Not crawling at 11 months - should I worry?

[herbaceous]

Hello there

I realise I'm probably being an over-anxious first time mother, but bear with me.

DS is nearly 11 months, but isn't crawling. He gets around by rolling, then spinning himself round to face whatever he wants, but he's only really started doing that in the past month or so.

He sat very early - before six months - and has been quite content just playing in one place. He seems quite on track with other skills: he's very dextrous, drinks unaided, and can understand a few instructions, but it's just his physical development I'm worried about.

He never liked being on his tummy or on his back, so didn't get much practice when he was younger. He's also pretty heavy - I'm wondering if that's a factor?

I saw the health visitor yesterday, and the fact that she had an opinion - see the GP if he doesn't start doing it in a couple of weeks - has made me worry! Also, he is blind in one eye with a condition that in a few rare instances can be linked with developmental delay.

Am I being PFB? Tell me tales of other late crawlers who are now in the Olympic team.

My DS didn't crawl until about 11.5 months. Once he did though he started walking just a few weeks later, and is now 19 months and running round everywhere!

DS also hated being on his tummy, I'm still not sure if that was a factor or not.

I've heard lots of other stories on here as well of even later crawlers. It's the later end of 'normal', but it's not actually 'late' to crawl, if you see what I mean. Don't worry!

My DS didn't crawl until the week before he was 1 - in fact he was cruising before he was crawling. Never rolled to get anywhere, no commando crawling, just up and crawled one day like he'd been doing it forever.

Walked at 14 months, but again, just went off on his own, and that was it.

At 4, I wish he was a little less energetic

I'm sure the HV was only being cautious because of your sons condition. My friends twins didn't crawl till 18 months, and the physio they were referred to wasn't terribly worried about it - they were referred as one twin had issues that might have been related

God, not every baby crawls.. my DD didn't.. she bum shuffled for a bit before walking at 14 months and she's fine. Why do they put that pressure on us?

I always swore I wouldn't be a competitive mum, and can't stand that sort of smuggery, but now all the babies in my NCT group are crawling - and one of them's even walking - I don't want him to be left behind! Gnnnn! Must. Not. Compare. Babies.

Neither of mine ever crawled. So you can never tell!

in a word, no. DD crawled at around 11 months, was so utterly speedy and efficient at it that she has only just started to walk (16.5 months). She is fine - has about 70 words, fully engaged with the world etc. Her cousin never crawled (neither did I, and I am obviously a genius ). We did start to fret (also PFB, probably only) but there was no need. No-one we saw was remotely worried, and rightly so...

dd is now 14 months and has been crawling about 6 weeks. I nearly posted on mn I was so excited the day she FINALLY moved! Like your ds op she sat early but just seemed happy to watch and then perfected the art of getting around by rolling. I must admit to being a little worried and comparing but in hindsight there really was no need. She learnt to cruise the same weekend so was a major leap forward. She now crawls at warp speed even faster than some of her peers. Also when she did crawl she went straight to the text book on hands and knees style with no commando stage. She is too a "big baby" and someone did suggest it makes things a little more of an effort!
All that I used to appreciate was that when I put her down she didn't wander off! There is something to be said for that! Enjoy it while you can

DD crawled the week she turned one, walked at 22 months and still isn't talking (2.3). She is fine, just really really stubborn. Try not to worry.

Just back from an NCT picnic, where all the other babies were crawling all over him, grabbing his toys, eating his food, etc. He looked so bemused.

I'd always aimed to be a laid back, 'he'll do it when he's ready' kind of mother, with no hot-housing, spending hours teaching him what noise a lion makes, etc, but of course now I worry I haven't 'stimulated' him enough.

I know. PFB! And, indeed, probably only.

My DS didn't crawl until after he walked at 15 months! The biggest pain was not being able to leave the room as he would shriek everytime I did due to me being his only mode of transport! He's not 3.5yrs and can't say his lack of crawling seems to be have done him any damage

My DS (who's on the large side) still doesn't really crawl. Around his 1st bday he started this funny dragging himself along the floor with his arms thing. I freaked and thought there was something wrong. He's now 15 months and on the brink of walking. I worried far too much about it and wish I hadn't. Crawling just isn't important. We put so much pressure on them to hit milestones at certain points... and the poor little blighters aren't even at school yet! If it helps, I heard that late crawlers learn to walk quicker as they've got more incentive.

DD didn't crawl - went straight to walking (started cruising at around 10 months) - prop him up against the sofa and see how he does! DD used to cling on the walls and work her way around a room - got a bit stuck when she got to doorways though.

I don't want to hijack the thread, but I was told that early walking and late talking are related in some way (DD was both of them) - is that true?

Thanks all, for your comfort! If I stand him against the sofa he does stay there, and he tries to pull himself up on furniture. Though because he doesn't crawl, he can't get to the furniture! He can't even get into a sitting position from lying down, so just does a 'flapping fish' motion when he gets to a wall or obstacle.

Oh its so confusing when they can't do something. My DD started bum shuffling at 12 months, pulling up at 14 months and walking completely unaided by 16 months. She hated being on her tummy and just loved to sit still holding things in her hands. She also sat unaided early. I think she started crawling at about 18 months when watching my friend's 8 month old doing it.

Please feel the full force of my sympathy. Even though you know it doesn't matter, just the sight of those early walking 11 month olds is enough to make you feel like you have somehow failed or you have a lazy child - Not True. And isn't it the most irritating thing of all when the other mothers say "Oh, you'll wish he wasn't crawling once he starts - I can't keep up with my super crawling 8 month old, blah ,blah". I hate all that fake stress that mothers do.

I think its a sign of intelligence. The kids who develop gross motor skills early aren't always the brightest.

Keep smiling and remember: This too shall pas.

Just read your original post.

"see the GP if he doesn't start doing it in a couple of weeks" what a pile of twaddle!

Some children are late walkers, some become bum shufflers. My brother John bum shuffled and didn't walk until 22 months. He went to Oxford and got a 1st. My mum regularly kept reminding me when my 2 DCs weren't where I thought they should be at each stage and now both are fine.

Talk about your HV panicking you!

SantaLucia - that's it exactly! All the 'ooh you'll regret it when they do - X is running everywhere' (preen preen). A bit like saying 'oh this old thing' when you compliment something they're wearing.

I too think late locomotion is a sign of intelligence! He's been too busy working out a cure for cancer, and solution to climate change, to bother with that clumsy crawling business.

He's got a fantastic sense of humour, too. And a huge, charming smile - that will get him a long way! (My turn to preen...)

X posted.

Preen away, he sounds gorgeous!

DS crawled at 11.5 months - commando style using one knee to pivot around the room
He's absolutely fine and was just a precursor to his lazyness!!

DD does have physical problems which were obvious from 6 mnths because she couldn't sit up very well. However she did crawl at 15 months and walked at 20 months.

Sounds like he is just perfecting his fine motor skills to me herbaceous!

Neither of my two were very quick out of the blocks. Actually, now I'm past the 'oh, is there something wrong with them?' stage, I think it's an advantage. They stay cute little babies a bit longer and the shorter the gap between them moving and acquiring just a little bit of common sense, the better IMHO.

Gorgeous DD started crawling about 2 weeks ago and she's 1 a week today!

Like your DS, she HATED tummy-time and didn't roll around but sat early, about 5 months I think.

I love it that she's crawling but it was much easier when I could put her down with her toys and know that she would still be there when I came back in the room - enjoy it while you can!

Definitely don't worry. As others have also said, my DSis never crawled, was always a bum-shuffler. Obviously, she's out of that stage now - but she's is 37!!

I really strongly agree with rosebud. Enjoy the babyhood that a lack of crawling / walking brings. Your dc will do it when they are ready and when they do they will suddenly feel like toddlers and all the new worries excitements that brings. My DS2 is 16 months and doesn't walk. GPs are super worried but babies just do it in their own time.

hey herbaceous congrats on the baby, I think we met on a couple of threads when yu were pregnant (the one about the cysts on the brain maybe?).
Come and join us on the posnatalclub here

my dd will be 12 months in a couple of weeks and still not crawling, and not showing any interest in it whatsoever.
Last weekend she took her first steps out of the blue...

Hi June! Nice to 'see' you again. Aren't the babies GREAT. I'll pop on over to the ante-natal thread. And good to hear, in a way, that your DD is similarly disinclined to move!

Oh, and one more thing I've remembered to worry about. He also can't get himself into a sitting position from lying, either on his front or his back. According to 'the book', he should have been doing this months ago.

Hiya

My DS has a lot in common with yours! He's a good sized fella too and at 10 months still can't pull himself up to sitting from lying down. He's also not keen on rolling so is happy sitting where he is and playing contentedly in one spot. However in just the last two days he has just started to drag himself around the room - not crawl, more haul - backwards (!)
Apparently babies prioritise what they're most interested in, since they can't learn it all at once. In the book Babies by Dr Christopher Green he says of the three main areas, gross motor, fine motor and speech, only early speech is a predictor of future smarts. And DS may be almost completely inert but he's been a chatterbox from day one. preen preen
I look on it positively in that he's putting his energy into communicating with me and DH rather than in making every effort to get away from us!