7-month-old baby development milestones to expect! A 7-month-old baby may start testing you! We also cover feeding, sleep, separation anxiety, and fun learning activities.
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One day our carpenter, a really nice man, came over to help us. Suddenly, my 7-month-old baby daughter started to scream at the top of her voice.
I thought that there was a needle left in her new clothes. I took them all off but found nothing sharp. OK, so she’s hungry, I thought and breastfed her. Then I went back to talk to the carpenter again, with my daughter on my arm.
Same reaction.
Then I got it. Stranger anxiety had hit her and hit her hard. Completely normal for a 7-month-old baby!
Babies of this age can be very sensitive to strangers and being separated from their moms. But they are also curious and love playing games that will actually help them overcome their anxiety, such as peek-a-boo.
Cuddle your little one and remember that the more you respond to his or her need to be close to you, the faster your baby will become secure enough to let go of you.
The 7-Month-Old Baby
- 7 Months Baby Milestones
- 7 Months Baby Sleep
- Feeding a 7-Month-Old
- Games To Play
- Best Toy Tips
- 7-Month-Old Baby Video
7 Months Baby Milestones
Here are the development milestones to look for when your baby is 7 months old:
Physical development
Weight and Height
The average weight for a 7-month-old baby boy is 18 pounds and 5 ounces (8.3 kg); for a 7-month-old baby girl, it is 16 pounds and 14 ounces (7.6kg).
A 7-month-old baby boy is, on average, 27.25 inches (69.2 cm) long, and the average height for a 7-month-old baby girl is 26.5 inches (67.3 cm).
It is important to remember that all babies are different and grow at their own pace. The most important thing is that your baby is growing and gaining weight at a healthy rate.
Motor skills
- Sitting unassisted
At 7 months of age, some babies might sit unassisted, while others still sit in a ‟tripod” position to support themselves.
Your baby can now reach for her toys and other things, and that ability gives her a new level of independence.
- On the move
At this point, your baby might begin to move around. A big leap in your baby’s development! Some crawl, and some shuffle on their tummy or backside. And some are totally content with being still. When your baby starts moving around, you’ll have to make your home baby safe.
- Standing up
A 7-month-old baby is usually strong enough to bear his own weight on his legs if you hold him upright.
- A new grip
A new grip is developing. A 7-month-old baby is learning to use his thumb and fingers instead of the whole hand.
Cognitive and social development
- Happier!
Many babies become happier once they have learned how to move around. During a period before mastering this great new skill, babies tend to be irritated and bored.
- Testing limits
Can a small 7-month-old baby really test limits already? Yes, they can! Chances are that your baby will not tolerate all the plans you have – like spending time on the floor on his own, for example. At this age, your baby knows what he wants and shows it!
- Afraid of strangers
Stranger anxiety might start or increase. Your baby thinks his mom, dad, and some other familiar people are the best.
- Afraid to be alone
7-month-old babies may show signs of separation anxiety. Maybe your baby will start crying when you’re out of sight.
This is a completely normal development phase, although it can be tough on the parents. One parent (usually mom) is often preferred, which can be tough for mom and sad for dad. Don’t take it personally!
(Here is a long forum thread about babies preferring one parent over the other.)
The separation anxiety may also lead to a phase of poor sleep. (NO, not again…) Yes, unfortunately, your baby might want to check if you are around also at night and calls for your attention quite often. This is also normal but exhausting. Read more about sleep below!
- Communication
Your little one starts to understand the concept of language.
She babbles a lot, combining the sounds (“oh,” “eh,” “ba-ba-ba”). She can understand some simple words and recognizes her name.
Your baby can now observe the difference in the tone you use when you talk or in your facial expressions and pick up how you feel.
If you are worried your baby is not reaching his or her milestones, discuss it with a doctor. You can check the developmental red flags for 6-month-old babies here.
7-Month-Old Sleep
As mentioned above, with increased separation anxiety, your 7-month-old baby might start sleeping poorly. Here’s a 7-month-old that wakes up every hour!
Some babies will sleep through the night at this point, but many still won’t. Due to the common separation anxiety, your baby will likely be quite sensitive right now. Don’t use any “cry it out” methods! Continue with good sleep routines, lots of hugs and kisses, and try to make social calls at night as brief as possible.
Your baby’s sleep should consist of approximately 11 – 12 hours at night and 2-3 hours of naps.
Feeding a 7-Month-Old Baby
At 7 months, your baby has probably been introduced to solid foods to some extent.
Make sure to introduce the new foods one by one. Always wait a few days before introducing the next food and keep an eye on allergy symptoms during that time. Common allergy symptoms are rashes, vomiting, belly pain, diarrhea, or wheezing.
Go slowly with the solids, and let your baby decide the pace! It is also recommended to continue breastfeeding or give formula at least until the baby is one year old.
Constipation is also very common when introducing solids food.
Games To Play
Now, how to play with a 7-month-old baby..?
According to the 7-month-old baby, a very fun game is to throw all toys away from the chair or the stroller and have you pick them up – again and again, and again…
Hiding and finding things is another great game at this age. Hide a toy under a napkin and ask your baby where it is. Pull off the napkin and say: There it is! Or wait for your baby to pull the napkin off.
Peek-a-boo is also great fun and can be repeated forever.
Tearing papers apart is a fun game at this age. Just make sure your baby doesn’t eat the pieces.
Your 7-month-old baby is now beginning to get old enough to understand and remember words. A fun learning activity is to try practicing with “Where is the lamp” – “There it is” for a while, and your baby might start looking at it when you ask. Here are more things you can do to teach your baby to talk.
This is also an excellent time to start with baby sign language to help your baby communicate earlier or simply as a fun baby activity. You can read more about how to get started with baby sign language (and why) here.
Best Toys for Your 7-Month-Old
A high chair is not a toy but a great place to sit and play with toys. If you haven’t already bought one, get one now. For high chairs, I LOVE the design of this one from Baby Bjorn. (And it is BPA free too)
Picture books with pictures of things your baby can relate to, like toys or house pets, are good toys now. Show the picture to your baby and tell him what it is. I personally love the “touch and feel” picture books for babies, such as this one.
If you haven’t needed it before, a baby walker will likely be fun for your baby and a relief for you.
Walkers do come with two serious warnings:
- They will not help your baby learn how to walk faster.
- They can also be dangerous if your baby is left unattended in the walker. They can reach much higher and they can run into things.
You can read more about the dangers of putting a baby in a walker and how to do it safely here.
But as a toy near to someone who is watching over them – great for small impatient walking babies! Lots of baby walkers are of poor quality. A good one, though quite expensive, is this one.
If your baby can sit up without support, a ball is fun. Help your baby roll it back and forth between you and him.
The 7-Month-Old Baby on Video
In this video, you can see a typical 7-month-old baby and the milestones he has hit.
Where would you like to go next?
Read Next About the 7-Month-Old Baby
- Feeding schedule for the 6-8-month old baby
- 7-month-old cries when seeing new faces
- Foods to softens stools in babies and toddlers
- All posts about 7-month-old babies
Research References
- Growth the first Year
- Deborah M. Consolini, MD, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Separation Anxiety and Stranger Anxiety
Do you have a 7-month-old baby? What’s it like? Please share by leaving a comment below. :-)
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Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing is based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians that you find here. They write or review all health-related articles.
