7- 9 month old baby

Feeding your baby

No single food can give your baby all the nutrients they need so variety is the name of the game to make sure they get the right balance of vitamins and minerals, as well as the energy they need for all that growing and exploring. It’s especially important to make sure their food and milk contains a healthy amount of iron, as the natural stores they were born with begin to run low after about 6 months.

You probably started weaning with smooth textures and gentle flavours to introduce foods slowly to your baby and now they might be ready to try some new tastes and more mashed up consistencies! This will get them interested in food as well as helping them learn to eat and develop their chewing skills.

To encourage good eating habits, it’s also an idea to get into a routine for mealtimes – perhaps with your baby sitting in their own high chair. Read more about this stage of weaning here. 

Watch for non-verbal signs of communication in your baby too – like telling you they want to feed themselves by picking up food with their hands. Now is a great time to introduce them to soft finger foods to help develop their speech muscles too. And the added benefit is that although they can get a bit messy, they’ll probably eat more this way!

If you haven't done so already it's a good idea to move onto a follow-on milk that is specially developed to complement your baby's weaning diet.

Your baby’s development

Time to start baby-proofing the house!

Once your baby turns 7 months they’ll find loads of new objects to pick up and throw!

They’re becoming increasingly active and need lots of space to discover and move around in. That means more work ahead for you too, as baby-proofing the house will take on a sudden new urgency. At the moment, it’s all about crawling and learning the word, “No!”

Get ready to play!

By now, your baby will probably be into everything, but don't worry if they don't seem interested in crawling. They may just prefer to shuffle around on their bum, even going backwards at times!

Turn your home into an exciting playground by creating obstacles with cushions and throws for your baby to crawl or shuffle over and around. This will help encourage their explorative nature and strengthen their muscles at the same time.

Now that your baby can bear a lot of weight on their feet, they’ll get a great kick out of bouncing up and down on your lap too. It's all thanks to the part of your baby's brain that controls their movement or 'motor skills'. They’ve already developed control over their neck, shoulders, chest and lower back. So now it's the turn of the lower body, hands and feet.

Their upper body is strong enough now for them to sit up on their own without support. So it’s a great time to prop them up in their own high chair, joining the rest of the family at mealtimes.

Co-ordination and awareness

If your baby suddenly starts repeatedly dropping and throwing objects across the room, don’t worry. They’ve finally learned to release things from their hands at will and are enjoying practising their newly acquired skill!

Around this time your baby may start to experience a bit of ‘separation anxiety’ too, becoming scared and clingy when you try to leave – even if you’re just popping out of the room for a moment.

Sticking to a regular daily routine can help ease your baby's fears. Whether it's giving them a milk bottle on waking, or planning snack times around naps, making things predictable helps give them a sense of security.

Playing hiding games with your baby can help with separation anxiety. Babies never tire of peek-a-boo, even long after you've got bored! Try hiding one of your baby's favourite toys and asking them to find it.

Babbling and words

Your baby’s beginning to turn into a real little personality! They’ll start to recognise their own name and turn around when you say it and although they’re not yet talking, their random babbling will begin to sound more like words as they repeat the sounds they’ve mastered.

Now when your baby says ‘mama' or 'dada' they’re referring to two very special people in their life, although they'll still get you muddled up. They won't be shy about offering their opinion, whether by babbling, laughing, squealing or screaming. And they’ve started to understand the meaning of the word 'no' - although they won’t always obey it!

Learning

Your baby’s becoming much more involved when you read to them now; trying to turn pages, listening closely to your voice and following the colourful pictures. But it will still be a while before they can connect the pictures to the words you’re reading. Animal books are great at this stage, giving your baby lots of interesting new sounds to learn!

The simple everyday environments of indoors and outdoors are exciting for your baby at the moment. Crawling under the table, opening and closing doors and looking out the window while naming the things you see will all help encourage their explorative nature.

 

Important Notice
Breastfeeding is best for your baby. Follow-on milk should only be used as part of a mixed diet and not as a breastmilk substitute before 6 months. Use on the advice of your healthcare professional.