7–9 months

✅Key checklist for this stage

• Get down at your baby's eye level and look around the house for hazards.
• Increase solids to two or three times a day and gradually make textures coarser.
• Check polio dose 3 (6–18 months) and the flu vaccine.
• Plan to book the third infant health checkup (9–12 months in Korea).
• Never step away from the baby during a bath, even for a moment.
• Keep using the car seat rear-facing.

🧠Development

By around 9 months, many babies sit without support. They start belly crawling or crawling on hands and knees, and some try to pull up on furniture. Some babies skip crawling and go straight to standing, so the style or order of crawling is not much to worry about.

They pass objects from hand to hand and try to pick up small things with thumb and finger. They turn when called by name and babble strings like 'mamama' and 'bababa'. They enjoy peekaboo and look for things that disappear from view.

Stranger anxiety and separation anxiety are signs that attachment is growing well. When leaving, a short goodbye is less confusing for the baby than slipping away unseen.

🥣Feeding

Increase solids to two or three meals a day and move from smooth purées to finely chopped or soft mashed food. Experiencing a range of textures now helps chewing and eating develop. Include iron- and protein-rich foods such as meat, eggs, and tofu every day.

Offer soft finger foods (well-cooked vegetable pieces, soft fruit), and you can start practicing small sips of water from a cup. Breast milk or formula is still an important source of nutrition alongside solids.

• Choking hazards: do not give whole peanuts or nuts, whole grapes, whole cherry tomatoes, hard raw vegetables, rice cakes, or popcorn. Cut grapes and cherry tomatoes into small pieces.
• Avoid honey and seasoned food (salt, sugar) before 12 months.
• Always seat the baby to eat, with an adult watching.

😴Sleep

Naps usually drop to two a day. Even good sleepers may start waking often again because of separation anxiety or practicing crawling and standing. Keep a consistent bedtime routine, and when the baby wakes, soothe briefly in a quiet, dark room.

Keep the sleep space firm and flat, without pillows, blankets, or toys. Remove mobiles or toys over the crib once the baby starts pulling up.

🛡️Home safety check

• Install safety gates at the top and bottom of stairs.
• Anchor furniture that can tip over, such as dressers, TVs, and bookshelves, to the wall.
• Cover outlets and keep cords and blind strings out of reach.
• Store medicines, cleaning products, cosmetics, cigarettes, button batteries, and magnets up high and locked.
• Keep hot pots, irons, and kettle cords where the baby cannot pull them.
• Empty bathtubs, basins, and buckets right after use. Babies can slip under silently even in shallow water.
• Do not place climbable furniture near windows.

🩺Health, vaccines, checkups

Few national vaccines are scheduled in this period, but if polio dose 3 (6–18 months) has not been given, schedule it, and during flu season check the flu vaccine. Missed vaccines can be checked on the KDCA immunization helper service.

In Korea, the third infant health checkup is at 9–12 months. It checks growth and development and gives advice on solids and preventing injuries. Babies who start daycare may catch colds and other infections often; most get better on their own, but see a doctor if breathing is hard or the baby is floppy.

🎵Play and connection

• Peekaboo and finding hidden toys teach that things still exist when out of sight.
• When the baby points or makes a sound, name what they are interested in.
• Play with stacking cups, balls, and pots and spoons: banging, putting in, and taking out.
• Share a picture book every day, even briefly.

💉Vaccines & checkups in this stage

• General checkup 3 — Age 9–12 months

Korea's Childhood Vaccine Schedule →   Infant and Child Health Checkups →

💬FAQ