Your Baby and You: Week Twenty Nine
YOUR BABY
Physical Development: Creeping on tummy
By 7 months of age, many babies are experimenting with crawling and you may see your baby creeping on her tummy "commando" style. When your baby is on her tummy, she is likely to be able to hold her upper body up with her arms. So from time to time you may see her tuck her knees up underneath her and then rock back and forth on her knees.
Behavioural Development: I want that toy!
There are ways to encourage your baby's crawling skills as soon as he is sitting up confidently. When he is sitting, place a favourite toy just out of his reach. He will work to get that toy, even if he's unable to travel. He may lean or reach toward the toy and this can lead to his first moves on his own. He loves to copy you and so it is a great idea for him to see you on your hands and knees showing him how to crawl too.
Feeding: Drinking fruit juice
Now that your baby is over 6 months of age, they can drink very weak fruit juice. Before you start giving juice though, consider if juice is really needed at your baby's young age. Your baby probably gets enough hydration from milk and water, and the sweet taste of juice might start to affect their taste for less sweet food and drink. If you do give your baby juice, never give it in their bottle (only put milk or water in bottles). The NHS recommends diluting fruit juice so that you have one part juice to ten parts water. Dentists advise giving juice only at mealtimes to prevent Tooth Decay. Sugars (both added and naturally-occurring in fruit juices) can cause decay, so try to stick to giving water as a drink between meals.
Care Advice: Meal planning
Most 7-month-old babies will be eating three meals a day, but milk should also still represent a large part of their diet. The solids your baby now eats should provide a great source of the vitamins, minerals and food groups (like carbohydrates and protein) she needs. You can start giving oat and wheat-based cereals now, like porridge and Weetabix. You can also give smooth peanut butter from 6 months onwards (but avoid this if anyone in your baby's immediate family has a nut allergy). With three meals a day, it is a good idea to try and plan your baby's meals in advance to make sure you are offering a good balance of all the nutritious foods your baby needs. Take a look at our Meal Planners for some ideas.
Common or Serious Ailments: Roseola Infantum
Roseola infantum, also simply called roseola, is a three-day fever (high temperature) and rash. Roseola is quite a common mild infection that is caused by a highly contagious virus. It most often affects young children aged between six months and two years. Roseola does not usually cause any long-term problems, and most children make a full recovery.
The symptoms of roseola include a fever, with a temperature as high as 40° C, that lasts for around three or four days before rapidly returning to normal. A rash of small pink spots then often appears, and lasts for about 12 hours, when the fever starts to go and your child is getting better. The rash usually develops on the body first and may spread to the arms and legs. Your child may also have swollen glands in their neck and a sore throat.
To help keep your baby comfortable, remove clothes to help cool his body down and prevent overheating, and offer lots of drinks to keep his fluid intake up and so prevent dehydration. If your baby's temperature ever rises above 39° C, or if you have other concerns that your baby is unwell, then contact your doctor immediately.
Don't Forget: Overstimulation
Beware of giving your baby too much to see and do. This could result in her becoming overstimulated and overtired, meaning your baby may be unsettled, irritable and difficult to settle to sleep. It is really easy to feel that you need to be constantly stimulating and amusing your baby for him to be enjoying himself. However, try to remember to give your baby periods of calm and space for them to play on their own. They don't need a new activity to do every half an hour and learning how to entertain themselves is a really valuable skill for your baby to learn.
THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Thing To Do With Your Baby: Taking baby's lead
When engaging with your baby, get to know your baby's cues and let them take the lead. For instance, don't feel you need to introduce them to a new toy or activity if they are already happily playing with something else. If you try to show your baby something new but they seem disinterested, tired or overstimulated then don't force the issue. Babies may look away, rub their eyes, cry or push a toy away if they have had enough.
ALL ABOUT YOU THIS WEEK
Your Body: Post-natal fitness
Getting back into shape after having a baby isn't usually easy, but remember that getting fit need not be a chore; there's no need to feel under pressure, just take it at the right pace for you. Take a look at our Exercise section for ideas and tips on how to regain your fitness.
Activities: Exercise classes
Check out the post-natal exercise classes that are available to you in your area. You can often go to classes that are specifically designed to take your baby along to, such as keep-fit buggy classes or mum and baby yoga. These exercise groups can be a great way to tone up with the added benefit of meeting and making new friends at the same time.
