Your 7-month-old: Making Moves

And baby’s first tooth grows -- though you might not see it.

Your 7-month-old baby is likely to start making more moves independently, and he might begin to explore his surroundings in new ways. In addition, his first tooth could be arriving soon! You’ll need to help your baby cope with teething while you continue to foster his development.

Your Baby: Learning Lots in Month 7

Help your baby develop his language, social and recognition skills.

Every baby grows and learns at a different pace, but by the end of his seventh month, your baby will likely be able to do the following:

• Get up on all fours and rock back and forth.
• Feed himself soft finger foods.
• “Creep” or scoot around on his belly.
• Look for something that’s been dropped.

Help your 7-month-old learn as he grows. Your baby’s language, recognition and social skills are at an important stage of development. Here are some easy activities for you to share with your baby:

• Chat with your baby every time you’re together.
• Expose him to a variety of sounds and help him locate the sources.
• Imitate the sounds your baby makes and try to get him to make those sounds back to you.
• Provide quiet time by turning off the radio and TV.
• Make a photo album of familiar family members. Point to and name objects and people to help your baby absorb new words.

More Solid Foods to Try

Introduce baby to the right variety of foods.

If you didn’t start introducing solid foods last month, by month seven you’re likely to begin soon. Introduce new foods to your baby 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 health care provider.

Here are a few foods to consider in addition to breast milk or baby formula:

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

Your 7-month-old: Separation Anxiety

Being away from you might affect baby’s sleep habits. Here’s how to help.

• Separation anxiety your baby might have developed recently could keep him up at night.
• Your baby might stay awake later, or wake up more often, to practice his newest crawling and sitting abilities.
• If your baby begins waking up in the middle of the night, try putting him to sleep earlier.