Baby Milestones at 7-9 Months: What Every Parent Should Know

Wow- month seven has arrived and as a parent you must be flabbergasted at how fast time is flying! One minute you had a tiny newborn and now you have an active bundle of joy. Your baby should now be sitting with support, laughing and getting more vocal by the day. And there is much more to come, the 7-9 age bracket has some BIG milestones and babies at this age become increasingly mobile and inquisitive. So, prepare yourself to say goodbye those days of just letting your baby lay on top of the coffee table (guilty!) and brace yourself for a motivated mover. I think it's safe to say this would be a good time to start thinking about baby proofing your home!

Month 7:

This month is all about the eyes- your baby’s vision is improving a lot and allowing for more coordination. Prepare to be impressed with how well your baby is able to reach for toys and a whole host of objects that they probably shouldn’t! Warning- don’t wear big dangly earrings or a flashy necklace unless you want to experience a lot of pain. You’ll find yourself diving to get off-limit objects away from your baby as any bright and interesting thing will attract them now that their color vision is stronger. Plus, their eye control and eye-body coordination are increasingly refined meaning they’ll be reaching out for objects a whole lot more! Another milestone achieved by month seven is the transferring of objects from one hand to another. It sounds simple to us adults, but this simple movement displays serious spatial awareness.  

Key milestones:

• Transferring objects from one hand to another
• Improving vision

Month 8:

If month seven was all about the eyes, well this month is all about movement! Your baby is going to be on the move and month eight brings about one of the major milestones that all parents look forward to……. crawling! Get ready to whip out your camera phone and capture your little one’s independent movements. All cute stuff but it’s important to note that crawling may not happen in a linear fashion—some babies will only crawl for a short period of time. Other babies won’t crawl the way you’d expect-crawling sideways or scooting their bottom along the floor (time to YouTube this if you haven’t already!) and some may even skip the crawling phase altogether and go straight to walking! Don’t be alarmed if your baby is not crawling in the expected fashion, just be patient and let your baby develop in their own special way. Month eight brings not only a huge physical milestone but an intellectual one too!  Your baby will begin to understand object permanence. In simple English, this is the psychological phenomenon that helps folks understand that when something disappears from view, it doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever. For example, babies will begin to understand that when mommy leaves the room, she will come back. It may seem like basic to grown adults but think of the amazing intellectual leaps this takes for infants! And another huge leap that your baby will make is in communication! Yep, that’s right, your baby will finally say their first words! You have been waiting for this moment for so long! All the encouragement, nursery rhymes, silly sounds and hard work will finally pay off as your baby will be communicating now more than ever. They’ll be repeating sounds like “bababa” or, very adorably, “mamama.” However, warning to mamas, it’s not uncommon for your baby to say dada first, disappointing I know! Additionally, words will start to carry meaning at this stage. You’ll find your baby understands simple words like, “no.” What’s more, they’ll begin to use their fingers to point! It’s a real fun time for parents to see their baby advance in movement, comprehension and communication!

Key milestones:

• Learning object permanence
• Crawling
• Saying first words

Month 9:

Month nine has arrived, and you’re likely marveling at how fast your baby has developed. Your once immobile newborn is now an avid mover! This month, they add standing to the list of newly acquired skills. Your baby should be able to stand holding on to your hands and you may even witness your baby pulling themselves up using a table as a prop. Not only has their balance improved but their dexterity too! Those jerky arm movements are long gone and babies are now able to wield objects more efficiently. Their improved dexterity might mean banging or shaking toys (or anything else they can get their hands on! Careful!) This baby milestone also indicates increased cognitive function. You may notice your baby beginning to use household objects for their intended purpose. For example, they may mimic drinking out of a cup (or actually do so!).

Key milestones:

• Standing
• Improved dexterity

There really is nothing more satisfying than seeing your baby grow! The smallest and simplest things can provide some of the biggest thrills for parents. You’ll be filled with immense pride seeing your baby crawl for the first time or melt on hearing their first words. Don’t forget to capture these delicious moments, these truly are some ‘forever’ memories. And again, please don’t be alarmed if your baby isn’t hitting said milestones at certain months, they’ll get there in their own time!