what, Mama? Your baby might just be sleeping straight through the night at this point. (Might. Might, we said.)

A 7-month-old baby typically sleeps for about 14 hours in total, with 11 of those happening at night (hopefully).

7-month-old baby games

Your 7-month-old baby is going to learn all sorts of things about the world through play.

Right now, they’re probably big fans of messy play (great for improving hand-eye coordination) and board books (great for developing language skills!).

How can I play with my 7-month-old baby?

Because your baby is in total plagiarizing mode, they’ll copy a lot of what you do. It’s a great way to teach your little one some tricks. Some of these include:

• Clap hands! They might be at the phase where they can put their hands together. You do it first and see if they follow.
  
• Play with blocks. They’re starting to figure out that there is such a thing as “shapes.” Mind-blowing.
  
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes. They’re starting to pick up on sounds, so use that magnificent voice of yours to sing them some of your favorites.
  
• Read from bright board books. With the combo of the audio of your voice and the visual of colorful illustrations, it’s never too early to get sucked into a book.
  
• Play anything mirror-related. Seriously. They can’t get enough of themselves.
  
• Point and name things around you. Your 7-month-old baby is starting to put names to faces and objects. So why not give them a change of scenery with a shoulder carrier, like this top-rated collection by Baby Tula.

👶 Don’t miss: Activities for 7-Month-Old Babies and 9 Toys for a 7-Month-Old

Car seat for 7-month-old baby

Your 7-month-old baby is likely on the verge of outgrowing their infant car seat.

You may want to prep ahead and get a convertible seat.

Keep in mind that rear-facing is best until they reach at least 2 years old, and preferably up to age 4.

Finally, we know your 7-month-old is a bundle of joy, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to your support network.

It’s totally, absolutely, completely acceptable to ask for help when you need it. Peanut mamas will always have your back.

You’re doing great, mama!

👶 Read next: 8-Month-Old Baby: Milestones & Development