More than halfway through her first year of life, she's got teeth, is eating 'real' food and is even starting to form early words. It's amazing to think this time last year you'd probably not long ago had your first pregnancy scan.
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Physical development at seven months old
Big changes are afoot this month. Lots of babies start to crawl at around seven months but don't panic if yours isn't one of them. Just be grateful for the relative peace while you aren't dashing after her every thirty seconds.
She'll experiment a bit first by getting up on her arms and knees, as well as doing a sort of 'parachute' pose, where she lies on her tummy with both arms and both legs held up in the air. She may start crawling by going backwards first and you'll see her looking pretty peeved by this while she works it all out.
This is also the month when her hands really come into their own. She may use them for clapping, or even to wave goodbye. But what's really impressive is that as well as being able to grab things with her whole hand, she's now also able to pick up small things between her thumb and forefinger. This fine motor skill is known as the pincer grip, and it's the first step towards being able to do things like write with a pencil (and pick up tiny pebbles from the floor and try to eat them).
Seven-month-old babies and teething
Her tiny gnashers are probably starting to come through now. They usually come through in pairs, with the bottom middle pair arriving first, followed by the top two front teeth. You don't need to brush them properly yet but it's a good idea to give them a bit of a rub with a flannel until they're big enough to take a toothbrush to. They may be temporary but the enamel on baby teeth is far thinner than that on adult teeth so they do need some TLC. And keeping teeth clean is a good habit to get your child into as well.
How can I encourage my seven-month-old's physical development?
Keep putting toys just outside of her reach to encourage her to twist, turn and roll towards them. To encourage the pincer grip try putting small things like peas or raisins on her highchair tray for her to pick up.
Cognitive development at seven months old
At seven months old, your baby is really beginning to sort out the world and everything within it. She understands about object permanence (that things don't cease to exist when she can't see them) and this may kick-start separation anxiety, as she realises that you are somewhere else away from her when she can't actually clap eyes on you.
The way she learns about the world is through copying and repetition. Far from being bored by seeing the same thing happening over and over again, she will be thrilled to knock down the same tower of bricks 50 times in a row, and loves to hear familiar rhymes and stories. By this age, she can even anticipate what's coming next in a song or nursery rhyme she knows well.
However, don't be expecting everything to sink in just yet. You might well have told her not to chew your phone 20 times that morning, but she still can't remember things like this for more than a few minutes. There's not much point in trying to reason with a child this age – you're better off simply distracting her for now.
Language development at seven months
You might hear the odd 'mama' and 'dada' around now. She probably doesn't yet understand that that person is you, but it's a start.
She'll be combining made-up syllables into made-up 'words' now and you'll hear her happily chatting away to herself, or to her reflection, which she now understands is herself, using rising and falling tones, as if she knows exactly what she's babbling about.
How can I encourage my seven-month-old's brain development?
Try action rhymes that will help develop her memory, as well as games that involve lots of repetition of an action so she can work on anticipating what's coming next. It's hard to hold back, but sometimes, rather than rush to help her with whatever she is reaching for, just wait and let her see if she can do it by herself.