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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be concerned about my daughter's apparent disinterest in crawling?!

77 replies

thebartenderandthethief · 22/09/2015 16:09

My daughter is eight months old. She is my first baby, and she is wonderful. She is happy, bright and sociable. She loves singing and eating and she loves her toys.

We go to various baby groups which she really enjoys. She is also in nursery two mornings a week. However, I can help but notice that she is the only baby (literally the only one!) who is not moving around yet. The other babies are all around the same age as her (some are even younger) and are at least bum shuffling or commando crawling along the floor. Not my daughter. She's happy to just sit in the one place, playing with toys and watching the others.

I wouldn't be so concerned if she was trying to crawl but not quite managing it yet. My concern is that she doesn't seem remotely interested in it! If I put her on her tummy she will push up with her arms and kind of half heartedly kick her legs, but she will never voluntarily roll over to her front in an attempt to move (she can roll - I've seen her do it a couple of times - it seems she just chooses not to). My friends baby is two weeks younger and every time you put him down, he's flipping onto his tummy and fighting to crawl.

I do understand that babies do things at different times and I am trying very hard not to compare too much. But I'm not exaggerating when I say she is the only baby in all these groups who is not able to move around yet. My husband thinks I'm worrying about nothing and that she'll crawl or walk when she's good and ready. He says I've maybe just been "unlucky" that my experience is that babies of her age we have come across are moving around - that it doesn't mean they all can, and that she is falling behind. I just feel like these other babies are changing all the time but she seems to have plateaued a little bit.

Any thoughts?? Please be gentle. I'm an anxious mother, I know that really. I just want to help her if I can!

OP posts:
winchester1 · 22/09/2015 18:26

My first crawled around 10months, walked about 15months. My second is eight months now and not interested in crawling at all yet.

whitelisbon · 22/09/2015 18:56

I have dts (22 months), one crawled at just gone 6 months, was cruising by 7 1/2 months, and walking by 9. The other didn't crawl until 11 months, we'll after her brother was walking, and walked at 14 months. By the time they were 15 months you'd never have been able to guess who walked first.

HarlettOScara · 22/09/2015 19:06

My DD only started to sit unaided at about 8 months. Then crawled a few days past her first birthday and walked at 18 months. Apparently her father and his sister were similarly reluctant to become mobile so it could be genetic.

DD is now 3 and is utterly normal in her development.

Mrsjayy · 22/09/2015 19:10

Dd2 didnt crawl she rolled everywhere then bum shuffled would go up on all4s do a press up then go back to rolling. What you can do to encourage movement is play with a ball when she is on her tummy but just have it out of reach if she isnt moving her walker id take her out of it.

Mrsjayy · 22/09/2015 19:11

My dds were 15 and 17 months before they walked.

MrsTedCrilly · 22/09/2015 19:13

Comparison is the thief of joy! Don't rush these things, every stage is great Smile I haven't done groups or nursery so it's probably been easier for me to ignore comparisons!

Grapejuicerocks · 22/09/2015 19:18

Neither of mine crawled.

One went straight to walking at 13 months. She didn't ever roll over either. Would just cry and lay there. She's not sporty now but is perfectly normal.

The other one bottom shuffled then walked at 13 months.

Bakeoffcake · 22/09/2015 19:24

Every single child is unique- just repeat that every time you hear smug comments.

Dd2 never crawled, she could roll over at 6 months and that's how she got around. It was very funny watching her! She then got on her feet and just started walking, missing out the crawling bit.

Bakeoffcake · 22/09/2015 19:25

MrsTed I love that saying!

LikeASoulWithoutAMind · 22/09/2015 19:31

MrsTed that is a great saying!

OP I understand your concern but please don't worry. None of my children could move at all at 8 months. 2 of them never crawled at all but shuffled around on their bottoms from around 11mo. The third did crawl but again not until 11mo. (They were all pretty late walkers too - 18m or older)

They are much older now and 2 of them are really good cross country runners, the other one is generally sporty, really strong and a fast sprinter.

Be careful what you wish for Wink My eldest first moved on holiday in a cottage and it was not a relaxing week!

LikeASoulWithoutAMind · 22/09/2015 19:33

I also knew plenty of other babies who weren't moving at 8mo too btw.

Mistigri · 22/09/2015 19:36

She may not crawl at all, of course, but it's too early to know. Until 7/8 months my dd used to sit there like a fat little pudding refusing to roll or get on all fours or indeed show any interest whatsoever in moving under her own steam - until one day she decided to crawl and off she went like a rocket.

Lasaraleen · 22/09/2015 19:40

Neither of my babies could actually sit up unaided at 8 months. They crawled between 12 and 13 months. With ds (my PFB) I was very worried, much like you. With dd I was just thankful I could put her in one place and she would stay there.

Ds is now 9 and I can honestly say that you cannot tell him apart from his friends as the late crawler Wink. In fact he is an August baby and at sports day you can't tell him apart from the babies who were crawling before he was even born!

MsFanackerPants · 22/09/2015 19:42

Dd never crawled. She was a bum shuffler from about 11 months and walked at 18 months. She only tried crawling when she was 20 months. Wasn't interested and she soon sussed you can't crawl and hold things. She runs around like a mad thing at 22 months. I wasn't worried and asked my hv if I should be and she said nope, all seemed well at 12 months so no issues. They get there in their own time

Lasaraleen · 22/09/2015 19:44

Oh and lots of people tried to console me about ds's non-movement with the walkers and talkers thing. He didn't say a single word until he was 18 months old and only had a handful of words at 2. So that didn't really help! He is now perfectly capable of normal speech. Possibly too capable on occasion.

CoodleMoodle · 22/09/2015 20:07

DD is 18m and still can't crawl or bum shuffle. Nor can she pull herself up to sitting, or stand from sitting. Nor can she climb. It's quite good in some ways and frustrating in others!

She can however walk, run, dance, stand on one leg... Started walking just before a year and got the hang straight away. I'm sure she'll be crawling before she goes to school Wink

memyselfandaye · 22/09/2015 20:22

Mine didnt crawl until he was 13 months or walk until he was 17 months, I never thought he would walk or talk, he's 4 now and never shuts up and runs everywhere.

I sometimes miss those days when he was quiet and portableGrin

StatisticallyChallenged · 22/09/2015 20:28

DD didn't crawl until pretty much bang on her first birthday, then walked at 18 months. But with both, she caught up with her peers really quickly one she started doing it. So she went from not crawling, to crawling large distances. With walking there was none of this one or two tentative steps chat - she just stood up and walked across a 15ft room in one go. Don't think DH would have believed me if a friend hadn't been standing there with her phone and managed to catch it on video!

She's now five and you'd never know.

Cherryblossomsinspring · 22/09/2015 20:54

My little fellow didn't crawl till 9mts. And then got up and walked a few weeks later. My little girl crawled at 4 months. They are all so incredibly different. Some don't even sit till 8mths so don't worry! You can be sure there is something she will be miles ahead at! Maybe something far more important.

captaincake · 22/09/2015 21:12

This was my son a few months ago. I especially remember when he couldn't even crawl at 10 months seeing a little girl walking asked how old she was and was told 9 months, crawling months ago. Felt a bit worried. Putting toys out of his reach just pissed him off. DS started crawling at 10.5 months and out of nowhere having seemingly shown no interest in walking started at 14.5 months. Before 10.5 months he was an absolute champion roller though Grin

Pico2 · 22/09/2015 21:35

This is a wonderfully first baby thing. DD2 is 8 months and not crawling yet. I'm relieved and looking about at what will need baby-proofing once she's on the move.

On the plus side for you, here's another 8 month old not yet crawling.

Anniehannie · 22/09/2015 21:36

My dd didn't make any attempt to crawl until she was 10 months, perfectly happy to just sit and play!

She is 1 this week! So in the last 2 months has gone from doing nothing to walking around the furniture/trying to climb stairs etc

WillowB · 22/09/2015 22:40

Going to go against the grain slightly here and share my slightly less positive experience of having a non mobile baby.
DS met all of his milestones up until about 4 months. I noticed that friends babies of a similar age were rolling & he rolled once or twice but didn't really show much interest (he also developed a flat head!)
He sat up at around 6 months but hated being on his tummy & could not propel himself forward from either sitting or being on his tummy. Started to get niggles of concern but was brushed off by HV and well meaning people who said 'he'll get there' etc etc.
By the time he was 12 months he was still showing no signs of crawling so I took him to our GP who examined him and told us that his joints were very hypermobile and referred us a paediatrician.
Whilst we waited for our appointment DS started to bottom shuffle. We were then referred to a physio who told us that he had hypermobile joints and low muscle tone. Physio got him rolling & crawling after a few months and he walked just after his second birthday. He's now 3 and pretty much on a par with his peers albeit a bit wobblier!
I'm not for a minute saying that your little girl has similar issues but I guess what I am saying is sometimes there can be something underlying. Listen to your gut and if you're concerned still a month down the line then go and see your GP, hopefully you won't need to though as she'll be on the move by then Smile

Happfeet2911 · 22/09/2015 23:05

My son never crawled, just stood up one day at about 13 months and walked, I don't think he could be bothered, it was easier to just sit there and then be picked up, don't worry!

facedontfit · 22/09/2015 23:42

My daughter didn't crawl until 11 months, then started walking about 4 weeks later! Don't worry and don't listen to people who think they know it all!

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