crawling

[UnicornCrisps]

My 9 month old hasn't shown the slightest attempt at crawling, and hates being put on her stomach. She seems very frustrated.

She has sat unsupported since about 4 months, can roll both ways but rarely does. If something is out of reach she doesn't try to move, she just stretches to grab it, she seems to be made of elastic!

She will stand holding on to me for a couple of seconds but doesn't pull herself up to standing.

She has recently been checked over and no physical issues.

WWYD? Any tips to encourage/teach her to move?

Nothing you can do, unfortunately - gross motor skills are inherited and they do it when they do it. Some babies never crawl but go straight to walking. I know a baby who walked at 8m and another who didn't crawl till 14m. Both are within normal range.

mobile babies are a nuisance, be careful what you wish for!

If what she wants is within her " elastic" grasp why move?

She sounds like my eldest. Are you sure she isn't a secret shuffler- Dd used to reach as far as she could pop a hand down and hotch her bum along if needed before she became and " express bum shuffler".

Sitting and then bum shuffling are superior forms of mobility- a child can use at least one and usually 2 hands at the same time as moving. Why crawl if you can do that?

My ds never crawled. He sat sit till 13 months then over 3 days decided to pull himself up into furniture and walk.

He walked everywhere from then on.

There's really no need to worry. Easier said than done, I know. 9 months is still young. My son didn't crawl until 11 months, and some never do. He also didn't weight bear until a year. He's now 3 and constantly on the go! I second HolidayCriminal on this!

Don't worry, crawling isn't actually a milestone. Some babies just never do it. If you keep putting stuff just out of her elastic reach she will eventually have to move to get it but it will be in her own time, not yours.

OK I'll leave her to it, she just seems frustrated sometimes, especially when she's with other babies/toddlers who are mobile and she tries to lunge but gets nowhere.

I did wonder if she would choose bum shuffling but I haven't seen it happen yet.

My cousins daughter didn't crawl until after her first birthday, she was walking not long after that too.

That frustration is what will eventually get her moving, honestly.

My son wasn't very interested in moving at 9 months either. Our hv put us on a pathway which served no purpose other than to stress us out with thinking he had problems . He crawled at 11 months and is now a little bugger. We're constantly chasing after him.

At 12 months he's showing little interest in walking and I'm trying to stay relaxed about it. There's really nothing you can do except gently encourage here and there, and wait. And savour being able to drink a hot cup of coffee without someone crawling all over you!

That makes sense juniper hopefully she will get there soon.

DD has her 9 month check with the HV next week, will they scaremonger then? She has had her hips xrayed and a full check over last week so there's no need. Theymade a huge fuss when she wasn't taking solids at 27 weeks

Thanks everyone it's reassuring to know she will get there in her own time.

My DS only crawled at 11 months - then just 2 months later he was walking

We did try to encourage the crawling by doing tummy time & putting a mobile phone just out of reach (he was always wanting them!).

HTH

OP a good hv wouldn't. Tbh I don't think ours tried to scare us, but that was the effect. She stayed in touch more and said if not crawling by a year she wanted to see him again. Now she's saying that if not cruising by 14 months she wants to see him. It's tricky!

I try not to let it bother me because I honestly believe he's fine.

My DD is just 10 months (yesterday!) and she's not crawling either or pulling up. She's happy on her tummy and can get on all fours. She's been sitting since about 5/6 months and can only sometimes get from sitting to tummy/all fours. She prefers instead to pivot on her tummy and sort of shuffle along, but it's not with any particular purpose. She will stand for ages if you hold her hands and she can stand herself if she is holding onto a chair or bench. She just can't pull herself up - unless you take her hands. I was worried too, but was just advised to give her as much tummy time and on the floor as possible and to stick toys just out of reach. She too will reach and reach and reach until she can grasp an item, and is only just showing signs of moving for things. Remote controls are also of appeal to her!