Baby care during seventh to twelfth month

Now your baby is taking a more and more active part in life and has become an established member of the family. During this stage the baby develops a great deal physically and mentally. Babies at this age are developing a real personality.

Feeding

This is the age when he starts putting anything he wants to explore, into the mouth. At this age she/he can hold a spoon and is ready to learn to drink from a cup.

Some babies will already be on three meals a day at six or seven months. Others will be on milk feedings only. By the time she/he is having solid food three times a day she will probably be taking only two milk feedings.

As your baby grows more teeth, the consistency of the foods as well as the foods we offer can become more varied.

Physical Changes  

In 6^th to 7^th month your baby starts Crawling. He/she starts lifting her chest and bottom, supporting her weight on her arms and legs. By 7-8 months they begin to move or wriggle forward on the stomach. You have to encourage him/her to practice crawling by placing a colorful thing or toy in front of them. Between 9-12 months, the crawling becomes well coordinated and fast.

Between 6-9 months of age your baby will learn to sit up without support.

At the end of 7^th month, your baby will probably be getting his first tooth. At this time he/she starts biting on his hands or the objects. He may also develop a rash on his chin from saliva, and may get irritable from the discomfort his gums.

You could try giving him a frozen teething ring or other teething toy to chew on to help relieve the discomfort.

By 12 months most of them take their first walking steps with support. During this age they shout most effectively to get what they want.  Now baby can says “mama”, “baba” or “dada”. He/she recognizes several words. They Searches for something if you hide it.

They respond to requests or calling his name. They recognize some parts of their body.

Height and Weight

By 8 months of age, most babies’ weight is around 6.3 – 8.1kg. After the first 12 months, most babies will probably have just about tripled their birth weight and height will be about 28 to 32 inches tall.

Develop a Strong Mind and Body

During this month, your baby’s language, recognition, and social skills are at an important stage of development. Help ensure his development stays on track by continuing to engage him in some of these activities:

• Chat with your baby every time.
•  Expose him to a variety of sounds.
• Singing familiar songs.
• Reading nursery rhymes.
• Point to objects and people and name them, so your baby learns new words.