Worried about 11 month old development

[Leigh93]

My little boy is almost 11 months old I have always had worries about him since he was around 6 months old just wondering for some possible reassurance

He has babbled Dada for a very long time but this seems to be pretty much the only sound he can make and he also doesn’t babble back to me it’s just on his terms

He doesn’t point or understand when I ask him to pass me a toy. He doesn’t seem to understand any of his toys can’t put rings on a stacker or put balls back in his box. Doesn’t seem to really understand peekaboo he will smile when I do it but never does it himself

physically he isn’t crawling or pulling up yet and is nowhere near can’t even get into crawling position

eating wise is Terrible he still cant really tolerate lumpy textures and hardly ever touches finger foods if he does he has two little bites and keeps that last bite in his mouth for ages

his eye contact also worries me he gives really good eye contact when not too close to him and I am singing etc and he seems to be fine giving strangers eye contact. but he will avoid looking at me when close up like when I’m feeding him or have hold of him in my arms. He also hates to be cuddles even in the middle of the night when he wakes up crying I am unable to comfort him he just arches his back and throws his head back.

the things he can do are clapping waving and blowing kisses. He is also most happy on his feet he has taken a couple of steps unaided but mostly wants to be walked round holding my hand he is very unsettled all day long unless on his feet being walked round

I will say that he had an unfair start with a dairy allergy severe eczema and reflux we are only just about controlling all three at 9/10 months old. I am hoping he is just delayed due to his bad start but the older he is getting the more he worries me

hope I’m just a worried first time mum but I just have that gut feeling.

Did he recently have the 10 month development check with health visitor? Where you fill in the ASQ?

Yes we had that a couple of weeks ago she said he is delayed in some areas but she’s not worrying yet will come back to us in the next couple months. He has completely surprised me tonight and managed to get himself into the crawling position a few times and tried his hardest to pull himself up but was unable but looks like that couple happen soon? But still worries me on the other areas

Hi,

I wouldn’t worry about the eye contact, my 11 year old did that when he was a baby. He could never look at me close up or when I was holding him, he actively avoided it. To me it felt like he was overstimulated by it. Only when I laid him on the floor he would look at me. He’s neurotypical.

I don’t think you need to worry at all.

sounds exactly like my little guy! Except mine doesn’t blow kisses or wave. Does your boy mimic clapping? Or clap on his own terms?

@Julymom2023 yes he does clap on his own terms and if I ask him to clap he can he has also all of a sudden this week got into all fours and crawled a few steps and has started to try and pull up. I’m hoping I’m just worrying for nothing and he is getting there in his own time his babbling is the thing concerning me the most at the moment

Yea my little guy babbles on and off “mama dada nana “ but it’s never seemed like communicative- more on his own terms. Do you notice your little one looking at you/imitating you when clapping, blowing kisses or waving?

Yes same he babbles more on his terms it’s never back and forth and he only really says dada he’s never said mama or any other letters really I think he may have said yaya once or twice but it’s always mainly just the letter D he says. And yes he does copy me if I wave to him or blow him a kiss but again on his own terms I suppose

I empathize with you, I feel like we’re going through similar experiences. The asq checklist doesn’t help ease those concerns either. Let’s keep in touch- would love to vent and have these conversations if you’re up for it.

@Julymom2023 yes that would be great. How old is your little one? Have you had the 9-12 month health visitor review?

My little one is 10 months old 🥰 not yet, doctor scheduled next visit is at 12 months. You had a visit at 9 months correct?

Hey. I'm in a similar situation. Have you had the 12 month developmental review yet?

@Chzm
Reading this back is crazy because of how much my little one has come on in just over a month! I would think reading this back id wrote it months ago!
I still have my worries with him such as his speech and still no sign of pointing and he does struggle sometimes with social interaction he is a very nervous baby and clings to me in a strange environment.

but I will now list the things he is doing now that I was worried about in my post a month ago…

he passes me a toy when I ask for it

he tries to share his food if I ask for some

he can now put balls into a toy he has and claps at himself when he does it

he has played peekaboo a few times when I have asked him to hide

he has started crawling

he is now pulling himself up

his eye contact is soooo much better

he now tolerates cuddles more than he used to

his eating is sooo much better now figured out the pincer grip so can pick food and feed himself so much easier

even though I didn’t believe it when people would tell me not to worry I would prob say don’t worry too much just yet because my little one has amazed me these last few weeks he has come on so much

Awe!! That makes me so happy to hear that!!! How reassuring! Is he still babbling? How old is he now🥰

@Julymom2023 he is going to be turning one in two weeks! He’s we still get lots of babbling just mostly still the letter D he mainly just babbles dadadadada we don’t hear any other letters but trying not to let it worry me with how much he has come on lately! How is your little one getting on?

OP how is your son doing now?

@scousemouse92 he has come on so so much since my original post I am no where near as worried as I was! He has gone from being delayed in everything to being fully walking crawling and pulling up to stand before his 1st birthday. His eye contact is now amazing! He also has gone from hating cuddles at bedtime to needing a cuddle to fall asleep. He has this week started pointing to things he wants. He’s waving clapping he knows where his head is he tried to touch his nose. He play peekaboo and can put his balls into the hole of his toy. I think he understands now if I ask him to pass me a toy but he just doesn’t want to let it go. The only thing I have any worries about now is his speech we have no words yet but he is babbling more sounds we only ever got dadadada but now he will sometimes babble yaya and nana and very rarely gaga. I can’t believe the difference reading my original post back

@Leigh93 I really love reading updated positive stories. Really happy for you! Has given me a glimmer of hope at the end of a day spiralling into dark places with worry

@scousemouse92 I honestly worried myself sick for weeks I spent every second of the day googling and crying. And then just one day it was like something clicked with him and in the space of a month he is a completely different baby! I ready so many comments saying not to worry and enjoy your baby but didn’t listen to any of them but honestly it’s so true try not to worry because this could be so different in a few weeks

Hi @Leigh93
@Chzm
@Julymom2023
how are your little ones coming on now?

@Mumof3bb1 so we originally had our health visitor 9-12 month check when he was 10 months old and she wanted to come back and see him again as he was delayed so came last week when he was 12 months and two weeks. She said she didn’t want to tell me last time as she didn’t want to worry me but he scored that low on the questionnaire he didn’t even make it onto the bottom of the scale. He is now about 5 points from the very top of the scale in the space of two months! He has come on so much!

@Leigh93

I love hearing the positive outcomes. That’s so amazing!!

So my son is going to be 10 months on the 13th he was born 3 weeks early, he sits well unsupported and will reach for toys but HATES being on his tummy, he just pulls himself back into sitting, has just learnt how to crawl and can pull to stand with ease, struggles to sit back down though, just stays standing until we get him back down.

he is not babbling like the other babies, makes occasional noises like hmmmm n ahhhh sometimes blows raspberry’s and screams but no babbles Ma, baba or dada.

His eye contact is okay ish, if he’s out in his pram looks everywhere but me, doesn’t copy us or clap, wave or point. EVERYTHING goes straight into his mouth, wants to lick and bite everything, he still hasn’t got teeth.

Sleeps and eats well, I feed him I can’t deal with the BLW mess🙈

He will bang his hand on table if I do it, and can bang two objects together.

I feel like a terrible mother and im at the very end of the rope. We read together, sing, babble, all day long.

when I make the mama movement with my mouth with no sound he copies that movement with his mouth but no sounds if that makes sense.

Smiles when he sees me/husband or other family members, can lift arms to be picked up and will use me to pull to stand up.

I find he twirls his arms/feet occasionally and kicks legs really fast when lying down, and stares at the door handles and lamp in my room.

I am at the end of my tether, HV seems to think I have health anxiety.

He has no separation anxiety and I feel he stares into blank spaces at times or is like zoned out a bit.

will smile if I say smile, and looks at where I point at times, 70% will look when I call his name, if he isn’t engrossed in something.

Will watch me do the actions to heads shoulders, knees and toes but can’t mimic any songs or actions.

my main concern is lack of babbling and the no gestures!

Sorry for the long post!

@Mumof3bb1 it’s so hard and I think there is always something you will worry as much as my little one has come on in the last couple of months I still have my concerns about his speech but just hoping that will just click one day too.. I was really worried not long ago about him not understanding peek a boo which I have been trying to play with him for the longest time and seeing baby’s younger than him playing it made me worry and then out of the blue about two weeks ago he just started pulling something over his eyes and playing peekaboo with me! I would try your hardest not to worry until your little one is over 12 months and look back at your worries and see how much has changed because reading my post back I can’t believe that was even me that wrote it x

@Leigh93 Hi, aww thanks for being so kind, yeah that’s thing it’s like I’m constantly playing peek a boo, clapping, waving and singing every song possible and it’s like nothings going in😭

then I see baby’s younger than him babble and do things ne can’t and I literally spend the day crying! It’s so horrible!

@Mumof3bb1 I was exactly the same I was so anxious to go to baby classes because I was worried everyone would comment on how he is behind which now seems so silly I wish I didn’t let it take over so much of my time. Everyone around me kept saying he will get there all baby’s are different and you just don’t believe it but only now looking back I can say how true it is it was like one day something just clicked with my son and there’s been no stopping him since

Hey, my baby has come on so much in the last month. He now babbles, plays peekaboo, claps, waves, (though all at his own accord). He also understands things like pass it to me, where's mommas nose, etc. I was SO worried last time I posted on here and could never believe he would come on this much. I DO still have my concerns, but I think there'll always be something and I've tried to adopt a mentality of enjoying the now as best as possible. I was in such a dark hole a few weeks ago, I posted on so many threads tagging mums for updates as well- I empathise with you!

Please try not to worry and definitely agree with the poster above, wait until at least 12 months

Take care of yourself x