Now’s the time to consider offering a wider range of foods to your baby. But don’t forget to look after yourself at the same time.

Feeding your baby

By now you should have introduced solids to complement breastfeeding. At 7 months of age your baby will still be enjoying pureed foods, including soft-boiled vegetables like potato and pumpkin, and mashed banana. It won’t be long until she starts to develop the skills she needs to eat finger foods too.

Before 12 months, and ideally prior to 8 months, be sure to introduce all allergens with the exclusion of honey until after 12 months due to botulism. Eggs, nut butters, seafood, dairy, soy, gluten, sesame (tahini) and tree nuts can all be made baby friendly and provide a wide variety of nutrients.

If baby has a known allergy – speak to your allergist about how to introduce other allergens and if challenging their immune system with the known allergen is helpful yet.

Try not to get frustrated when your specially-prepared meal ends up on the floor or baby refuses to eat it. Just offer a variety of foods and be patient, it can take up to 10 times for your little one to like a new food. If you have no luck, just try again tomorrow.

Sleep and settling

Most families are in a good rhythm with daytime naps and night sleep periods. But there are many babies who defy the odds and still find settling difficult. If your little one refuses to play by the rules, you’ve probably already sought advice from sleep experts and other sources.

It is worthwhile trying a new settling technique at this age as many babies no longer need hands-on settling. Comfort settling means you put baby down awake but drowsy and as baby settles, move away towards the door. If baby becomes unsettled, go back and calm baby in the cot before trying to move away again. This helps them to learn you’re still there to comfort when needed and not far away.

One thing to always remember: your baby is an individual whose behaviour does not reflect on your ability as a parent. Keep trying, and get support wherever you can find it. Your maternal health nurse or GP will be able to guide you through the help options available to you.

Time to play

Your baby will be developing leg strength, so have fun supporting balance and encouraging them to figure it out themselves. Stretching, reaching, crawling and pulling up are all important for gaining strength, control and coordination, so encourage active play.

Baby’s developmental milestones

• Gesturing towards toys and people
• Beginning to crawl
• Understanding ‘no’, and responding to the tone of your voice

Check your calendar

• Do you have family overseas who are asking to meet your new little one? Don’t be worried about travelling with your baby; just keep the cuddles to convey feelings of safety and security and feed on takeoff and landing to help with ears. And remember that your bub will need a passport if you’re heading overseas. How grown up!

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Please note: These articles are meant to give you a general sense of the growth and development of your newborn baby. However, it’s important to remember that every baby grows and develops at their own pace.