Tell me about your late walkers please!

[Whyismycatanasshat]

I’ve just had DD to the health visitor clinic to get her weighed and it wasn’t our usual HV, it was an older, much more abrupt lady who told me DD was a concern as at 14 months she isn’t standing by herself unsupported or making any progress to walking independently.

I assumed DD wasn’t ready yet as she cruises on furniture and will occasionally walk a step or two if you hold her hands, otherwise she sinks to her knees.

She’s not that far behind is she?

New HV made it out to be a massive deal.

Thank you.

My first DD walked at 18 months, and until then was a proficient bum-shuffler and never really crawled. She was breech for most of my pregnancy and I put it down to that. We never had any HV raise concerns! In your situation I wouldn’t be too worried. Then again, it’s good they keep an eye out - did she say what further support might be recommended?

I'm surprised by this, my DD is 14 months and I'm not worried either. She stands with support, jumps up and down, cruises and crawls like a maniac. She doesn't try to stand unsupported and she has no interest in properly walking. She's pretty cautious by nature. Only three of her NCT baby pals out of eight are walking so it seems pretty normal to me.

I'm taking her to be weighed soon as she's a bit of a chunk so I'll see if I get the same treatment.

I walked at nine months by the way and DP didn't walk until 16 months. He went onto be very sporty, I hate walking anywhere!

@pilates nothing! Just said it was a concern again.

@smiffypeabrain She does occasionally sit in the W position, I raised this with the usual
HV before Christmas and she advised that if she hadn’t stopped by 18 months to see the Dr for referral. But thought it wasn’t affecting her development as she was strongly crusing then.

DD is now sitting in the W position less and less, more one straight leg and one V leg if that makes sense, but even then not as often as W was before. Again, not something I’m overly worried by.

@problembottom That’s the thing, my DD isn’t showing any interest in moving on from crawling and cruising so I wasn’t worried. She’ll use her push along walker but very much on her terms!

My DD is a chunky monkey (95th percentile) and always has been; normal HV has met DD’s Dad - a big, strapping farmer and never comments. Today’s HV said she clearly eats well.

Ds1 walked just before 16 months. He never stood unsupported before he walked. I was a bit worried mainly due to unhelpful comments from mil about my husband walking at 10 months and why wasn’t ds walking, was I not encouraging him enough

Anyway he walked when he was ready and within a week or so he was indistinguishable from those who were walking much earlier.

Ds2 is now 15 months and not walking yet but I have no doubt he is waiting till he is ready and no need for concern.

I think it might be worth a GP appointment.

Not walking at 14 months isn't a big deal but not making any attempts to does feel outside the norm to me. It's probably fine but I think a GP will be able to make a call as to whether it's worth a referral to a paediatrician. These take ages so it's worth doing a referral early.

My dd did not take first steps until 19 months. Didnt even furniture cruise until about 15 months. I wouldn't be worried at this stage. We also had a HV who made an issue of it bu then the GP said she was fine and to come back if still not walking at 24 months.

No harm in going to GP to check though.

He’s 10 now, was developmentally delayed in other areas and was diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum 3 years ago.
He’s also the funniest person I’ve ever met and will go far in life.

Perhaps for your peace of mind, ask your doctor for a paediatric referral. If there is something which needs addressing sooner the better. It’s hard when you look around and friends’ children of similar ages are walking. Good luck and try not to worry too much.

One of mine didn't walk till 18 months. She is now 16 and mildly dyspraxic although not formally diagnosed. It doesn't cause any major issues in her life.

My DD didn’t walk until 16 months, now a national level athlete!

I think if dd seems otherwise physically capable and there's never been any indication of (say) hip dysplasia, I wouldn't worry, at all. Walking seems to be a real worry trigger for a lot of parents and HCPs, but two of my three didn't walk until 17-18 months and one of those never crawled, just walked everywhere on his knees from 8 months onward If she seemed to be struggling with mobility in another way, or trying to walk and finding it obviously very frustrating over a long period, or there had ever been any findings or suggestion of unstable hips, I might want it looked into. Otherwise, not.

My DD sat up at 5 months and bum shuffled at 6. She was very happy getting around so wouldn't even bother to try stand. I saw the health nurse when she was 8months she was saying she should be walking along the furniture and trying to pull herself up, she wasn't I was made to feel like I was doing something wrong I went home and cried. I was sent to physio with her she had no concerns. My DD was tall for her age and the physio said some times its harder for them to stand as they have longer legs. At 18 months she decided to get off her butt and walk. She's 4 now and runs everywhere 🤣

DD1 was late to sit, late to crawl, walked right at the end of her 18th month (I used to come home from baby groups and cry at the thought of my baby being surrounded by smaller ones toddling about away from her). Now a very active, very well coordinated 8 year old.

My early walker is the one who now has a dyspraxia diagnosis.

14 months is not behind. My DS simply would not let go of the furniture until he had fully mastered the skill. His first steps without even a fingertips contact with the furniture took place because he thought granddad was going home rather then just to the car to get something and he literally ran across the room, realised he wasn't holding anything and plonked his hand on top of the coffee table. He spend 2 more weeks in denial and then walked really well and everywhere without the slightest bit of stumbling. Still a bit of a perfectionist lol

oh, and he was 18/19 months and his friend was 20 months

I have twins. One walked at 12 months and one at 17 months. Now secondary age, they’re both reasonably sporty but the late walker is the better runner.

My DD was bang on 18 months when she walked, she had no interest before that in walking or standing on her then one day she stood up and took a few steps.

My HV wasn't worried and she said it's quite common for babies to not work until before and after 18 months

OP, please don't worry. 14 months is too early to worry about not walking. And you say she's cruising along furniture which is good. Dh's sister didn't walk until 2! My 3 dc walked at around 15/16 months, I didn't think that was late.

HV shouldn't have worried you. It might be worth getting her checked for your own piece of mind but it's very likely she will walk when she's ready.

I walked when I was 9 months, my daughter walked when she was 12 months and my friends daughter took her first steps just before she turned 2. Nothing wrong with any of us. People take these milestones way too seriously. I stopped seeing my maternal nurse because it was stressing me out. Never would again if we have a second child.

My dd talked at 9 months and walked at 15. She was a big baby, way over the 99th centile, and I was told that bigger babies walk later. She didn't have much incentive to walk really; she could crawl to find me and tell me what she wanted, and it appeared. Job done.

A friend's was the opposite way round, walking early and talking late, and I thought mine was a lot easier because she could communicate her needs. My friend's dd used to get terribly frustrated because her mum didn't understand what she wanted.

Dd's doing a PhD now and is a powerlifter, so she turned out OK. She tracked her centile nicely and is almost 6'.

My DC1 didn't walk till 18m, just in time for DC2 to be born! My GP told me his DC was the same, not to worry and that they were just busy developing something else. DC1 is now 10y and bright and athletic with zero developmental concerns

Mine is 17 months and has only just started!! It's completely normal and don't let alone scare you into thinking otherwise

My son was 27 months but the paeds doctor wasn’t concerned as he was weight bearing - he just wouldn’t let go!

Now aged 7 he’s done over 150 junior parkruns, does football, ballet - but still the time I was worried sick