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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be worried about my 6 month old?

89 replies

Secretlifeofme · 17/04/2020 12:38

My DD is six months old next week. She is happy and smiley and I love her so much but I'm worried that she isn't developing properly :(
She can sit up, but only with support
She can roll from front to back, but not the other way. Also she HATES being on her front and will just flip over the minute I put her down on her front. I can't see how she will ever learn to crawl :(
She isn't good at playing on her own and will cry if left alone for more than a couple of minutes
She wakes up at least 3 times a night. Maximum she sleeps for is about 4 hours but that's really rare, it's usually 3, sometimes 2!
She only has short naps - about 35-45 mins 4 times a day.

What do you think? She is my first (and only!) and I just worry a lot...

OP posts:
Original poster
Secretlifeofme · 17/04/2020 14:51

Aww thanks everyone! This has really helped me to get it into perspective Flowers

OP posts:
Moonflower12 · 17/04/2020 14:56

I've had 4 children and not one of them has done it by the book. My DS didn't walk till the day he turned 18 months- in front of the paediatric physiotherapist who'd come to assess him- making me look a right idiot!

Honestly enjoy your gorgeous little one. She looks bright as a button.

mynameiscalypso · 17/04/2020 15:03

@StealthMama makes an excellent point - I know that there's lots of things DS can do because he's done them once but he doesn't bother doing them again because there's no point. If it doesn't make it easier for him to shove something in his mouth, he's just not going to bother. I know the feeling...😂

Carcarcarcar · 17/04/2020 15:10

Sounds normal, my son did not roll till 10 months, crawler at 15 months and is still not yet walking independently 24 months, he's making progress in his own time, don't worry

Fluffybutter · 17/04/2020 15:17

She’s super cute!

WhateverHappenedToBathPearls · 17/04/2020 15:18

I can't even remember when my now 2 year old rolled and in what direction. He sat up at 7 months and crawled at 10 months.

As for the consonant sounds, there is HUGE variation in pace of speech-related development. You will just wreck your own mental health if you over analyse it at this stage (speaking from experience here)

MyNameHasBeenTaken · 17/04/2020 15:32

We spend the first 2 years teaching them to walk and talk. The next 8 trying to get them to sit down and be quiet sometimes!
My ds was talking in 4- 5 word sentences at 15 months.
Naming every car he saw by its badge at just turned 2.
By 4, he was still sitting in a nappy full of his own shit.
I know which is more useful!
Dd was late at most things. Had about 20 words by 2 and 1/2. And half of those were not clear.
Now, she gets mistaken for almost double her age for conversation and using long words.
She is 6, people assume 10-11.
She was potty trained before 3 though.

ScarfLadysBag · 17/04/2020 15:44

That sounds entirely normal. DD didn't bother rolling till about 7 months, but then learned to crawl and pull up in very quick succession. There's a massive spectrum of normal in baby development. In our antenatal group, they all have done things at different times but they've all got there in the end.

Haworthia · 17/04/2020 15:47

Please don’t worry. The spectrum of “normal” in young babies is HUGE. Some are crawling at five months whereas some don’t sit up until seven months.

My daughter didn’t weight bear on her legs at all until after her first birthday. You know when you hold a baby over your lap and they “stand”? She wouldn’t do it Grin She’s now a strapping 8.5 year old and she is now definitely using her legs!

FadedRed · 17/04/2020 15:49

She’s very very cute! What a beautiful smile!

Her0utdoors · 17/04/2020 15:57

Re: how will she learn to crawl? Neither of mine went from tummy to crawling, it was more of a gradual rocking forwards from sitting position, taking more weight on their arms until they were in all fours. Or 2 hands, one knee and one foot if you're my ds.

PopcornAndWine · 17/04/2020 15:57

What a gorgeous little thing! Before lockdown I was bringing DD (8 months) to a playgroup of babies of similar ages. There was huge variation in what they can do. And research shows that age of hitting milestones has very little relationship to future attainments. Have a look at Emily Oster's book Cribsheet, there is a chapter about developmental milestones.

Sexnotgender · 17/04/2020 16:01

My little potato didn’t crawl until about a year, rarely rolled over, doesn’t say proper words.
He’s 14.5 months and not walking. He’s absolutely fine though.
Comparison is the thief of joy.

mistermagpie · 17/04/2020 16:17

My daughter is five months. She can roll back to front and front to back but not in one go, if you see what I mean? She can't sit up and makes essentially no sounds whatsoever.

This is genuinely the first I've heard of consonants being an issue and I've got two other children (aged three and four, so had them recently). It wouldn't occur to me to worry about that at this age. Both my older children are very advanced with speech now but neither said anything much until after 18 months, I really wouldn't worry at 6.

My middle child never sat up until he could walk, it was weird. And my oldest didn't walk until he was 18 months and now at 4 can complete a parkrun (5k). They all do things at different stages.

Don't worry, your baby sounds lovely.

St0pTryingT0MakeFetchHappen · 17/04/2020 16:37

She sounds fine, DS1 crawled before he sat unassisted because that would involve sitting still! If you are worried call the Health visitor for aome reassurance!

Howmanysleepsnow · 17/04/2020 16:42

None of my 4 ever said a-ga or a-da so I definitely wouldn’t worry about that! Also, none sat unaided or rolled onto their front by six months. My eldest didn’t until 7-8 months and was walking unaided at 10 months and one day.

MrsBobDylan · 17/04/2020 17:08

Op, I've got some bad news to break to you about the not playing on her own thing. In my experience you need to shelve that expectation under DD is at least four 😬. And mine were good at playing on their own compared to other kids.

She is totally gorgeous, try and switch off the worrying and focus on that lovely smile 😊

MuchTooTired · 17/04/2020 17:17

She’s absolutely gorgeous!

I really wouldn’t worry, she sounds perfectly fine for her age! Easy for me to say as she’s not my dd, and I worried/still worry about my DTs - dd hits all the milestones bang on time/early, but my ds doesn’t. I’m trying to just chill out about it though, because as pp have said it really doesn’t matter, he’ll get there in his own time.

RhymingRabbit3 · 17/04/2020 17:24

I would stop looking at what they're "supposed" to do. Shes doing fine and all babies eventually learn to crawl and walk - it just takes some a bit longer than others and that's fine.

I was panicky about my childs speech when she was 12-18 months old as she didnt make many sounds. She's just turned 3 and her speech has completely caught up and may even be advanced - this morning she told me she was "disappointed because there is no weetabix available in the shops because of the germs" 😂

RoryGilmoree · 17/04/2020 17:27

I never rolled OP! I was too fat Grin all the weight fell off when I started walking - she's gorgeous and sounds like she's doing really well so don't worry Thanks

LisaSimpsonsbff · 17/04/2020 18:24

Oh, that's a point, apparently I didn't roll either - my parents somehow didn't even realise that babies did roll so not only were they not concerned about it but when my baby brother started rolling they assumed I was flipping him over in some sort of fit of jealousy Confused

Anyway, I still don't roll much now but I've just run 5k - admittedly quite slowly - so I think my gross motor skills are alright

doadeer · 17/04/2020 18:26

She looks perfect!

Comparison is the thief of joy. Just enjoy her ❤️

Hoggleludo · 17/04/2020 19:02

My first didn't sit up till she was 10 mo the old. Hated tummy time. Never crawled

She's a very smart. Healthy 8 yr d now!

I'm wondering why you think a 6 mo th old should be talking by now?!

TheLette · 17/04/2020 20:21

Sounds normal. Also just because they can be advanced in some things doesn't mean they will generally be advanced. My little girl sat up by herself just after 5 months, but wasn't walking independently until 15 months! I was getting a bit embarrassed because some of her friends were walking at 9 months. She also hated tummy time and was a nightmare for sleeping.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 17/04/2020 22:15

Oh blimey OP she's fine.

DD has just cracked sitting unsupported, she's almost 8m (just over 6m corrected). She can sometimes roll front to back but often seems to struggle. She's never rolled back to front. She's happy. She's noisier than DS was but not an amazing babbler. DD was so silent I had his hearing checked twice. He never bothered babbling. Got "mama" around age 1, few words at 19m then the floodgates opened at 2 and he's not shut up since.

Mine both hated tummy time do rolling back to front is not popular. DD isn't keen to even try.

Your DD looks and sounds like she's doing fab.