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?

Not a chance mine complied with the word no at 8 months! No issues with their communication skills tho.
Unfortunately nappy changes were a battle from the moment they could roll until potty trained at 3years. They just don't like keeping still!
I've not sure what age they responded to their name but I'm fairly certain it would have been selective - probably responded when they knew something good was coming.
Please don't worry. I also found the wonder weeks app very inaccurate at times!

@Sausagesausagesausage

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

It's about 23 in this house.

Wait until she’s a teenager😖

Change her sideways on, and gently use your elbow/forearm on her chest to keep her from rolling over.

Babies that age will not understand or respond to the word 'No'. All they might do is be startled into immobility by a raised voice.

She may never respond to no. You should prepare yourself for that

my grandson is nearly 8 months old, turns when you call his name but has no idea what no means
your over thinking things

Ah, the trying to escape when you are changing their nappy stage.

I remember it well, having to somehow gently pin down a determined ds with one arm and not hurting him, while trying to change an explosive poo nappy with the other. They are remarkably strong for such little people!

It would have been nice it he understood NO. This is just the start, the next few months will be difficult as you try to communicate to her and she has other ideas of what she wants to be doing!

Keep calm, there is no need to be "firm" with an 8 month old, try to distract them instead, keep it light hearted even when you are frustrated and don't take it personally when they ignore you.

Wonder weeks says that a 4 month old is supposed to hold a book and look at the pictures :o :o listen to a "scolding tone of voice" :o :o and "distinguish a sound from a medley of sounds" :o :o Just some I found amusing when checking the app recently.

It's bollocks. And Americans are very keen on no and scolding, expectation of obedience and consequences in their parenting judging by the American parenting books I have read. Maybe a puritanical hangover? I think British parenting is generally a bit softer.

To be fair to wonder weeks, I think they do say that no baby will do all the milestones at once and all babies do them at different times. Just because it's on a list for that "leap" it does not mean they are expected to do it.

Babies don't inherently understand the word no, but they will start to make connections between cause and effect, so if you consistently say no while moving them away from things that you don't want them to have, they will after a while understand that "no" means "I don't want you to have that". Developing the impulse control to actually stop going for the object on the other hand takes a few more years, so you can save your breath if you like and just try to make their environment child safe.

Try not to spend your child's early months worrying about autism. Just enjoy the lovely milestones and interesting things that they are doing and trust that they will catch up with whatever they are not. They get there in their own time.

I ended up deleting that Wonder Weeks App as all it was doing was causing me anxiety if my baby wasn’t meeting all of the leap milestones! My own baby certainly wouldn’t know what No meant, I seriously doubt any 8 month old baby would! He responds to his name alright but also does to Mr Moo so who knows if he actually understands it 😅

BTW for nappy changes at that age I would get DS1 to stand up as he loved standing holding onto things. I used pull ups (they are just as absorbant as normal nappies, they are not for potty training) and after a while I even learned to do a normal nappy change standing.

DS2 could not stand but we had this flashing/musical toy arch from when he was a newborn that he'd got bored of so I changed him under that and suddenly it was interesting again as he'd not played with it in ages and kept it only for nappy changes so it was always a novelty.

Thank you so much to all of those with decent responses to a first time mum with the first baby in the family, much appreciated.

@ImSureISaidNo

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.

You do realise that all babies aren’t the same right ??? For example some walk at 9m others not until way past 12m. It’s not a competition

This is why there are changing mats you can strap them into.

Honestly never mind the bloody wonder app!

If you had a non sleeping baby who doesn’t give a shiny shit whether he’s in a ‘leap’ or not because he simply does what he does, you’d have deleted it ages ago. I still do the NCT chat but I’ve learnt to take that with a MASSIVE pinch of salt. (No, your baby cannot play the maracas at four months old, Natalie)

My baby is nearly 1.
At 8 months it was so hard with nappy changing and rolling. It's just a phase I promise.
They learn sequences soon so your child will know what happens next etc. I talk through everything I'm doing.
A box of distractions helped us. I changed it every week. Just sponges, sudocrem bottle, spoons etc.
It gets easier!

Shake a rattle behind her head to see if she turns to look what noise is. If she turns she can hear, if not get her hearing tested. Is she babbling and saying dada or mama? By 8 months she should be babbling/saying something.

I mean this as kindly as possible, i have an 8 month old too and to respond to ‘no’ is a completely unrealistic expectation.
Please don’t raise your voice to her.
Babies roll around on the mat, that’s what they do. Getting those nappies on without a pooey foot is tricky for sure but just work round her and move her back etc

All completely normal OP. In fact I’d be more worried if your baby did lie there compliantly while having her nappy changed.

Absolutely LOLing at the concept of an 8 month old listening to commands during nappy change. My 17mo is like a enraged octopus when changing her. And if I tell her ‘no’ she just shouts it back at me and runs off

@Scrunchies 😂

Just to make it clear I'm not expecting compliance 😂 just like a momentary pause gor even half a second and then carry on as she was. But obviously not just yet which has reassured me a lot!

My 22 month old still doesn't respond to 'no' and kicks up a huge fuss when I change his nappy. I really wouldn't worry about it OP.

Talk to your gp if your concerned, the internet isn’t helpful when it comes to medical issues but it’s probably nothing to be concerned with

I have a 19 month old honestly op please stop worrying, yours sounds exactly like mine was, he didn't even speak then.

He only started speaking and understanding me after a year, can't pinpoint when but between 14-18 months.

Now he's learning new words everyday and understands many of the questions I ask him. But still mostly still one word answers e.g, yeah, and no.

8 months is so so little, my boy wasn't even doing much then still mostly just existing lol.. Only recently he's more like a little person.

All they might do is be startled into immobility by a raised voice.

^ yes it might just trigger the freeze response by scaring her