7-Month-Old Baby
7-Month-Old Baby
Your baby is 7 months old! As your little one is now more active, you’ve got to get your home ready. We know you probably childproofed when baby first came home, but having a mini mover and shaker changes everything. Get down on your hands and knees to see what hazards are around that you'll need to guard against. That includes anything baby could tumble over, bump into, get cut or pinched on or get tangled in. Also, make sure anything that could fall onto your child (a dresser, a bookshelf, the TV) is securely strapped into place, and be cautious to keep all choking hazards out of reach—that includes looking for small things that could easily drop on the floor unnoticed, like coins.
As your 7-month-old baby gets stronger and smarter every day, you may find yourself with a whole new slew of questions and concerns. What can a 7-month-old see? What can you give a 7-month-old for meals? Should you be worried if your 7-month-old doesn’t have teeth yet?
To help you navigate and prepare for the seven-month mark, we’re sharing a guide with all the 7-month-old baby milestones. From sleeping schedules to eating routines to fun activity ideas, here’s the intel you need to ensure your 7-month-old baby is on a happy and healthy track.
In the last three months, baby’s probably grown about 2 to 3 inches and their head circumference may have grown about an inch. They’re still developing their senses and skills that will lead to more independence.
7-month-old baby weight and length
Typically, how much does a 7-month-old weigh—or, rather, how much should a 7-month-old weigh? Average weight of a 7-month old is between 15.8 and 16.8 pounds for girls and 18.3 pounds for boys. Average length is between 25.7 and 26.5 inches for girls and 26 to 27.2 inches for boys, according to the World Health Organization.
But don’t get too caught up with the “normal” weight of a 7-month-old baby. Height and weight can vary widely between healthy babies, so as long as your baby is growing at a healthy rate—on a steady upward curve on the chart at the doctor’s office—and the pediatrician doesn’t see any signs of a problem, your baby’s growth is right on track.
7-month-old’s five senses
- What can babies see at 7-months-old? A lot! Baby’s distance vision is improving every day. And they can see everything in full color now.
- The parts of baby’s brain dealing with sound processing have developed, which means baby can fully process and understand a range of sounds.
- Baby’s been listening to your voice and may try to copy the pattern and tones of your voice when they babble. So chatty!
7-month-old baby milestones
What should a 7-month-old be able to do? Remember, all babies develop at their own rate, but this is a peek at what might be happening with your baby this month.
- Baby might be able to sit up without any help, though they might have to keep their hands on the floor to stay upright. If they haven't already started crawling, keep an eye out this month. Many babies start making moves as early as 6 or 7 months. However, if they’re not scooting around just yet, don’t worry. They’ll strengthen those muscles and get moving on their own time. And, FYI, some babies skip crawling and go straight to walking.
- Baby is starting to work on fine-tuning their grasp. Now, baby probably picks things up with their whole hand, but they’ll also soon start working on the “pincer grasp,” where they’ll pick things up with their pointer finger and thumb.
- Baby bears weight on their legs when you hold them upright, and might even start to jump up and down in this position.
- Baby babbles and imitates sounds. They know what things to do to attract your attention (and isn’t it adorable?).
Click through for answers to some of 7-month-olds’ parents’ biggest health questions:
- My 7-month-old is constipated. What should I do?
- My 7-month-old has diarrhea. What should I do?
- My 7-month-old is vomiting. What should I do?
- I have a 7-month-old with a fever. What should I do?
- Could my 7-month-old’s fever be because of teething? (While teething may slightly raise baby’s temperature, it normally doesn’t cause a fever.)
- My 7-month-old has a cough. What should I do?
7-month-old teething
Got teeth? If your 7-month-old is still all gums, know that some pearly whites will probably pop up pretty soon. Typically, the bottom incisors are the first two to make an appearance followed by the top incisors.
Seven-month-old babies are eating some solid foods, but their main source of nutrition is still breast milk or formula.
How much should a 7-month-old eat, and how often?
- Bottle feeding: How much formula for a 7-month-old baby? They should be drinking about six to eight ounces of formula, four to six times per day, but this may vary.
- Breastfeeding: Seven-month-olds still typically nurse about every three or four hours, but, again, this can vary based on baby’s needs.
- Pumping: If you’re pumping, baby needs a total of about 25 ounces of breast milk per day. So you’ll need to divide that by how many feedings your baby typically has. For example, if you feed baby about six times per day, they should get about 4.2 ounces of breast milk at each feeding.
- Solid food: How much solid food for a 7-month-old? Baby should be starting to get two to three meals of solid food each day. Depending on the baby, a meal might be as little as a tablespoon or two or as much as four to six ounces (eight to 12 tablespoons) of baby food.
What can a 7-month-old eat?
What to feed your 7-month-old baby is mostly up to you! There aren’t strict guidelines about when to feed baby certain foods, but you do want to stick to nutritious, unprocessed foods. Purees remain great options for you new eater. You can’t go wrong with mashed or pureed fruits and veggies and whole grain baby cereal. Here are some nutritious options.
Be aware that there are a few foods you should avoid giving baby at this point. These include honey, cow’s milk and unpasteurized and/or raw foods. Try not to give baby foods that are high in salt or sugar. Finally, watch for items that pose a choking hazard (hard veggies, whole nuts and anything cylindrical that can block an airway, such as whole grapes or hot dogs, should be avoided).
Can a 7-month-old eat eggs?
Eggs make some parents nervous because of the allergy risk. In the past, pediatricians used to tell parents to wait until 9 months to introduce egg yolk to baby, and to wait until 12 months to give baby the egg white. But newer food allergy research suggests that in fact it might benefit baby to introduce allergenic foods early and often. So the short answer is yes, you can probably give baby eggs if they’re at least 6 months old, and if they haven’t had an allergic reaction to other foods; talk to baby’s doctor and decide together. (Baby’s allergy risk may come into play.) And as with introducing any new food, watch your baby for signs of an allergic reaction in the following days.
If your pediatrician wants you to hold off on eggs, there are still plenty of delicious and nutritious breakfast options to try. Go with blends like banana and apple, peach or berry purees. Oatmeal is often a hit, as is whole milk yogurt.
Can I give my 7-month-old finger foods?
If you choose to try baby-led weaning, make sure to give baby finger foods that are soft and cut l so baby can easily mash them with their gums.
7-month-old feeding schedule
Here’s a sample 7-month-old feeding schedule with solids:
Sleep! Parents with babies always have questions about sleep. Here, we answer the biggest ones.
How much should a 7-month-old sleep?
Baby sleeps about 14 to 15 hours per day—6 to 11 of those hours are at night. Some babies sleep through the night at this age but others may still be waking up in the wee hours. It’s typical for a 7-month-old baby to have about two naps totaling three or four hours of daytime sleep.
7-month-old sleep schedule
Here’s an example of a 7-month-old sleep and nap schedule:
My 7-month-old won’t sleep! Why?
In a 7-month-old baby, sleep regression can happen for several reasons. Babies might start waking in the middle of the night because of illness or teething pain. During a growth spurt, they might be extra hungry and want to feed more. Now that they’re learning how to roll, creep and crawl, they might wake to practice their new skills in the middle of the night. They might just miss their parents and want some cuddle time!
How can I begin sleep-training a 7-month-old?
To sleep-train your child, you’ll want to gradually remove yourself from baby’s efforts to get to sleep; self-soothing is an important step. Babies, just like adults, wake up throughout the night. But being able to go back to sleep on their own is what will give them the ability to “sleep through the night.” Baby needs to practice in order to develop that skill. Here’s the full scoop on how to sleep train a 7-month-old baby.
Is a 7-month-old sleeping on her stomach okay?
Stomach sleeping is totally fine, so long as baby is skillfully rolling over on their own and able to hold up their head and shoulders. Still, put baby to sleep on their back. If they choose to flip to their tummy, you shouldn’t worry about SIDS at this point.
Baby’s daily schedule seems to be constantly changing and evolving, but this month’s routine probably looks pretty similar to the one they had last month—though we hope you’re getting more uninterrupted nighttime sleep!
7-month-old schedule example
A 7-month-old’s daily schedule might look something like this.
Your little busy bee loves activity. Here are some ways to keep a 7-month-old entertained:
- Flip through baby’s favorite board books or a colorful magazine, and describe what’s in the pictures. For more interaction, get some “lift and see” books or try one that has textured images, so baby can have a full sensory experience.
- Right now baby is thrilled by “cause and effect” activities. Find an interactive toy that rewards them for pushing a button.
- Looking for more games to play with a 7-month-old? Get baby activity ideas here.
- Schedule baby’s nine-month checkup, if you haven’t already.
- Introduce a high chair—if you haven’t already—for baby to enjoy meals with the rest of the family and work on self-feeding from the tray.
- Does baby need a new car seat? A car seat for a 7-month-old baby should be rear-facing (until age 2 or 3). We recommend a convertible seat that can be used for at least another year or two.
- Take baby’s 7-month-old baby milestone photo.
- Baby is bound to start scooting or crawling any day now, so make sure to babyproof your home to keep your 7-month-old safe.
- Baby is making progress with their babbling. Continue to encourage them to make sounds and repeat after you. They will also begin to understand more words like “hi” or “dog.” Keep talking, singing and reading to your 7-month-old every day.
It probably feels like baby is marking off the 7-month-old baby milestones left and right, and that’s certainly something to be proud of. Each day is a new adventure as baby grows and learns. If they haven’t started crawling yet, enjoy the serenity while you can. Once baby is on the move, there’s no stopping them!
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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