Not sitting, crawling or even rolling over at nearly 9 months old

[piglet06]

I am looking for some advice if possible. My DS is nealry 9 months old and is not sitting up, crawling or rolling over. Should I be concerned? Have any other parents had this? I spoke to my health visitor yesterday who said he should be doing all those things and may need physio if he doesn't do it soon. She accused me of leaving him in his cot all day (which I definately do not do) He has a play gym, he sits in his highchair (which we recline for him) and he has a baby walker and we also sit on a blanket in the lounge and I try and encourage him but it has not happened. The health visitor has worried me a lot. Please help!

[RnBee]

well the hv can bugger off! what a cow! All babies develop differently but it does seems pretty late to not be rolling over (I think?) Sorry don't know too much about this. But hope someone will come along who does.

[Rubyslippers]

My DS didn't roll until he was just under a year old
didn't crawl until one week before his first birthday
he did sit up from around 6.5 months but that was it
all babies hit milestones at different ages - there are no "shoulds"
i think your HV sounds a bit alarmist TBH

[IdrisTheDragon]

DD didn't roll over until she was 11.5 months and didn't ever crawl properly (she did some weird semi bum-shuffling thing at about 10.5 months).

She did sit up at about 6.5 months, but not rolling and moving at 9 months hasn't been a problem for her.

She walked at 15 months which was at exactly the same time as DS (who rolled over at 4.5 months, sat up at 7.5 months and crawled at 8.5 months).

I think the HV may be being a little alarmist.

[fennel]

None of my 3 ever rolled over more than about once each. Not ever. Some just don't.

I know quite a few who weren't crawling at 9 months too.

But perhaps take him to the GP if you're worried. Health visitors often don't know very much (well, mine didn't).

[mummyeme]

Hi, my lo didn't crawl until 10 1/2 months when freinds babies had at 6 months (they were just at the other end of the scale) then she walked at 17 months but they're all different. Don't let peoples comments worry you, for most mums I knew it became a competition for whose baby could be the first to do anything (yawn). I'd say your lo has plenty of time to develop and they will in their own good time. If you are concerned then speak to a good GP, they would be qualified to know if anything needed to be looked at. Otherwise honestly don't be panicked and worried they are all very different (health visitors included).
Hope that helps, but I wouldn't think that not crawling would be anything to worry about. My friends baby never crawled and only ever shuffled on his bottom until he walked.

[indiemummy]

hi piglet, i was at a playgroup yesterday and there were four babies there:

1. 12 months old. sits up but doesn't crawl yet.
   
2. 8.5 months, already pulls himself up to standing and trying to walk. (I KNOW!)
   
3. 8 months old, can just about sit unaided but has never rolled. This baby is very fat!
   
4. 7 months, she can roll in one direction but a long way off sitting unaided or crawling.
   
   Hope this reassures you that all babies develop differently. As others have said, your ds may go straight to walking, they don't all crawl or roll over.
   
   I would wait until he's nearer 1 before worrying personally. But do ask your GP if you're worried at all xx

[NAB3]

My DD didn't sit up until 9 months and she was hypotonic. She also had plagiocephaly which can be linked but you can have one without the other. I would see my GP if I was you.

[ruth2007]

More words of support -

DD is nearly 10m she sits well if I sit her up but has no interest in moving at all or sitting up by herself. She is a bit behind alot of others we play with but I also know others like yours.

As with anything you may want to see the GP to rule out any problems/get any problems diagnosed early but do try not to worry. If he is alert and plays with toys and talks to you like his peers do then you I am sure it will be fine (given more time).

If it helps I was a "lazy baby" (my Mums words!)and did a small amount of bum shuffling from about a year and did not walk until 18 months - and only then when I had to!!!

[compo]

I agree with NAB3. I don't think the not crawling or rolling over is anything to be worried about. I would be a little bit more concerned about the not sitting up unaided.
I didn't realise my ds could sit up on his own until a friend pointed it out though. I always propped him up and then she said 'look at this' and lo and behold he was sitting n his own.
If he definitely can't sit up unaided I would go to the gp just to put your mind at rest

[gracej]

piglet. It is early days at only 9 months.
From you post I am guessing that he is okay in all other areas. Ie: he is interested in toys, he smiles at people, he turns to noise, etc,etc...
BUT you are lucky of have a hv that shows at least some concern. My HV was indeed a cow (like RnBee says) and told me everything was okay with my DS when it wasn't (he has problems).

I would definitely go and talk to the GP to make sure everything is fine. Chances are that all is okay, but is something is wrong the sooner it is detected the better.

[CoteDAzur]

DD (now 21 months) started turning over well after her 1st birthday, walked at 16 months, BUT only recently managed to get to sitting from lying down, and still can't pull herself up to standing. Just sits there bum shuffling, waiting for someone to come pick her up to standing, then she runs (?!?!)

I took her to every kind of doctor imaginable and also did a blood test for muscle enzymes. Everybody says all is normal.

Either they are missing something or I will be here in a couple of months giving words of encouragement to other worried mums, saying my DD pulled herself up (before 3 years, I hope!) and all is fine.

[glamourbadger]

All babies develop at different rates, research shows it's usually hereditary so based on when you and your partner sat or crawled.

My DD2 is 14 months and still not crawling - she gets about using a very upright bottom shuffle. She didn't sit reliably till about 11 months and is months away from walking as she can't yet pull herself up. It's hard not to compare her to babies of the same age that can run around but I try not to worry - they all get there in their own time. Enjoy your son and don't let the HV worry you!

[bilblio]

Try not to fret, my niece is 11 months old. She's been sitting up for a while but she's only just learnt to roll over in the past couple of weeks. She shows no interest at all in crawling.

[hana]

sorry I'm going to go against the other posts here and say that I'd be concerned. Is he ever just on the floor (not in a chair or play nest I mean) either on his tummy or propped up? There are muscle groups that have to get stronger in order to sit up and roll over, and they won't developed if a baby is always put into something and not just left to their own devices

babies spend too long I think in contraptions, and sometimes just need to be 'left alone' sort of thing

the physio comment a load of garbage tho, what an odd thing to say to make you unnecessarily worried

[CoteDAzur]

I agree with hana that it's a good idea to just let him lie on the ground, so he can start making the effort to raise his head, reach toys, etc. That was one mistake we did - I was taking DD to work for the first six months of her life so she just sat on a chair on my desk, and then we just didn't put her on her tummy at all.

Don't worry too much, but do take steps to make him work his muscles.

[NAB3]

Just to add. Are YOU worried? I knew something was wrong with our daughter even though all the professionals said she was fine. We ended up with private treatment at 3 different places including Harley Street and it is no thanks at all to our ex GP and ex HV that she is fine now. Only you can know and I think it is too easy for people to say everything sounds fine when they don't know the child or full circumstances.

[Clary]

I wouldn't be worried about rolling or crawling - some babies never crawl (eg bum shuffle, just walk etc).

I would be a bit bothered about the sitting tho. Does he stay sitting at all or just flop straight over? ie is he there for a few seconds and then falls, or nowhere near it? A 9mo should be sitting and the fact that they are not may (I stress may) be an indicator of some problem.

Yes babies do develop at different rates, but the milestones are there for a reason and there are some "shoulds". I would go and see the GP.

[wrinklytum]

My dd did not sit until 9 months.

Bottom shuffled at 15 months.Never crawled.Rolled over at about a year.

19 months tommorow and not walking yet.

Otherwise happy and content.

Health visitor to review re walking next week.

My ds sat at 6 months and walked at a year,they all differ.

If youare worried,though,please ask for a proper paediatric assessment for your baby.

Hugs,Wrinkly.

[mummytosteven]

DS rolled very early, but didn't sit or crawl till he was just under 9 months - it all came together at once, so you may find your LO suddenly gets both at once. I wouldn't panic just yet, but would go to GP to discuss whether any specialist referrals are appropriate at this stage, or whether they would give it longer.

[cylonbabe]

i want to second the advice about seeing your gp. all babies develop at sdifferent rates, and hopefully he's just a late starter. but getting everything checked out is always a good idea.
do you sit with himn on the carpet and surround him with cushions? or place him in the corner of the sofa etc so he can practice sitting? does he hold his back up if you sit him on your lap? does he hold his head up himself wehn you sit him on your lap?
see a different hv if you are not happy your own one. but do see some health proffeessional.

[cylonbabe]

dd was mobile at 3.5 months. she did the bottom shuffle thing. but lazy girl didnt walk until 15 or 16 months. boys both walked at a year, so she seemed lat to me.
ds1 rolled over at two days old, and then didnt roll ver till he was walking etc.

[roseycozy]

As others have said not rolling and crawling is nothing much to worry about. But I'd go see your GP about the not sitting unaided. Babies are all different, so chances are your DS is fine, just taking his time, so try not to worry (easier said than done I know).

My DD didn't roll at all until she was 7m and only just managed to roll both ways very recently (8.5m), in fact AFTER she started backwards commando crawling. I also know of babies that never rolled but went straight to crawling. However, my DD could sit unaided at 6m.

[ScoobyC]

ds didn't sit properly til he was about that age (but had been rolling over for months and started crawling at 8mo).
I was worried about the sitting but I read in the Sears baby book that baby development is more linked to what the baby wants to do than what they are physically capable of. Ie ds was not interested in sitting and playing so there was no incentive in learning to sit. He did want to get moving so that was what he worked on.

But I def think if you're worried this might not be normal devt but something different you should see your doc. Can't hurt to get things checked out.