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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Not sure about baby's speech development

25 replies

edwardhopper · 10/07/2011 17:05

hi i'm new to this site and a new mum. I am mum to a 7.5 month old boy who is great in all ways. He screeches a lot and makes lots of noises and sounds but I don't know if he should have started making more speech like sounds. I mean like the constantants m, n, p etc with sounds. He hasn't done this yet. My sister said that he should be and that my Health Visitor will be worried at 8 months.

What does this mean? He is very alert and responds to his name so I know it's not a hearing issue.

Does it mean developmental problems?

Sorry. I don't know who else to ask for advice

OP posts:

bloominwonderwoman · 10/07/2011 17:19

Hi- my health visitor was meant to help me monitor my son's speech as I had some concerns...she didn't, the schools didn't and so I do cards with him myself. he still can't do g's or r's or ch's ... I feel let down and that I let him down. My advice is to practice sound cards with him and after a period call a speech therapist directly yourself as I'm doing as they're qualified to say.

Katy1368 · 10/07/2011 17:26

edwardhopper - he's 7.5 months old, i'm a bit shocked you are even giving it a moments thought at that age TBH, it is way too early, HV's certainly won't be at all worried at 8 months - babies only need to be babbling at that age, they don't start making proper sounds for ages yet.

My DD didn't even start making recognisable sounds until probaly 17 months, until then it was all babbling etc- I don't know where your sis is getting her information from but it sounds way wrong to me - has she got kids herslf?

bloominwonderwoman · 10/07/2011 17:47

I meant to say that I thought it was a little too early to say too, agree with Katy1368 there :-)

BigusBumus · 10/07/2011 17:52

Absolutely don't worry, both my sons started with da da da da (and nothing else) at about 11 or 12 months. In fact I saw my hv with ds2 when he was nearly 2 as he was still babbling not talking and she wasn't concerned. He's 4.5 now and a complete chatterbox. It's hard when you're a new mum, but that's what MN is for! Xx

Original poster

edwardhopper · 10/07/2011 17:58

sorry i did not mean to shock. I just do not know these things. thank you for your replies.

Sorry again for being ignorant but can someone explain exactly what babble is?

OP posts:

NorthernGobshite · 10/07/2011 17:58

Waaaaaaaayyyyyy TOO early to be worrying! Seriously.

tell your sister to shut up!

Niecie · 10/07/2011 18:03

Babbling is really making sounds that aren't crying, sounds that could be the basis of speech but aren't real words or anything close.

I was a bit concerned about my DS1 when he was about the same age as your DS because I didn't think he made consonant sounds but at his 8 mth check the HV listened to him and said that what he was doing was absolutely fine, so I understand your concern but 8 mths is much too early for recognisable sounds.

Katy1368 · 10/07/2011 18:05

Sorry perhaps shocked is the wrong word - didn't intend to be at all mean and sorry if I came over that way! Know being a new mum is way hard. For what it's worth my DD has only really begun speaking in proper sentences past her 3rd birthday but within the space of 2 - 3 months has accelerated so fast on the speaking it is amazing. They have these periods of sudden development where a lot happens all of a sudden.

Umm - babble is just that really, babbling! Like "Googoogoo" or"Gagaga" and shreiking and "ahh" and "bababa" stuff you can't really identify and anything but are just sounds IYSWIM.

Original poster

edwardhopper · 10/07/2011 18:18

Thank you all. yes my sister has got a big mouth! LOL!!

MY son makes noises and sounds. He's very noisy. But his sounds are not using g, or m, or n, or etc. Maybe Ha he he sometimes. Or Ah goo. But not all the time and today I have been thinking I have not heard for a few days but maybe I do not realise.

That's why I worry because the babble is not gooogggaa

Sorry again. I am a worrier and he ios very precious to me

OP posts:

Katy1368 · 10/07/2011 18:23

Don't worry about G or m or n sounds, again he is way too young. Ahh goo/ha he he IS babbling and is exactly what he should be doing at this stage.

NorthernGobshite · 10/07/2011 18:28

My dd is now 6 and has better speech and vocabulary than me and I am fairly sure she never did goo goo ga ga!!

Lady1nTheRadiator · 10/07/2011 18:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

edwardhopper · 10/07/2011 18:48

thank you to you all. I will try not to worry even if there are some days he doesn't do anything except shout!

OP posts:

HappyAsASandboy · 10/07/2011 19:17

I agree that it sounds normal. My twins are 8.5 months old and have been saying ah goo and making soft ahh ohh type 'songs' for a few months, but only in the last two weeks or so started actually babbling with da da da, ba ba ba and ma ma ma type repeatative sounds. I'm not worried, as they seem happy and healthy and so so pleased with themselves when they chatter away.

Perhaps coincidentally, they have started getting absolutely knackered very quickly alongside this babbling. They can be playing and babbling one minute, and the next they are shattered, where it used to be a gradual transition. It makes me think that babbling is quite difficult!

Original poster

edwardhopper · 10/07/2011 19:21

MY son does seem very happy and healthy and very very alert so I am not worried but I am, if that makes sense! LOL! I just am anzious about milestones I suppose which may be gets easier with second plus children.

OP posts:

Chundle · 10/07/2011 20:56

Oh my goodness do not worry! Health visitor will not b concerned unless he's not babbling (making baby noises) at 12 months. By the sounds of it he's doing this already so that is fab :) my dd is 23 months and doesn't have some of the sounds you mention!! Don't panic x

NorthernGobshite · 10/07/2011 21:08

Its normal to feel anxious but try and chill out. babies reach milestones at different ages, its fine.

Original poster

edwardhopper · 11/07/2011 09:12

thanks to everyone. will try and not worry and just enjoy him like you all say

OP posts:

MockingbirdsNotForSale · 11/07/2011 10:07

My DD is almost 9 months and babbles a lot. She does only make specific noises if I say them to her a lot first. E.g, I wanted her to say Dada so I said it to her over and over and over again until she got it and for weeks now she can't stop! Now Mama is a whole different ballgame. I say it to her and she looks at me and goes 'Dada?'.

A good thing to do for speech development is to repeat what they are saying back to them. Yes it means you repeat gobbledygook but it also shows you how wide their random vocabulary is.

marvellousmouse · 11/07/2011 13:12

Now I'm worried!

My son makes lots of noises and sounds and wet razzes, and I'm sure he does some 'sounds' - he's very vocal - but he hasn't done baba or mama etc and he's 7 months. I thought that was normal. He seems happy enough...

Insomnia11 · 11/07/2011 13:14

Don't worry at this age, some kids hardly utter a word until age three then come out with an entire sentence.

marvellousmouse · 11/07/2011 13:17

I wasn't worried until I read this thread!!

Niecie · 11/07/2011 14:57

marvellousmouse - it is normal. Honestly, as I said down thread, DS1 didn't make any recognisable sounds at 8mths - I was worried but the HV didn't seem to be so long as he was responsive and making some noise apart from crying. And he didn't even make razzes (cute)

He was talking in full sentences by the age of 2, so ahead of milestones - babies don't learn steadily. They do a leap in progress and then stay at the same level for ages just to worry you until they make another leap and steam ahead again. Its all normal.

I think your sister was a bit unkind actually OP. Unless she is a SALT she should be keeping quiet!

Lainey1981 · 11/07/2011 15:10

My ds is alao 7.5 months and has in the last few days started with ra-ra-ra-ra. Endearing at first, but already sometimes a bit annoying ( ie at 4.30 am lol)
Afaik, mamama is harder for babies to say than dada, but really think you have nothing to worry about.
As others have said, your health visitor will not be worried either

Kalypso · 11/07/2011 22:10

Oh, my son was exactly the same as yours at exactly the same age, down to saying 'just' "ah goo" and various vowel sounds. I was quite worried, but I can assure you that the HV won't be. Mine simply told me to come back at 10 months if he still wasn't babbling. A week or so after that appointment, he started going 'oooh-waaah' and it went from there. He never did the 'ga ga ga' thing much. He's 16 months now and has over 60 words, so he's suddenly leapt ahead. Please don't worry, it's much too early! Just enjoy your lovely DS :)

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