5 month old not laughing

[ResetPassword]

I'll preface this by saying I have health anxiety around my DD

She's nearly 5 month old and doesn't laugh. We've had a couple of goofy sounding exhales during smiling but no belly laughs yet. Lots of big smiles, eye contact and babbles etc.

My gp wasn't concerned. HV just told me to make sure I interact with her But I'm worried, all the guides say laughing by 4 months (I know, I know, I shouldn't read them) Any other posters have children of similar age who haven't laughed? Is this a concern?

[Neolara]

My ds was a very serious baby. He rarely laughed or even smiled that much. He's now 10yo and absolutely hilarious. He laughs often. I wouldn't worry too much.

[Witchend]

DD1 smiled at 5 weeks, laughed at about 4 months.
Dd2 I wasn't confident she'd smiled until nearly 6 months, and I can't remember hearing her laugh much below 10 months.

Dd1 grew up to be a serious toddler, and people always commented on dd2's smile and that she's always laughing!

[hmmmum]

My dd didn't laugh for ages - I can't remember exactly when she started but it was well after 5 months, because I worried about it too from a developmental point of view. She just did a big goofy smile if she found something funny.
Now a giggly five year old, developmentally she seems to be absolutely fine!
I think those developmental markers can sometimes be a source of anxiety because if there is something your child hasn't done by a certain time it can make you worry, when sometimes it's just a matter of all kids developing in their own way and own time.

[Sophia1984]

My 6 month old has only really started laughing in the last couple of weeks. He would shriek with pleasure and occasionally go 'ha!' but only laughs when we tickle him. He definitely wasn't laughing at 4 months, and I don't think any of our fellow NCT babies were either.

Fellow Health Anxiety sufferer here - it's hell isn't it?

[Bloopbleep]

Dd was 9months before she got the giggles. She did a noisy smile type thing that sounded like eeehhh but even that was at about 6 months. You now can't stop her getting the giggles and she's had no developmental delays.

[Longdistance]

My dd1 didn't smile for ages, but she was a miserable whinging baby. She didn't giggle/laugh til she was at least 6 months. But, she was fully crawling pulling herself up at 7mo. So horses for courses,

Do you tickle your dc? Blow raspberries on their tummy? This got dd going in the end.

[Cantstopsmiling37]

Am sure my girls were both nearly 6 months before they laughed and it took a lot to make them even giggle a little, usually physical like tickles, blowing raspberries on their tummies rather than peekaboo or silly faces/noises. Now at 5ys and 10months they are both very happy, smiley girls but rarely really laugh. My son however giggled very early and is often in hysterics over nothing!
Different personalities rather than anything to worry about I think.

[Shootingstar2289]

My daughter very rarely laughed until she was about ten months old. She smiled a lot but you could not get her to giggle at all! She was so serious.

My Mother was quite funny about it to me saying she thought she was an unhappy child but in fact she was quite the opposite and always tried to make her laugh but she wasn't having it! 😅

Anyway, my daughter is now 19 months and is a very happy, giggly child!

Like adults, infants have different personalities. My son has never stop laughing but my daughter was just busy taking the world in!

[ResetPassword]

Thank you so much for the reassuring posts.
We've actually had 3 lots of giggles now, had to work bloody hard for them admittedly but feeling relieved - such a beautiful sound. People often comment that she has a serious little face so I think pp are right about it just being her personality. Maybe I should play her some black comedy.

Sophia I thought my anxiety was at its peak during pregnancy but wowza it's taken on a whole new level.

[melonribena]

Ds2 is almost 5 months. He makes happy squeaking noises and lots if smiles but no laughs yet. I think it's fine

[Lm604]

It was very reassuring reading this thread, especially of the people who had serious babies that have grown into "normal" babies!

My 7mo doesn't laugh either. He smiles a lot at me and my husband (not so much with strangers) and when I say certain words in a certain tone, he will let out a "huh" or a "huh huh".

[ButtMuncher]

This is spooky as I was searching for very same thing today - my DS is 5 and half months and hasn't really giggled much. I blame myself as I am a bit hopeless at baby play (probably because I'm averaging 3 hrs sleep a night) so must up my game.

DS is quite smiley though, and often sounds as if he's about to laugh without the actual sound. He's very social and loves looking at people, plus he's ridiculously strong. He's not rolled yet though!

[Sophia1984]

Reset ah I'm glad the giggles have come- even better when you have to work for them!

Have you considered getting some help with the anxiety? I'm getting guided CBT over the phone and it's really helping I think.

[fogut]

No issue my child is 10 months old and he even can't stand on his feet

[Lm604]

Fogut - my 7mo hardly bears any weight on his legs either. My pediatrician wasn't worried though.

[Littlesoul123]

@Lm604 when did he start laughing

[Littlesoul123]

@ButtMuncher whenndid he start laughing?

[BennybubBi]

My 5 month boy is just full of smiles but doesn't laugh. Sometimes I think he wants or tries to but nothing really comes out. There are times when I think he's chuckling but I am not so sure either. He coos at us when he wants to get our attention and interacts through smiling. Our pedia told us that if by 6 months he still doesn't smile then we should seek a pedia neurologist. I am stressed out by all of this. Any advice?

[Littlesoul123]

Mine is 7mo and has only laughed like ten times total and my ped said it's personality ..

[Steffiieeee]

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