The Milestones Series: 7 to 9 months

When we first started the milestones series, we aimed to create quick and easy-to-read articles that will give moms and dads an idea of what to expect each month. At this halfway point, it’s important to remind parents that milestones happen in a spectrum. If your six or seven month old is not yet hitting the milestones mentioned here, don’t worry! Some babies take a bit longer, and for as long as your pediatrician is happy and not alarmed with your baby’s progress, then you have nothing to worry about.

That being said, here are some of the things you can look out for to mark the next quarter of your baby’s first year.

Seven months

Congratulations, mom and dad! Your baby is now a seventh month old! They’re likely to be eating solids (hello stinky poop!), sitting up, making more noise, and-hopefully!–sleeping through the night! 

At seven months your baby is likely to be dropping things on the floor and is hitting objects against other things or surfaces. This is all part of their exploration and experimentation with the world. They are trying to understand what these things are and what they do. At this age, they might start crawling, are likely to start teething, and can bear weight on their legs. Your baby may have already learned what to do to get your attention, and is likely able to understand the word “no.” 

What you might have fun with is playing peekaboo (this is usually the age that they enjoy the game). You can also try some basic hide and seek because your experimental baby is very likely to enjoy finding partially hidden objects.

Eight months

At eight months old, your baby can do the “pincer hold,” which is grasping objects with their thumb and index finger. They are often able to stand while holding on to something and are fascinated by textures and shapes. For some babies, this is the time that separation anxiety can begin because they are able to realise when you are not around.

Nine months

At nine months, your baby knows who is in their family, and that can make them slightly distrustful of strangers. Your baby might have been happy being passed around from person to person before, but at this age they are able to show clear preferences on who they would like to hold them. Just as with people, your nine month old may also show preference for toys and objects, often having favourites. Nine months is also the time that s/he will begin pointing at things and looking for the toys they specifically want, 

Your baby is now just three months away from being a year old, and the changes they have gone through are nothing short of amazing! You may hardly be able to remember the little one-month old you brought home. Just three more months and you’ll be throwing the first of many birthday parties!