10 month old movement, just not...right?

[BerryGood]

DD is obviously not the most developmentally forward baby, which I'm not too worried about (neglected 4th poor thing) but it's starting to worry me a tad. She learnt to sit at 9 months, though still falls. She can't crawl, roll from her back, support herself on all fours etc. She still tires on her front holding her head and chest up and rests a lot, though she's happy on her front and sleeps on her belly.

It's hard to explain but she doesn't move like the others. She will weight bear standing, but doesn't step at all and is very wobbly on her tip-toes as she stands. She does lunge forward sitting, she plays a lot with one leg curled forward and one back leaning on her arms. If both legs go back she collapses. She has a funny grip, with one hand she grips normally but with the other finds it harder as she mainly uses only the first two fingers. It's subtle and I didn't notice for a while but now I've noticed as she reaches across with the left hand she finds easier even when it's closer her right. She doesn't bicycle kick her legs when she kicks, but pumps together and sits twirling her hands a lot more than I remember the others doing. On her front she does seem to curl and twist her feet a lot, not using them well even though she tries to propell. She's not lazy at all, very small lean and active and full of beans playing on the floor. I just feel her development seems a little disordered and not in the usual pattern.

It's all pretty subtle and I've ignored it as she's young, but I'm starting to feel the devlopmental gap is widening motor skills wise with other babies. Also it's the way she tried to do things that just seems a little odd.She's not stiff in herself too much, but if you move her she goes stiff in reaction. For example if you try to clap her hands she locks up or getting a jacket on is hard. lifting her feet at nappy time you can lift her length like a board, yet she moves fine herself out this stiffened position. I tried moving my three year olds arms up when he didn't want me to and it was much easier than raising her arms up when would have taken much more force than I'd be willing to use. She's pretty weak, barely wear bearing at all, yet I struggle to unbend her which doesn't make sense.

Any thoughts at all? I'm torn between thinking there's a problem and not.

She sounds like a little girl I looked after a couple years ago. She did all the things you describe in your post at age. She was a big hand and foot twirler. She was ahead verbally then most if her peers.

Any who she caught up with her peers by 18 months. With no other delays.

I would take her to the dr's for a check up if you are very worried.

She's your DC4? Mother's instinct is something to respect - take her to your GP...

You could ask your Health Visitor for a referral to your local community paediatric physiotherapist, he/she would be able to rule out any actual physical issues, assess any areas of muscles weakness and give you exercises to help bring DD on.

I agree with Alanna.

Get her checked, for sure. Ask for a paeds referral too. Don't be fobbed off. If there is anything wrong, the quicker she gets seen by a consultant the better.

And if it's just her developmental pace, then they'll be happy to tell you that!

Hope all is ok x

alanna- thank you, I'm just not sure what my instinct is. I'm not a worrier, she lives on the floor and has slept on her belly from birth, but it's just not quite 'right' somehow in a way I can't get my finger on.

cookie-I wouldn't be worried about the slow/ twirling thing. All my twirled, though not by this age, and one was very slow. She's just different in a subtle way. Developing in a different way, like she's weaker but got the movements is the best way I can describe her.

Speak to hv? Was she premature?

Had to reply because my dd2 is a week off 10 months and sounds very similar to yours. Dd1 didn't crawl until late or walk until 15 months so I haven't stressed too much as she is very bright now.

Dd2 hand twirls and stomps her legs as you describe but isn't very interested in standing at the moment, she lets her legs buckle underneath her after one bounce.

Like the others say mothers instinct....but I just wanted you to know I have a similar baby and I don't feel worried in the slightest. Hope you are reassured soon.

ok, I feel so strange going and describing this. Another thing is that she's stronger than me when resisting movement, I'm not afraid to ram a coat on but she's rigid at times. As in I'd be scared to seriously hurt her to overcome her bent arm, I'm quite used to stuffing children in seats and coats but it's different. Yet she's not stiff in herself when she moves. She can clap, but you couldn't clap her hands as she freezes each time.
We joke about her being our 'pudding' and she's alway been beautiful and good but a tad behind.

I think I was unnerved today and started dwelling today when a stranger asked if she has downs (now I'm SURE she doesn't!) but with her unusual eye shape and poor development I can see why. (The eyes are a red herring, it's just an asian throwback in our family that a number of people in the extended family have which look unusual on a fair child)

dd stood on straight legs from a few months, that was never an issue. She goes quite stiff at a touch. But thanks for that. As I said I just can't decide if there's an issue, it's a lot of subtle non-issues which I wonder if add up. Like the using two fingers and a thumb on one hand to hold things and struggling whilst using a normal grip with the other.

she was 5 weeks prem, nearly 6lb and no issues. My waters went for no reason at work!

I would rather poke my eyes out that engage my hv. I'm sure some are great but mine isn't! Chocolate teapot, god knows how she decided to work with babies and mums...

My DS was 8 weeks prem, and a lot of what your are saying resonates with me about his development. He's 17m now and just starting to walk, he crawled around 13m, sat at 9m. He has always been ferociously strong when he wants! I thought I was pathetically weak not being able to overpower him.
So it could just be her development speed, possibly in relation to her slight prematurity, but I would ask for a referral to a paed/development specialist if you are concerned?

If she was prem did you get any follow up with the peads? My guess is is linked to that, my friends son was was 6 wks early and sounds very similar to your dd, he is now 7yo and fine.

She wasn't pre enough to have any support/ follow up. We were straight to the postnatal ward and home the next day (I had a pph). She was held my a doctor at birth, who saw she was breathing and then attended my pph and checked over before leaving by a midwife not a pead so she's had very little contact with a doctor even for a normal baby!

tea-does he go stiff in a non-angry manner? The others stropped a bit and refused at times, but every time you move her she goes rigid, even if distracted and looking the other way.

I'm surprised at 6 wks early she wasn't checked over a bit more tbh, its still quite prem even though she had a good birth weight.

I would make an appointment with gp and discuss concerns with them. Also maybe consider crainiopathy.

5 weeks, not 6 week (nit-picking...me?). It was treated as a non-issue tbh once she was seen as a good weight and doing well, no particular checks etc. I was a bit annoyed, I was induced due to waters breaking and I was told she'd be fine as nearly term, very blase and non thinking time as to actions. I was told I could 'go home and keep an eye on temparature but you may as well have her out as she's practically term anyway so why risk an infection when she'll be ok'. Delivery room ten min later, 24 min induction (!) with mind-blowing pain and a pph after going straight to a drip. She was fine thankfully but I did think after the riskes should have been explained rather than waving my concern away as she could have been to scbu.

Berry I have 3 DC all of whom arrived early (8 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 weeks) after PRoM. They were all in NICU (ranging between 10 and 23 days) and were all under consultant care for up to 2 years (would have been longer but DD1 made great progress - eventually!) It does seem as though perhaps your pph took the attention and DD was perhaps overlooked as being 'ok'.

Babies do all do things in their own time and preemies run very much on their own time. However, I would agree with PPs who suggest speaking to your GP about your concerns. There may well be nothing wrong but I would be asking for a referral to the Paed dept and asking for them to check her over. Better to catch it now, if it is anything, and start any physical therapy asap.

I have never worried about making a fuss (about potentially nothing) with my GP. If something doesn't seem 'right' then make an appointment and check it out - at least your will be reassured if everything is fine.

Good luck.

dsygu-that pisses me off a little to hear and compare her care. My others all ranged from 7-14 days over but I felt her care (and mine) was poor. She was readmitted at 5 days old with jaundice and weight loss. You may struggle to believe this, but after complaining on the ward she wouldn't feed we were discharged with a huge pile of syringes to syringe feed her! She couldn't suck very well, lost a lot of weight and we spent a week on the ward when she went back in. To add insult to injury this was partly because I had group B strep and they were worried the jaundice/ sleeping ALL the time was connected to an infection as I'd not had all the antibiotics nor had her temperature been checked after birth. She was yellow for months after. I was terrified at first with this tiny thing after my 9/10lb babies.

Sorry Berry only just seen your question - no I'd say he only went rigid when he was annoyed, not just as a reflex to being picked up/moved. I think so anyway, my memory is a bit hazy!

thank you! I was wondering, all mine did the stiff as a board rountine when annoyed. She does it in response to touch, resulting in things like getting stuck with her arms over the highchair tray as they are rigid or locked in swings without holding on.

Go with your instincts and ask to be referred to paediatrician. My dd is the youngest of 4 and I had issues with her movement. I was really concerned because she was very late meeting her milestones (except sitting). And she was sometimes quite jerky and twitchy.

Anyway to cut a very long story short, she was seen by a physio, had an MRI (clear). Eventually she rolled over at 16 months, bum shuffled at 17 months, pulled to stand at 24 months, walked at 27. Amazingly now at 29 months she's almost caught up with her peers. It was hypermobility and hypertonia that slowed her up.

Hey OP, any update!

Hi OP I would love an update. I could have written this post myself about my 9 month old