7th month

Your 7-month-old's development

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Bouncing up and down 

Your baby can now support some of her weight on her legs, and she loves to bounce. What's more, she's probably able to sit unsupported (which will free her hands for exploring), and she'll turn when sitting to reach a desired object. She may even be able to get into a sitting position from lying on her
stomach by pushing up on her arms. 

Learning to grab 

Your baby's fine motor skills are coming along, too. By now she can probably scoop things up with just one little hand and transfer them from one hand to the other fairly easily. She may also be able to clasp her hands together and sip from a two-handled cup (with your assistance). Before long you'll probably notice the noise level increasing, not only because of your baby's babble, but also because she'll find out how much fun it is to bang objects together.


To encourage fine motor activity, place a toy just out of your baby's reach and watch her try to get it. If she cries because she can't quite get it, keep giving her relaxed encouragement - but not the toy. She's just venting frustration and will become more physically confident more quickly if you don't make everything too easy for her. After a few tries, she'll be able to lean forward to grab it and then straighten herself again. Of course, this will give her ideas, and she'll soon be rocking back and forth on her hands and knees, and may crawl or repeatedly roll over to move about the room. Aid her explorations and mobility by dressing her in loose, comfortable clothes. 

Teething 

While your baby may already have begun teething (the average age is five or six months, though it can start as early as three months or as late as 12 months), about now you can expect to see the two upper central incisors, then the two lateral incisors. Don't be alarmed if your baby has gaps between some of her teeth; teeth often come through the gums at odd angles, and any spaces commonly disappear after all 20 baby teeth have broken through. Once your baby starts teething, you can expect more drooling and experimenting with sounds as she adjusts to having these strange new things in her mouth. 

Testing your authority 

By now, you may already have found yourself telling your baby that the telephone is not a toy. Or maybe in your house the reminders revolve around her tossing her rattle in your face. The fact is, at this age your baby may begin testing your authority by refusing to follow your directions or entreaties. When she pushes back, she's not being disobedient or willful - she's just curious and simply can't remember things for more than a couple of seconds at a time. The best tactic is to use a simple no, then distract her. 

The beginnings of separation anxiety 

If your baby is anxious when she's away from you during the day, her concern will be compounded at bedtime. When she wakes up at night, even for a moment, she'll know you're nearby, and will be vocal about trying to get your attention. You'll feel torn between the strong urge to scoop her up and take her to bed with you and the voices of those who tell you that to do so is to spoil her. Don't worry: it won't hurt to indulge her occasionally - not always - by bringing her into bed with you. When the separation anxiety disappears, you can teach her to sleep by herself again. Of course, if you've opted for the family bed, you'll always be close at night. 

Your baby's reluctance to be separated from you may delight you but may also frustrate you at times. In either case, it might help to load a laundry basket with her toys and move it - and her - from room to room so you can get the jobs that need doing around the house done while enjoying each other's company. 

Recognition skills 

Your baby now actively engages in hiding games and can remember that the jack-in-the-box pops up at the end of the song. She's also able to recognise different tones and inflections, and may burst into tears if you speak harshly. 

Figuring out how objects relate 

Your baby's beginning to understand how objects relate to one another in three-dimensional space. She may be able to sort toys, grouping items such as blocks by size. And if she admires her reflection in a window, and you suddenly appear behind her image, she's likely to turn and look for you instead of believing that you're in the mirror itself. 

If you've noticed that a simple game of peek-a-boo is absolutely fascinating to your baby, it's because she's also starting to understand object permanence and loves games where people or things appear and disappear. In fact, one of the easiest ways to keep a seven-month-old occupied is by hiding an object under a blanket for her to discover. 

Stimulating toys and games 

Your baby enjoys playing the same game over and over because she likes predictability. In addition to peek-a-boo (see above), try adding classics such as round and round the garden and patta-cake patta-cake to your repertoire. 

At this age, babies also tend to gravitate toward stuffed animals, both big and small. Most likely, one will emerge as the favourite security object and will soon be covered in dribble and have to accompany you everywhere. When adding new members to your soft toy collection, look for soft, well-stitched stuffed toys that can be washed. Other good toys include balls, nesting cylinders, pop-up toys and large dolls. 

If your baby has a favourite plaything or two, you may start to realise that the expression "as easy as taking sweets from a baby" no longer applies. While it used to be easy to remove things from her grasp, you may now find her protesting loudly when you take toys and other things away. 

Is my baby developing normally? 

Remember, each baby is unique and meets physical milestones at his or her own pace. These skills are simply a guide to what your baby has the potential to accomplish - if not right now, then shortly. 

And if your baby was born prematurely, you'll probably find that it will be a little while before she can do the same things as other children her age. Don't worry, most doctors assess a premature child's development from the time she should have been born and evaluate her skills accordingly.