7 - 9 months: how your baby's growing

Learn how boys and girls grow differently and how far your baby's come since birth.

At 7 - 9 months old your baby is able to bear a lot of weight on their feet, so they’ll get a great kick out of bouncing up and down on your lap. It's all thanks to the part of your baby's brain that controls their movement or ‘motor skills’. They’ve already developed control over their neck, shoulders, chest and lower back. So now it's the turn of the lower body, hands and feet.

Their upper body is strong enough now for them to sit up on their own without support. So it’s a great time to prop them up in their own high chair, joining the rest of the family at mealtimes.