How many times should i feed my 7 month old baby
Feeding your baby: 6–12 months
At 6 months of age, breastmilk continues to be a vital source of nutrition; but it’s not enough by itself. You need to now introduce your baby to solid food, in addition to breastmilk, to keep up with her growing needs.
Be sure you give your baby her first foods after she has breastfed, or between nursing sessions, so that your baby continues to breastfeed as much as possible.
When you start to feed your baby solid food, take extra care that she doesn’t become sick. As she crawls about and explores, germs can spread from her hands to her mouth. Protect your baby from getting sick by washing your and her hands with soap before preparing food and before every feeding.
Your baby's first foods
When your baby is 6 months old, she is just learning to chew. Her first foods need to be soft so they’re very easy to swallow, such as porridge or well mashed fruits and vegetables. Did you know that when porridge is too watery, it doesn't have as many nutrients? To make it more nutritious, cook it until it’s thick enough not to run off the spoon.
Feed your baby when you see her give signs that she's hungry – such as putting her hands to her mouth. After washing hands, start by giving your baby just two to three spoonfuls of soft food, twice a day. At this age, her stomach is small so she can only eat small amounts at each meal.
The taste of a new food may surprise your baby. Give her time to get used to these new foods and flavours. Be patient and don’t force your baby to eat. Watch for signs that she is full and stop feeding her then.
As your baby grows, her stomach also grows and she can eat more food with each meal.
Feeding your baby: 6–8 months old
From 6–8 months old, feed your baby half a cup of soft food two to three times a day. Your baby can eat anything except honey, which she shouldn't eat until she is a year old. You can start to add a healthy snack, like mashed fruit, between meals. As your baby gets increasing amounts of solid foods, she should continue to get the same amount of breastmilk.
Feeding your baby: 9–11 months old
From 9–11 months old, your baby can take half a cup of food three to four times a day, plus a healthy snack. Now you can start to chop up soft food into small pieces instead of mashing it. Your baby may even start to eat food herself with her fingers. Continue to breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry.
Each meal needs to be both easy for your baby to eat and packed with nutrition. Make every bite count.
Foods need to be rich in energy and nutrients. In addition to grains and potatoes, be sure your baby has vegetables and fruits, legumes and seeds, a little energy-rich oil or fat, and – especially – animal foods (dairy, eggs, meat, fish and poultry) every day. Eating a variety of foods every day gives your baby the best chance of getting all the nutrients he needs.
If your baby refuses a new food or spits it out, don’t force it. Try again a few days later. You can also try mixing it with another food that your baby likes or squeezing a little breastmilk on top.
Feeding non-breastfed babies
If you're not breastfeeding your baby, she’ll need to eat more often. She'll also need to rely on other foods, including milk products, to get all the nutrition her body needs.
- Start to give your baby solid foods at 6 months of age, just as a breastfed baby would need. Begin with two to three spoonfuls of soft and mashed food four times a day, which will give her the nutrients she needs without breastmilk.
- From 6–8 months old, she’ll need half a cup of soft food four times a day, plus a healthy snack.
- From 9–11 months old, she’ll need half a cup of food four to five times a day, plus two healthy snacks.
7-Month-Old Baby: Your Questions Answered
7-Month-Old Baby
Your baby is 7 months old! As your little one is now more active, you’ve got to get your home ready. We know you probably childproofed when baby first came home, but having a mini mover and shaker changes everything. Get down on your hands and knees to see what hazards are around that you'll need to guard against.
That includes anything baby could tumble over, bump into, get cut or pinched on or get tangled in. Also, make sure anything that could fall onto your child (a dresser, a bookshelf, the TV) is securely strapped into place, and be cautious to keep all choking hazards out of reach—that includes looking for small things that could easily drop on the floor unnoticed, like coins.
As your 7-month-old baby gets stronger and smarter every day, you may find yourself with a whole new slew of questions and concerns. What can a 7-month-old see? What can you give a 7-month-old for meals? Should you be worried if your 7-month-old doesn’t have teeth yet?
To help you navigate and prepare for the seven-month mark, we’re sharing a guide with all the 7-month-old baby milestones. From sleeping schedules to eating routines to fun activity ideas, here’s the intel you need to ensure your 7-month-old baby is on a happy and healthy track.
In this article:
7-month-old development
7-month-old health
7-month-old baby food
7-month-old sleep
7-month-old schedule
Activities for a 7-month-old
7-month-old checklist and tips
7-Month-Old Development
In the last three months, baby’s probably grown about 2 inches and their head circumference may have grown about an inch.
They’re still developing their senses and skills that will lead to more independence.
7-month-old baby weight and length
Typically, how much does a 7-month-old weigh—or, rather, how much should a 7-month-old weigh? Average weight of a 7-month old is 16.8 pounds for girls and 18.3 pounds for boys. Average length is 26.5 inches for girls and 27.2 inches for boys, according to the World Health Organization.
But don’t get too caught up with the “normal” weight of a 7-month-old baby. Height and weight can vary widely between healthy babies, so as long as your baby is growing at a healthy rate—on a steady upward curve on the chart at the doctor’s office—and the pediatrician doesn’t see any signs of a problem, your baby’s growth is right on track.
7-month-old’s five senses
- What can babies see at 7-months-old? A lot! Baby’s distance vision is improving every day. And they can see everything in full color now.
- The parts of baby’s brain dealing with sound processing have developed, which means baby can fully process and understand a range of sounds.
- Baby’s been listening to your voice and may try to copy the pattern and tones of your voice when they babble. So chatty!
7-month-old baby milestones
What should a 7-month-old be able to do? Remember, all babies develop at their own rate, but this is a peek at what might be happening with your baby this month.
- Baby might be able to sit up without any help, though they might have to keep their hands on the floor to stay upright. If they haven't already started crawling, keep an eye out this month. Many babies start making moves as early as 6 or 7 months. However, if they’re not scooting around just yet, don’t worry. They’ll strengthen those muscles and get moving on their own time. And, FYI, some babies skip crawling and go straight to walking.
- Baby is starting to work on fine-tuning their grasp. Now, baby probably picks things up with their whole hand, but they’ll also soon start working on the “pincer grasp,” where they’ll pick things up with their pointer finger and thumb.
- Baby bears weight on their legs when you hold them upright, and might even start to jump up and down in this position.
- Baby babbles and imitates sounds. They know what things to do to attract your attention (and isn’t it adorable?).
7-Month-Old Health
Click through for answers to some of 7-month-olds’ parents’ biggest health questions:
7-month-old teething
Got teeth? If your 7-month-old is still all gums, know that some pearly whites will probably pop up pretty soon. Typically, the bottom incisors are the first two to make an appearance followed by the top incisors.
7-Month-Old Baby Feeding
Seven-month-old babies are eating some solid foods, but their main source of nutrition is still breast milk or formula.
How much should a 7-month-old eat, and how often?
- Bottle feeding: How much formula for a 7-month-old baby? They should be drinking about six to eight ounces of formula, four to six times per day.
- Breastfeeding: Seven-month-olds still typically nurse about every three or four hours.
- Pumping: If you’re pumping, baby needs a total of about 25 ounces of breast milk per day. So you’ll need to divide that by how many feedings your baby typically has. For example, if you feed baby about six times per day, they should get about 4.2 ounces of breast milk at each feeding.
- Solid food: How much solid food for a 7-month-old? Baby should be starting to get three meals of solid food each day. Depending on the baby, a meal might be as little as a tablespoon or two or as much as four to six ounces (eight to 12 tablespoons) of baby food.
What can a 7-month-old eat?
What to feed your 7-month-old baby is mostly up to you! There aren’t strict guidelines about when to feed baby certain foods, but you do want to stick to nutritious, unprocessed foods. Purees remain great options for you new eater. You can’t go wrong with mashed or pureed fruits and veggies and whole grain baby cereal.
Here are some nutritious options.
Be aware that there are a few foods you should avoid giving baby at this point. These include honey, cow’s milk and unpasteurized and/or raw foods. Try not to give baby foods that are high in salt or sugar. Finally, watch for items that pose a choking hazard (hard veggies, whole nuts and anything cylindrical that can block an airway, such as whole grapes or hot dogs, should be avoided).
Can a 7-month-old eat eggs?
Eggs make some parents nervous because of the allergy risk. In the past, pediatricians used to tell parents to wait until 9 months to introduce egg yolk to baby, and to wait until 12 months to give baby the egg white. But newer food allergy research suggests that in fact it might benefit baby to introduce allergenic foods early and often. So the short answer is yes, you can probably give baby eggs if they’re at least 6 months old, and if they haven’t had an allergic reaction to other foods; talk to baby’s doctor and decide together.
(Baby’s allergy risk may come into play.) And as with introducing any new food, watch your baby for signs of an allergic reaction in the following days.
If your pediatrician wants you to hold off on eggs, there are still plenty of delicious and nutritious breakfast options to try. Go with blends like banana and apple, peach or berry purees. Oatmeal is often a hit, as is whole milk yogurt.
Can I give my 7-month-old finger foods?
If you choose to try baby-led weaning, make sure to give baby finger foods that are soft and cut l so baby can easily mash them with their gums.
7-month-old feeding schedule
Here’s a sample 7-month-old feeding schedule with solids:
Image: Megan Rubey
7-Month-Old Sleep
Sleep! Parents with babies always have questions about sleep. Here, we answer the biggest ones.
How much should a 7-month-old sleep?
Baby sleeps about 14 to 15 hours per day—6 to 11 of those hours are at night.
Some babies sleep through the night at this age but others may still be waking up in the wee hours. It’s typical for a 7-month-old baby to have about two naps totaling three or four hours of daytime sleep.
7-month-old sleep schedule
Here’s an example of a 7-month-old sleep and nap schedule:
Image: Megan Rubey
My 7-month-old won’t sleep! Why?
In a 7-month-old baby, sleep regression can happen for several reasons. Babies might start waking in the middle of the night because of illness or teething pain. During a growth spurt, they might be extra hungry and want to feed more. Now that they’re learning how to roll, creep and crawl, they might wake to practice their new skills in the middle of the night. They might just miss their parents and want some cuddle time!
How can I begin sleep-training a 7-month-old?
To sleep-train your child, you’ll want to gradually remove yourself from baby’s efforts to get to sleep; self-soothing is an important step.
Babies, just like adults, wake up throughout the night. But being able to go back to sleep on their own is what will give them the ability to “sleep through the night.” Baby needs to practice in order to develop that skill. Here’s the full scoop on how to sleep train a 7-month-old baby.
Is a 7-month-old sleeping on her stomach okay?
Stomach sleeping is totally fine, so long as baby is skillfully rolling over on their own and able to hold up their head and shoulders. Still, put baby to sleep on their back. If they choose to flip to their tummy, you shouldn’t worry about SIDS at this point.
7-Month-Old Schedule
Baby’s daily schedule seems to be constantly changing and evolving, but this month’s routine probably looks pretty similar to the one they had last month—though we hope you’re getting more uninterrupted nighttime sleep!
7-month-old schedule example
A 7-month-old’s daily schedule might look something like this.
Image: Megan Rubey
Activities for a 7-Month-Old
Your little busy bee loves activity.
Here are some ways to keep a 7-month-old entertained:
- Flip through baby’s favorite board books or a colorful magazine, and describe what’s in the pictures. For more interaction, get some “lift and see” books or try one that has textured images, so baby can have a full sensory experience.
- Right now baby is thrilled by “cause and effect” activities. Find an interactive toy that rewards them for pushing a button.
- Looking for more games to play with a 7-month-old? Get baby activity ideas here.
7-Month-Old Baby Checklist and Tips
- Schedule baby’s nine-month checkup, if you haven’t already.
- Introduce a high chair—if you haven’t already—for baby to enjoy meals with the rest of the family and work on self-feeding from the tray.
- Does baby need a new car seat? A car seat for a 7-month-old baby should be rear-facing (until age 2 or 3). We recommend a convertible seat that can be used for at least another year or two.
- Take baby’s 7-month-old baby milestone photo.
- Baby is bound to start scooting or crawling any day now, so make sure to babyproof your home to keep your 7-month-old safe.
- Baby is making progress with their babbling. Continue to encourage them to make sounds and repeat after you. They will also begin to understand more words like “hi” or “dog.” Keep talking, singing and reading to your 7-month-old every day.
It probably feels like baby is marking off the 7-month-old baby milestones left and right, and that’s certainly something to be proud of. Each day is a new adventure as baby grows and learns. If they haven’t started crawling yet, enjoy the serenity while you can. Once baby is on the move, there’s no stopping them!
Medical content was reviewed by Dina DiMaggio, MD, a board-certified pediatrician at Pediatric Associates of NYC and NYU Langone Health in New York City, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is also the coauthor of The Pediatrician’s Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers.
Baby menu at seven months
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What should be the menu of a child at 7 months? What foods and in what quantity can be introduced into the diet at this age? When and at what intervals to give the baby to eat? We will help develop an approximate menu for a 7-month-old baby and answer the most exciting questions regarding the nutrition of a baby up to a year old. nine0003
7 min. for reading Feb. 17, 2022
Contents
- Diet: when and how much should a child eat at 7 months
- Baby menu at 7 months: introducing new products
- Consistency of dishes
- Meal schedule and approximate daily menu
- Sample diet for a 7 month old baby allergic to cow's milk proteins: Table
- FAQ
- Breastfeed every 3-4 hours while breastfeeding.
- If you give your baby expressed breast milk, he needs approximately 710 grams per day. With 5-6 meals a day, this is about 120 to 200 grams of milk per meal.
- If the baby is formula-fed (FW), he needs 170 to 230 grams of formula up to 4 times a day, provided that 2 more feedings replace complementary foods. To find out how much mixture you need, be guided by the instructions on the package, the recommendations of the pediatrician. nine0016
- From the age of 6 months, only mother's milk or adapted infant formula is not enough for a baby - he needs a variety of complementary foods. Introduce no more than one new product per day into the child’s menu at 7 months and consult a pediatrician first. After getting acquainted with different foods, up to three complementary foods can be given daily: this can be one or two tablespoons or 115-170 grams (8-12 tablespoons), depending on the baby and the specific product.
Important
The calculation of portions and the number of feedings depends on the individual characteristics of the development and needs of the child.
Therefore, first of all, be guided by the recommendations of your pediatrician and the needs of the baby.
Baby menu at 7 months: introducing new products
The basis of the diet is still breast milk or infant formula. To diversify the menu, children's adapted food will help: fruit and vegetable purees, milk and dairy-free cereals, juices, as well as some products from the "adult table". nine0003
Cereals
At 7 months, dairy-free and milk porridges, along with breast milk, are the basis of a child's nutrition. To start complementary foods, choose gluten-free liquid one-component cereals with a high iron content: rice, buckwheat, oatmeal. A little later - corn and semolina. Start complementary foods with half or a whole teaspoon, gradually increasing the serving to 150 grams.
Important
Dairy-free porridge is diluted with breast milk or milk formula, milk - with purified boiled water. nine0042
Find out more: Gerber® Baby Cereals: product range
Vegetable and fruit purees
Vegetable and fruit purees diversify the diet and introduce new tastes to the baby.
According to WHO recommendations, the best product to start with is a one-component vegetable puree made from zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower or potatoes. These vegetables are less allergenic than other foods. If the child does not have allergies, pumpkin, carrot, pea and tomato puree can be given a little later. nine0003
Find out more: Gerber® Vegetable Purees
After introducing vegetable purees into your diet, it's time for your baby to get to know sweet and healthy fruit purees. Like vegetable, fruit complementary foods are also recommended to start with one-component low-allergenic foods. Apple, pear or banana puree is best for this. Start with half or a whole teaspoon and gradually increase the serving to 100-150 grams.
Find out more: Gerber® fruit purees
Meat
Meat is a developmentally necessary product, rich in iron and protein, which is well absorbed in the body. Start with homogenized options.
The product must contain only one type of meat (diet turkey, rabbit, chicken, veal) and no additional components. If the crumbs have a tendency to food allergies, choose meat very carefully, it is better to consult a doctor in advance. Pay attention to the composition of baby food and its age-appropriate baby. First, let the baby try half a teaspoon. If no adverse reactions occur, gradually increase the meat rate to 60 grams. nine0003
Find out more: Gerber® Meat Purees
Juices
Fruit juice is great for snacking and menu variety. Young children tolerate clarified apple and pear juice better, so they should be introduced first. Give the baby adapted baby juices: they do not contain sugar or other additives undesirable for the child. Ordinary store-bought juices can only be drunk by children over three years old.
See also: What kind of juice to start complementary foods for babies
Advice
Introduce your baby to juices after introducing cereals and vegetable purees.
Often the child gets used to sweet juices and then does not eat foods with a less bright taste.
Egg yolk
In addition to cereals and mashed potatoes, boiled egg yolk is introduced at the age of 7 months, as it is an excellent source of omega-fats, selenium, phosphorus and vitamins. Please note that you need to give the egg not the whole, but only the yolk. But, like any other product that you give to try for the first time, it should be introduced carefully and little by little to make sure that the baby does not have an allergy. Do not combine with other food! Only when you "test" the yolk, it is allowed to add it to cereals and vegetable purees. nine0003
Important
It is believed that children with allergies can be fed quail eggs. But it is important to remember that quail eggs can also be allergic, as they also contain egg white - an allergen that is found in chicken eggs. Therefore, do not experiment, but seek the advice of a pediatrician.
See also: Introduction of complementary foods to children with food allergies
Baby biscuits and crackers
Some babies start teething at seven months. Therefore, you can add crackers and children's cookies to food. But do not forget that they should not be too hard so that the child does not get hurt and choke. It is also better to choose special products without added salt, sugar, synthetic leavening agents and preservatives.
Important
The child should eat solid food in a sitting position and strictly under adult supervision. nine0042
Consistency of dishes
The main component of the diet remains liquid and homogeneous (without lumps) - breast milk or milk formula, milk and dairy-free cereals. As the baby grows, the baby's food should change from liquid and homogeneous to thicker and puree, mashed. When the body adapts and is able to digest solid food, they begin to carefully introduce small, medium and coarsely ground foods, give children's cookies and crackers.
At 7 months, some babies already have teeth, but the child cannot yet chew thoroughly and safely swallow vegetables, fruits and meat. Therefore, solid food should be given only in a grated form. It is important that the puree is not too thick, otherwise the child may accidentally choke. nine0003
Advice
If you are making puree yourself, carefully remove everything that is not rubbed and can get into the crumbs' respiratory tract: bones, fat, veins, skin, films. To make the puree easier to swallow, add some boiled water, unsalted vegetable broth, vegetable puree already familiar to the baby, or breast milk (milk mixture).
By about 7 months of age, the baby has mastered the skill of "palm grip" and can independently hold solid food in the handle. From now on, you can give your child special baby cookies or snacks. At the same time, make sure that the baby eats slowly, in a sitting position and does not choke. nine0003
Important
Baby should be ready to eat more sticky or solid foods.
Therefore, before changing the consistency of food for a child, consult a pediatrician.
What can be given to children at 7 months and at what time to feed? Parents can begin to form a classic division of food consumption per day. But at 7 months, the baby needs to be fed not three or four, but five times a day at intervals of four hours. The first and final feeding is mother's milk or formula. Complementary foods are not given at this time in order to prevent overeating. nine0003
*Dairy-free porridge should be diluted with breast milk or infant formula given to the baby. Milk porridge is diluted with water.
Tip
Do not salt or sweeten food. It is better to introduce the baby to sugar and salt after a year.
| Feeding time | Products | Serving Size |
|---|---|---|
| I feeding 6 hours | Breast milk or formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance | 200 ml |
| II feeding 10 hours | Nestle® Dairy-Free Rice Porridge* | 130 g |
| Vegetable oil (add to food) | about 1 tsp | |
| Gerber® Apple or Williams Pears Fruit Puree | 70 g | |
| III feeding 14 hours | Gerber® Vegetable Puree Broccoli, Cauliflower | 170 g | nine0207
| Vegetable oil (add to food) | about 1 tsp | |
| Gerber® Meat Puree Tender Vegetables with Rabbit | 30 g | |
| IV feeding 18 hours | Vegetable puree or dairy-free porridge** | 170 g |
| Vegetable oil (add to food) | about 1 tsp | |
| Gerber® Tender Turkey Meat Puree | 20 g | |
| V feeding 22 hours | Breast milk or formula for infants with cow's milk protein intolerance | 200 ml |
*Dairy-free porridge should be diluted with breast milk or formula for infants with intolerance to cow's milk proteins.
**you can either alternate porridge or vegetables, or offer a mixed dish - porridge with vegetables.
Now you know what products and in what form can be introduced into the child's menu at 7 months. It is preferable if it is certified baby food that meets all age requirements and high safety standards. nine0003
See also: Do we cook ourselves or use baby food?
1. At what age should complementary foods start?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends introducing complementary foods to your baby's menu at 6 months of age.
2. Where to start complementary foods?
Experts advise starting complementary foods with one-component homogenized vegetable purees.
3. How much should a 7-month-old baby eat?
At 7 months, a baby needs a portion of food per day, which is equal to about ⅛ of body weight. This is 1000-1200 ml of food, excluding water, juices, children's tea. Divide this amount by 5 feedings and you will get an estimated amount of food per meal - 200-210 ml.
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Diet for a child aged 7 months
When compiling a diet for a seven-month-old baby, distribute the products so that you get a certain prototype of the menu of an already grown-up child with breakfast and lunch. nine0003
At this age, the yolk of a boiled egg, a valuable source of fat, vitamin B12, A, phosphorus and selenium, is introduced into the child's diet.
Chopped yolk can be added to porridge or vegetable puree.
At the age of 7 months, you can already give your baby a cracker (in the form of dried bread) and baby biscuits.
The volume of fruit puree and juice is increased to 70 g.
It is still better to give preference to commercially produced complementary foods, given their high degree of safety and variety. If the baby does not perceive a new product the first time, it can be mixed with an already familiar product. nine0003
Approximate diet for a 7-month-old child.
| I feeding 6 hours | Breast milk or VHI* | 200 ml |
| II feeding 10 hours | Dairy-free or milk porridge ** Butter Boiled egg yolk Supplementation with breast milk or VHI | 150 g |
| III feeding 14 hours | Vegetable puree Vegetable oil Meat puree Fruit juice | 170 g about 1 tsp. 30 g 70 ml |
| IV feeding 18 hours | Fruit puree Baby biscuits Supplementing with breast milk or VHI | 70 g |
| V feeding 22 hours | Breast milk or VHI | 200 ml |
* - infant formula
** - dairy-free porridge should be diluted with breast milk or infant formula given to the child. Milk porridge is diluted with water.
Approximate diet of a 7-month-old child allergic to cow's milk proteins:
| I feeding 6 hours | Breast milk or formula for infants with intolerance to cow's milk proteins | 200 ml |
| II feeding 10 hours | Dairy-free porridge* Vegetable oil Fruit puree (apple, pear) | 130 g about 1 tsp.   .
|
