Your 7-Month-Old: Milestones & Development

Vera Malushi, PT, DPT, lends us her expertise as a pediatric physical therapist to recommend developmentally-appropriate ways to play with your 7-month-old. She is the founder of Milestones Pediatric Physical Therapy and shares a wealth of knowledge and tips on her Instagram page @milestones_pediatric_pt.

Even though every day in the fourth trimester seemed to last a week, time is flying by now, and neither you nor your baby are the same people you were just a few short months ago. Sure, you might still be Googling everything from teething symptoms to baby food recipes, but you’re calmer, more sure of yourself, and so deeply bonded with your baby that you’re able to interpret what they want even though they can’t (yet!) talk. And, just like you, your baby has undergone an incredible transformation. At 7 months old, your little one is rolling all over the place, babbling up a storm, so interactive and curious! It gets even better from here, so here’s everything you can expect this next month:

Physical development & movement

Your 7-month-old can roll in both directions, and is likely exploring their surroundings as a roly poly baby. While the rolling is super cute to watch, it’s also building up plenty of core strength and coordination that will help your little one learn to maneuver their body into a sitting position. If your baby isn’t able to sit up unsupported yet, they’re getting there! They’re likely sitting in a tripod position, leaning forward on their hands for extra support. 

Some babies begin crawling, creeping, or scooting at this age, and yours may be too. Even if they aren’t yet crawling on their hands and knees, they may be army crawling, which is a very normal progression to typical crawling! Once your little one realizes they can get from point A to point B, they can learn to move surprisingly fast, so you’ll want to keep a close eye on them and make sure the house is properly baby proofed.

Your little one is also working on their hand coordination, and although they aren’t yet able to pick up small objects with their thumb and forefinger (pincer grasp), they are able to hold larger items and pass them from hand to hand. You can help them develop their coordination by handing them toys and blocks to grasp.

Language

Your baby is quickly grasping the concept of language and can understand how you’re feeling by the tone of your voice and your facial expressions. Although they can’t verbally articulate yet, they’re working on it with non-stop, loud babbling. You’ll hear plenty of repetitive consonants and vowels, and even if they aren’t saying it with intention, those ma-ma’s and da-da’s sure are exciting to hear! It won’t be long before they’re calling you by name on purpose, and it will be the sweetest sound of your life. 

Keep talking to your baby as much as you can, narrating even the most mundane activities, like explaining what you’re doing when you’re changing their diaper or what you see when you’re on a walk outside. Listening and responding to your baby’s babbling builds language and communication skills, even if you feel a little silly doing it!

Feeding

In just those few weeks since your baby started solid foods, they’ve made leaps and bounds in learning to eat. The tongue-thrust reflex is long gone, and food is actually making it into their body instead of ending up on the floor (although there’s still plenty of that too). At this age, your baby is probably only eating 1-2 meals a day, since most of their nutrition should still be coming from breast milk and/or formula. All that  and are helping your little one keep up their incredible pace of growth!

How to play with your 7-month-old

“By month 7, your baby is likely on their way to be an independent sitter. The majority of babies at this age still need some support and supervision. Place baby in a big laundry basket with toys inside. The laundry basket will provide minimal support for sitting to allow baby to practice balancing nearly on their own. Tie a string across the laundry basket, in front of your child and hang some toys to provide opportunities for reaching forward and upward.”
Dr. Vera Malushi, PT, DPT