8 month old doesn't respond to name or 'No'

[ImSureISaidNo]

Dd is average on everything I think but I'm starting to wonder about a few things.

She doesn't really respond to her name, occasionally/rarely she does but I think it's coincidence. To be fair it could be that I use a tonne of nicknames for her and had a bit of name doubt during the first 4 months so never really used it much.

However it's more her response to No combined with not responding to her name that's worrying me. I'm starting to have trouble changing her nappy, occasionally when she's occupied with a toy I manage but she often drops the toy, or would rather roll over mid change etc so I tell her "No" sort of firmly but it doesn't make much difference, "Stop" sometimes gets through to her but not often. Do I need to be concerned? I know it's an autistic flag (nothing wrong with autism but would prefer to know sooner than later for what I'm dealing with etc).

I don't raise my voice much when telling her No, do I need to? Obviously not shout it but raise it?! What do you do/ did you do?

I'm not sure that it is realistic to expect an 8 month old baby to understand words just yet.

At eight months old? Have a read that right?

Of course she won’t respond to ‘no’ or ‘stop’ at eight months old. If there’s a behaviour you don’t want to encourage or grabbing what she shouldn’t you remove and ignore.

The name thing- who knows? Like you say you’ve been using lots of nicknames etc.

She’s 8 months old, you won’t be able to expect her to automatically stop whatever she’s doing at the word no for a long time yet! There is no need for you to raise your voice at all.

If she responds to noises and you can tell that she can hear, then it really doesn’t sound like you have anything to worry about.

A baby this age won't understand no or stop etc
The words have no meaning to them yet I don't think.

Definitely doesn't sound like anything to worry about at all

I don't think they listen to "no" until at least 17 do they?

And please don’t raise your voice to a baby, it’s not necessary at all and she won’t understand.

Sounds normal for an 8 months old. I'd be surprised if the complied with the word "No" at that age.

Thanks. Well I use the wonder weeks app and read quite a bit online and what I've read says they should be able to understand a firm No. My other mum friends use a firm No and apparently their babies respond . I only tell her No or Stop when its getting out if hand and she gets her hand in the dirty nappy somehow etc, majority of the time I'm able to distract her etc.

Why would you be telling an 8mo baby a 'firm no' for dropping a toy anyway I think the other mothers are pulling your leg.

I guess I've been worrying too much. They all develop at different times and need to bear this in mind more!

No I'm not telling her No for dropping a toy that would be mean just when she's trying to roll away mid change

Sounds a bit like my 14 year old
Honestly I wouldn't worry.

Even if she recognises the word, there’s no way she’ll have the brain capacity to understand it means she should stop doing the thing you don’t want her to do, let alone remember not to do it the next time before you have to say it. There’s a good chance your friends are talking bollocks, people do when it comes to their baby’s development.

She might recognise the word no if you say it if the enough but that’s as fair as it’ll go for quite some time.

I give her the toy to hopefully stop her from rolling away

Great. Thanks everyone.

She's not a dog. She is 8 months old if you want her to know what no means you have to accompany it by an action. If she starts to roll over mid nappy change say no whilst moving her back into the right position. No need for a short sharp no or any other nonsense.

Please stop looking for autism and enjoy your baby. You will worry these precious years away

My eldest had terrible recall (makes them sound like a dog) but wouldn’t answer to their name, wouldn’t come back outside and I thought they were just being a little bugger.

Turned out to be glue ear and they had less than 10% hearing in their right ear. Once we knew what it was I couldn’t believe we’d missed it. Anything that was said on their right handside was completely ignored, not because it wasn’t being listen to but because they couldn’t bloody hear.

Has her hearing been tested?

Just sen they’re only eight months! Don’t sweat it, they most likely don’t understand what you’re saying!

At that age they respond better to tone. Take a toy to nappy change and if she starts to wriggle give her the toy or a wipe etc keep her animated and she won’t roll away.

The wonder weeks is pseudoscience at best.

ASQ for 8 months does ask if baby will briefly stop an activity when responding to tone of voice, but it's not something which would overly concern me if parents report they don't. And it's not something I would expect if baby is wriggling away or upset about a nappy change.

Development is a continuum rather than a schedule.

@Hellocatshome oh that explains why she doesn't have a fluffy tail

Ah and thanks for the tip about correcting her, I was just letting her pooey butt roll around all over the carpet and wondering why she didn't crawl back apologising....

@ImSureISaidNo err ok, I wasn't the one expecting an 8 month old to understand the word no but if it makes you feel better carry on

If you are really concerned asked for her hearing to be tested - specifically glue ear.

My baby is a similar age. There is no way she could understand no. I'm sure my older daughter was much older than that when she did.

She responds to me calling her name, but not because it's her name. She is just responding to someone calling out. I've tested this by using different words - she responds to them all.

One of my nct group posted something from the wonder weeks app a few months ago about where our babies "should" be with their development. I was shocked, what they were saying seemed off the mark for my children. Like fitting one toy inside another at 6 months.