Another 'no crawling' question

[Jane7]

My dd is just over 10 months old and still unable to crawl or pull up. She sits very well and has been for several months and she is good at standing up next to sofas/walkers etc but she doesn't cruise or manage to pull up. She's never been very good lying on her front. I try to give her practise but she cries or gives up and sinks to rest by leaning on one of her arms iykwim
She's getting so frustrated that she can't get around and throws massive screaming fits if I put a toy she wants out of reach to encourage her to move.
Until recently, I didn't worry at all but suddenly now it seems every other baby I see is doing far more than her and I wondered if I should take her to the doctor. Could anyone advise? Is it quite normal to be like this at ten months?

[nobodysfool]

IMO there is nothing to worry about.Babies do things at their own pace.How many adults do you see that cant crawl (if required) and walk??Not many.
My ds1 didnt crawl and hated going on his tummy but he walked at 14 months and is running around like a nutter as we speak.
Some babies dont crawl, they just get up and walk.My MIL told me that my DH never crawled and only walked.
Please try not to stress,i know it's easier said than done but your dd will do it in her own time.

[neversaydie]

My ds never crawled and walked two weeks before his first birthday. So I don't think crawling is essential as such. However, he did a sort of purposeful wriggle on his front and could cover surprising distances like that, and he did pull himself up once he got to wherever he fancied going (the coal scuttle was popular!).

Children vary enormously in when they start to move and walk, though, and it is more than likely that everything is fine. But if it is worrying you, then talk to the HV or the doctor, who will almost certainly reassure you.

[Jane7]

tthanks nobodysfool - you're right. babies must get their in the end. you never hear of ones that just stay on their backs all their life! I'm trying to encourage him to pull up but the only way he can manage it is if he sits on my leg so he has a head start and gets his feet in the right position, otherwise he seems to have virtually no upper arm strength

[frogs]

None of mine were mobile at all at 10 months. It was great -- I could put them in the middle of the sitting room floor with a pile of toys, go off to make a cup of tea and know they'd still be there when I got back.

Dd1 got into a sitting position by herself for the first time on her 1st birthday. None of them learnt to roll over and all hated being on their fronts. They all turned into non-crawling bottom-shufflers and took first steps at about 20 months. Various people attributed it to the older two being large babies, yadda yadda, but then dd2 was somewhere below the 9th centile and was just the same.

Apparently age of walking is highly heritable, so you may wish to checkout the ages at which you and dh did these things.

All my dc are entirely normal now -- in fact my 10yo is does competitive athletics and middle-distance running with some success.

[meep]

Dd1 NEVER crawled or rolled and she absolutely hated tummy time. She sat in the one place for ages and it was heavenly. I could go out for a coffee with friends and she would sit hapily playing with her toys while they ran around like headless chickens after all the crawlers.

She went straight to bum shuffling and eventually walked around 16/17mo.

What frogs said seems to be true - i was exactly the same. Dd1 even shuffled in the same starnge way I did .

I am just hoping that dd2 wil be the same - I couldn't cope with a teeny tiny roaming about without a fear in the world!

[HensMum]

Sounds exactly like DS. He could stand at that age, but not pull up. He never really crawled, just pulled himself around on his stomach which is why he couldn't pull up for ages, I think, must be really hard from that position!
He walked at 13 months, earlier than some of his peers who had been crawling/pulling up for months. Hasn't stopped since.

You could try and encourage her to cruise by putting a toy at the other end of the sofa, for example.

[NeverEndingPileOfLaundry]

My DD1 was also very slow to get mobile - she hated being on her front, and didn't roll until 12 months! She crawled at 13 months, by which time most of her peers were walking. She then walked at 17 months. She is now on a par with all her friends and you wouldn't know she had been slow to get to her feet.

I did worry at the time though, so know how you feel. I did take her to the GP, who were able to reassure me that she would get there in the end.

[NeverEndingPileOfLaundry]

Oh yes, and forgot to add - late walking has the advantage that once they do get going they have a bit more common sense. much easier!

[Jane7]

thank you, all of you. this is so reassuring. i know it's silly to worry about, but thanks for posting

[Roomfor2]

Same here - my DD didn't start to crawl til after her first birthday. I was a little concerned at the time, but she was the same as yours - hated being on her front! She was always happy to just sit and play, never bothered about trying to get away. I took it as a compliment really

But she crawled only for about 2 months (at about 13-15 mths, they walked at 16 mths.

On the other hand, her speech is excellent. She was just one of those who concentrated on language before movement.

There is a child the same age as her that I know, who walked at about 9 mths, but doesn't speak well at all yet.

They all do things differently. Just keep encouraging her to use all her muscles (help to pull her up with her hands and hold her up a little so her legs get strong, etc) and try to let her see other children moving about so she can see it is fun and learn how they do it - I think this is when mine started to move more, when she saw the other children doing it at nursery.

But don't worry - in a year's time you will wonder what all the worry was about!

[Clayhead]

Niether of my dc crawled. Both bottom shuffled but nly until after they were one.

dd walked at about 18 months, ds 20 months (have forgotten exactly when!). Both never really did that wobbly toddler walking but just started quite confidently.

At 6 and 7 they appear to be fine walking now

[actually just did a 10 mile walk with my 7 year old!]

[dizzee]

I could almost have written the OP.

My DS is 9.5 months. He's been sitting unaided for 3 months, rolls all over the floor and can stand holding on to something.

But he cannot crawl, get into a sitting position by himself, or pull-up from sitting on the floor (he can pull-up from sitting on my knee). He cannot yet get onto all fours.

He is so frustrated and I don't know how to help him.

He also hated tummy time and now has a flat-head, despite all our efforts to avoid it.

I know people say not all babies crawl and they all develop at the same rate, but I can't help but worry.

[dizzee]

DS is also quite easy going and happy to sit playing with toys.

[Jane7]

Dizzee - wondered how your ds is getting on? he sounds exactly the same as dd. especially with the 'not being able to get onto all fours thing'. my dd hates being on her knees so when she is on her tummy, she never raises up onto all fours but just stays flat on the carpet stretching up a little on her elbows. however she is beginning to try to cruise a little along the sofa but is an absolute liability as she also sometimes falls backwards onto her head!
Our babies seem very similar, just wondered how yours was gettting along

[dizzee]

Hi Jane, My DS has now just turned 10 months and now if I put him on all fours he will stay up for a bit (30 secs at best) which is better than previously when he would totally collapse! He is very happy to stand holding on to things, but he doesn't cruise yet - don't think he's got good enough balance yet. He did pull-up twice in his cot the other day, but he had to brace his feet against the cot bars and it looked like a huge effort.

I'm trying not to worry too much as he is progressing all the time. Just all other babies I know of the same age are really mobile.

Sounds like your dd is coming along with the cruising though.