17 month old speech

[Yummymummy159]

So MIL is really starting to irritate me

He says mama, dada, grandy, grandma, nana, can say an auntie and uncles names (Would be equivalent of saying Eric and Emily the first noise is the same so quite easy to learn, we haven't quite conquered his other aunts name it's a bit of a mouthful)
Can say more (if he wants you to do something again) and uses the baby signs for drink and food when thirsty hungry
Says Deedee for dog, baa, snorts like a pig when shown books or at the farm, makes engine (brum/vroom) when we see tractors or cars

I think his understanding is great, will search for and bring you any toy you ask for, will go to a room in the house if you ask him to go there or tell him not to do something etc...
He is developing amazingly in other areas, runs around and his fine/gross motor skills are great

HV doesn't seem worried and I do encourage him to chat

Ive tried ignoring her but I t's really starting to get to me that she could even be concerned and it sort of feels like a criticism and like I've done something wrong IYSYIM? His cousin (SIL LO) supposedly could string a sentence together by his age, which I think is complete BS

How much did your LO say/do at that age?

My dd is 18 months and says no words at all.
I am v v worried about her as she doesn't point or follow instructions either.

I'd be delighted If my dd speech was as great as yours

Ignore ignore ignore. Your DS sounds perfectly normal. My DS (now 20 months) has so many words I've lost count (well over 50, he has a go at most words too) and is putting a couple of words together (mainly more followed by a food or TV show) but I would say his speech only "exploded" at 16-17 months. I think at 17 months he probably had 20-30 words. BUT, he didn't take his first steps until 17 months and wasn't walking fully until close to 19 months. Your DS has obviously got excellent gross motor skills and to me his speech sounds pretty average (my DS is further ahead than a lot of his little male friends, although I know of a couple of girls the same age who are putting words together). Ignore your MIL she's being rude, and dot be afraid to tell her that.

Thank you for your responses!

Think it bothers me more because he is my first and I don't have anything to measure him against!

From working in nurseries and now having my own 16 month old (with a bunch on 16 month old baby friends) your DS sounds perfectly normal and average - in a good way!

My DS and one of his friends can string together a few 2/3 word phrases but they are the chattiest of their friends and they're not grammatically correct or anything (things like 'baby there!' or 'mamma train!' Not 'mummy please pass me the biscuits' or anything!)

Your MIL is being rude.

Ignore her. My DS2 is 19 months, says about 20 or so words, no problems with communication showing us what he wants etc. DS1was probably about the same he's 3.5yrs now, always done well in the HV assessments and good progression at nursery. Although every child develops differently DS1 didn't crawl til 8 months DS2 was about 6 months properly (used to roll before that) DS1 didn't walk til 17 months DS2 was 13 months, so IMO there's no point in comparing unless it appears there may be a problem, which there obviously isn't in your situation.