At what age should babies say their first words?

[amiandlils]

My dd is 18 months old and I am a tiny bit concerned that her speech development seems to be slow.

She can say "cat" and "mama" quite clearly and very nearly say "book" and "ball". I hadn't really noticed anything until my sister mentioned it the other day. We then went to meet up with my antenatal group yesterday and pretty much all of the other babies seem to be much more advanced than she is.

Don't get me wrong I am so not a competitive mum and don't care that she's behind the others, but just want to make sure that I'm not missing an underlying problem.

Her hearing seems fine. The only thing niggling away at me is that my HV once told me that dummies slow down their speech. She only has it in bed not all day, but I'm sure if I ask my HV that's what she'll say!

DD1 used a dummy and said her first wrods at 10 months. DD2 didn't have a dummy and didn't speak until she was over 18 months probably quite close to 2. I don't think DD1 is any more clever than DD2 they just developed at different rates.

Dummies made no difference to my DD who spoke very early, and also pretty clearly too.

Once DD started to talk she was never allowed her dummy whilst actually talking. TBH even before that I removed her dummy if she was settled an/or trying to talk - it was primaily for bed time only.

Hmmmmm, am no clearer on whether to refer or not really! Think I should speak to HV as she probably knows how long the waiting list is, and whether it's worth referring or not. Just feel a bit worried as original post is about a 18month old saying 4 or more words and my ds is 21 months with no words. Also I'm getting a little tired of a constant 'brrrrrrr' for everything
Me: Whats that? (points at cat)
ds: (enthusiastically): Brrrrrrrrr
Me: It's a cat. What noise does a cat make?
ds: Brrrrrrrrrrrr
Me: No, a car goes brrrrrr, a cat goes meiow
ds: brrrrrrrrrrrr
Me: No, a cat goes meiow. What noise does a car make?
Ds: Brrrrrrrrrrr
Me: Well Done, my gorgeous boy!!!

I feel like Ruby from Max and Ruby

I had about three words till I was almost two. My other half didn't speak till after two. We like to think it's like the rest of life - those doing most of the thinking do least of the talking ...

To quote HG Wells (with a few alterations):

"No one would have believed ... that [parents] were being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than theirs ... ; that as [parents] busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency [parents] went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter. Yet across the gulf of [the nursery], minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us."

IN reply to amiandills, I just wanted to say that DS1 having a dummy did nothing to delay his speech. He spoke at 8mo and by age of 1 honestly had around 50 words. He used to take it out to speak then put it back in.

All children are different and even out by the time they are 3. When DS1 was 2 even though he spoke very early on, his friends who didn't speak until 18 months were clearer than him. At 3 they are now all the same.

I've been a bit upset because ds was referred for a hearing test after his 18 month developmental test because the nurse wasn't happy with his speech. (I'm in Australia, so obviously they must intervene earlier here.) Ds only says dada, there, duck, yeah and car (and since he's started saying car, he's completely obsessed and not saying much else). I thought he was doing fine before the check-up and was quite taken aback and worried that the nurse thought there was a big problem. I don't think she was listening to me properly because she wrote on his referral that he only had two words. When I corrected her she said I should still follow it up and make an appointment since it would take a few months to get in and I could see how his speech was progressing then. I called when I got home and was first told that the next appointment was in June, and then that because of a cancellation we could go in next week. So next week I'm taking my 18mo for a hearing test, which seems crazy to me. And I've been all worried about his development generally since the checkup...

18 months does sound terribly early for the nurse to be getting concerned - so don't worry. It is better to have a couple of unnecessary appointments where you are told things are OK, than have your child not get seen and not get the help.