Infant Development: 7- Week Old Baby Care and Tips

As your baby is progressing towards that 2-month mark, he/she is becoming more alert and awake. Your baby is going to be very curious from now on and would love to interact and explore. Your baby will no longer just feed, sleep, and poop but will start taking interest in everything around.

What to expect in the seventh week of your child’s life?

The growth spurt that started a few weeks ago is coming to an end.
Your baby will have a sleeping and feeding pattern.
Your baby may experience gas.
Improved limb movements will allow your baby to bat at moving objects.
With the growth spurt finished, your baby will be less fussy this week.

From following your move, smiling more at you to get what he desires, to being in awe of the outside world, your baby will start doing it all.

Your baby’s development in the seventh week

Growth-

By now, your baby has probably gained around 140-200 grams per week, thus gaining around 2-3 pounds in total. Don’t lose your sleep if your baby seems to be gaining weight more or less than this. Every baby is different and unique and your baby will soon catch up.

Cognitive Development-

Your baby is not only growing in body but so is your baby’s brain. On average, babies’ brains grow by two inches in these first three months. Believe it or not, your baby is learning trove of new things every day. Your baby may not understand what you are chatting about but is absorbing every single word of yours.

With lesser naps during the day and more alertness, now is a great time to play and talk a lot with your baby.

You will notice that your baby has started trying to give its own inputs in the conversation by cooing and grunting. Your baby can now focus its eyes about 60cm ahead. Your baby is also improving its memory power. You can start bringing the developmental toys, that you may have stashed during your pregnancy, out of your closet now.

Smiles-

Your baby has likely already started giving the “social smiles” from last week and if it didn’t happen last week then this would the lucky week. Your baby will soon figure out how to get what it wants by flashing you that adorable smile. You will notice that as days go by your baby will smile more and more just to make you smile more.

Watching your baby smiling as an effort to make you smile will make your heart swell and it will make all the struggles worth it. Make sure you are well-aware of the pros of having the baby.

Movement-

Your little one has improved focus and has found the joys of moving its arms around. With your baby’s fists remaining open, place different objects in your baby’s object and watch them grab and hold on to it.

Don’t limit yourself with just soft toys; your baby would love to explore objects of different texture. Your baby will also try to bat at hanging and moving objects. Get ready to have your dangly earrings tugged.

Teething-

Sometimes babies start teething from the seventh week. If your baby is crying for seeming no reasoning, then teething might be the culprit. Take a trip to your doctor to make sure that your baby is crying due to early teething and for no serious reason.

Your doctor will prescribe safe teething gels that can be applied to the baby’s gums.

What is some basic baby care knowledge that every new parent should have?

Feeding-

If your baby has finished the first growth spurt then you will less that your baby is comparatively less hungry this week. Your baby will also be loosely following the feeding pattern that it has been setting up till now. Your baby has understood feeding sessions and will take lesser time in each session.

Your baby will also be more alert during feeding sessions. Your baby may still suffer from gassiness at this age. It is normal for infants to form gas but if you think it is excessive then you may talk to your doctor to determine its causes.

Sleeping-

The sleeping pattern too will also finally start to take hold. Your baby’s daytimes naps will be a little longer but they will be less frequent. There will be around 4 naps each day. Your baby will be sleeping for longer stretches at night.

Outside strolling-

To entertain your inquisitive little one, mommy and baby will be taking many strolls outside. However, remember that you need to use the baby carrier according to the instructions. Keep your baby carrier far away from anything hot.

Your baby should always properly secured in the carrier. If you have a spring baby, you are lucky! Know why spring is the best time to have a baby.

When to call the doctor?

Not all infants have the same developmental charts, but you need to call your doctor if your baby

Has a fever over 100.4 degrees of Fahrenheit.
Has been projectile vomiting or if the vomit is dark greenish in color.
Is showing symptoms of constipation, dehydration, weight loss, or bloody diarrhea; and if these symptoms keep getting worse.
Is having trouble following objects visually is the horizontal plane.
Still can’t hold its neck up for a few seconds while lying on tummy.
Still hasn’t smiled yet.
Is developing a flat head.
Is suddenly becoming lethargic and not waking up for feedings.

Reminders

Keep lines of communication open with your partner regarding parenting duties, each other’s schedules, desires, and expectations.
Don’t forget to spend quality time with your other children.
Start looking for childcare, if you haven’t done that yet.
If you are mulling over the idea of not going back to work, start planning your family finances. Having a stable financial plan in place will help you to make that decision.
Give yourself time to recharge and spend some alone time to ensure that you keep postpartum depression at bay.
If you plan on resuming sexual activity, talk to your doctor about birth control options. Remember that ovulation may begin after a few hours of delivery. If you and your partner don’t want to actively start trying again, choosing a proper birth control will be important.
You need to continue giving your baby supervised tummy time. You can slowly start increasing the time your little one spends on its tummy. Try and get down on the floor during tummy time so that your baby has something to enthusiastically look at. This will encourage the little one to tilt its head more.

Takeaway

Your baby is growing and surprising you every day. You will suddenly find your baby outgrowing clothes overnight. Time is flying by but you should start rejoicing now that your baby is starting to fall into a sleeping and feeding pattern. Start exploring the world with your baby in the carrier. It will help both the baby and you to get some walks.

If you are feeling that the postpartum depression is getting to you, consult a doctor as early as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions on 7th-week developments of the baby

1. Why is my 7-week old still being fussy?

Fussiness during the seventh week may indicate that your baby is suffering colic. Your baby may also be going through a growth spurt which makes infants more hungry, fussy, and irritable. Your baby may also get fussy due to overtiredness, discomfort, or sheer boredom.

2. Can my 7-week old see colors?

7-week olds can see bright colored objects and patterns and can recognize the faces of you and your partner. Your baby may only be able to see a few colors such as red and will be able to see the whole spectrum of colors by the fifth month.

3. How to stimulate my 7-week old baby?

From around last week, your baby has started loving music. Try playing different types of music to stimulate your little one’s brain and listening skill development. Groove to that music by making your baby’s hands clap to the beat. Start to make your baby’s hands clap over its head and then on its side for a fun playtime.

4. Can my 7-week old baby start crawling?

You still have to wait a few weeks before your little one can start crawling. Generally, babies take the first step to crawling when they reach around six months of age. The first steps include rolling back and forth on its knees and hands. Around the ninth month, babies start to creep and crawl.