7-9 Months Baby's Communication, Motor-skills Milestones

Your baby is now 7 months old! An active bundle of joy, your child would now be sitting with support, laughing and getting more vocal. In the next few months, the baby would start to pick new skills quite quickly and may surprise you with something different each day. Babies at this age become more mobile and inquisitive, which helps them to learn and grow at a fast pace.

7-9 Months Infant Developmental Milestones

Here are some milestones that you will be able to see in your 7-9 months old baby to help understand their development and address concerns early. This is what their milestone map looks like -

Advanced Motor-skills

By this age, most babies can roll over in both directions and sit on their own. By 9 months you might notice your baby beginning to move or even crawl across the room. They will bounce when supported to stand. Some babies at this age can pull themselves to a standing position.

Fine Motor-skills & Co-ordination

Most babies this age will transfer objects from one hand to another or directly to their mouths. By 9 months these movements become more refined and help in holding a bottle and soft finger foods. They learn to drink from a cup and may be able to grasp objects using their thumb and finger now.

Communication Skills

Your baby will communicate more so now with you through sounds, gestures, and facial expressions. There is laughing, squealing and  babbling of sounds, such as "ba-ba-ba." You might even pick out an occasional "mama" or "dada." [Know More - Baby's First Year Milestones]

Understanding

While babies may progress at different rates, following are some of the common milestones that they may achieve:

• Babies respond to own name and "no" and pay attention to the conversation. They appear to understand some words, for instance, if you tell them to eat, they understand that.
• They may enjoy seeing self in the mirror and will respond to changes in the emotions of others
• They will show interest in and develop clear likes/dislikes in food
• They also begin to understand object permanence and can uncover a toy after seeing it covered

Stranger Anxiety

Many babies this age become wary of strangers and may resist staying with anyone other than you. [Know More - Child's All Developmental Milestones]

Teething: Developmental Milestone 

You can expect the first tooth anytime now. It usually starts with the two center front teeth in the lower jaw and then the upper jaw. Your baby would have been drooling more than usual and chewing on anything they can get their hands on!

When to Consult Doctor?

The timeline for achieving these milestones is only a guide and not a strict deadline. If otherwise well, often just a wait and watch approach is all that is needed. But do consult your doctor if you have any concerns about the baby’s development. You will need to do so if by now, the baby -

• Doesn't roll over in either direction or sit with help
• Doesn't try to attract attention through actions
• Doesn't babble
• Shows no interest in games of peekaboo

Things You Should Do As A Parent

At any stage, a baby’s mental and emotional development will follow a set course as they learn new skills over time. As parents, you can help to optimize it by providing a conducive physical and emotional environment around them. Engage and play with your baby, introduce books and appropriate toys and keep a conversation going! Some of the ways that you can encourage learning at this age are:

• Give your baby safe toys that make noises when shaken, or toys that can be stacked, have knobs to push and poke
• Play in front of a mirror, calling your baby by name and pointing to your baby's reflection
• When talking to your baby, pause and wait for him/her to respond. Make a variety of sounds with your tone and mouth
• Name common objects when shown to your baby
• Show picture books and read stories to your baby every day
• Encourage to hold and eat finger foods at family meal times

Your baby might reach some developmental milestones ahead of schedule and lag behind a bit on others. This is completely normal and remembers no two babies will learn the same things at the same time. So go by your instinct, seek help early if there are any concerns and enjoy this wonderful phase as much as you can!