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Original poster

11 months old - STILL no dada, mama

37 replies

AmIDoingThisRight · 15/01/2009 19:20

Please reassure me! My DS is 11 months old and has never said dada. Every other baby I know has been speaking by now and I'm starting to get a little worried.

He does babble, laughs and blows raspberries and things, just doesn't say dada or anything other than aaaa, aiii and ing occasionally.

This is ok isn't it? I chat away to him constantly, all day, probably he can't get a word in edgeways.

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ThornyRose · 15/01/2009 19:21

DD has only just started speaking and she is 14 months. Her first word was 'rana (banana) at 13 months. Now she says 'rana, dada, mama and bed.

Dont worry, he'll doit in his own sweet time.

MarlaSinger · 15/01/2009 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alicecrail · 15/01/2009 19:27

Really don't worry, I had to take my dd to her 1 yr development meeting (at 14mo ) on monday, and they were more interested in general well-being and alertness than specific sounds. i was worried because i had read that by 16months they should be saying about 6 words and dd says only 3 actual words, but hv said that really they need to understand what you are saying rather than talking to you. It all evens out by the time they start school, so really dont worry

Original poster
AmIDoingThisRight · 15/01/2009 19:31

Thank you - I know I shouldn't worry, it's quite hard not to though! Will try not to stress about the whole thing too much.

OP posts:
alicecrail · 15/01/2009 19:36

Its easier said than done though isn't it! Are you a first time mum too?

fourlittlefeet · 15/01/2009 19:37

lol, my DD called us both Daddy until she was 16 months old.

Original poster
AmIDoingThisRight · 15/01/2009 19:38

Am very much a first time mum! And still trying to get to grips with the whole thing.

OP posts:
alicecrail · 15/01/2009 19:47

That makes 2 of us! I think i bumble along quite nicely most of the time, but then someone will make a little comment like "is dd walking yet?" i know they are just being nice but when i say no, i almost find myself saying, "yeah, but she's a really good sleeper"

FatController · 15/01/2009 19:47

Don't worry, DS is 21 MONTHS and cannot say Dada/Dad/Daddy yet!!!!
He can however say things like blueberry and snowman, daddy is none too impressed!

ThornyRose · 15/01/2009 20:13

I am also a first time mum and quite happy to let dd go at her own pace without too much worry, but she 14 months and still not walking. I hate it when people look at you as if you have done something wrong

alicecrail · 15/01/2009 20:22

Tell me about it! Especially as my dd is slightly tall for her age

angel1976 · 15/01/2009 20:32

I was just thinking the same... My DS does go 'dadadadadadadadadada' or 'mamamamamama' but not at either of us and I did read that at this stage, they COULD be saying dada or mama at the 'right' person. He talks gibberish a lot though... It's very funny and he definitely said 'cake' on Christmas Day when given some stollen and asked if he wanted 'cake' and he kept repeating cake! LOL.

lenny101 · 15/01/2009 20:37

DS1 was 16mths before he walked (DS2born 1 week later!) and said 'Mama' for the first time when he was 2yrs. DS2 was 15mths before he walked and currently, at 19mths, makes a 'huh' sound that means yes and says 'burp'! Both bright, happy and DS1, now 3 yrs has a vocabulary through the roof and never, ever shuts up. Keep talking, it's all going in. You're doing it right!

cikecaka · 15/01/2009 20:51

Believe me, even on DC no4, people still pass comment and I feel like running off with dc instead of saying mind your own business, I am doing a great job and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my dc. Children do things at their own pace

JammyQueenOfTheNewYear · 15/01/2009 20:52

DD is 19 months and has only taken a few steps without holding someone's hands, and that has only been in the past week. I know exactly what you mean about people looking at you like you've done something wrong (or at least thinking that they are). And the only recognisable things she says are Mum/mama, Da and yes. Went ages and ages saying mamamamamamama and dadadadadaadadda all the time, before mama and dada were linked to us. She babbles quite a bit but all unintelligible. And whenever she wants something she sort of squeaks/says "meh". That's it! It does worry me a little, in fact I might speak to the HV tomorrow. Felt particularly bad today when saw a girl just 2 weeks older who could say (or make damn good stabs at) baby, water, rabbit, iggle piggle, upsy daisy, ninky nonk, zebra, kitchen, and very quickly learnt to say my DD's name too. And she was drinking water from her mum's glass while my DD had a spouted beaker. And she seemed to tell her mum she wanted a wee! I try so hard not to get into comparisons, but sometimes it is SO hard not to!

ThornyRose · 15/01/2009 20:54

Oh Jammy, I would have felt so inferior stood next to that mum, I would have had to take comfort the fact that even perfect mums like that let their dc watch ITNG

alicecrail · 15/01/2009 20:57

Jammy, are you sure it was a child and not a dwarf?

JammyQueenOfTheNewYear · 15/01/2009 20:59

I did feel inferior ThornyRose Only typing that now did it dawn on me that her DD might watch more ITNG than we do!

JammyQueenOfTheNewYear · 15/01/2009 21:00

alicecrail

JammyQueenOfTheNewYear · 15/01/2009 21:04

alicecrail - is the 1 year development thing you mentioned a general thing or specific to your area. I haven't heard from our HV team since DD was 8 months when they came and did a check at home. Since then I go in to their clinic if I want to but I have no idea if there are any more checks they have to do unless I prompt it.

lenny101 · 15/01/2009 21:11

Jammy, that sounds like a heart sinking experience, but I completely agree with cikecaka, they write their own development manual, they really do. OP, I worried myself sick for ds1, (he has a congenital heart defect which had knock on effects for other things including speech), but having had ds2 who has no physical problems and has almost exactly mirrored ds1's development, I am truely blase about how/when I might first hear him refer to us as Mama and Daddy! I just know it will come when he's good and ready. I repeat that ds1, now 3 yrs, is never quiet and amazes us with his vocab but I didn't hear him refer to me as Mama until he was 2yrs

alicecrail · 15/01/2009 21:15

We had a 4mth check at the clinic then a letter through just after xmas for 1yr check and they said that the 2yr check is a questionaire in the post i don't think its just our area, though i think they may do checks at different times in different areas. how old is your child? because my dd didn't get her 1yr check til 14mo

cikecaka · 15/01/2009 21:18

My dd3 aged 23 months, can say anything, knows colours, makes an attempt at counting but this is only because she has 3 older siblings, none of the rest of them were this advanced. They are all different, learn at different paces but by the time they reach 4/5, there is no difference between them. (hope this didnt come across as boasting, just wanted to stress that the time will coe when all you want them to do is shut up and sit down)

JammyQueenOfTheNewYear · 15/01/2009 21:24

She's 19 months alicecrail. I guess I kind of worry more because she was a month prem, and although everything seemed mostly normal (needed a couple of days in special care) I have this little nagging voice that sometimes says "ah but you don't really know..."

alicecrail · 15/01/2009 21:32

If she looks happy, eats well, sleeps (relatively) well and is alert and you are happy, then i shouldn't worry. It made me slightly concerned actually when they put on the letter "due to staff shortages, if you fail to attend, we will not give you another appointment" surely if i was abusing child i wouldn't turn up, and poor child wouldn't get help - i may be overeacting though. What area are you, if you don't mind me asking