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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To have got myself really bloody worried

37 replies

Lily484 · 05/03/2015 07:54

Basically my baby is very close to 7.5 months and isn't making any of the 'mama', 'dada' 'baba' sounds he should be making. He rolled, sat early and is close to crawling I think, he will feed himself veg sticks and bread with avocado etc cut up, and is really social, very vocal with loads of 'ah' sounds (stares and shouts ah until randoms in the library etc will interact with him), is cuddly, and giggly loves doing very loud raspberries, and a new slightly weird kind of a 'kaaaa' sound but almost sounds like a warning from a snake. He'll initiate these kinds of 'chats' and imitate those sounds if we make them, and has a good laugh being vocal, but seems a world away from the whole 'dadada' thing that every website says he should be doing. He had a bit of a traumatic start so extra worried.

OP posts:

cupcakesandapples · 05/03/2015 08:00

Hi if you're really worried id refer to your health visitor but i have to say my dd was the same. She never said anything really till she was gone one, but she walked, rolled etc really early.

I started to worry at about the 14 month mark as she would sporadically say a word and then never use it again (although her comprehension was great) but low and behold at 18 months she found her voice and had a huge vocabulary.

Shes two now and uses full sentences- our hv even commented of how well spoken she was (read: never shuts up).

Honestly i wouldnt worry yet myself- they do say if theyre physically quick theyre slower to talk too! But def refer to hv if its upsetting you x

Original poster

Lily484 · 05/03/2015 08:05

Thank you! Reassuring to hear about your dd. I'm actually in NZ for a few months so wondering if I should book a paediatric appt here. I met some babies in the park today who were only 2-4 weeks older and seemed really vocal and physical. Do you know what the concern is if they are not babbling? Are they thinking autism etc?

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popalot · 05/03/2015 08:07

Don't worry, he sounds like he's doing all the right things for his age. He'll get to making more sounds when he's ready. Every child is different. i like the weird 'kaaa' sound, my dd made this sound! He's experimenting and that's just right for his age. Because that's how speech develops - with lots of little experiments that babies try out with their mouth and vocals, which eventually turn into sounds they can control. My dd never said 'mama'. She did a sort of mumbly mumumumu sound when she was hungry and all sorts of other sounds. Her speech and language developed just fine. Hope this helps.

RestingFuckFace · 05/03/2015 08:14

My brother couldn't string a sentence together when he started school. I know for a fact the only words he could say when he was 2 was 'mama' 'booby' 'Ra-Ra' and 'dada'.

He is now a very successful carpenter although I do question his text speak

I can guarantee at your babies age he'd have been saying diddly squat.

Original poster

Lily484 · 05/03/2015 08:16

Thanks popalot I really hope so. I've literally never heard a consonant pass his lips... But I guess his new weird snake sound is maybe progress! Must stop myself from thinking there is some sinister reason...

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lovesleep2 · 05/03/2015 08:20

Definitely don't worry. I have learnt that every single child is different. My dd crawled late but potty trained before she was 2. Friends little ones walked early but their speech is more limited than my little girls who is chatting away quite happily and coherently (she is 3). At your little ones age, just enjoy the noises they are making and keep talking to them all the time. As a side note, I think the number of teeth they have can make a difference. My dd had loads early on. Without having certain teeth, I think they actually can't make certain sounds anyway (I think).

Fernfrond · 05/03/2015 08:28

My baby is 7 months and we don't have any of that either, he makes gurgly noises, ahh noises and happy shrieks, but no mama dada baba etc. His older sister was the same, I remember fretting that she wasn't talking at all before she was 1, and now at 3.5 she literally never stops (sigh). Your baby sounds super happy :) Don't rely on the websites, every child is different

jendot2 · 05/03/2015 08:30

I am a childminder so have looked after many many children of this age and this would not worry me at all. All children develop language at a different rate. At 7 months as long as he is making sounds and using sounds to convey emotion and gain attention he is perfectly on track. Keep on repeating familiar words and chatting as you go about your day, he will get there :)

flanjabelle · 05/03/2015 08:34

Dd was like this, our hv said that she was more focused on the mobility side of things and she was right. As soon as dd got the hang of walking her speech came on leaps and bounds. She went from just about babbling at 9 months to full words by a year. Now at 16 months she says over 50 words.

It's like their little brains can only focus on one thing at a time.

lornathewizzard · 05/03/2015 08:36

I really would try not to worry. It would be impossible for all babies to develop the same skills at the same time so the guidelines are just that, guidelines. As you've said, he's done other things before 'schedule' and it would make sense to me that some babies start stronger in some areas than others.

natwebb79 · 05/03/2015 08:49

Words at 7 months?! (Looks at 7 month old DS2 blowing raspberries and making his favourite ear drum exploding screaming noise).

glammanana · 05/03/2015 08:50

Please please stop comparing with other babies it's the worst thing you can do sweetie,when my sister took my niece to the clinic when she was 6/7 weeks old she came home to my mum crying that the HV had said baby had a small head ??? Well mum went balistic and asked her what she meant,she said HV had measured babies head and she was just under "the spectrum guideline" for her age,mum got on phone to HV and gave her down the banks asking her why
babies clothes where made in different sizes when according to her statistics one size should fit all.That same sister is 3 yrs younger than me and she never spoke properly until she was 3 yrs old and has never stopped since so please don't worry and stop comparing with other babies it will drive you mad.

seastargirl · 05/03/2015 08:52

My son was focused on all the physical milestones, he wasn't really interested in talking and I would say wasn't taking well until he was about 2. We found some research at the time that said some babies will choose to focus on movement to the detriment of talking and vice versa. Sure enough my youngest, was chattering away really early, but didn't walk until quite late.

AllThatGlistens · 05/03/2015 08:54

Sounds to me like your baby is doing just fine, to put it in context, my youngest is severely disabled and has classic autism, he is almost 5 and doesn't speak. He never crawled and didn't even attempt to walk until way after his 2nd birthday.

Given the milestones your little one has already hit I would have no concerns whatsoever at this stage

Original poster

Lily484 · 05/03/2015 08:55

Thank you all! I think because he had such a horrible start I'm extra anxious about him, but the sounds he's making seem to be more what's expected from a 3-4 month old in baby centre calendar, I hate those milestone things!

OP posts:

Gatekeeper · 05/03/2015 08:58

my dd hardly said anything until she was two, just lots of grunts. She chatters non stop these days from sparrow fart

Original poster

Lily484 · 05/03/2015 09:00

Also sorry I realise I sound like a stupid neurotic! He had what was initially identified as a series of seizures at 5 days and was later diagnosed as an immature nervous system (if development is normal no cause for concern) was the final sign off, so been on tenterhooks for months.

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Effiewhaursmabaffies · 05/03/2015 09:01

DD2 didnt bother talking for ages as well. Even the nursery said she was behind. However she now never shuts up and will talk the hind leg off a donkey. you may miss the days of silence......

JustMarriedBecca · 05/03/2015 09:02

Einstein didn't speak until he was two and he turned out Ok.....

MissMogwi · 05/03/2015 09:05

As others have said, don't worry! My daughter didn't walk or talk much until she was almost two. I was very concerned despite hv/docs telling me she was fine.

Now at almost 11, she never stops talking and she's an active, healthy girl.

crazykat · 05/03/2015 09:07

As long as he's making some sounds don't worry. My youngest daughter was saying lots or recognisable sounds at about 8/9 months but didn't crawl until 12 months, my son was walking at 8 months but didn't say many recognisable words until about 12 months.

Some babies develop their motor skills before verbal skills and vice versa. As long as he's making sounds and can react to voices in wouldn't worry until at least 12 months.

bruffin · 05/03/2015 09:13

I can remember the day ds started babbling (and he is now 19 )

We were on a coach transfer in Portugal and he just started saying Babababa which was in May which made him 8.5 months. He didnt stop after that. DS's development was always like that, 2 days before his 2nd birthday he swallowed a dictionary overnight and was spouting new words all day. He was very much a child that was working out things in his head long before attempting them. But once he tried he was an expert. We would have 2 weeks of frustration before hand though.

CunningCat · 05/03/2015 09:34

My eldest DD didn't talk until she was nearly 3, she's certainly made up for it since!!

ProfessorProfessorson · 05/03/2015 09:39

Oh my DS was exactly like this. I was so worried, especially as my DD at the same age had been really vocal.

Can't remember when he twigged, but by 4 certainly he was better than fine. Is now 6 and has a huge vocabulary.

I do remember thinking to myself as reassurance that he was probably just "concentrating" as it were on physical development - as he was always very quick to move, roll, crawl, walk etc. Whereas DD had been rubbish at all that but a brilliant talker

MumWithCamera · 05/03/2015 09:48

I wouldn't every at such an early age.

Ds is 15 months and didn't really day dada or mama clearly still! He shouts ga ga and other odd sounds like "ng ng" or "unga". So they dont always follow the guidelines!

On the other hand my Dd followed the book and did do dada and mama and not so much of these weirder sounds.

Sometime once said that babies tend to either be focused on language or movement. That is my experience. DD was really early moving but late speaking, and I saw other kids who were the other way around.

Ds has been slow with both, but I think there is done truth also to the theory that boys are lazier!

7 mo is very early though so really just wait and see, don't fret!

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