Ds just turned 1yr not crawling, walking...Sorry long!

[MrsKNB]

Hi my ds has just turned one and is not crawling, cruising, walking or moving very much. He is a very content baby and has a very good reaching technique for toys but if they are too far away he won't bother moving for them. Sometimes he does move one bum cheek at a time but it takes him ages to move round the room. If you try to put him on his feet he cries or lifts his feet so that they are tucked up under his bum. He didn't sit unaided until he was about 7 months but I think this was my fault because he was so content at lying down I used to just keep lying him down in his play gym. First time mum who maybe doesn't want to be a pushy parent but do want to encourage him. Too afraid to go to hv as they always say oh are you a first time mum and think I'm being hypersensitive so then I get upset and annoyed. He had a hip X-ray at 8 months due to creases in legs not matching so I know that hips are all ok. Seeing hv this week for jabs and scared as 1 I don't know who she is as have never met her (am on 3rd hv, first one was lovely but never met second or third one!) and 2 because at 15 month review if still not walking I've heard they ask you to go see them once a month until baby is 18 months and if still not walking at 18 months you are referred to physio! Don't want them to make me upset or feel bad for ds not moving but want to help him along the way without upsetting him and making him do something he doesn't want to. Think he is fine in other areas - not the best at eating at times but good sleeper talker and player etc. Sorry for rant...

Well around here that not walking thing is certainly rubbish! Do you ever put him on his front? I would try that for a bit and see if it helps at all. Two of mine though were bottom shufflers, and didn't start moving until very suddenly after 1, they didn't walk until at least 18 months either.

Do not panic! But if you are still worried do talk to the health professionals.

Yeah do put him on his front but he just cracks up! We also put him in walker and he loves to throw the ball for the dog when in it but only moves in it when he's really excited when the dog has got the ball! Doesn't move deliberately in it.

DS was 17 months before he walked - he was a 'big boy' and various people said that might be the reason why. He was a bum shuffler, but that didn't really take off until he was 1+.

DD was 15 months.

Now in late teens and no movement problems now!

As long as he's sitting unaided by age 2, he will walk when he's ready.
Maybe a baby bouncer suspended from a door frame to encourage him to put his legs on the floor.
My dd didn't walk until she was nearly 4, so don't panic just yet!

Pleased don't get stressed about this. My DS also only started sitting at 7 months, and he was almost 13 months before he started to crawl. Like your DS he was a contented baby and had no self motivation to move. Our HV was cool about it and said that any time between 9 and 18 months to start walking was normal. He finally started walking at 17.5 months, and now won't stop! Your DS will just do it in his own time.

Sounds like he may end up being a 'bum shuffler' if he has already started moving slowly around the room 'one bum cheek a a time'!! And so, speaking as a mother of a dd who bum shuffled, I would say you do not have much to worry about - especially as you have had the hip check.

There are huge advantages to bum shuffling in my opinion and although it can mean (although not always) they walk a bit later, there really is no issue.

dd1 started bum shuffling at 12 months in much the same way as your ds appears to have done. She did not weight bear on her legs until she was about 15 months at the earliest. She did not 'pull up' to standing until about 16 months and did not walk until 20 months. When she did walk however, there was no 'falling down' phase. She just walked and kept on going. I did take her to the GP at around 15 months to get her checked, but after a quick exam, they said not to worry and to come back when she was 18 months old if there was no change.

Having one bum shuffler in the family does not mean you'll get another necessarily - although I was one. dd2 crawled at an average age and walked at an average age.

By all means keep an eye on things, but I seriouly don't think you're going to get any grief from the HV just because he's not moving yet. If you do - well, I would be more concerned about the quality of your HV.

My dd never rolled, never crawled and started walking at about 14 months. Nothing wrong with her I can assure you! She's 6 now and just fine.

My DS has muscular dystrophy and didn't crawl until 15 months, and took his first steps at 22 months. They're all different and he will move around when he's ready, although do speak to your hv if you're concerned, that's what they're there for. And there's nothing wrong with physio. DS sees a physio every 3 months and she's really nice and gives us exercises to help with his physical development, I'm pretty certain his walking would have been later without that input.

FWIW I used chocolate buttons to encourage DS to crawl (although he was a commando crawler!). I would put him on his tummy and put a chocolate button in front of him just out of his reach. It didn't take him long to work it out with an incentive. I know some would probably flame me for my tactics but it worked brilliantly (and DS is still skinny as anything)!

DS was similar. Sat at 10m, crawled at 13m, pulled up on the furniture at 19m and walked at 22m. When he was sitting I used to put toys out of his reach to encourage him to crawl, but if he couldn't get to it he'd just play with his trousers instead.

When he did do these these I had to do a lot of very pro-active over-enthusiatic encouragment, but nothing else. Also, to encourage him to go on his front I tucked a pillow under his arms until his could lift himself up a bit and put a mirror on the floor so he could look at himself (vain child ) and they helped.

Take him to the doctors if you want reassurance; see that he can bear weight on his legs, ankles & hips are ok etc.

If all ok then it's just waiting till he's ready. If not, then get a referal to start sorting it out. If there is an issue, then it wont be anything that you've done.

DD started bum shuffling just before her first birthday (now not quite 13 months) and is now getting around very speedily. I was at the stage of thinking she was never going to get moving, as so many babies we know of the same age are already walking, but she started moving 3 days before her 1st birthday. I get the impression she is not likely to crawl, and I supect she won't walk any time soon, but so long as she is walking by 18 months or so I won't worry.

My DD didn't sit unaided properly until 8m, didn't crawl until nearly 12m and has only just started walking at 19m and there's absolutely nothing wrong with her.

Please don't worry about your DS (it's natural, I know!), but take him to the GP if you're worried, to set your mind at rest. Sounds like he's making moves to shuffle around on his bum.

one of mine was very late sitting (can't remember exactly, 8-9 months I think), first crawled at exactly 12 months & walked - very tentatively - at 19 months.

Late walking is in my family though so it was never a worry to us or to HV - ask around in your family MrsKNB (both sides), you might find there's one there too

My friends dd1 was born at the same time as my dd1. Mine was an early walker whereas her dd didn't actually start walking until she was 22 months. Her dd started talking earlier though and now at 4 they are pretty much on a par across teh board. They are all so different as babies.

She never had any physio and to my knowledge this was never suggested to her. Are you sure about that physio at 18 m thing??

DS sat early then shuffled at 11 months, crawled at 13 months took first steps at 17 months when we were on holiday, once we got home he went on strike for a month and then finally walked properly at 18.5 months. He never really pulled up on furniture and never cruised.
It feels like a long old haul at the time as you seem to be constantly carrying them but we honestly haven't looked back since and he has had far fewer falls than his earlier walker friends. Plus we didn't haven't to completely toddler proof the place as he couldn't reach things! So always a bonus.
If he is a shuffler though get yourself (him)lots of cheap trousers DS used to wear through a pair a week, I gave up patching them in the end as there was nothing to patch!
BTW we had a lovely health visitor who did refer us to the hospital just as a precaution so that we were in the system as there is such a long waiting list, he walked the week before his appointment came through.
In the meantime I took him privately
to a podiatrist as one of his feet rolled out but she was perfectly happy and just advised me to put things up out of his reach to encourage pulling up and to avoid baby walkers and shoes as they don't encourage correct foot development and gait.

They only say it's nothing to worry about if they aren't walking at 18 months as it's an ideal time to get it checked out. It doesn't necessarily mean if they aren't walking by this time there is anything wrong, but if there is a problem it's best to find out as soon as possible.

Wrt physio I believe you would only need to see a physio if any problems are found at 18 months. If they don't find any problems they will probably just tell you to go back at 2 if he still isn't walking for further investigation.

FWIW my daughter who crawled at 6 months and walked at 11 months didn't sit unaided until 7 months either.

I wouldn't feel threatened by the physio thing - my brother was a late walker and he had wonky feet so needed special shoes. They are just making sure that there are no issues like this that need to be corrected it doesn't mean that there are long term problems (his feet were 100% fine by about 5).