6m old milestones - nervous

[RolyPolyOll]

Hi all, I’m not too sure where to post but haven’t spent so many hours this week googling and finding old posts and getting myself scared and worked up.

I have booked a private paediatrician appt but in the meantime can I possibly have some reassurance? I have two main worries about my little one and wondered if anyone else has experienced similar?

1 - He cannot sit even aided. If I try, he pushes his legs out or pushes himself to lie flat down again. Leans to one side in his high chair.

2 - He gags on even the most liquidised puree and even with purée he vomits whilst eating it. We do offer finger foods and he sucks them and then gags and doesn’t swallow anything.

He IS very alert, giggly, smiley, rolls around all the time and is generally quite happy. But the above two are scaring me, particularly when seeing pics of other 6m olds demolishing a plate of food or siting up. I’m worried about a neurological issue and it’s eating me up.

All babies are different, and I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. My dd never crawled at all, and a neighbour's ds didn't say a word until he was four, and he's just completed his Masters degree.

Thank you for this. I needed to hear this! Everything I’ve been googling tells me the worst case scenario.

At this age things change in an instant. You’ll look back in a few weeks and a few months and wonder what you were worrying for.

It’s hard to spot while you’re in the thick of it. Take a photo or video of him sitting in his high chair every week. In a month or two look back at the photos and you’ll see the difference.

Thank you! I feel like I have done something wrong that he just keeps throwing up and won’t sit. I feel like a failure.

My DS definitely wasn't sitting at 6m. He also had little interest in food before 14 months. He is hyper mobile so that now explains the late sitting/ rolling/ walking. It's really tough when everyone's child seems to be doing everything miles before your own .

Particularly with social media where many Facebook groups for babies born the same month show them sitting and eating nicely! How did you know your son was hyper mobile?

Just sounds like he's not quite ready to be weaned. Wait a couple of weeks and try again. Same happens rinse and repeat. Some babies don't show any interest until theyre way past 6 months. Honestly I wouldn't stress. He'll get there in the end

speak to your hv who has experience and can refer for assessment or suggest you return in two months.
At six months he should sit with support. He might have weak trunk and might need physio.
Get him assessed
Best he sees someone and they say nothing to see here
Or they do some therapy intervention or refer
Or see if there is drop in slt session to look at his eating and gagging to see if needs further assessment

Thank you. He loves being on his tummy and tummy time so I hoped they’d give him a strong trunk. He keeps pushing up when we try and sit him. Can SLT look at weaning or just talking?

Don't worry at all! It is so so true that babies do things at their own stages, my son didn't sit unaided until 8 months, didn't roll over (other than one fluky time!) until 7/8 months and didn't crawl until 11 months, however he always had great fine motor skills and "talks" a LOT and is just very vocal in general. He's not long turned one and went from only rolling, to crawling, standing and cruising within a couple of weeks! Don't compare your baby to anyone else's because I did this and bloody wish I hadn't! Your baby sounds like a lovely, happy little boy!

Thank you! I keep reading about people who weaned at 4m so slightly worried if I end up waiting until 7m!

He is smily and giggly so that is key for overall development
But yeh might need physical review to keep an eye
Do family members have hypermobility in joints flexible gymnasts etc ?

I needed to read this. I also have a DD who did things a bit earlier (eg was sitting by 4m) so I’m constantly comparing. Did you help him learn to sit unaided? All I am doing is comparing him and it’s upsetting me. I’m glad you understand too!!

I started at 4 months but also know some who didn't show interest until 10-11 months. 6 months is a guideline, they don't 100% have to do it at that point

Nope not that I know of! It’s rather stiffness if that makes sense. When I try and seat him he tries to push up!

@RolyPolyOll our childminder agreed that his ankles and legs were really flexible. At 15 months I rang the Health Visitor service as he wasn't walking and they weren't interested. I rang again at 18 months and they referred us to physio. We saw physio at 19/20 months and then again at 22/23 months. That's when we actually got proper advice!

My daughter didn't eat until 10 months and didn't roll till 18 months! Hv was concerned but she's now 8 and completely 'normal'.

Her sister met all milestones and now has several diagnosed conditions.

Try and wait and see

DD has hypermobility and was late meeting physical milestones. She never crawled and didn’t walk until she was two (in special boots to keep her ankles straight). She soon caught up!

That sounds all fine to me, my first was early and hit milestones a little bit later. I started to worry because he couldn't sit until he was 10 months (he was 2 months early so corrected age would be 8 months) I needn't have worried he skipped crawling and was walking by 13 months which looked quite funny as he was still so tiny! One of them rolled over once and then never again! It's hard not to compare to others but 6 months is still tiny and many babies only just start weaning then.

Thank you everyone. If he does have hyper mobility etc do you think the paedritican will be able to tell me? Like are there tests for it at 6m?

Get a refrral to community physio so that by the time you get the appt either you cancel coz he is sitting fine and you no longer concerned

or you take him because he isn't Sitting well yet

You have nothing to lose by seeking advice

No one can assess your child here.

Bless him!! My DS was 36+4 so I don’t think that’ll make much diff as just a few weeks?

Yes a physio can assess a 6 month old or even younger and identify low muscle tone hypotonia or stiffness hypertonia and or hypermobility

I know they can’t but this takes time and I just wanted some reassurance/positivity whilst I wait. Sorry.

Be positive

he is happy and smily

But your job as parent is to act on any worries and seek advice . Always. No one will berate you for seeking reassurance from hv or gp or other

Do not be over anxious but do not ignore things either!