Almost 10 month old not babbling

[Jennifer153323]

Hey everyone. My son is 10 months next week and he still doesn't babble. He makes a lot of noise, aaahh sounds and raspberries and laughs/squeals all the time but not really any consonant sounds. He said mamama this morning twice for the first time ever, I've been doing all his baby talk noises with him so much since he was born but it's like he just can't do it. I think he can hear ok as he passed the newborn hearing screening and also responds to noises and when I talk to him he smiles and gets excited.
He isn't crawling yet, but can army crawl in a circle and has been pushing up into hands and knees and also planking for a while. He just started shuffling on his bum yesterday, but can't go forwards, only backwards or sort of sideways.
He's such a happy, smiley boy but I feel like something is wrong. He won't offer me toys, although if I play with him with something, he will look at the toy/object then back to me, then back at the object and he'll laugh and smile, so I think he's showing joint attention, but won't show me things yet really. He was initiating peekaboo with his bib at six months but seems to have got bored of that by now and doesn't do it anymore. I don't feel like he's regressed, more just that progress is very very slow. He is definitely making more noises than he did a month ago, constant ahh and ooing to himself while he's playing now but not really any ba, da, ga etc.
His eye contact is good, and he will usually respond to his name, unless he's really busy with something. He sleeps great, always has, eats well, and his fine motor skills seem pretty good, he can do the stuff like picking up a piece of string first go etc.
He will smile at me all day, and especially seems to like it if he gets hold of something he's not meant to have and I tell him no, he will be really cheeky and grin and do it more and get all excited about it, whilst seeing if I'm watching! However, he goes to grandparents for an overnight every couple of weeks and when they come to collect him he goes quiet and stares at them, and when I go to pick him up, it often takes a few minutes to get a smile. I worry he doesn't recognise me. I don't understand it because every morning when I get him up he's super smiley and happy to see me, and sometimes he doesn't see my partner for a couple of days due to work, but will smile at him immediately when he sees him, it's just when he's at someone else's house and we go in, he just stares like he doesn't understand what's going on.
I'm so worried because he's behind and I've got his 10 month review next week where I'll talk this all through but I'm wondering if anyone else has similar? I'm driving myself crazy with all this and I'm finding it hard to sleep etc. I am generally a massive worrier and will always think worst case scenario but he is genuinely quite behind now so I feel it's justified in this case!

[AfterGlow87]

My baby just started babbling with consonants as he turned 11 months corrected (he was born 2 months early) - I was so so worried and went and got his hearing re tested (normal) and had been looking into speech therapists. He started suddenly with a gaga one Sunday afternoon and now one month on at 12 months corrected is babbling away most of the day! Doesn’t say mamama or dadada but is saying gagaga and rarara and starting to mix ga/ra/ba. Creche have even noticed how much he’s chatting now.

My baby has definitely been on the tail end of normal for some milestones and is only army crawling this week but he’s made a lot of progress in the last 4-6 weeks. Just wanted to try to give you some reassurance as I was going down a Google black hole and loosing sleep myself. Fingers crossed your baby will start any day now

[Jennifer153323]

Thank you. That really gives me some hope! My son said mamama in the car today and has done a few "guh" noises this afternoon which is new, I'm hoping it just continues and gets more often! It is so hard when all the other babies their age are chatting away and they are just sitting there going aaaahhhh 🤣

[Ivfgottahope]

Hey OP @Jennifer153323 I know it’s been a little while but I wanted to see how you got in. My 7.5mo is exactly the same and I’m starting to panic. She’s been lazy with gross motor milestones too and the HV just always tells me not to worry 🙄

[Jennifer153323]

Hey!
So he's now almost 1, on the 22nd :)
Funnily enough he actually started babbling properly about 3 days after I posted this! He started with mamama. Then moved onto dadada. Now he says rara, Baba etc. Just mutters away to himself all day! I think he MAY have used Mama in context correctly once, he was crying because my sister scared him (not on purpose!) And when I picked him up he said "mama mama". He also growls, claps and waves (ish!) And if I say clap clap, he'll do it. The health visitor wasn't worried at all. She said if nothing by a year, let us know, but even then they wouldn't be super concerned. I really stressed to her that he had only been making consonant sounds for 3 days when we had the appointment and she just said that was great, and although he may have been on the later end of it, he's doing it now. She noted in his book that he was developing very well and she had no concerns, even though he'd scored 0 on the communication section of the questionnaire 😅 she said all babies are different, some of them will be early talkers, some of them early walkers, and some of them will be focusing on things inside their mind. She noted my son had very good fine motor skills and said that's just where his strengths lie at the moment.
I really really wouldn't worry about your LO. 7.5 months is still so young! My son was also lazy with gross motor but he went from not even properly crawling at the time of my original post, to pulling to stand and cruising within about two weeks. He now doesn't stop, all day I have to go grab him because he's going on a little cruise holding onto the bannister, or reaching up to try and open the drawers and cupboards! The amount he has changed in just the last two months is insane. At 7.5 months he really did NOTHING. I mean absolutely nothing. He smiled and laughed but that was about it 😂 I am absolutely sure your daughter will catch up, I wouldn't have even been worried about no babbling at 7.5 months. I think they say MOST babies babble between 7-10 months so she has plenty plenty of time. I know it's so hard not to worry but she will get there! Xxx

[Ivfgottahope]

Thank you, honestly I needed to hear that. I’ve been so swept up with worrying that something is wrong and comparing her to
orhers (I know, comparison is the thief of joy) I’ve barely enjoyed the last few months with her and missed out on what’s such a
precious time. I keep reading babbling should start at 4/5 months, so I’m pleased to hear that’s not the case.

My daughter has advanced fine motor skills
too, so she sounds so similar to your son. I’m so pleased it all worked out fine in the end for you, fingers crossed it does for my
little one too xx

[Jennifer153323]

I'm so glad it's put your mind at ease. I reckon you'll find exactly the same, she'll suddenly just start doing it one day and then she'll never stop! If it makes you feel better as well, all his baby friends I think the earliest babbler was just 7 months. A couple of the others didn't start until 8, and one little girl just started at 9. Technically your LO isn't even behind yet so really do not worry 😊
Is she your first? The health visitor said first born babies are often later to babble as they just hear less speech overall. Wishing you the best of luck with it, try not to Google! I know we all do but I do wish I hadn't stressed so much xxx