5.5 mobths old baby worried

[Mas05]

Hi
My baby is 5 months and 3 weeks old.i am FTM and really worried about him. His eye contact was really bad till 3 months. After that he started making eye contact from distance which is ok sometimes but other times also fleeting. He never stared at me while bottle feeding but whenever he wants me to take the bottle out of his mouth or he is finished he looks at me or if i am not looking makes a sound so i look at him, or if i talk to him during feeding he looks at me for a min and then again start looking st something else thats the only time he looks at me during feeding. It has been always source of my worry. He smiles alot but whenever he smiles he turn his face or hide his face in that person shoulder or chest. He laughs but have to work to get that. He used to coo back and forth when he was 2 to 3 months but then stopped and started making different noises every week. Then he started talking again at 5 months and did that 2 weeks and then again quite, no babbling at all. And whenever he talks he looks up and not towards me. When i talk to him he looks at me and then look up and say something and it concerns me alot. He has been rolling since 4.5 months from back to front but from front to back he hasnt done it since 4 months seems like he has forgotten how to do that. He doesnt want to sit at all and dont sit unsupported yet but want to stand. Has no issues with cuddling. Now a days he stare at his hand by waving it side to side for few seconds. Also he flaps his arms and legs alot since 3 months which has been increased since 5 months. He respond to sounds and whenever we call his name he used to look towards us but i am not sure whether he was responding to voice or name whice has been reduced from 2 days. He is very easy baby. Only cries when hungry or wants to sleep. He used to imitate when he was 2 to 3 months but not imitate any sounds now. I am really worried about eye contact, babbling specially not looking at me but look up or something else while talking, arm flapping, hand staring for few seconds quite often, hiding face while smiling. I am FTM and you guys know more so thats why i have come her to get your advice .Can someone please advice. TIA

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Anyone who can reply?

I don’t have any advice unfortunately but I recognised lots of what you described. Lots of similarities with my baby but she cries a lot and doesn’t respond much to voices but always to music.

Hi thanks for reply. How old is your baby? Amd what similarities she has? Have you talked to someone about them?

6 months. Poor eye contact, it used to be a lot better but now actively avoids eye contact in a lot of positions. Never looked during feeding. Will glance if we make a noise and then quickly look away. He used to do back and forth cooing but that’s stopped in the last few weeks. Rubs face or hides face in chest when smiling quickly at someone.

They’re having physio as some of their movements were delayed but I need to discuss again with the paediatrician now that eye contact and cooing have changed.

Which movements were delayed? My babys motor skills are ok and he passed Asq 4 months also. But poor eye contact and not cooing back and forth worries me the most.

I'd wait until he's 6 months and then do this progress checker from ICan.

It will tell you at the end if there are any concerns and if there are, let you know where to seek help.

It could be something as simple as glue ear.

Head lag was still quite present, finding hands, rolling etc. All a bit behind what they would expect. I’ve not managed to find it again, but I did read on a post someone mentioned about imitating early on that then stops and restarts at a later point. But I definitely know what you mean about it concerning you

How is your baby now?

@DianaSun the OP is unlikely to see your post. You might be better giving her an @, then, if she's still around, she might see your post

@Mas05 How is baby now ? Thank you in advance!

Hi @DianaSun He is totally typical as of now. His eye contact improved after 6 months. He was just a changed baby and completed all milestones early. Now he talks back and forth, waves, claps, point to request and to show, raised to be picked up, gives, hi five and all. Says more than 5 words. His receptive language is really good. Plays peekaboo and loves it. It was just i was expecting way too much way too early and that caused all this stress. How old is your baby and Why are you worried if you dont mind asking?

@Mas05 because of the eye contact part!!! When on his back my almost 4m old boy has perfect eye contact very focused even if I move my face the slightest . Until recently he would have as you called it fleeting eye contact when carried or when on tummy(when in car seat and in my lap seated eye contact is also very good). When I breastfeed him he doesn’t look at me most of the time although he smiles at me and even lifts his head sometimes to coo at me( when his dad is next to us while breastfeeding he constantly looks at him and coos with him) . He also did this thing more often until recently when he was in his ergonomic sling carrier he would smile at you , look at you briefly and then turn his head or shove it in you. Again the fleeting eye contact. Interestingly - he got better with the eye contact the last week when on tummy and in the other positions but of course not as good as when on his back . I assume that it’s because his head is still a bit wobbly (we can’t expect a 4-5 m old to have head control like a toddler I guess) . The only thing that bugs me is the breastfeeding eye contact which sometimes has been amazing , but most of the times he’s zoned out. I think I have a theory why particularly in our case- my baby has a severe tongue and lip tie and him being an exclusively breastfed baby, he needs to put a lot of effort to eat. I read that tongue tied babies spend 20 times more energy eating compared to non tied babies. We are fixing the tie in the next 2 months I hope since we have to travel abroad to do it because in my country they don’t cut posterior ties….

@Mas05 I’ve come across a few threads here with babies doing the same things or similar to my baby and you are the first one to answer and you are like literally giving me a look at the future and oh my, how my awful anxiety has decreased thanks to you !!!! I’ve been so worried, sometimes I can’t sleep nor eat well because of this

@DianaSun i can understand, i used to be like this, couldnt able to sleep, used to cry and always reading online. My little man was exactly like this but believe me with time his eye contact improved so much and now its perfect. He is so active baby and smiles and make eye contact all the time. And do all other typical stuff. Dont worry and give him sometime. After 6 months every day its gonna get better.

@Mas05 thank you a thousand times ! I wish both of you the very best!!!

@DianaSun how is your little one doing? I am so worrying and found a lot of concerning threads as my baby is exactly like op described so I am so glad to find this thread 💕

@Wobblyheart hi! He really changed the past 2 months (he’s 7m since yesterday)
I would say good eye contact, trying to get your attention from time to time, answers to name, laughs when you do something amusing to him , sits well unsupported, can stand up while holding onto the crib, most of the times gives hands when you offer yours to be picked up and other typical things for his age. No bababa or mamama but says bhh-bhh, and other similar sounds.
no weird movements, head shaking or anything like that . Notices people and smiles at them when they pay attention to him also makes sounds while doing so.
Not 100% sure about imitation , it’s an 8m milestone , when you give both of your hands he gives his, imitation of sounds I think not yet , maybe a couple of times .

@Wobblyheart he also shows the first sign of joint attention. When I look in a direction, he knows that I’m looking at something by seeing where my head is turned to. He also knows one of our dogs and when you ask him, he turns to look for her in her usual place

@Kinderbueno89 I know this is an old post, but how is your LO now?

I thought I'd update here as i had a lot of worries about my son between 6,5 and 20 months but I am pretty confident he isnt autistic. He is 33 months now.

@Wobblyheart - thank you. What were your worries if you don’t mind me asking

Babbling wasn't varied (he had mamma, dadada mostly) no attempts to babble at us or copy us with sounds till 15 months. Limited eye contact and reduced joint attention.

@Wobblyheart thanks so much for replying. Hoping my LO starts giving eye contact soon :(