Should my baby be standing?

[Cluelessfirsttimemum]

Hi, I am a first time mum to a wonderful 9 1/2 month old girl.

Before I get to my question, just a bit of info about her:

• She has always had great head/neck strength even from a couple of weeks old.
• She rolled front to back at 4 months, back to front at 5 months.
• She sat up (for a few seconds) at 4 months and by 6 months she was able to sit on her own for periods of 30mins+.
• She started to quickly drag herself across the floor at 7 months and has been doing fast proper crawling since 8 months.

From this, I would have believed that my baby was hitting her milestones and on track development wise. However, my issue is standing and weight bearing on her feet. She did the young baby reflex of weight bearing, but I am now struggling to get her to consistently put her feet down to stand when I hold her. If I prop her up at the side of a piece of furniture, she will stand and hold on (but won't move an inch either side - she is sort of locked in place with her arms resting on the furniture) and can do this for a couple of minutes max. But when I hold her to stand, I would say 8 times out of 10 she brings her legs up and holds them in mid air. The other two she does what I would expect a baby of her age to do, and will stand on the ground either with my arms under her armpits or just holding on to my fingers. I have tried to trick her by taking hold of her from the furniture, but it's like an instant reflex and her legs just flop and she drops to the floor (or lifts them into the air if I've taken her weight).

I can't find anything similar online about this - a lot of the advice is about independent standing so recommends you pull them to standing. But my little girl would just let me pull her arms and her legs would 'collapse' and she'd end up with her bum on the floor.
Most people asking this question have babies that don't crawl etc.

Should I be worried. Is there anything I can do? Has anyone experienced a similar issue? Please help!! X

If she can stand holding on to furniture, then she clearly has no issue bearing weight. Maybe when you hold her, she wants or is anticipating you picking her up? Don’t force the milestones, she’ll do it when she’s ready x

Can't work out how it is physically possibly for her to sit at 4-6 months but not crawls until 8? Crawling always comes before sitting, otherwise how do they get themselves in a position to sit?

Also propping her up and holding her to stand doesn't sit right with me, just leave her to it and she'll work it out for herself. I don't think mine stood until closer to 11 months

Sorry @noknit I'm not sure what you mean about the sitting. Of course they can sit before crawling. My LG was just over 5MO when she sat alone, pulled to stand and cruised at just before 8MO but didn't crawl until almost 9M0. Some babies never crawl. I'm a bit confused by what you're saying. Having said that OP I wouldn't worry. Just relax and let her explore her environment naturally and it'll come. My LG didn't stand w/o support until 11MO at which point she could then fully crouch and squat and bend over and pick things up from standing position. She then didn't walk until 12MO and nearer 13MO before she really favoured walking over crawling/cruising. She's amazing with her physical skills now at age 2. Just enjoy her. She sounds like she isn't behind with her milestones and that's what matters

They sit before they crawl. How else would you wean and most babies being weaned aren't crawling ime

You put them to sit you mean? That is totally different to being able to sit independently. You shouldn't put your baby into a position that they can't get into or out of themselves.

I think it's a British thing putting babies to sit. Yes weaning putting them in a high chair is a bit different but why or why do you want to put them to sit? They'll sit by themselves. Ever met anyone who can't sit?

www.janetlansbury.com/2012/04/sitting-babies-up-the-downside/

The sitting thing

Plenty of babies don’t pull to standing at 9.5 months. The majority probably. Sounds completely normal. She’ll do it without you even realising soon enough. Tends to be pulling to a wobbly standing first, holding onto a chair or something to reach what she wants.
Trying to trick her or persuade her won’t speed the process. They walk when they’re ready. Bouncing games on your knees help strengthen muscles.
If she not standing by holding on by about 11 months, it might be worth asking your health visitor to see her. Independent standing can be as late as 15/16 months and still be normal.

Some babies never crawl.

@Cluelessfirsttimemum and @netflixismysidehustle what @NoKnit said about sitting. They crawl and then naturally push back to sitting position. Different to when we sit the baby up (which is not the best practice but let's be fair, we all sometimes need a tea break).

@Cluelessfirsttimemum as for the standing absolutely I would not intervene. She will get there in her own pace. She is not behind, if anything she is slightly too early and that may be why she is reluctant. Many parents do not realise for standing the feet are secondary. It's the back muscles, core muscles and cross-belly muscles that must be strong to hold the baby, not the legs. The legs, if she crawls a lot, already have the strength and from what you are describing, I'd say her core is nowhere near ready.

Give her and yourself time, she'll be running in no time and you'll wish you could have some peace and quiet :)