My baby has stopped walking!

[JacqueslePeacock]

My DS is 14 months. He has been standing well on his own for 5 or 6 weeks. 3 weeks ago today he very proudly took his first steps across the room, grinning beatifically, to much applause from me and DH. He did it several times.

But since then, he won't walk, he won't stand unsupported, nothing! If I try to stand him up on the floor, he makes himself go all floppy and won't straighten his legs. He is still cruising the furniture happily so I don't feel he can be injured/in pain. He just won't stand or walk. If we hadn't videoed the first walk i'd think I imagined it. Does anyone have any ideas what is going on?

My DS walked at 1year three times and not again until 14 months. He is very cautious think he nearly fell over and thought aim not doing that any more.

If he's still cruising furniture then I wouldn't worry about it, it was only 3 weeks ago too so not that long either. He'll get there eventually.

My DD took her first steps at 9 months (a few times on the same day walking between different tables at playgroup) then stopped until a couple of days before her 1st birthday. Lazy beggar! :)

Exactly the same thing has happened with my dd. she took we first steps when she was 15 months and now doesn't really want to walk. She is 16 months now nearly 17 months. SHe is the only one her age crawling at the groups we go to and I really want her to
Walk and enjoy the out doors a bit more with the other children as can't be much fun crawling on wet grass. How long does it take? :(

My 13 moth old DD did exactly the same thing but im not worried because she did the same with crawling too.

DS did the same at 11mo. I was very excited. But I think his confidence didn't match his ability and he felt scared of walking. Then one day at 13mo, he stood up and walked across the whole garden and through the house. Then he walked across the playpark and basically never set down again. He went from taking no steps one day to maybe 60-70 the next! So don't worry, I'm sure he will soon be up and going again!

Plus, it's impossible to know what is in a baby's brain. Your son may have thought "oh that was a fun trick that pleased everyone this afternoon and I got a lot of claps!" rather than "oh here is a new transport method that I can use to get from A to B!" I'm sure it will change again soon though.

My ds waked off and on for one day when he was 10 months old the next day he refused to even pull himself up-it was about 4 weeks before he did it again but was walking confidently by 12 months.

walked

That's perfectly normal OP. Lots of babies will take a few steps and then not do it again for a while - it's like those first steps was them checking that they understood the theory of how to walk, but they then don't feel the need to practice it any more for now. He'll restart within a few weeks, don't push it.

From the thread title I thought you might be talking about a more established walker - it is possible for a toddler who has been walking confidently for weeks to lose the knack temporarily if he/she gets a virus that knocks out the balance centres in the ear. But I don't think that's what has happened here.

Oh phew - I am glad you are all saying it's normal! I guess my worry is just because he was standing on his own for at least 5-6 weeks and now he won't stand up at all (let alone walk). He gets upset if I try to stand him on the floor.

Adrift - that's interesting about a virus. He's had bronchiolitis. Could that have affected his balance?

cupcakemummy have you mentioned it to the health visitor?

Yes the health visitor said the latest she has ever know a child to start walking is 21 months. And that I shouldn't worry. I think with my dd its a confidence thing and she notices she can crawl faster than she can walk. I'd love her to walk though as I know she'd love to b able to get down from her pram. Do u think I should mention it again?

I think you should keep her aware of her not walking. Is she still cruising about furniture and stuff or does she have no interest in walking or standing?

She cruises but seems to choose to just walk on her knees instead and if she wants to go faster she crawls. I was so excited when she took her first steps. Maybe I will just mention it again to the health visitor if it gets to January and she still isn't walking as I'm due in feb and she is really heavy lol. I try to encourage her but sometimes that is met with kicking and head shaking lol

It took my DS two months from his first steps to consistent confident walking. That included a couple of weeks where he wouldn't walk without holding hands at all - he had a couple of nasty falls and it seemed to knock his confidence.

My friend's son did exactly the same. Enjoy the non-craziness of a non-walking child

I should really appreciate the crawling and her not running away from me I guess but when I see all the other kids playing outside I feel sorry for my dd that she isn't running around with them. But I'm sure it will happen soon. I'm sure op is like me and every week u think to yourself this might b the week they walk :)

cupcakemummy I only walked at 18 months and I am very active and completely normal! Apparently I just liked sitting. They called me the fork lift because I kept my legs out when picked up!

I'm sure she'll walk soon enough. My son was a late walker though and I found out much later it was because he has hypermobility and hypotonia which I wish I figured out a lot earlier than I did.

Same here dtd2 took steps about 8 weeks ago, this weekend she did a few more but 4 at a time and today it's like it never happened. Very frustrating.

My dd did a few steps yesterday but refuses to do any today. I'm we r going to a birthday party where one year olds r already walking and my dd 16 months isn't. Is it bad I'm slightly envious of the other parents. I really wish my dd walked so I could take her outside and let r run around like all the other kids. It's starting to get me down a bit.

My friend's daughter who is the very verbose, articulate child of two doctors didn't walk till 23 months. The HV was a bit worried as her second birthday approached but as a paediatrician, my friend felt she was just a very relaxed baby rather than feeling anything was wrong. She was. She is now 4 and a whirlwind of chatting and activity so it doesn't seem to have made any difference to her to have walked quite late.

Dd took first steps at 9.5 months then didn't attempt it again for about 2-3 weeks. she started walking more around 10.5 monts and stopped crawling around 11.5 months. Took a while from her first steps.

Well still no walking here! In fact he still won't even stand without support anymore, which is very frustrating given that he had been standing confidently for ages. I do think it must have been a fall which has put him off. Glad to hear we're not the only ones though.