Calling all bottom-shufflers, or their mums...

[Jane7]

My 11 month old dd who I must admit I've been a little concerned about (total lack of crawling and hates being on tummy, always has) has started to swivel around in circles when sitting on her bum. She is thrilled that she can whirl around and find different toys, although she can't yet move forward more than a few inches. She tries by doing a sort of pelvic thrust. Is this the start of bottom shuffling? Hope so, as it's first sign that she can change her position independently. She can stand fine against the sofa although she's scared to cruise along it - not sure she's got the balance yet.

My DD1 did a bum-shuffle that turned into a kind of chimpanzee waltz, then she walked. Never crawled properly. Other than funny looks for the chimp impression, she got on fine.

I have had two bottom shufflers (can be hereditry apparently) both of mine have used one arm to propel them along and both feet as well. Does sound like the start of it to me, DD2 can move around by just using the pelivic trust and no arms but is much quicker with arms as well.

thanks bubba - looking forward to the chimp waltz, sounds hilarious.
truth - i didn't crawl either, but not sure if i bottom shuffled. poor dd - her father didn't walk until 20 months and i didn't walk until 18 months, so she's not no chance...

My dd started a sort of bum shuffle like this going around in circles and then using an arm and feet - was almost a swivel. It was never very successful though and she ended up crawling out of sheer frustration at 15 months and finally walking at 20 months!

My son did bumshuffle but not by 11 months. He only bum shuffled after I wondered would he ever crawl. My son is on the spectrum, and funnily enough somebody said that to me when they saw him bum shuffling away at 19 months.

BUT I think 11 months is very young. I don't think it means much on its own.

My son finally walked at about 21 months. The worst thing was everybody asking 'can he walk yet?

I have had three bottom shufflers (and apparantly I was one too).

Ds1 shuffled in the "classic" way - using no hands, but sort of thrusting and bouncing along. He walked at around 15 and a half month.

Ds2 shuffled using on hand and one leg to propel himslef along forwards. He walked around 14 months.

Ds3 is currently bottom shuffling similar to Ds2, but he propells himself sideways instead. He started around 11 months too and started by going around in circles like you describe. He is stilling shuffling now at 13 months but is also starting to cruise furniture.

My son did the same, and didn't actually move anywhere on his own until after he was a year old. I panicked about it and he did shuffle although never well. He then unexpectedly walked at 13 months (and crawled for the first time on the day that he took his first steps, but walked first). He couldn't pull himself up on the furniture till about 14 months so only pulled up on me which was a bit frustrating for me and him. He finally learnt how to stand up properly on his own at 15 months and now at 19 months old is hurtling around everywhere. I worried about it so much but he did it all in the end - just in a slightly strange order!

I'm the daughter of a bumshuffler, the mother of a bumshuffler and was a bumshuffler myself, so I buy the heredity argument. DD shuffled from about 11 mo and finally walked at about 14 months. She could get up quite a turn of speed with a sort of yogic flying action and I think your dd's pelvic thrusting sounds like the beginning of this. DD never crawled, and i think this made tackling stairs a bit more daunting (think daleks) but otherwise I couldn't see any problem with it. People do laugh though.

oh by the way, dd also always hated crawling, was late to roll over, didn't pull herself up or criuse much and I thought she would never shift herself. But she did.

dd1 hated tummy time and never rolled or crawled. She sat up at 6mo then went on to shuffling - doing a weirdy one leg forward other leg bent to steer her around.

My mum loved it as it was exactly the way I got about.

She finally walked at about 16/17mo (we had to hide her wheelybug to get her up on her feet - why walk when you can whizz around the house on 4 wheels!)

Am waiting with baited breath to see if dd2 is the same.

Mine was a bumshuffler - no incentive to walk as she could raid the cupboard for biscuits and make off at speed clutching them in both hands. Can't do that if you crawl

thank you everyone - i've been chuckling to myself so much reading this. there's just something so funny about the whole concept of bum shuffling and the weird ways that babies get themselves about. i know i shld just relax and enjoy my dd, but i've been so keen to get her somehow in motion since all babies her age seem to be crawling and getting around one way or another. but i'm sure she will in her own good time, and if she ends up like a dalek climbing stairs, pelvic thrusting her away across the kitchen floor and doing anything else like all the anecdotes in this thread, then it's going to be quite a thing to witness...

I've read that crawling isn't considered a formal development stage anyway ... which I kept reminding myself of when ds started to get mobile!

I have a bum-shuffler too. started at 7 months, now 11mo and now also cruises and walks with his "toddler-wobbler". he looks at his friends of the same age crawling like they're mad...

I was a bum-shuffler, and my ds was as well,never crawled at all. He started off by swivelling, then just shuffled everywhere. He also did that pelvic thrust thing too.

He took his first 'proper' steps on his own just after his first birthday, but prior to that I had a back-breaking month constantly bending over as he wanted to be 'walked' everywhere with me holding his hands for balance.

waiting for fanjo - that's the stage that i'm at. it's awful isn't it. dd can't pull up very well on her own, can only pull up on me, and can't walk unaided but demands that i walk her around everywhere holding onto her hands. this has been going on for almost a month already... grrr... i can't wait until she can actually pull up and walk alone.
glad to know i'm not alone... my dd is going to be a year old in a few weeks

Ooh I'm really glad I read this thread.

DS is 11 months. Has always hated being on his front. He bottom shuffles a bit but not covering any distance. He always looks like he's going to crawl, kind of gets into position then rocks back on to his bum - he can't seem to figure out his legs for crawling.

Feels like everyone else's baby was crawling months ago! He was a bit late smiling, rolling sitting etc but not this bad. But I'm sure he'll figure it all out in the end!

I was a bum shuffler...didn't walk till i was 2, my dd (now 3) was a bum shuffler, never crawled or cruised and one day aged 19 months just got up and walked across the room. DS now 1 also a bum shuffler not cruising etc so I guess it must be hereditary as I can't think of anything I may have done/not done to encourage them. Dont worry if health visitor start making noises just ignore them!

Glad i read this thread.

DD started bum shuffling suddenly at 11 months- well i say shuffling, did a kind of chimp thing with one arm forward and a leg tucked behind her.
She always hated being on her belly, and still does everything she can not to roll over. She was sitting up at 4 and a half months, and advanced in most other ways, so when she didnt do anything else until she was 11 months, it was a long wait.

Now shes 13 months, she hates her feet doing anything resembling walking. she can cruise easily, get up the stairs, stand up without holding on to help her, bend over to get a toy etc, but refuses to walk. DP was walking at 9 months, and i was nearer 2. Guess which one shes following. My twins 9 month very premature dd crawled very early, and now is more or less walking

I had a shuffler who never crawled and walked very late, at almost 2. When next dd started crawling we were a little freaked out and when she walked at 16 months we thought she was way ahead of herself!!

DS2 was a bum shuffler. It never seriously worried me and everyone thought it was hilarious watching him. He did graduate onto crawling and eventually, but he got up quite a speed with the shuffling so there was no real incentive for him.