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.

I’m also a first time mum and sometimes have questioned my baby’s development but truthfully I think it’s just our own anxiety for the most part.

My boy crawled at 7 months but still doesn’t wave or blow kisses now at 12 months. He learned to walk the week before his bday and still only really babbles instead of words (he didn’t babble until 8 months either). If we say kisses he mouth open headbuts us (very cute), he knows how to say nom nom when he sees food (we never say this, no idea where he got it from 😂), he claps all day every day but very rarely points (although he went through a pointing phase for about 2 weeks at one point), hes uninterested in doing age appropriate puzzles with me, he can’t ring stack, he doesn’t put balls in a box, only seems to want to play with dangerous items or footballs 😂

my point is, milestones are a guideline and all babies are different. Your little boy sounds just fine to me 🥹

Hi @Chzm aww that’s good to hear, what was his eye contact like, I feel each day my sons is getting less and less😭

He’s the same as your boy, will look at us from a distance but looks away if I try to look at him whilst rocking or close up. HATES to be rocked and arches his back but also can’t get him to sleep without rocking so a struggle as you can imagine. He also barely ever responds to his name, but it looks to me like it because he’s so interested in what he’s doing 😂 I used to worry so much but as time goes on I feel better about it. I think there are lots of autism scares on tiktok etc at the moment so it’s heightening everyone’s anxiety. They’re still so young!! If you ask other mums and people in your family etc, you will probably find that lots of us didn’t meet every milestone on time.

My nephew is only just rolling at 7 months, he doesn’t babble yet either. My friends little girl is 14 months and doesn’t walk yet or show any signs of wanting to. I think they’re all going to be okay 🥹

@sal96 omg you are so right ffffn tiktok scares me and keeps me up all night 😭😭 I fall into a rabbit hole, it’s crippling my anxiety!! Your boy sounds just like mine!! I know it sounds silly but not all our babies can have autism right it never ever crossed my mind years ago and now it’s everywhere!
ohhh my boy rolled at 8 months so that was my worry for months too🙈

Exactly! They can’t all have autism 😬 try to relax and enjoy him. I’ve only just started relaxing now as he turns 1, someone commented to me on holiday ‘shouldn’t he be doing more gestures at 1’ and I let it go over my head. Refusing to worry about things that no one cared about 20 years ago 😐

Having a bad day today. DS is now 12 months, and so less with it than his older brother at this age when I look at videos. Still no gestures or words. Just seems to be like a whirlwind that flies around the room into everything. Mind is racing about the future. HV wanted to follow up on communication when we saw her a month ago and there has been no progress since. I was hopeful then but loosing hope now as keep reading stories on MN where people came back a few years later and confirmed their concerns that their child did have ASD. Trying to enjoy him but so hard not to compare and can't help but feel sick with worry

Hi @scousemouse92 please please do not try to worry too much, I’m a fine one to talk as I’m the worlds worst, but even in the past week I’ve seen some improvement un my DS, he’s started some form of babbling no mama, dada but lots of wawaaaa and woowww/boooo/baaabaaa so it might just come, keep repeating everything to him. We’re all in this together, so please don’t ever think you can’t drop a message!

@Mumof3bb1 ahhhhh thank you glad your son's communication is improving xx

How’s everyone’s little ones getting on? I seem to go through stages of not worrying at all to then worrying again.. having a worrying stage at the moment everything seems ok with his development now his speech still isn’t there yet but his babbling has changed its like he’s trying to talk to us in his own language.. my big concern at the moment is how unattached he seems to me. I don’t get any reaction from him when I’ve been at work all day or if he has stayed with his grandparents for the night. He still isn’t sleeping through and will not let me comfort him in the night if I pick him up out of the cot he will just arch his back and try to get away from me the only way I can settle him is to offer milk. And then when I go into his room in the morning when he wakes he barely even looks at me doesn’t smile at me just starts pointing at his toys or to the light for me to switch it on. He also doesn’t like cuddles or kisses in the day time it’s very rare and on his terms when he will give me a kiss or a cuddle. It makes me feel so sad that he doesn’t find me a comfort in the middle of the night all the other mums I know cuddle there baby’s back to sleep in the night and I’ve never been able to do that. Do you think I should be worried?

How is he vs ages and stages ASQ tests? If he's ok on progressing generally with communication etc then I wouldn't worry as at that age they can be hit and miss with affection. DS1 was not affectionate to me, DS2 who is one I have more concerns over is very affectionate....

Is he breastfed? My breastfed baby would only accept milk from me and not rocking or cuddles. He would accept rocking from my husband though. He’s now 15 months and runs to me for huggies and kisses even though he still has milk too. He’s only 12 months, I wouldn’t worry about that.

I would maybe speak to the doctor about having 0 gestures though, that does seem a little late, although all children are very different.

My little boy is 18 months and still doesn't really talk, he's said a handful of words like dog, yeah, bye and says mama and dada and babbles his head off. He was a bit late with his gestures too but is a lot better now. I voiced these concerns to the health visitor who didn't seem concerned. She said as long as he seems to understand what we're saying and engages with what we say then not to worry and some babies just take a bit longer to join in the conversation.
My little one also won't be cuddled to sleep, he'll only be breastfed to sleep, if his dad tries to rock or cuddle him to slee he'll cry and arch his back like you described. I wouldn't worry about that too much.
Have you spoken to your health visitor about your concerns? Sometimes just voicing it out loud to someone can really help :)

@scousemouse92 is that the one the health visitor does at the one year check up? If so he did really well on it and she wasn’t concerned at all.

@sal96 no he isn’t breastfed and sorry not sure if I’ve worded things wrong I have no concerns with gestures he’s clapping pointing waving blowing kisses. It’s more how unattached he seems to be with me. He will seek me out in a room of strangers but just doesn’t seem to want me for comfort

@boymamm thank you this makes me feel a little better i think it’s more my ego that’s bruised it just makes me sad I can’t cuddle my own baby to comfort him when he’s distressed

Yeah that one! I think he's fine, especially if he's pointing. Some babies like cuddles, some don't

@Leigh93 Hi. May I ask how is your son doing now? Thanks