7 month old cant roll or sit

[Beanypip]

My DD is 7 and a half months old and can't roll over or sit up. She wiggles about when on her back but doesn't get very far. When she was born she had a pretty bad time as was in hospital for 3 weeks with phunomia. Because of this she sees nurses and different people who noticed that at 6 months she held her head to the left all the time. They arranged a physiotherapist to see her who has given us exercises to help her neck movements and to help her when on her front.

She's a fantastic little girl very happy and sleeps through the night with no fuss. She has also weaned really well. It just seems her physical development is a bit delayed. I think I'm just extra worried as I have a back condition and DH has arthritis so its always in our mind that what If this is to do with us? Even though we have been told hundreds of times it's not!

So my question is has anyone else experienced this? Is there anything I can do to encourage her? Or anything you have used that helped your baby sit? Or is it a case of wait it out till she manages it?

[AngelDog]

I think around 7 months is about the average for babies to learn to sit, so I'd not worry about that too much. DS was 7.5 months or so, and I don't remember him being behind his peers.

Rolling isn't a developmental 'milestone' in the way that things like crawling are. A friend's child didn't roll till 10 months, then crawled and walked within the same week.

[CherryBlossom27]

I'd check with a HV or your GP if you're worried, but my friends little boy didn't sit up unaided until he was just past 8 months. I think it is a little late, but still normal and he just wasn't interested in sitting until that time.

[Beanypip]

Thanks for your replies. I think she just likes lying on her back and kicking and playing. I think I just got paranoid because the physio came out straight away and her consultant was asking for urgent intervention. Kind of scary when someone says that! Even though he's not seen her since she was 15 weeks.

[bishboschone]

My ds was prem and poorly . He also had head preference . He sat at 8 months corrected . He is still behind now but doing ok.

[bishboschone]

If you want to encourage her then you need to sit her up in front of you with your legs open and the toys in front of her . I got ds to sit like this as he needed to strengthen his core .

[Hattie11]

My son didn't learn to sit up til about 8mths and didn't move in anyway until he was nearly a year. I put it down to his contented nature- not desperate to move. My 3 others were less contented and moves much earlier. It certainly hasn't been indicative of other development being slow.
He also had flat head from laying in same direction but that too has scenes out now.
He also suffered quite bad with wheezing chest whenever he had a cold, which he never got again once he started moving, I wondered if that was a link also. Lack of movement making him more congested.

[NekoChan]

We got a playnest (think big tyre with some material over it) from a relative and within a week of using it my 6 month old was sitting up confidently and standing leaning on the side. Perhaps you could try one of them to help your DD get the hang of sitting up.

[septemberpie]

DD was late to sit up due to low muscle tone. Over 9 months IIRC. She had some physio which was helpful. She still prefers to W sit due to having weak knees and hips! Did your dd have torticollis OP? I think this can slow down physical development until corrected.

[Beanypip]

I had never even heard of that! Just googled it and I don't think she has any medical reason why she tilted her head (well she hasn't been tested for anything the physio just said she liked her head that side) think she decided that was comfy and kept doing it until someone noticed (not us ) looking back on old photos (its amazing how many you take isn't it? I had to look though over 2k ) it seems she's been doing it since birth. It's slowly got worse as her necks not tighter.

She saw the physio again yesterday and she was really happy with her progress. She can sit unaided for a tiny while on a table ( of all places) but not on the floor at all she just gets grumpy if I keep trying

[bishboschone]

I think as long as she can do it a bit it's fine . If she literally was like a baby and floppy still then maybe they should worry you but otherwise if she is progressing in sure she is fine . Jut keep working on her . I gradually supported ds less and he used his muscles more . Eventually he got it .

[haventgotaclue]

Hi OP, I have no advice about sitting but my DS actually crawled before he ever rolled over!

It sounds like your DD is making progress and the physio is happy, so try not to worry too much.

[McLurkin]

A few more anecdotes - my 1st didn't sit until 8mo and my 6mo can't sit at all, and my nephew didn't roll until 10mo or walk until 18mo but absolutely nothing wrong with him at 4yo now.

You might also find this interesting - I'm not sure I buy all of it but some interesting ideas about letting babies develop at their own pace www.janetlansbury.com/2012/04/sitting-babies-up-the-downside/