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Nutrition For Your 7-Month-Old Baby

Nutrition For Your 7-Month-Old Baby

Month 7

First Year

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Your 7-month-old baby starts moving more independently, scooting around on his belly like a tadpole, and even, perhaps, eating his first cracker. At the end of month seven, your baby will probably be getting his first tooth, and hitting other key milestones.

Nutrients For You When Breastfeeding

Your Nutrition This Month

As breastfeeding mums, your diet and how you nourish your body matter.1 If you are breastfeeding, here are the essential vitamins and minerals you need:

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is vital for the formation of red blood cells and producing energy. Where to find Vitamin B12? You can find Vitamin B12 in animal produce such as poultry and eggs.

Iron
Your iron levels may drop during breastfeeding. As such, replenishing your iron levels is important to prevent fatigue or an impaired immune system. Where to find Iron? Iron can usually be found in lean red meat and green leafy vegetables.

Calcium
As you might experience transient bone loss while breastfeeding, taking in calcium helps to build and maintain bone health. Where to find Calcium? Common sources of calcium include nuts and dairy foods such as milk and cheese.

Diet For Your 7-Month-Old Baby

What Can Your Baby Eat This Month?

Breastmilk is a vital source of nourishment for your baby at this stage.

Adding solid food

Some foods to consider in addition to breast milk or baby formula:

  • Iron-fortified baby cereals (rice, barley, oats)
  • Pureed meat (fully cooked beef, pork, chicken)
  • Pureed or strained fruits (bananas, pears, applesauce, peaches)
  • Pureed or strained vegetables (avocados, well-cooked carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes)
  • Pureed tofu
  • Legumes (pureed black beans, chickpeas, edamame, fava beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, and kidney beans)

Getting Their Hands in ‘Adult’ Food

Once your 7-month-old baby can sit on her own in a high chair, mealtime becomes a party. She wants to grab the spoon, put it in her mouth, and bang it on the tray, creating her own special baby song.

Eating comes with other surprises as well

Sometime in the sixth or seventh month, she may be ready to eat a cracker or dry cereal by herself. Not only does this introduce her to “grown-up” food, but it also lets her practice her fine-motor skills.
Keep in mind that even though she is eating solid foods, breast milk or formula is still her primary source of nutrition.

And remember, while it is difficult to never leave the room while your baby eats, it is important to stay with her to prevent choking or tumbles from the high chair.

In general, by the end of your baby’s eighth month, she will likely be able to do the following:

  • Crawl.
  • “Inspect” toys.
  • Say “dada” without necessarily knowing what it means.
  • Move from laying on her stomach to a sitting position.

Don’t Make Comparisons
You shouldn’t be concerned if your baby does something later or earlier than your friend’s children. Children learn best and build confidence when you let them learn at their own pace, but if you’re truly concerned, check with your paediatrician.

Learning New Skills

Simple and effective, these techniques can help you keep baby entertained and help her grow strong:

  • Encourage her to bounce up and down while supporting her in a standing position. This is also great fun!
  • Help your baby stand when she is near a stable, sturdy object, urging her to use it for balance. Once she is able to pull up to stand in her crib, make sure the mattress is in the lowest setting for safety.
  • When your baby is standing, hold her favourite toy just out of reach and try to get her to “cruise” along the furniture to get the toy.
  • Place a toy out of reach and encourage her to get the toy by crawling on her hands and knees.

Protecting Your 7-Month-Old Baby From Germs

As your baby plays more with other babies and children, he’s more likely to pick up colds and viruses.

Symptoms worthy of a visit to your paediatrician:

While every baby gets these illnesses, talk with your baby’s health care professional if you notice any of the following symptoms:

  • Runny nose or congestion that interferes with eating or sleeping or lasts longer than a week to 10 days
  • Cough that is associated with vomiting or that interferes with sleep
  • Wheezing
  • Unusual fatigue and crankiness
  • Diarrhoea or vomiting
  • Decreased appetite
  • Fever
  • Pulling at his ears

Regular doctor appointments during this time will also put your mind at ease, reassuring you that your baby is reaching developmental milestones and getting the recommended vaccinations that protect him from serious childhood illnesses.

7-Month-Old Baby Development

Meaningful Play For Minds and Bodies

Your baby’s language, recognition, and social skills are at an important stage of development.

Help ensure that his development stays on track by continuing to engage him in some of the following activities:

  • Chat with your baby every time you’re together.
  • Expose him to a variety of sounds, and help him try to locate them.
  • Imitate the sounds your baby makes, and try to get him to make those sounds back to you.
  • Provide enough quiet time when the radio and TV are not on.
  • Read children’s books or make your own with bright pictures from magazines. Be sure to point to and name objects and people as your baby looks at them.

You may also want to make a photo album of familiar family members, and point to and name objects and people so your baby absorbs new words. He may stay interested only a few minutes at a time, but try to do this every day.

Teething Rings – When To Bring Them Out

Your 7-month-old baby will likely start moving more independently this month, and might begin exploring his surroundings in new ways.

In addition, his first tooth could be arriving soon. You’ll need to help him cope with the pain of teething while you continue to foster his development. Here are some signs to watch for:

  • He might start drooling more heavily and biting on his hands.
  • Saliva might cause a rash to develop on his chin.
  • Inflamed gums can make him irritable and uncomfortable, and can also keep him up at night.

Here are some effective ways to help relieve your baby’s teething:

  • Give him a frozen teething ring or other teething toy, or even a frozen wet washcloth to chew on to help relieve the discomfort.
  • Replenish your stock of bibs, and try to keep cloths close by to help keep his clothes and face dry.

Sleeping Tips For Your 7-Month-Old Baby

  • Separation anxiety your baby might have developed last month could keep him up at night.
  • Your baby might stay awake later, or wake up more often, to practice his newest crawling and sitting abilities.
  • If your baby begins waking up in the middle of the night, try putting him to sleep earlier.

Some tips and tricks

  • Establish a before-bed routine, whether it’s gently rocking him in your arms or stroking his back and arms.
  • Wait until he’s groggy, but still awake; then lay him in his crib, say “good night,” turn off the light, and leave the room.
  • If he cries, wait a few minutes before returning.
  • If he continues to cry, go back in the room (leaving the light off), rub him, and talk to him in a soothing voice until he quiets down, then say “good night” and leave the room again.
  • If he still continues to cry, check for a wet diaper, vomiting, fever, or other signs that he’s in distress. If his diaper needs changing, try to do it quickly and quietly, without taking him out of the crib and stimulating him too much. If he doesn’t need a diaper change (and he’s not ill), gently rub his back and talk to him in a soothing voice until he calms down, then say “good night” and leave the room.
  • If he begins to cry again, repeat this pattern until he falls asleep.
  • Whenever possible, try not to run to him on his first cry – if it’s a cry of distress or continues for a few minutes, investigate.

It may take a few days, but he’ll get the hang of it. Establishing this skill when your baby is still young will help prevent bedtime battles later.

Time For Some Serious Baby Proofing

 

With her added dexterity, increasing mobility, and expanding curiosity, she’ll soon be reaching and grabbing for everything. Keeping her safe (and your stuff protected) is a constant vigil.

Researching and implementing some baby-proofing strategies and techniques will make everyone’s lives a lot easier, safer, and more enjoyable. And did we mention safer?

Your baby might be exploring your home more than ever before. Whether she’s cruising around the living room furniture, standing on her own, or climbing up (but not down) the stairs, consider taking new steps to keep her safe. It’s a good idea to install safety gates or other barriers at the top and bottom of stairs. Here are some other tips to help keep your baby safe:

  • Clear her play area of hard, sharp-edged furniture.
  • Lower her crib mattress so she can’t crawl out or fall while she stands.
  • Install childproof locks on drawers, screens, doors, and windows.
  • Move pots and pans containing hot foods away from counter and table edges.
  • Insert plug protectors in any unused electrical outlets.
  • Store toxic substances (like household cleaners and products).

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to make sure you’ve taken all the baby safety measures you can.

  • Check that all approved safety gates are in place and in working order.
  • Lower the crib mattress so your baby can’t crawl or fall out while he’s standing.
  • Install childproof locks for drawers, screens, doors, and windows.
  • Keep poisonous substances (including household cleaners) in high, locked cabinets.
  • Stay close to your baby around water – pools, tubs, large buckets of water, and toilets.
  • Continue to buckle your baby into an approved, properly installed car seat, but never in a seat protected by an air bag.
  • Place safety plugs over electrical outlets.
  • Call the Poison Control Center, the hospital emergency room, or your baby’s doctor if you think your baby has ingested anything poisonous (Keep these numbers by the phone).
  • Prevent choking hazards by buying your baby objects that are large enough that he can’t fit them into his mouth.

References:
¹ HealthHub. n.d. Early Childhood Nutrition. Available at https://www.healthhub.sg/programmes/122/early-nutrition-for-babies#months-0-3-before-the-arrival-for-your-baby
² Building Baby’s Immunity: It All Starts In The Gut, Abbott Family. Available at https://abbottfamily.com.sg/articles/science/building-baby-immunity
³ Diet for Breastfeeding Mothers, Abbott Family. Available at https://abbottfamily.com.sg/articles/nutrition/diet-for-breastfeeding-mothers

SG.2022.27106.PND.1 (v1.1)

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