10 month won't crawl!

[butterflytrain]

I'm sure this post probably exists somewhere in the mums net world but would like some words of encouragement and help please . My LO is 10 months and is showing no signs of crawling at all. He hates tummy time but I persevere every day and at every opportunity. He has only recently learnt to roll over both ways but doesn't seem to be able to bear weight on his arms or bring his knees up. I'm so worried. Was thinking about taking him to an cranial osteopath and was wondering if any other mums found success this way? What else can I do? I feel like such a failure of a mum. What am I doing wrong or what did I do wrong? Should I have done more tummy time when he was little? I felt like it was just fire fighting when he was little with breastfeeding issues, tongue ties etc. Maybe I didn't focus enough on tummy time? Am just feeling really low at the moment and feel like whenever I am out with other mums who have babies the same age, I am being judged. Or if a stranger asks how old he is, and if he is crawling, I feel so low and ashamed of myself when I tell them he isn't and he isn't showing any signs either. Have I hindered his development by not starting early enough?

[Lazypuppy]

My dd didn't crawl until 14 months, walked at 16 months.

I enjoyed the extra 6 months of a non mobile baby!!

[johnd2]

Totally agree with all the replies and yes babies learn whatever they like, when they like, and unless you strap then in a dark room all day it seems they will do it anyway!
but i just wanted to say to @Rookiegardener i was reading the red book today and they said to getAny cracking or issues with leg flexibility or strength checked out as there is something called developmental hip displasia i think, but basically the hip isn't quite in place at the top.
It can be corrected with physio but the earlier the better, they do try to detect it at the 6 weeks check but it can easily develop later.
And sorry for crashing the thread!

[butterflytrain]

Thank you so much guys. You have really lifted my spirits! I know I need to worry less and having this forum is so reassuring.

[Topseyt]

Crawling isn't a developmental milestone at all although many people seem convinced that it is.

Two out of my three didn't crawl at all. They bum shuffled. They were walking perfectly well by the time they were 2. They are all grown up now and have never had any physical problems. You certainly wouldn't know which one was the only crawler.

I've never heard of tummy time. It sounds pointless to me because they will do whatever they will do. I certainly never did anything like it. If your baby doesn't like it then stop doing it.

[theboardgame]

He might be absolutely fine. Children develop at different times. However, If I were you, I would like to check with the GP the fact that he doesn't bear weight on his arms or bring his knees up. You might want to ask for the referral to the Pediatrics for further evaluation.

[BertieBotts]

Crawling is not considered a developmental milestone, as some babies skip it.

Don't worry :) The milestone you're looking for is whether he's able to move himself around, and even then it's not until 12 months that it's due. Just because some babies do it earlier, it doesn't mean that your baby should, or that it's wrong if he doesn't.

They all do things on their own time and it's important to remember that. It doesn't mean he won't be athletic later. He is probably focusing on some other skill and just isn't interested in moving around just yet.

This is useful, explains the difference with some older milestone lists or common knowledge/advice about when crawling happens and suggests you've done something right by placing him on his back to sleep :)

www.nytimes.com/2001/04/29/us/baby-not-crawling-reason-seems-to-be-less-tummy-time.html?pagewanted=1

[Fishfingersandwichplease]

My daughter went from not showing any signs of crawling to cracking it in 3 days at 10 months so l wouldn't panic x

[Mindymomo]

My first DS never crawled, but just started walking at 11 months, he also did not speak till 2.5 years. My second DS crawled but took longer to walk and was speaking early on. They are all different.

[MrFlibblesEyes]

Just to add the inching himself along thing happened when I started putting him on a very slippy floor in a babygro so he could slide himself along. I think thats when he grasped the concept of forwards momentum which he then applied later to normal crawling!

[MrFlibblesEyes]

Ds didn't make even the slightest attempt to crawl until just before he turned 10 months when he discovered he could inch himself along. I was getting really worried as he never pushed up onto extended arms let alone got up on all fours so I was worrying that there was something wrong with his arms/shoulders. A couple of days after the inchowrm moving he just got up and started crawling like he had been doing it all his life, no slipping over or anything! It's almost a month and a half later and he is cruising and crawling everywhere and looks like he is about to take his first steps! Don't worry things can change so quickly at this age!

[therewillbelies]

Please try not to worry OP. Neither of mine crawled at all. Both went straight to cruising/walking at 15-17 months. First didn't even roll. All fine now at 9 and 12 years. Every baby is different and will crawl/walk when they get to it.

[doireallyneedaname]

I really slacked with tummy time and had the same concerns as you. My baby refused to even lift his head up and just screamed into the floor for months. Then one day he suddenly got up on his arms and started looking around, so I’m not convinced tummy time or a lack of will actually affect babies negatively. They are biologically hardwired to do these things and they’ll do them at their own pace. Anyway, he’s 7 months now and he’s not crawling yet but he lifts himself up an al fours and sticks his bum in the air so we’re almost there.

[toomanyspiderplants]

My DD crawled at 12 months. think ahead to when they are 5 years running around the playground. can you tell which ones walked/ crawled early. no! stop worrying my DD is now 11 and it goes by so quick, you are not a failure. ,enjoy your baby!

[Frazzled2207]

My mother insists I never crawled at all. I did however get up and walk at about 11 months. I’m 42 now and fairly normal.

[THNG5]

My dd never crawled. At around 12 months, she started bum shuffling. She's now 16 months and is walking. My other 2 both crawled at different ages. There's no right time but if you do think something is wrong, talk to your hv.

[Twizbe]

Didn't read the whole post but wanted to say both my perfectly normal and healthy children didn't crawl until 11 months (my youngest was almost 1)

They walked quite quickly after. My son crawled first at Christmas and walked first at easter.

Babies develop at their own pace and it's nothing to worry about.

I found with both mine (my youngest in particular) that speech development was a bit advanced of their peers who crawled / walked earlier.

[pinkgin85]

Op my 9 month old is the same, just sits and moans because he wants to move but can't crawl. He can roll from his front to his back but won't do it the other way as hates tummy time. My DC1 was 6 weeks early and was crawling by now! I'm not worried as he's bright and and happy and I'm sure he'll get there like yours will

[Ffsffsffsffsffs]

Neither of my 2 dc crawled at all. Not even an attempt. My first found tummy time extremely distressing so we stopped it quite quickly, and my second had horrific reflux so we only made a couple of tries at tummy time before the screaming and vomitty carpet made us stop.

Both were excellent bum shufflers and made their first steps around 15m (though they kept the bum shuffling for longer as they were faster this way).

Babies' heads are massive compared to the rest of their bodies, it takes a lot of strength to lift them from faceplant position on their tummies. Please don't worry op

[firstimemamma]

P.s. when my fiancé and I were babies (we are early thirties now) tummy time wasn't even a thing and we are both fine. I know these days it's encouraged and I'm not trying to say it's bad but just that it's really not the be all and end all.

I'm presuming you cuddled your baby and kept them fed, warm and clean - in which case well done, you are doing a great job

[wonderstuff]

Crawling isn't developmentally important, lots of babies never crawl and don't have any problems, just skip the crawling. Babies have grown up without tummy time for hundreds of years. I think it became a 'thing' when the back to bed campaign was launched as people thought it might support some muscle development, I don't think there's any research linked to it.
Babies follow a wide development curve and theres a huge variation in normal. My daughter didn't sit up until after she could walk, don't think it occurred to her to stay still while she was awake until she was 12 months old.

Contact your HV team if you're worried, that's what they're there for.

[firstimemamma]

Plenty of babies never crawl and that's absolutely fine and normal op. They either get about some other way e.g bum shuffle or just get up and walk one day. Some babies are dark horses! Try to relax and remember your baby is unique.

My baby crawled later than 10 months (can't really remember the exact age) and walked at 18 months. Now he's 2 and runs around everywhere and there is no stopping him!

FWIW when they are mobile it can be stressful so instead of wishing time away / longing for the next stage, try to soak up and enjoy what u have now

[MrsBungle]

My dd never crawled. She started bum shuffling around 1.

[NickMarlow]

Dd1 HATED tummy time, just face planted the floor and sobbed, so I gave up. She sat at 8 months, bum shuffled at 15 months, never crawled, never cruised, eventually walked just after her 2nd birthday. Shes nearly 6 and apart from.being more nervous about climbing than some of her friends,you would never know. She had amazing fine motor control and speech very early, just wasnt interested in moving.

From experience, there is nothing you can do to make a toddler or baby move if they don't want to! Speak to your health visitor for reassurance, but I really think it's far too early to be worried.

[Rookiegardener]

Oh wow OP, I really feel for you. Mum guilt is the worst but this has nothing at ALL to do with you. A lot of things from now on won't.. when you're child talks.. when they sleep through the night.. etc etc. My baby is also 10 months and just recently learnt to roll over and he doesn't crawl either. He is very alert, perfectly happy, and he likes to hold things and stand rather than attempt to crawl. He can't bear any weight on his knees and they crack sometimes. I give him vitamin D drops and I also take it as a sign that he isn't ready yet. When his bones and muscles are, he will. My friend also recently had her baby start crawling (after many doctors visits), at 12 months. He never rolled either: just simply started crawling one day.

Don't feel ashamed or guilty. When our babies are 5/6 years old, no one will know who crawled when etc. Please just try to relax and enjoy your baby. I'm just counting my blessings that my cupboards aren't being emptied out all the time or my house being turned upside down... yet

[catfeets]

I can guarantee you that it is absolutely nothing that you have or haven't done. My baby despised tummy time and I was ill for months after the birth so physically couldn't get down on the floor with her at all. She's 7 months now and one day she was screaming her head off about being on her front, the next she was commando crawling, it can be that fast. Doing extra tummy time would be unlikely to speed up you baby.
I worried over the same issue and my mum told me that tummy time wasn't even a thing when I was a baby, they were supposed to be on their back as much as possible. I was an early crawler/walker despite doing no tummy time.
I now have similar worries about my baby not being able to sit up even though I know they all do it in their own time.