9 month old not clapping or waving

[Hopehope20]

Hi,

I'm an anxious mum which I'm getting help for...but just after some opinions on the above?

He was 9 months last week and has never clapped or waved and never even looked like he might.

All the other babies his age we see are, he did crawl and pull to stand at 6 months, climbed stairs at 7 months and is now cruising and stood unsupported at the weekend. So I'm hoping he is just focusing his energy on all of that.

I'm seeing HV first week of September but any comments or advice would be appreciated xx

Mine is 9 months and does wave and clap but she only commando crawls and hasn’t even tried to pull herself up on anything. She also babbles loads for a couple of days then nothing for the next couple of days, then a day of being into blowing raspberries followed by a day of looking at me like I’m crazy when I blow raspberries at her.

I think they’re just into different stuff at different times, I wouldn’t worry. I also need to follow my own advice about not worrying too!

Thank you for taking the time to reply. So hard not to isn't it. 8 of my friends had babies within the same 2 month period so unfortunately I have lots of opportunity to compare x

Nothing to worry about at all! Clapping and waving aren’t important gestures - My DS didn’t consistently wave until 15 months and didn’t clap until 12. He seems right on track :)

My son is 10 months old and doesn't do either. Not worried.

September seems a long time to wait to see the HV. Could you see a GP before?
If you are worried then do push them for a referral to a Paediatrician. It is probably nothing to worry about - but my GPs always had a great possibility that if a parent was worried it is worth getting it checked out. Because you will be picking up on all kinds of little things all the time, and a Doctor in 10 minutes won't see any of that; and people on the internet have no idea.
But also don't worry - because it won't help - and the best thing you can do is seek help if you think there even might be a problem.

Thank you all xx much appreciated

@mollybutton completely agree...unfortunately the GPs at out surgery are pretty useless with him. Very dismissive and very reluctant to refer. I got there in the end previously (due to low weight gain) but it took months of him just telling me to speak to the HV.

I have made an appointment though which is 3 weeks away....helpful!

They may be reluctant and dismissive - but just stick there until they will.

but is there another GP practice in your area? If you ae already having problems with them, then I would seriously consider moving as with children you tend to see GPs quite a bit. So ones that are good with Children and take parents seriously are very important.

Don't quote me on this but I think this is one of the 12 month milestones that they check at 1year developmental. So regardless of weather other babies are doing it before your baby, I wouldn't worry before 12 months. It's like the walking and crawling thing. I've got 3. My first didn't crawl at all until the day before her first birthday and then stood up and walked the next day. My 2nd was crawling at 7 months and walking at 10 months. My 3rd cant even remember when she started crawling but walked at 15 months. Theres nothing wrong with any of them, they just all do things in their own time x

DS didn't wave or clap for ages and I was a bit worried but he soon caught up and his development is spot on now. 9 months is too early to worry about it IMO.

Ooh my baby started clapping yesterday at 10 months old! He just started doing it while in the bath! I did lots of clapping for him the preceeding 2 days and it must have just clicked! Will try to teach him waving next :)

My son is 18 months he claps but doesn't wave hello or bye bye or anything. Doesn't even speak. Only started walking at 14 months too. Hoping he's just a lazy boy and doesn't also have Autism like his sister 😔

Hi, how did your babies all come on? One very worried mum!

@Mumof3bb1 hello! This was my thread and I have an incredibly wonderful and intelligent 5 year old who is top of his class at pretty much everything. My point being...please try not to worry, I wish so hard I hadn't spent most of his younger years obsessively worrying about every little thing. I regret it so much. He took ages to clap and wave, he was over a year I'm sure...and it just suddenly happened...then I was on worrying about the next thing!

What are your concerns? X

Hi thanks for replying, so glad to hear he’s cone on so well!

I am awash with worry; it's really starting to get to me!

My DD just turns 9 months old in a few days, no clapping, pointing or waving!!

he sits well unsupported and will reach for toys but HATES being on his tummy, he just pulls himself back into sitting.

he is not babbling like the other babies, makes occasional noises and screams but no babbles Ma, baba or dada.

His eye contact is okayyyy ishhh, he follows people in and out of the room, will smile and laugh, loves playing peel a boo but won’t initiate it, can lift arms out to be picked up but he doesn't copy us or clap, wave or point. Everything goes straight into his mouth, wants to lick and bite everything.

I feel like a terrible mother and im at the very end of the rope. We read together, sing, babble, all day long.

I give him plenty of floor time and encourage him with a wide range of toys but he seems stuck in this seated position.

if another baby is babbling or screeching he starts to cry.

I find he twirls his arms/feet occasionally and stares at the door handles and lamps A LOT.

I am at the end of my tether, HV seems to think I have health anxiety.

He has no separation anxiety and I feel he stares up a lot.

Doest really play with his toys just go straight into his mouth.

sorry for the long post!

@Mumof3bb1 I can relate to almost all of your posts. I remember the worry too, it is all consuming. You boy sounds so much like mine, mine also wasn't babbling. He didn't day mumma until he was about 13 months. He also never ever copied anything or anyone...this really stressed me out as everything you read says they will copy anything you do like sticking your tongue out etc...he never did that.

The pointing milestone also drove me mad as ...again...he didn't do that for ages. Interestingly, mine always HATED tummy time too so that stressed me out. Mine would never initiate peekaboo but would engage with it.

My boy started hand flapping at about 10 months which lasted about 5 months, that threw me into a spin...but again, it just stopped one day.

I'm not an expert at all...but from everything you said your boy sounds wonderful and you sound like you are doing an incredible job. Even the fact that you are so worried means you are an amazing mum.

It is so hard (and I never did this) but they all get there in their own time, my son had a cousin born at the same time. This made it hard for me as they were always compared, she hit all the milestones months early...she was talking, walking and potty trained at 11 months....mine was late to all of that....yet by age 4 they were both at exactly the same stage developmental wise.

Nothing will stop you worrying, the fact you are observing and keeping an eye is great but I think all of what you are worried about will just naturally resolve before your eyes and he will suddenly just start doing the things he isn't. 9 months is so so young still.

Here if you need to chat, trust me...I know how scary and isolating the worry is. I stopped seeing people as I couldn't bear the comparison between our kids etc. Xx

This has been a helpful thread in many ways. My baby is approaching 9 months (I also posted a separate thread on this) and isn’t clapping, pointing, waving or imitating at all. He babbles intermittently but this is always “buhhh” “baah” that’s it. He also stiffens his arms and legs, and flaps his arms a lot (increases more when he’s eating). He also hates being cuddled, reciprocal affection is really non existent other than smiling sometimes. I’m trying to have him roll his toy car but he just picks it up and inspects it, always goes in the mouth. He crawled at 7 months and is now trying to pull to stand though doesn’t yet understand how to fall safely on his bottom so I have to supervise. I’ve gone to some really dark places in my mind completely spiralling and predicting the worst, especially after seeing friends babies of a similar age waving, clapping and super social. I’m just praying hard that he catches up.

@Pinkwinks35 i know the feeling, mines just turned 10 months and although he’s crawling and pulling to stand etc, we still have had no mama/dada babbles, and no clapping/waving or pointing, also I feel like he has no understanding if I ask him to bring me the ball he just doesn’t know.

Any update? My little boy is exactly the same!