DS is 9 and a half months and still not babbling consonants. Is that normal?

[Bambinoloveseggbirds]

I hope somebody can reassure me please. As the subject title says, my DS isn't making any consonant sounds at all. He does make noises and we quite often get an "arrrrrgh, or garrrgh" and he sometimes has "conversations" with himself shouting arrrghs etc, but no ma, da or baas. I think his hearing is ok as he does turn to sounds and looks at us when we call his name. He laughs and giggles, and even rocks side to side to music or when something has interested him so he is hearing ok I think.

I do talk to him throughout the day and say ma da etc over and over hoping he'll copy me but nothing. Not helping that SiL (DH's sister) is always making digs saying "oh I thought he'd be crawling by now", "isn't he saying anything, he needs to go to baby groups to be with other babies" therefore implying that he isn't socialising enough and I'm holding him back(he starts nursery in January). Nor does it help that my neice (brother's DD), who is a month older, was crawling (DS not crawling yet either, but can kneel and get on all fours), babbling, doing her PHD (or so it seemed) at 8 months. I feel so much pressure on a daily basis and at the end of each day just feel like the crappiest mummy ever. I am just so worried all the time and feel like everybody is judging me.

I think he's doing fine and you are definitely doing all the right things here.Try not to compare him with other babies, they all do things at their own pace.
Lots of babes his age are not crawling and he sounds very active otherwise.

About his babbling, as he has no hearing issues and seems smiley and sociable, I would not worry.
You are chatting to him and saying sounds to him, I am sure in the next month you will see him start to do mamama or dadada or babab.As he is already being vocal in that conversational way, I think he is getting there now

This site has great info about helping babies and young children to talk www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/parentsleaflet.pdf

Do your HV's do 9 month checks? It's the kind of thing they will talk to you about and can give you support (hopefully) if you are worrying a lot at the mo.

PS SIL sounds like an insensitive cow

Many thanks Drooper. My friends have said that babies do stuff at very different times and I think he is trying to do lots of new things at once - he is trying to pull himself up and he's 3 quarters of the way to crawling, just seems to have a rogue foot he doesn't know what to do with. His top teeth are close to coming through soon too so there's a lot going on. I just spend every evening wondering if I'm doing enough or talking to him enough.

We get checks at 1 year round here but I will give it another month and if nothing, I'll take him to the doctors.

Thanks again

And yes, my SiL is indeed a bitch insensitive cow

Don't feel bad, all babies develop at different rates and crawling early, for example, is not a prediction of baby's IQ!
All doctors agree that as long as babies seem alert, try new things etc. they are fine. You don't know, your DS might end up talking earlier than your SIL's DD. In any case, it does not matter and you can drive yourself crazy comparing with other babies or reading baby books.
My DD is almost 9 mo and some things (like hand clapping) she could do months ago and with some she was sort of on the edge-for instance she had a week of ma-ma-ma when 6 mo, then no consonants til v.recently, and all of the sudden it's mamama bababa all day long.She also started getting on all fours just a few weeks ago and is just trying to crawl. It can happen v.suddenly!
Anyway, your boy seems like he's doing great!

And, FFS,9mo babies don't need to socialize!

Thanks winnybella. DS clapped yesterday, well, he got his palms together once so I'm counting it as a clap he likes to slap his palm on surfaces, and me, at the moment which is a little development of its own I think. He is also teething and my friend said that he might be concentrating on that before starting on anything else.

I go back to work soon, albeit part-time, and although I am looking forward to a grown up aspect of life again, I feel quite sad at the thought of leaving him and the realisation that I might miss out on seeing him do new things, like his first steps. Here's hoping he does that on my days off.

Just start humming or whistling when people start wittering on about "he should be doing this/that blah blah blah by now". If they all stopped reading bloody baby books and making endless comparisons everyone would be much happier to just enjoy their babies.

FWIW - my DD never crawled ever, but walked at 10.5mths. DS never crawled but bottom shuffled and didn't walk til 17mths. DD was an early talker. DS didn't talk much at all til he was 2, now he never shuts up and can communicate very very well (at 2.7yrs).

They're both bright and happy. They just couldn't read the flipping prescriptive baby manuals telling them when they should be doing things

Just keep playing with him, chatting to him and loving him. I'm sure you are the bestest mum ever

at amazonianwoman

Thank you so much ladies. I feel a lot better today. DS' tooth is almost cutting and I'm sure he'll do the other stuff when he's ready. I will just carry on singing, repeating animal noises and dancing around the kitchen as before. He laughs lots so I must be doing something right.