What a mess! For the first six months you could dress your baby in the cutest outfit and, besides the occasional poo explosion, you could expect them to stay gorgeous all day. These days, there is banana stains on all their clothes (and most of yours!) and every time you pick your baby up you have to dust them off!
Where did all that dirt and hair come from anyway – you just vacuumed this morning?
How is baby going?
It is important to keep your baby safe (away from spoiling food and choking hazards) but it doesn’t really matter if your baby gets a bit dirty. Of course, keep your floors clean but don’t go overboard. Eating a bit of dirt is unlikely to hurt your baby but licking household cleaners certainly will. For now, you may just have to keep all the good clothes for special occasions …
As well as getting dirty your baby will be busy practicing many new skills. At this age babies may start to experiment with vowels and consonants and might soon utter those words you’ve all been waiting for – Mama and Dada (not necessarily in that order!).
Your baby will also be getting a work out, practising skills that will eventually lead to crawling and pulling up to standing. At this age some babies may be crawling already, they can probably sit without support and may soon be able to move between positions for example, sitting to crawling and maybe even back again.
Sleep
By now, you’ve probably realised that the only sure thing about baby sleep, is that is never a sure thing! You might have a few good weeks where baby’s sleep seems to follow a predictable pattern, then all of a sudden it is all over the shop again!
As babies grow and change, so do their sleep needs. The best way is to watch them for sleep cues and tune into their needs. We have this article on recognising baby and toddler tired signs for each age group, it has been compiled with help from our wonderful Bub Hub forum members who have shared their own real-life tips!
Also watch your baby for cues that they are ready to drop from three naps to two naps a day, this usually happens around 6-9 months.
Feed
How have you been going with starting solid food? It can be a fun time for you and your baby as they start to explore the world of real food. But it can also be a frustrating time – with conflicting information, issues with baby not being interested in eating and then there’s the mess! Check out our article on common problems when starting solids for some survival tips!
How are you going?
With the newborn stage now just a vague memory, you might already be asking yourself if and when you want to have another child.
There is a lot to consider and it might help to ask for advice on when to have another baby. You might also want to consider the age gap between your babies as there are pros and cons whichever way you go.
For example, a small age gap can be extremely hard work especially at first but it can also mean less sibling rivalry and you’ll have a shorter time to deal with all the negatives such as sleep deprivation and nappies.
A large age gap means you’ll get to spend more time with each child individually, you’ll have a little helper rather than a needy toddler, plus you’ll feel refreshed and recovered by the time number two comes along. However it might be difficult to return to the days of sleepless nights and nappy changing if you had finally put them all behind you.
3 things to do when your baby is 7 months old
- Have you been brushing baby’s teeth? Here are some tips on how to care for baby teeth.
- Find a local professional photographer and organise to have some family photos taken.
- It is never too early to read to your baby. Here are 10 awesome picture books for babies
Please note: All babies are different, these are generic guides and aren’t a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have any concerns, don’t hesitate to contact your health care provider.