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Original poster

8 months old not sitting up independently - should I be worried?

22 replies

gemloving · 27/12/2021 19:59

Hi mums,

My DS2 will be 8 months in two days and he's not sitting up independently. We have a lot of friends / acquaintances with babies that are of similar age. Lots of Christmas pictures and their babies are sitting up and mine isn't.

I don't have any other concerns, he's happy, sleeps well, now eats well (solids), is really strong on his tummy and does a full circle on his tummy, plays with his toys etc but if I put him in a sitting position, he moves forward onto his tummy straight away and is very wobbly generally.

What do you think, should I get him checked out? Did you have a "late" sitter? At this rate, I see him crawling before he can sit up.

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Original poster

gemloving · 27/12/2021 21:21

Bump

OP posts:

peekiboo · 27/12/2021 21:25

DS was sitting up at less than 5 months so it came as shock when DD was unable to sit up at 9 months. Her paediatrician wasn't overly concerned (she was under their care following problems at birth) as she was meeting all other milestones. By 13 months she was walking! I have no idea how 'normal' it is not to be sitting up so late but it's always worth getting it checked if you are concerned

gingerninja99 · 27/12/2021 21:26

My dd didn't sit until 8.5 months, at all, she went from that to sitting, crawling and then walking by 10 months so I wouldn't worry yet x

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Wandda · 27/12/2021 21:27

None of my three dc sat up before 9 months.

AfterGlow87 · 27/12/2021 21:30

Hi OP, happy Christmas! My baby was born 7 weeks early but is nearly 8 months actual and like yours, not sitting unaided yet. Great on my knee and in his high chair but v wobbly and only lasts a few seconds on his own.

I seen a physio last week who checked him over and said nothing wrong with him, he’s just a big baby (which he is, you’d never know he was preterm and is very long with a big head!) so has trouble balancing himself. He also has lazy baby syndrome and won’t roll from back to front - the physio said this may be in part why he won’t sit up, his upper back muscles not fully developed. I was given exercises to do and a review again in 6-8 weeks.

I was so worried like yourself as loads of babies I know the same age are sitting in front of the tree etc but I feel much better. Could you see a physio for some reassurance? I feel I’m constantly worrying about milestones, wish I could relax a bit myself but it’s hard as I’m a natural worrier and FTM!!

BertieBotts · 27/12/2021 21:30

It's a 4-9 month milestone apparently. DS1 crawled and cruised before he could sit unaided. It really annoyed him because he could crawl to get to a toy but not stay upright to play with it.

I gave DS2 loads of sitting practice and he did it earlier although not sure that was actually down to me, may have been a fluke! With DS1 I was really concerned about him meeting milestones on his own time and didn't really try to encourage anything, just let him have loads of time to roll around on the floor which is meant to be best.

BertieBotts · 27/12/2021 21:33

DS3 is 4mo now and if I put him in a sitting position he sometimes stays for a few seconds but then falls over forwards.

Original poster

gemloving · 27/12/2021 21:38

@Wandda I spoke to mum and she said my brother didn't sit before 9 months. She said it was her first baby and she had no clue, there was no google, so she was never concerned.

@AfterGlow87 you sound more concerned than me mama! He was 7 weeks pregnant, please go by due date, not the date he was born Mine was almost 2 weeks early. He is doing brilliantly!

@BertieBotts mine could end up being like your DS1. I had the same when he was 4 months but he's just not ready. I have no doubt he will get there eventually and don't think there is any disability but sometimes it's hard not to compare + I feel like it'll make my life easier x

OP posts:

MissMaple82 · 27/12/2021 21:52

Nope, don't compare, they all develop at different rates

Quackajack · 27/12/2021 22:15

My daughter didn't sit up until 10 months. I had the health visitor coming round as I was concerned on the same day she sat up and stood up. She was walking on her first birthday no problem.

maybemu · 28/12/2021 08:17

No! Have you ever met an able bodied adult who can't sit, walk, talk, eat? None of these things need to be worried about. Enjoy your gorgeous baby growing at their own rate

JustWonderingIfYou · 28/12/2021 08:22

I would be really worried you're not even supposed to wean if they can't sit unaided as it means their internal muscles aren't developed.

I would get an appointment with a person physio ASAP, they'll have some exercises that should help strengthen the right bits.

All babies are different but milestone development can have an impact in later life. Eg. Non-crawlers(bum shufflers) tend to be much less co-ordinated later on and have messy handwriting. Something to do with engaging opposite sides of the body/brain. I'm not sure what but I'd be supposed if there wasn't an impact from very late sitting.

peasoup8 · 28/12/2021 08:37

I would be really worried you're not even supposed to wean if they can't sit unaided as it means their internal muscles aren't developed.

@JustWonderingIfYou That’s not even true - babies don’t need to sit unaided to wean, they just need to be able to sit supported.

SimpsonsXmasBoogie · 28/12/2021 08:38

I think it's later than average but still very much in the normal range.

JustWonderingIfYou · 28/12/2021 08:42

@peasoup8

I would be really worried you're not even supposed to wean if they can't sit unaided as it means their internal muscles aren't developed.

@JustWonderingIfYou That’s not even true - babies don’t need to sit unaided to wean, they just need to be able to sit supported.

Well then a newborn could be weaned. You can prop up any age of baby, especially in a bumbo or something similar.

I was told sit unaided because it meant the muscles that supported their digestive system/stomach were strong enough- tbh though that was from a HV not a doctor. I am sure everywhere says sit unaided for weaning rather than supported. And make sure they can hold head up when seated to swallow correctly etc.

EarringsandLipstick · 28/12/2021 08:50

I am sure everywhere says sit unaided for weaning rather than supported.

You're completely wrong!

Babies need to be able to support their heads and be able to sit eg in a chair or whatever. As of course OP's baby can - they just can't sit independently yet.

I'm a bit worried you have such uninformed views which you're stating as fact!

Turquoisesol · 28/12/2021 08:53

My ds didn’t sit really til 9 months. I think he actually crawled first. If we put him in sitting position he would immediately go into ready to crawl position as he liked to be on the go and wasn’t really a baby for sitting around. He is very sporty now and atill doesn’t like sitting still.

pradavilla · 28/12/2021 10:03

I wld be concerned but because it's natural as a mum to compare. I'm sure they'll do it in their own time.

My kids were both able to sit around 5months old. My niece didn't sit up for ages which I thought was strange. Only around 8-9 months old. She was however excellent on her tummy and that's where she spent most of her time. She also loved rolling about and cld go from one end of the room to the other. Maybe this is ur little ones preference for now.

BertieBotts · 28/12/2021 10:07

Lots of people quote unaided but they are wrong, they have misread the guidance. No official source says unaided, and never has. I remember when sitting ability was even added to the guidance!

Newborns can't be weaned (well they could, but it would be a terrible idea) according to guidance because babies need to be 17 weeks AND sitting (supported is fine) AND able to get food to their mouth by themselves/have lost tongue thrust reflex.

There is also a big difference between a floppy 0-4 month old, you know when you see them in the sitting up part of a buggy and they are just completely leant over to one side, compared to a 5-6 (-7-8) month old who has core body strength to hold their head up when in a seated position but can't actually maintain that position completely unsupported.

The sitting part is just about avoiding choking, because any lumps of food that they struggle with will just harmlessly fall out of their mouth. Whereas if you still need to sit them in a reclined position (e.g. like I can remember my baby brother being weaned 20 years ago, probably at 3/4 months old) there is a greater risk of choking if they are not being fed completely smooth purees (basically, liquid).

There is a theory that the hand to mouth coordination might be linked to development of the gut but it's only a theory with no actual evidence. Probably your HV was referring to that and didn't explain very well.

Original poster

gemloving · 08/01/2022 18:13

Update: he can now sit unaided although I leave him on his tummy most of the tome as he's not quite stable and I'd rather not him bang his head
.

OP posts:

Diggersaursarethebest · 08/01/2022 18:27

The day I felt my baby was able to sit independently was the day he starting cruising furniture. He went from standing holding on the the sofa to sitting on his bottom and that showed me he could sit. He started crawling a month before this happened.

Diggersaursarethebest · 08/01/2022 18:28

Babies don’t always hit milestones in the right order.

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