The birth of a child brings a lot of joy and delight. How much jubilation a mother feels when looking at her child for the first time! How much rapture and triumph his first meaningful smiles and conscious movements, his first efforts and achievements bring her!
Simple everyday moments associated with the development of a baby can delight young spouses and bring them closer together. But as the baby grows up and reaches the round six-month mark, cheerful and carefree thoughts are joined by worries about the proper upbringing of the newborn.
What should a 7 month old child's daily routine be like? Is he eating and walking enough? Is the baby developing evenly? And what should be the height and weight of a child at 7 months?
Yes, these are very important and serious questions. And in order to answer them comprehensively, you need to find out what a toddler should be able to do at the age of six months and how to develop a child at seven months and later.
Everything is conditional
First of all, remember: every child has the right to individuality. Therefore, you should not be upset if your child is a little behind the general indicators or does not do what his little peers are doing.
The same principle applies to the average daily routine for a child of 7 months, the rules of his nutrition and development.
Some people like to get up earlier, others - later. Some people prefer apples as complementary foods, while others prefer meat puree. Do not force the little man into rigid boundaries. Do what is convenient for him, taking into account general regulations and medical recommendations.
What could they be?
Estimated daily routine
Below are two approximate options for a daily routine for a 7-month-old child.
Approximate life schedule for a 6-9 month baby
| Course of action | Time. 1 plan | Time. 2nd plan |
| Climb | 6-00 | 7-00 |
| Feeding | 6-15 | 7-15 |
| Wakefulness | 6-30 | 7-30 |
| Dream | 8-00 | 9-30 |
| Feeding | 10-00 | 11-00 |
| Wakefulness | 10-15 | 11-15 |
| Dream | 12-30 | 13-00 |
| Feeding | 14-00 | 15-00 |
| Wakefulness | 14-15 | 15-15 |
| Dream | 16-00 | 17-30 |
| Feeding | 18-00 | 19-00 |
| Wakefulness | 18-15 | 19-15 |
| Bathing | 20-00 | 20-30 |
| Feeding and night sleep | 20-30 | 21-00 |
As you can see, this schedule provides for five meals a day for a seven-month-old baby, his three daytime naps and a long period of night rest equal to eight hours. This plan can be taken as a model.
And yet, a child cannot always live according to a schedule. Or he might want to take two naps a day instead of the recommended three. Therefore, by carefully observing the mood and well-being of the baby, you will definitely set a schedule that is optimal for both of you.
What causes restless and restless sleep?
Some moms and dads complain that their baby wakes up many times in the middle of the night, making him feel tired and lethargic during the day. In such a situation, it is important to take a closer look at the toddler, analyze his routine, and it would not be superfluous to consult a pediatrician. There are some reasons why a baby at seven months does not sleep well:
- Teeth are coming through. Typically, when children are six months old, their first teeth begin to appear. In many families, this period is not at all calm. Often the child experiences pain and discomfort. Both daytime and nighttime sleep may be affected; in this situation, you can use a special teething toy that helps teeth appear faster. You can also resort to painkillers from pharmaceutical gels for babies. Unpleasant sensations are relieved by a light massage of the gums.
- New food. Usually, at the age of 6-7 months, new foods are introduced to infants. Of course, it differs from a special formula for babies or from mother's milk, so the baby has problems with digestion. It is advisable to give your little one new foods in the morning so that he can fully digest the new food before the evening. Experts do not recommend introducing complementary foods in the evening.
- Unsuitable sleeping conditions. Your baby may have difficulty falling asleep or may be awakened many times due to hot, stuffy or too dry air. The temperature in the room should be within 20-22 degrees and no more. It is recommended that the air in the children's bedroom be cool and humidified. It is important to open the window several times a day and let fresh air into the room; this should be done both in summer and winter. Excessively dry air leads to drying of the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, which is why the child wakes up, tosses and turns and cannot fall asleep for a long time.
- Disturbed regime. Parents may become to blame for their son or daughter's poor sleep. For example, some decide to put the baby to bed 1 or 2 hours later so that the baby can sleep longer in the morning, but this is not recommended. Why? Because the child will often wake up, and in the morning he will wake up in a bad mood. Children under one year old have a fragile nervous system, they are easily excited, after which it is quite difficult to calm them down. Experts recommend strictly adhering to your daily routine, wakefulness and sleep schedule, it is important to eat, walk, swim and fall asleep by the hour.
- Eating at night. Many specialists and pediatricians agree that there is no need to feed children older than 6 months between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am. If a child asks for his mother’s breast or a bottle at night, he does this not because he is hungry, but simply out of habit. It is important to teach babies of this age that they will not eat at night, although many mothers put their babies in bed with them to breastfeed at their first request.
- Sleeping too much during the day. If a child sleeps for more than 4-5 hours during the day, then most likely at night he will sleep either anxiously or very little. Therefore, you should not allow your little one to sleep for a very long time during the day.
Seven month old baby
Naturally, the above daily routine for a 7-month-old child is conditional and symbolic. Much will depend on the emotional state of both mother and child.
How much time should you spend walking? How to develop a baby? How long to play with him? These questions can be answered unambiguously if you know what your child can do and what he strives for.
Usually, by the age of seven months, the baby already begins to consciously comprehend the world around him, becomes more active and inquisitive. He strives to study everything he sees around him, so he often tastes different objects and things.
The baby begins to stand up independently, holding the handrails, crawl, make meaningful sounds and understand the emotions of adults, identify favorite toys and look at his reflection in the mirror. He develops character, habits and preferences.
What can a child do at seven months and what should he be taught?
New opportunities
Many people believe that boys and girls develop differently, but this is not entirely true. Most likely, a lot depends on the attention of the parents and the abilities of the child himself.
And although, as practice shows, girls can be ahead of boys, this often applies to older children. Babies develop almost the same up to a year. In any case, gender differences in the formation and maturation of a child have not been definitively identified.
So, what can a child do at 7 months: both a boy and a girl?
First of all, the baby’s understanding improves. He can already respond to his name, point his finger at objects known to him, distinguish between relatives and respond to the tender affection of his parents. He learns to express his love in kisses and hugs, recognize emotions and even feel his guilt.
What else can a seven-month-old baby do?
- Repeat words after adults, pronouncing the first syllable.
- Be afraid of sharp sounds and strangers.
- Sit straight.
- Roll over without assistance from tummy to back.
- Hold the drink bottle yourself.
- Play with your favorite toys.
- Drink from a sippy cup and eat from a spoon.
Close supervision
It is very important for parents to know what a child can do at 7 months (a girl or a boy - it doesn’t matter). Why?
The fact is that now is the time to pay attention to whether your baby is developing correctly, whether he has any congenital pathologies or abnormalities. If the toddler does not make sounds, does not respond to extraneous noises, does not like to play with toys or communicate, it may be worth contacting a specialist for a detailed consultation. It is best to do this immediately, so as not to miss precious time and correctly correct the baby’s behavior.
So, we have familiarized ourselves with the approximate daily schedule of a seven-month-old baby, as well as his capabilities and achievements.
Now let's find out the general rules of the daily routine and development of your child during this period.
Height and weight
How much does a 7 month old baby weigh? This question is very important, as it helps to think about proper nutrition for the baby, which would have a positive effect on his health.
The optimal indicators of body weight for a toddler are the ratio of weight and height. In this case, the gender of the baby plays a big role.
Typically, seven-month-old girls reach sixty-seven centimeters in height, and boys - sixty-nine. But, of course, these indicators are not absolute. Genetic and other factors influence a child's growth.
What should be the weight of a toddler, taking into account the above average growth rates? Normal body weight for girls, as a rule, does not exceed 7.7 kg, and for boys - 8.4. However, there are also acceptable discrepancies, the percentage of which should not exceed six to seven units.
Yes, how much a child weighs at 7 months is not limited to a categorical and immutable number. Standard figures range between 6.8 and 8.6 kg for babies and 7.4 and 9.2 kg for toddlers. Naturally, the taller the toddler is, the greater his weight will be.
How to properly feed a child at 7 months?
Night rest
In the evenings, it is useful to play calm, not very active games with your child, especially a couple of hours before going to bed. If before rocking you buy the baby in a bath with soothing herbs, give a light massage and feed the baby, then he will be fully prepared for good sleep and recuperation. Usually, after six months, children stop waking up in the dark to eat, so parents rarely ask why a 7-month-old child does not sleep at night. If the baby has sufficiently splashed out his energy during the day, is moderately tired and has eaten normally before rocking, then he will want to go to bed around 21:00-22:00. Typically, babies at seven months sleep soundly and peacefully until 7 am.
Each baby has its own need for night rest; some do not wake up for 7-8 hours, although some wake up 1-2 times a night. It is considered normal when children go to bed no later than 10:00 pm and wake up between 7-8 am. It is quite possible that the little one woke up in the dark, but at this age most often he falls asleep on his own.
Very active babies do not allow their fathers and mothers to get a good night's sleep, because they can get up in the middle of the night and want to eat, and in the morning they sometimes wake up at five in the morning and no longer have the desire to close their eyes. Each child has his own need to recuperate, so all that remains is to sympathize with those parents whose kids are early risers.
Some people worry and don’t know what to do when the little one sleeps little at night. In this case, it is necessary to observe the baby how she behaves during the daytime. If your son or daughter actively plays, eats well, falls asleep quickly and wakes up in a great mood, then there is no reason to worry and there is no need to adjust the baby’s routine. In this situation, excellent health and excellent mood are the main indicators that the child has enough time to regain strength.
Nutrition
If you pay attention to the approximate table of the baby’s daily regimen, then it is recommended to eat five meals in twenty-four hours. True, if the baby is completely breastfed, there may be more of them (especially at night).
What should a toddler's diet include? What to feed a 7 month old baby?
Firstly, it is important for mommy to realize that by the age of seven or eight months her child will need to be introduced to high-quality complementary foods in the form of pureed purees and liquid broths.
However, this is not a reason to completely abandon breastfeeding or the use of formula. A seven-month-old baby should consume mother's milk or milk formula at least two to three times a day.
Secondly, in matters of complementary feeding, you should pay attention to the preferences of the little person. If your child turns up his nose at a dish prepared with love, do not be upset and do not force him to eat, otherwise you will once and for all discourage your child from eating new foods. Most likely, in a week or a month his mood will change.
Why do children refuse to eat? Perhaps they are simply not hungry, or they are teething, or they did not like this or that dish. Yes, babies also have their own preferences and these too need to be taken into account.
Features of development at 7 months
To master the routine moments of sleep and wakefulness, you need to know what the characteristics of a baby are after 6 months of life. Children's curiosity and activity in learning about the world around them increases. It is necessary to teach a child:
- sit and crawl in a playpen, crib;
- play with your favorite toys;
- look at objects;
- drink from a spoon;
- repeat syllables after mom;
- roll over on your own.
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While the baby is being breastfed, he is given pureed vegetable purees and liquid soups as complementary foods. Someone switches the baby to formula milk. But you can’t completely give up breast milk. It will protect the child's body from diseases.
It is useful to take your child for a walk before bedtime. Some children fall asleep better in a stroller. Therefore, during the day you can walk 2-3 times in good weather.
Healthy dishes and products
What to feed a 7 month old baby?
At lunchtime it can be pureed soups, for breakfast or dinner - pureed main courses. At this stage, you can already introduce meat and liver, porridge and cottage cheese, vegetables and fruits. It is important to ensure that the products are thoroughly processed, fresh and well ground.
Sometimes a family may decide to feed the baby store-bought products. In this case, it is important to pay attention to expiration dates.
Rest and sleep
How long does a 7 month old baby sleep? The answer to this question depends on the little man’s temperament, as well as his daily workload.
Usually, by the age of seven months, toddlers are already more awake than asleep. Their daytime sleep becomes less and less frequent, sometimes they even prefer to sleep twice or even once.
Night hours, on the contrary, turn out to be a long-awaited time of rest for the baby.
It happens that the baby categorically refuses to sleep, accompanying his refusal with whims or bitter crying. What can you do?
First of all, the child should be pitied and reassured. Perhaps he was overexcited and was not happy with his condition. Or something hurts him.
Secondly, it makes sense to organize certain conditions for the baby: ensure silence, create twilight, go out into the fresh air.
Time of each day's rest
So, it’s clear how much children should sleep during the day – approximately 5 hours. If a child under one year old sleeps three times a day, then he rests for about an hour and a half in the morning, 2 hours at lunch and an hour and a half in the evening. When children switch to two breaks, their duration will be longer: in the morning the baby naps for two to two and a half hours, and in the afternoon for about 3 hours. If a child falls asleep on the street, then usually the duration of such rest lasts longer than if he were at home in his bed.
Raising a baby
Now let's move on to an important and broad issue. What to do with your child while he is awake? How to develop a child at 7 months?
The first thing parents should remember is that during this period the toddler is inquisitive and pliable. Everything is interesting to him, everything is new, everything is attractive. Therefore, what mom offers will definitely attract attention and be beneficial.
What can you offer your child to develop his intelligence and abilities?
First of all, the baby needs to read. To do this, you can use brightly decorated books made of thick cardboard.
It is recommended to tell your child short poems with easy, memorable rhymes. This will help him develop memory and speech abilities.
You can also play pleasant music for your baby, which will shape his aesthetic tastes and preferences and evoke positive emotions.
How to normalize sleep
There are several ways you can improve the quality of rest for young children:
- during waking hours, play active games, walk outside, work with the child, and develop him. One to two hours before going to bed, be sure to exclude any active games;
- hug, kiss the child, take him in your arms, spend more time with him. Skin-to-skin contact is very important for children under one year of age;
- make sure that the crib is cozy, moderately soft, warm and pleasant;
- You can rock your little one in a stroller outside; thanks to the fresh air and gentle rocking, the process of falling asleep is significantly accelerated;
- take baths, add decoctions of herbs such as string and chamomile to the water;
- do light, relaxing massages using baby oil;
- read a fairy tale, sing a pleasant and quiet lullaby.
If parents are unable to normalize their child’s sleep on their own, you can seek help from an experienced, qualified pediatrician who will tell you how to improve the child’s day and night rest.
