Learn about the growth milestones that a baby is expected by 26th week (7th month) of her development.If you are reading this, then it would be safe to assume that your baby has just stepped into her 26th week. In other words, your baby is now in the seventh month of her development. And you deserve some praise for holding your own these last few months, which have been both exceptionally hard and amazing at the same time. You are now probably used to having a seventh month playing around in your house, but this time last year, you were about 14 weeks pregnant, trying to imaging what motherhood would be like.
Be grateful that your baby is healthy and happy, and has been growing and developing at a normal rate. You too deserve a pat on the back, since you were largely responsible for this. But now it is time to tick off a few things in the development check list and make sure that your baby is what he is supposed to be at this age.
Provide the Stimulation He Needs
At this age, your baby needs something to stimulate her regularly. It could be either verbal or physical or both. You see, her
motor skills are developing at this age. You could speed up the process by playing with her and spending more time with her. Play little games with her using objects like blocks, pans, pots and toy telephones. You'll also notice that she is developing a personality of her own. She might be outgoing and jovial when placed in front of others. If that is the case, allow people to play with her but make sure they wash their hands before they do. Germs and diseases can spread quickly otherwise. Point out things which are common and may seem insignificant to her, like dogs, cats, planes and other mainstream objects.
Your Baby's Language Development
Your baby is quite perceptive at this stage. She follows you while you carry out certain actions and is likely to try to imitate you. Similarly, she intently watches your lip movements while you speak. Hence if you are talking to the baby, or even
talking in front of her, do not mumble or swallow up your words. Be clear and precise in your communication. Also, drop the baby talk, it will just hamper her
speech development. Talk to her like you would talk to anyone else. Use small simple words that she can follow. These little things create an impression on her mind and that will shape the language centre of her brain.
Some Milestones This Week
Now your baby has started to understand the human emotions better. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. For example, she is now not just making gurgling sounds or making up random words which make no sense to you. Your baby is now probably referring to you as "mama" and her father as "dada". When she is calling out to you, be sure that it is you she wants, since she is able to relate this term with you. This would surely be music to your ears?
Your Baby's Hand Powers
Sounds a lot like something a superhero would say, isn't it? Well, your baby's hands are developing and her hand control is getting better by the day. She's mastered the art of grabbing and pulling and you would probably benefit from tying up your hair in front of her. She is likely to reach for an object that catches her eye, and immediately pull it towards herself. Hence, it would do you good to keep out of reach things that may harm her.
Is Your Baby Too Big for A Bath Tub?
Yes, that's pretty common. After all, you're baby is growing rapidly and is going to outgrow many things. Her bath seat is just one of them. But what do you do now? She is too small for a bath tub anyway! What you can do is buy those adorable little blow up bath tubs, designed specially for babies. You could blow it up during bath time, place it in the bathroom and fill it up with lukewarm water. Place your baby in it, and watch her have the time of her life. But there is something you should keep in mind. Do not underestimate any bath tub, no matter how safe it appears. It doesn't take an ocean of water to drown your baby. Under no circumstances should you leave her unattended while bathing. Your phone call may wait, but your baby cannot.
Well, there you have it. These questions must have been doing the rounds this week. Now that you know the answers, you'll be better equipped to deal with the new challenges motherhood has to offer!
How to boost a baby’s growth and development? What kind of growth milestones a baby is expected to achieve by 26th week of her development? Discuss here. 
