Slightly worried Dad

[Blues1]

Hi, I'm new to this and I'm a little worried about my DS. I've done what I shouldn't do and Google things which really hasn't helped so thought best to speak to some of you on here. He's our 1st baby and he's very nearly 6 months old.

So the things I've worried about are.. his eye contact isn't great, not non existent but I wouldn't say it was good, he scratches every surface but think it's more the way he does it, it's like a back and forth action if you know what I mean? He's started recently to do this screech/squeal, he does it when breathing in. He's not doing much during tummy time, he can roll from belly to back both ways. He's smiley and laughs at us being silly, likes peekaboo but at times I feel he just doesn't want to engage at all.

When trying to sit him up he keeps his legs straight and keeps himself in more of a standing position for a little while, sometimes arching his back then sits down.

I know he's so young still but it's niggling away at me, hence this post.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

That's all very normal. My 6 month old scratches everything (I think it's actually one of the milestone questions on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire that the Health Visitors do!) and totally part of exploring their environment.

My first DS had fleeting eye contact and definitely had the whole "keep me standing" attitude. He arched his back loads too and I can't pretend it didn't worry me but he's a very happy and healthy three year old now. Babies are a bit odd, honestly it's almost always fine.

My DD was exactly like that at 6 months, especially with the legs straight and arching of the back when put in a sitting position - it did worry me too but she got the hang of it around 7 months and was sitting unaided by 9 months (was 4 weeks premature).

It’s hard not to worry I know, but he sounds perfectly fine.

@Vicky1989x

My DD was exactly like that at 6 months, especially with the legs straight and arching of the back when put in a sitting position - it did worry me too but she got the hang of it around 7 months and was sitting unaided by 9 months (was 4 weeks premature).

It’s hard not to worry I know, but he sounds perfectly fine.

@Foreverbaffled thank you for your reply. I was hoping this was the case with him, I need to be a bit more patient with him I think. One thing I didn't mention was babbling. He's not really babbling much either or trying to copy what we're "saying "to him. Is this something that comes a little later?

@Foreverbaffled

That's all very normal. My 6 month old scratches everything (I think it's actually one of the milestone questions on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire that the Health Visitors do!) and totally part of exploring their environment.

My first DS had fleeting eye contact and definitely had the whole "keep me standing" attitude. He arched his back loads too and I can't pretend it didn't worry me but he's a very happy and healthy three year old now. Babies are a bit odd, honestly it's almost always fine.

@Vicky1989x thanks for replying, this sound really encouraging! I've not spoke to my partner about this just not wanting to worry her. Good to know I'm not alone with this and great to here your DS is doing so well

My 6 month old isn't babbling much and isn't imitating sounds. Again my first DS was the same. Babbling came at about 7-8 months for him. He's very verbal now. Babbling isn't considered delayed until around 9 months so plenty of time

@Foreverbaffled

My 6 month old isn't babbling much and isn't imitating sounds. Again my first DS was the same. Babbling came at about 7-8 months for him. He's very verbal now. Babbling isn't considered delayed until around 9 months so plenty of time

Oh really, maybe I'm expensive too much too soon. Thanks for the reassurance

Sounds perfectly normal for his age.

@YarnOver

Sounds perfectly normal for his age.

@YarnOver Do you think so? He does some really strange things, or what seem strange to me at least. As I'm tying this he's falling asleep on me twirling his land hand round his ear, almost like he can't keep his fingers still, maybe it's just a comfort thing? The high pitch squeal is a new thing, is that a normal too? Sorry for all the questions, I'm new to parenting and I appreciate your comments

@Blues1 My DD didn’t start babbling until 4 days after she turned 1 so I wouldn’t worry at all!

[quote Vicky1989x]@Blues1 My DD didn’t start babbling until 4 days after she turned 1 so I wouldn’t worry at all![/quote]
Do you think I'm expecting too much too soon? It's difficult and I know I shouldn't compare kids because they all go at a different rate, but his cousin is 7 weeks younger and is doing mamama babbles.

@Blues1 I know it’s hard not to compare but babies do things at their own pace. My cousins DS is 6 weeks older than my DD and he done everything months before her - he rolled at 4 months, she didn’t roll until 8.5 months for example. My DD is almost 13 months and only babbles ‘baba’ and ‘dada’, she only recently started pulling herself up onto furniture as well. All babies are different, they like to do things at their own pace!

[quote Vicky1989x]@Blues1 I know it’s hard not to compare but babies do things at their own pace. My cousins DS is 6 weeks older than my DD and he done everything months before her - he rolled at 4 months, she didn’t roll until 8.5 months for example. My DD is almost 13 months and only babbles ‘baba’ and ‘dada’, she only recently started pulling herself up onto furniture as well. All babies are different, they like to do things at their own pace![/quote]
Think the hardest part at the moment is I feel he's not really trying to connect with us, do you know what I mean?

Didn’t want to read and run - my little girl is 7months - and she does the high pitch squeal thing - when breathing it - it’s actually not a very nice sound is it?! I think she does it when she’s excited. It’s lessened now hut when she first did it she was doing it loads maybe it was just something new she discovered. She seems like she’s doing ok in other areas - so I wasn’t too worried. I know what it’s like to stress out about lots of things though - I posted on here when she was 6.5 months and I didn’t think she showed any signs of sitting. She’s now 7.5 months and she sits up beautifully and plays with her toys and it all happened over the space of a week - as in she literally couldn’t do it to sitting unaided for 20 minutes plying away. I think sometimes things just click into place.

@Blues1

Hi, I'm new to this and I'm a little worried about my DS. I've done what I shouldn't do and Google things which really hasn't helped so thought best to speak to some of you on here. He's our 1st baby and he's very nearly 6 months old.

So the things I've worried about are.. his eye contact isn't great, not non existent but I wouldn't say it was good, he scratches every surface but think it's more the way he does it, it's like a back and forth action if you know what I mean? He's started recently to do this screech/squeal, he does it when breathing in. He's not doing much during tummy time, he can roll from belly to back both ways. He's smiley and laughs at us being silly, likes peekaboo but at times I feel he just doesn't want to engage at all.

When trying to sit him up he keeps his legs straight and keeps himself in more of a standing position for a little while, sometimes arching his back then sits down.

I know he's so young still but it's niggling away at me, hence this post.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

Hi all,

I'm just revisiting this as unfortunately I'm still worrying myself with my LO. He's 6 months and 1 week old, I know he's very young but just a few concerns I have mentioned below seem to have got worse. The hand scratching is quite intense.. he scratches both ways and really digs his nailed in when scratching down.

I've noticed a few times recently he's staring into space and I have to wave my hand in front of his eyes for him to stop, he also waves/flaps just his left arm which doesn't seem like he can control it. He also will grab one hand with the other and they then both go in a up and down motion, again he's gripping very tightly. Am I being silly worrying about these things or not.??

Hi again

Sorry to hear you're still worried. The hand scratching thing is really typical and is a milestone on the 4 month asq (questionnaire that health visitors use) and is still expected now. My 7 month old does it too! He's got such a grip too wow!

Bringing hands together and moving them together up and down is also typical. I have a video of my first DS doing that repeatedly. He's absolutely fine.

DS2 has started banging just one hand again and again on the table. It gives lovely sensory feedback and again is a good thing. The staring into space is normal for anyone and as long as he can be brought out of it then it's not a worry.

Nothing you've said is concerning. Enjoy your lovely baby.

@Foreverbaffled

Hi again

Sorry to hear you're still worried. The hand scratching thing is really typical and is a milestone on the 4 month asq (questionnaire that health visitors use) and is still expected now. My 7 month old does it too! He's got such a grip too wow!

Bringing hands together and moving them together up and down is also typical. I have a video of my first DS doing that repeatedly. He's absolutely fine.

DS2 has started banging just one hand again and again on the table. It gives lovely sensory feedback and again is a good thing. The staring into space is normal for anyone and as long as he can be brought out of it then it's not a worry.

Nothing you've said is concerning. Enjoy your lovely baby.

Hi @Foreverbaffled I'm so sorry I hadn't seen that you'd replied to this. Just a bit of an update since my last post and where my DS is up to. I won't lie I still have concerns but I'm trying my best to encourage him and help him learn new things, he's 7 and a half months now, he's sitting up unaided and get himself from a lying position to sitting on his own now, he's also kind of crawling, more like an army crawl but he gets around the room.

I still don't think his eye contact is great and I'd like him to want to engage with us more. He also does a strange thing with his arms, if he grabs my finger he push and pulls at it maybe 8/9 times or if he's lay down he moves it up and down in the same kind of action, also if he has a toy he will push and pull it across the floor in that same action and it's quite jerky. (Hope that made some sense)

He babbles at times, it's not consistent but does occasionally do a bit of back and forth noises with us. He's very smiley when nee people come into the room, when I come home from work you can tell he's happy to see me, most of the time, sometimes he doesn't really notice. He's very smiley to people when they come to visit, but has started to turn his head into me or his mum like he's being shy.

Sorry for the long post but felt like I needed to share this.

Thanks

@Foreverbaffled

Hi again

Sorry to hear you're still worried. The hand scratching thing is really typical and is a milestone on the 4 month asq (questionnaire that health visitors use) and is still expected now. My 7 month old does it too! He's got such a grip too wow!

Bringing hands together and moving them together up and down is also typical. I have a video of my first DS doing that repeatedly. He's absolutely fine.

DS2 has started banging just one hand again and again on the table. It gives lovely sensory feedback and again is a good thing. The staring into space is normal for anyone and as long as he can be brought out of it then it's not a worry.

Nothing you've said is concerning. Enjoy your lovely baby.

Oh another thing to add is when I pick him up, his legs go like the clappers like he's running in mid air

Hi @Blues1

I promise they are all normal baby movements. My 8 month old does the jerky grabbing thing and only yesterday my husband compared him to one of those bathtime wind up toys as he peddles his legs so much when you lift him up under his arms.

Babies are funny, jerky, stimmy, little things. At this age eye contact will vary with their mood etc too.

Your little one is doing great honestly

@Foreverbaffled

Hi *@Blues1*

I promise they are all normal baby movements. My 8 month old does the jerky grabbing thing and only yesterday my husband compared him to one of those bathtime wind up toys as he peddles his legs so much when you lift him up under his arms.

Babies are funny, jerky, stimmy, little things. At this age eye contact will vary with their mood etc too.

Your little one is doing great honestly

Sorry I must sound like I'm crazy! It's different when you've got something stuck in your head isn't it.. I'm really trying tho. I promise.

@Blues1 You don't sound crazy but you do sound anxious. I mean that kindly as I had terrible postnatal anxiety with my first and was in just the place you are now. It's so hard. I'm so sorry for you.

@Blues1 I’m in a very similar position worrying about my 6 month old twins.

My little boy doesn’t make eye contact with me when close / held on my knees etc , and sometimes seems to be in his own world. He hardly cries and is happy playing on his own. My neighbour made a comment today that she has never seen ‘such placid babies’ which has just made me even more anxious

[quote SS1983]@Blues1 I’m in a very similar position worrying about my 6 month old twins.

My little boy doesn’t make eye contact with me when close / held on my knees etc , and sometimes seems to be in his own world. He hardly cries and is happy playing on his own. My neighbour made a comment today that she has never seen ‘such placid babies’ which has just made me even more anxious[/quote]
Hi, yes my boy was super placid too, he's less so now, but the eye contact thing is really worrying me. He often turns Ho's whole body away from me when holding him and never looks at me. There's definitely some sensory things too like he always wants to squeeze my face, neck nose etc and slaps my face a lot when falling asleep. Sore I'm waffling on a bit there, really trying to be positive but it's so hard and I really hope you're ok too & hope the worrying is for nothing 🤞

I hope you are ok and indeed that the worrying is for nothing. It’s just so hard when we see something and it’s there in our head thinking about it all the time. I feel like I am always watching out especially the eye contact and not sure if it’s making it worse

@SS1983

I hope you are ok and indeed that the worrying is for nothing. It’s just so hard when we see something and it’s there in our head thinking about it all the time. I feel like I am always watching out especially the eye contact and not sure if it’s making it worse

Honestly it's so tough, I'm really struggling with it at the moment, feel like it's taken over my life, can't concentrate at work or anything. Like you say tho we need to be positive and let's hope we're both being silly about it, we just want the best for our kids. Does feel good getting things off your chest though doesn't it.. always happy to talk if you need it.

It does feel good to write it down for sure. I am very similar, constantly worrying , watching and googling. My little boy has similar traits in regard to eye contact ... if I put him on my lap he looks the other way, same if I put and play with him in the air above me he looks the other way. He seems to be in his own world sometimes , can sit in his bouncer for ages and not complain... I thought babies would get bored and moan ! Every time someone gives me what should be a compliment about how ‘good’ he is it makes me feel worse.

Always happy to talk too. Are you back at work ? I’m wondering in a way once I do go back it might help me a bit as much as I’d miss the babies