Should I be concerned?

[SurvivingandThriving]

Hi everyone,

I want to preface this by saying I have raging PPA/PPD and so I find it hard to determine what I should be worried about normally.

I have a beautiful 11 month old who is generally an absolute joy. He gives good eye contact and (I think) interacts well with other people. I don’t know whether I need to be concerned that he isn’t really making any sort of sounds that sound like words. He makes noises but nothing that sounds like mama/dada. He had his 9 month check and they said they had no worries but time has passed and there doesn’t seem to be any improvement with his speech sounds.

i also want to say I am obviously not expecting sentences but just beginning of words. He is very active and I have heard the “either a walker or a talker” theory but know that that could also be rubbish 🤣.

I am getting support for my PPA and PPD but don’t want to worry about this unnecessarily if people think what I’m describing is in the range of “normal”.

thanks in advance x

Sorry - two things I should have also mentioned.

1. he seems to have a good level of understanding. He knows when I say it’s time for breakfast and he is able to find things when asked e.g where is your book?
2. I narrate the entire day. I always explain what I am doing including when we are playing. His play is a bit all over the place and his favourite thing to do is bang objects together.

I really really wouldn’t worry about this at all! 12 months is average for first words but really up to 18 months is fine. 4 weeks is very long time in the life of a baby and loads can happen between now and then but I wouldn’t stress even if no words coming at 12 months either. As long as they are making good eye contact, having a good go at gesture (clapping, waving, blowing kisses, high fives, cheers, pointing etc) this is all communication. Emerging understanding but even still your really only expecting very basics at 11 months, looking at a ball if who ask where it is etc.

my 14 month has no words at all, but understands a good amount of very engaging and loads of gestures I’m not at all concerned at all. First didn’t say any words until 18 months and now 3.5 years and NEVER STOPS talking.