Fifteen months and not moving anywhere.......should I be worried?

[wrinklytum]

dd had a normal birth.She was a big tall baby.She had reflux for the first 7 months and has been prone to ear infections.Apart from her immobility she is a normal happy smily girl with about 8 recognisable words.She did not get her sitting balance until 9 months.She attempts to get somewhere if put on her tummy,and manages to stick her bottom in the air,but flails her legs about uselessly.If in a sitting position she can bend forwards until her nose touches the floor and can bend from side to side to grasp objects.She attempts to pull herself up from lying on back into a sitting position.She does not roll much from side to side but enjoys playing with her toes when laid on her back.If stood against a table/side of the bath she will take her own weight.Should I be worried,or is it more likely she is a bit of a laid back late developer and will just take off one day???

anyone?

I didn't walk till 18months and I walk absolutely everywhere now! I'm also quite a laid back character who likes to sleep a lot so I think my babyhood set the scene for how I would be in life. It's really only your GP/HV who can put your mind at rest about this though, PLEASE don't worry away about it on your own. My oldest is 10 and in that time I've seen such variation in what babies do when and such desolation in mums who think their child is 'behind'...

As far as i know the range for walking is anything from 9 mths to 2yrs! Obviously we are used to seeing the average kids so we tend to compare.Sounds like a late developer to me(hate that expression)but she can hold her weight so thats good.Also read somewhere that they could be just concentrating on other areas speech etc.

By the way walking or talking early or late is NO indication of intelligence afaik

My eldest didn't walk until 19 months and I have a friend whose little girl still wasn't standing or crawling at 20 months (walked just before her second birthday).
Children vary so much in their development. However, I know what it feels like to worry about this sort of thing so if you can get a doctor to reassure you then you can relax a little.

BTW my DD2 is 9 months is (just) sitting up unaided and shows no sign of trying to crawl or move around so maybe she is going to be a 'late' walker like her sister.

Another BTW!
Recurring ear infections can sometimes be helped by looking at diet, particularly dairy products has anyone (doctor or HV) mentioned this to you?

Still early to worry I think. Speak to baby clinic and provide a lot of exercise opportunities in the meantime.
Have you tried a baby walker?
DS started crawling after 1st Bday. was a perfectly contended little person just sitting on his bottom. We got him a pushing cart and started throwing toys around the house and encouraged him to go and collect them in his cart. Great way to encourage him to move around, get down on the floor, stand up again.
You can also try a baby pushair, mini supermarket trolley...

I have no idea whether its a problem not moving or not. Can your little girl pull her self to standing using furniture? The fact that she can bare her own weight is really good.

I think that maternal instinct is really powerful. If you feel that something is wrong then you have the right to insist on a referal to a community paediatrian/ child physio. Even if a GP/ health visitor feels that a referal is unnecessary.

If there is nothing wrong then everyone will be pleased. Its worth the time of a child physio to reassure a mum who is seriously worried sick.

Children do vary a lot in their development. My son has been under the local child development centre because his physical skills were slow to develop since he was 22 months old. He took his first steps at a week under 20 months and he had 18 months of physio to make him confident at walking. He could only walk on tiptoe as his tendons were tight. Now at the age of five years old he runs everywhere and enjoys gymnastics.

Be grateful for the money you've saved on shoes

oooh you need frogs, her children were all late walkers. If you search under her name and put a keyword in like "walking" then you should bring up some of her posts - very reassuring

I am interested you mention tall. Years ago either Richard and Judy or Anne and Nick on the BBCin the morning did a series on baby development. An 'expert' explained the ability to control the spine came from the neck down and sitting, standing etc would only happen when the nerve path was complete. (That is my unscientific memory of it). So the longer the spine, the longer it will take. My ds wasn't really walking until 17 months, he was a long baby, then specialised in climbing.

I think wrinkly means not crawling bum shuffling either? Not just walking in which case it is worth getting checked out
our friends dd sat and never moved, it turned out she has shortened tendons and needed some help but by the age of 4 was perfectly alright and galloping along with all the other kids. She would never weight bear though.

If yiour dd is weight bearing that's a good sign, I'd definitely get it checked out though if she is not crawling or propelling herself along the ground at all though.
Could be nothing of course

If she's not movinga round at all-- no crawling, commando or shuffling then she does nbeed a check over, its probably jnothing at all tbh but it does fall outside the norm criteria and on the most basic lvel IF there's a problem wouldn't you rather get help now than later? I speak as a Mum who left it very late with ds3 and regret it amssively, we just thought he would catch up (speech not mobility)- he hasn't.

"Be grateful for the money you've saved on shoes "

AlanasMum, are you stupid or what!

The parents of children with special needs have greater worries than the cost of shoes.

Hold on a minute Frances5, since when does this baby have special needs? I don't thinks Alanasmum was meaning any offence, it was said in the spirit of supporting the OP not to worry unnecessarily

It is extremely unusually for a child not be mobile at 15 months old. Only a doctor or child physio can say if her child is developing normally. Don't trivalise wrinklytum's worries. They are certainly real to her.

Whether the baby has special needs is irrevelent. Wrinklytum is clearly worried because her daughter is not yet mobile at 15 months. She maybe very upset that her baby isn't into everything and mobile.

I know what it is like to have a child who is not developing physically when everyone else's baby is running about. Comments like AlanasMum are not helpful.

OK I take your point that you found her comment offensive. I did post earlier and don't think I trivialised the OP's worries. I just think that because of your experience and your hostile response to Alanasmum you are in danger of making the OP even more concerned when, as yet, none of us know if the child has a problem. Wrinklytum please do update us on this and good luck xx

One more thing before I leave this thread. I find comments like 'are you stupid or what?' a bit upsetting and would hope that on MN we could avoid talking to each other in this way. A new poster could so easily never come back if spoken to like this. I'm going away for the weekend now. Happy chattins!

Just to thank everyone who gave advice on this thread.DD started bottom shuffling last week. Think she is just a bit laid back
Still not pulling herself up onto furniture or anything though.

I had been concerned as ds did everything so much earlier than dd has.

If Alannas mum happens to read this I was not offended by her comment and took it in the humourous spirit with which it was intended.

Thanks for your advice mumsnetters

DD took her first steps when she was 15 months old. Now at 19 months, she walks well but can't get up on her own. [Anyone heard of this? Ever?] So I do relate to the "not pulling up" thing.

She is a speedy bum shuffler, though. I am told bum shufflers are notoriously late walkers.

I am taking her to see a physio in two weeks. Even if nothing is wrong physically, I hope to find out about exercises to help her bear weight on her knees (essential to get up on her own) and pull herself up from standing.

I will post what I learn. Good luck in the meanwhile xxx

Good luck with your physio visit.Hope things go OK.Am planning a repeat trip to hvs with dd as there are a few other concerns.She is gradually starting to shuffle round longer distances so maybe I am being neurotic!!