7-Month-Old Baby — Development Milestones, Growth, Feeding, And More

Your baby is 7 months old and, man, is this a cute age. You know what else it can be? Exhausting! Baby may be crawling all over the place, scooping up all manner of off-limits items to stick in their mouth and even attempting to crawl out of their crib.

If they aren’t yet crawling, just know they soon will be — and, let’s be honest, they’re probably still scooting all over the place or using everything in sight to pull themselves to a precariously wobbly standing position. In other words, mama, all of that babyproofing you did when you were nesting is starting to pay off.

But becoming more mobile isn’t the only thing happening this month. Here are some of the other 7-month-old milestones to watch (read: prepare) for.

Your 7-Month-Old Baby’s Development & Growth Milestones

How much should a 7-month-old weigh?

That little baby you brought home for the hospital isn’t such a little baby anymore. Per the World Health Organization, the average weight of a 7-month-old girl is 16.8 pounds and the average weight of a 7-month-old boy is 18.3 pounds. Your nugget probably still has those cute leg rolls that make your heart bubble over every time you see them (we call those extra folds the “sweet meats”).

However, just like grown-ups, healthy babies come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Don’t stress too much if your little one hasn’t yet hit the “average” mark for this age. As long as you’re seeing steady growth and your baby’s doctor doesn’t flag baby’s size as a concern, your sweet thing is likely right where they should be growth-wise.

How much and how often do you feed a 7-month-old baby?

Typically, you won’t have to wonder if your baby is hungry — they’ll send some pretty clear signals (yes, sometimes screeching is involved). But baby might be sending you those signals a lot these days, leaving you to wonder what sort of feeding schedule a 7-month-old baby should have.

And you’re not imagining things: Baby is probably hungrier lately. They’re moving around a lot more, and their brains are developing at an impressive pace. They’ve gotta fuel all those good things going on in their little bodies! According to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford Children’s Health, 7-month-olds should be taking 30 to 32 ounces of breast milk or formula per day. This is typically split between 3 to 5 feedings.

What solids can a 7-month-old eat?

By now, though, you’ve probably introduced your little one to the wonders of solid food. So, how much of those? Well, Stanford recommends feeding baby 3 to 5 tablespoons of single grain iron-fortified cereal (mixed with formula or breast milk); 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain, strained fruits 2 times per day; 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain, strained vegetables 2 times per day; and 1 to 2 tablespoons of strained meat or other proteins per day. Baby can also munch on baby-friendly snacks now, such as children’s puffed snacks, arrowroot cookies, toast, crackers and plain yogurt.

Curious if your 7-month-old can have eggs or other potential allergens yet? Yep! If you’re feeling a little paranoid, we totally get it. Historically, doctors recommended parents wait until 1 to introduce things like milk and peanut butter and as far out as 2 years old to introduce eggs.

But new studies have found no medical evidence that waiting minimizes baby’s chances of developing a food allergy. Per the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, you can start gradually introducing egg, dairy, peanut, pine nuts, fish and shellfish in the same window that baby begins eating solids (so, typically 4 to 6 months). As always, you should watch for signs of an allergic reaction anytime you introduce a new food.

How much should a 7-month-old be sleeping?

Thankfully, most babies sleep through the night (or something like it) at this point. You may have noticed last month that baby is now able to sleep through the night without feeding, which means you both get blissfully longer stretches of sleep. Per the National Sleep Foundation, 7-month-olds typically sleep 12 to 15 hours total, with 9 to 12 hours taking place at night. If your little one sleeps overall longer at night, though, they may still need to squeeze in a feeding at some point in there.

The remaining hours of sleep are spread throughout the day in naps that last anywhere from 30 minutes to four hours.

Your 7-Month-Old Baby’s Physical, Social, And Cognitive Milestones

How much can a 7-month-old baby see?

Baby’s world is a whole lot more vibrant now since your little one can now see everything in full color. You’ll also notice that their eye movements and hand-eye coordination are improving. Their eyes are now capable of working together (so, as adorable as it was, they probably aren’t going cross-eyed staring at their nose).

Should my 7-month-old be sitting up and/or crawling?

As baby gets closer to that one-year-mark (deep breaths, you’ve got this!), you might be wondering how advanced their motor skills should be. First and foremost, remember that babies progress at different rates. Just because your baby isn’t doing some of these things isn’t necessarily a sign of developmental delays.

In general, most babies can roll over in both directions at 7 months old, even while they’re sleeping. Your little one might be sitting up on their own, but it’s totally normal if they need a little support still, too. Some babies can pull themselves up and into a standing position but, again, totally normal if they still need help. If baby hasn’t begun crawling yet, you’ll probably start to notice them rock back-and-forth while on all fours. And get ready to hide any off-limit items knee-level or lower, because baby is probably scooting around.

Can a 7-month-old baby walk?

Is it possible for a 7-month-old baby to walk? If you spend enough time poking around parenting forums online, you’ll find parents who insist their early walker started at this age. So, while we won’t say it never happens, it’s certainly highly unusual. At 7-months-old, most babies are either still mastering crawling and are just getting brave enough to cruise around furniture by holding onto edges.

Can a 7-month-old baby talk?

Again, never say never. The age at which babies reach certain milestones varies! So, it’s possible some infants develop enough language skills by 7 months to start talking. As a general rule of thumb, though, babies at 7-months-old are still working on evolving their communication. They’ve probably started actively imitating the sounds of speech they hear. So, it’s important for you to foster that responsiveness. Introduce your little one to simple syllables and words like “cat,” “dog,” “go,” “hot,” and — yep — “Mama” and “Dada” (even if your baby has being saying those last two prior to this point, it is usually a form of babbling as opposed to active speech).

Your 7-Month-Old Baby’s Health

Does a 7-month-old need a checkup?

Unless your little chicken nugget comes down with a cold this month, or you have other concerns, you won’t have to schlep your baby (and all their stuff) to the doctor’s office. Granted, that may vary depending on your pediatrician’s immunization schedule. Still, it’s typical for baby not to have another wellness check until 9 months of age. On that note: Go ahead and schedule that checkup, if you haven’t already.

As always, check in with your doctor if baby presents any troubling symptoms. These might include extreme constipation, chronic diarrhea, persistent fever, a cough that gets worse over time or possible developmental delays.

What immunizations does a 7-month-old get?

Unless you missed last month’s immunizations or are on a delayed schedule, baby likely won’t have to get any shots this month.

Written by Julie Sprankles.

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