Baby Development Guide for Baby Seventh Month (weeks 27-30)

You have made it past the half way point and you are now an expert parent! If this is your first child you probably don't feel that way, but realize you have made it past some important milestones in your new child's life. You might not feel like an expert but you have learned quite a bit.

Physically your child will become better at sitting up this month and he might practice that skill often. He also might experiment with crawling, but this typically does not happen until later.

It is also around this time that you might see early signs of whether your newborn is right or left handed. 70% of children are born right-handed, 20% are born ambidextrous and 10% are born left-handed. Usually the hand that is used to grip and manipulate/move objects is the dominant hand.

This might also be the time in which your son or daughter adopts a special comforting friend or object. The item might be a bear, a blanket or another object. This is a perfectly normal stage and will help your baby transition from dependence into autonomy. Because of this transition you might find your son or daughter clinging to you due to fear of separation from you.

Your child will also love to explore now. With his increase in mobility and curiosity he will really want to discover new things whether in the house or on his body. With the discovery of his genitalia don't make it a taboo subject and don't scold him when he does it. When he is old enough you should explain that this area is "private" and that other people are not allowed to touch it and should tell you if that happens.

Intellectually your child will probably love to play with food often. The highchair will become a classroom where learning is hands on and fun! She will also develop a sense of humor, laughing and giggling frequently.

The activities she chooses now are also favorite activities chosen due to more intentional, goal-seeking actions. She also has learned that the opening of a food jar means food is coming and might babble more frequently.

This month there are several things you can do to stimulate further developmental growth in your baby. Allow your child to learn on the highchair. It will make a mess, but your child will learn much about taste, texture and dexterity. Spread a tablecloth out under the highchair to help.

Also, do not use a walker to assist the standing and walking skills of your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly advises against using one for several reasons, including safety reasons. (Your child could easily roll over to stairs and tumble down.)

Finally, purchase two or three of the special friend or object chosen by your child. It would not be good if that item were lost or left at home while on a trip, so purchase several so you can have one on hand at all times.

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