7-9 months

Find out what milestones your baby should be reaching, and track your baby’s progress, using the helpful guidelines below.

Gross motor

• Sits unsupported
• Rolls from tummy to back and back to tummy
• Starts with crawling movements - usually backwards first
• Some babies start to crawl
• Pull up to stand leaning on furniture
• Enjoys all movement such as bouncing and rocking
• Can get into a sitting position without assistance

 Fine motor

• Starts picking up smaller items by using thumb and forefinger
• Starts to feed self with finger food
• Turns pages of a thick and chunky baby book
• Holds own bottle or sippy cup
• Able to put own dummy back in mouth
• Bangs toys together
• Waves goodbye
• Starts clapping hands together

 Language

• Responds to their own name
• Imitate facial expressions made by others
• Attach meaning to common words e.g. Mommy calls the dog and he/she starts to look to see if the the dog comes
• Uses a chain of sounds such as “ba-ba-ba”
• Understands the word “no”, but does not always follow the command
• Says “mama” and “dada” randomly for any person
• Uses finger to point to items

 Cognitive

• Investigates toys by pulling, banging, shaking and throwing the toy
• Finds toys that are partially hidden under a blanket
• Starts to play on their own, but mother’s presence is important

Social - Emotional

• Separation anxiety, cries when separated from mother or father
• Shows preference for specific people or toys

 Sensory and Perceptual

• Starts to investigate toys or objects (size, texture, shape, weight)
• Shows a strong reaction to smell or tastes that are new to them
• Vision field is now the same as an adult’s vision field
• Visual spatial awareness starts to develop (they can tell the difference between a picture in a book and a 3D toy standing next to the book. They start to learn that you can pick up the 3D object and not the 2D picture in the book)
• They experience and observe their environment in different positions as they move around in different ways (crawling, sitting, lying on back, lying on tummy, pulling up to stand)