In our last article, we learned about what can be expected from a 7-month-old baby. Their sleeping patterns, eating habits, what they are likely to do, etc. In this article, let’s look into a 7-month-old’s growth and development.
Growth
Your little one is slowly making its way up the growth charts. They are weighing more now, about half a kilo more, and growing in length, about 3/4 of an inch this month. They will most likely continue to progress throughout the first year.
How does your baby keep up that incredible growth?
With a steady diet of breast milk, which means your baby will nurse about four to six times a day and/or formula in about 3-4 bottles with about 200 ml of formula and of course, a slow but regular introduction to solid foods.
As the baby becomes a more experienced eater, it will now eat anywhere from 4 to 9 tablespoons of cereal, fruit, and vegetables each per day, spread out over two to three meals.
When it comes to introducing more protein foods like meat, chicken, fish, whole milk yogurt, cheese, and tofu to your 7-month-old’s diet, expect them to eat about 5-6 tablespoons a day.
Iron-rich foods like cereals play a significant role in the production of hemoglobin (a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body) and also help brain development — including building motor skills and memory.
Ensure your baby gets 11 milligrams of iron a day by offering iron-fortified formula or cereal and other iron-rich foods including meat, chicken, fish, eggs, avocado, broccoli, and spinach.
Development
Now that your baby is growing fast, they will also start developing new ones in their brain which will help in the betterment of their motor skills and memory.
Have you noticed your 7-month-old falling in love with that one song on your playlist? The one song they want you to play again and again? Yes, that is their memory, they now recognize sounds, music, and tunes that they want to hear repeatedly.
When you play or sing their favorite song again and again, it also gives them a sense of power, which they will love.
They may now start clapping and it is worth celebrating. A baby’s ability to bring two hands together means developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills — both of which will eventually allow your little one to do things like catch a ball and hold a crayon.
Cheering for them by clapping whenever they do something worth cheering for will make them also clap, which will improve their skills.
Playing with puppets is also another way to help their brain develop. That homemade sock puppet is more helpful than you think. For instance, showing the puppet opening its mouth while feeding your bundle of joy will make them also open its mouth without fussing.
Or perhaps your bath-averse baby will enjoy the tub more if you use a washable puppet bath mitt — one that chats and entertains them, of course.
Just like stuffed animals and dolls of all shapes and sizes, puppets are stand-ins for people. That means they offer lots of learning opportunities.
Going forward, your baby will keep growing and developing and they will keep throwing many more surprises at you as you watch in awe at how quickly they grow.