DS 10 months behind other babies/not doing much

[helenmelon7]

I'm getting a bit concerned about my 10 month old who seems to be behind compared to every other baby his age. I have a group of around 8 mum friends and they are all crawling, cruising, pulling themselves up, waving, saying mama/dada and some even taking their first steps. DS is doing none of these. I've been trying to persuade him to crawl but he rocks a little then sits back on his bum. He was quite late to sitting up aswell, I think it was about 8 months before he was steady sitting by himself.

He doesn't seem to show much affection either. Like if I put my hands out for him to come to me he doesn't do anything, same if DP does this. if I go out for a few hours and come back he isn't bothered by it or seem happy to see me. DP works away and when he gets home on a Friday DS is always smiley and happy to see him. He sometimes claps but only randomly and not if I do it and ask him to clap aswell he doesn't copy me. He has good eye contact and is quite a happy and content baby and has always slept really well but for the past few weeks I can't help feel a bit worried and sad that there may be something up, watching every other baby hit all these milestones meanwhile there's not much happening over here. He's only just started confidently rolling both ways the past few weeks. I haven't spoke to health visitor yet as I am waiting for the review they have around this age but just hoping to get some advice in the meantime.

You could have been describing my DS1. He didn't sit up reliably until 10months, didn't crawl til 14 months, didn't walk til 18 months. I worried so much as all his peers were so much more advanced.

He's now 25, and absolutely fine!

All babies are different. He may be better at different things than those other babies, but those other things aren't so obvious. Mine still doesn't wave or point at 12 months and has only just mastered rolling from back to front, but he's been able to clap on command since 8 mo I think and is now starting to talk.

At your review the HV can give you some "play" exercises to help develop the things he is behind in. You'll probably find that one day he'll just randomly do a new thing like he's been secretly mastering it behind your back all along!

I think I've been more worried because I was talking to a friend who was talking about how her nephew had just been diagnosed with autism and how he too was like DS and behind with the same things, now it's kind of stuck in my head.

When did your health visitor come? I think DS was only about 2/3 months when I last seen or heard from one.

They do the review between 9-12 months: ours was around 11 months

DS was around about the same age...sat at about 7.5 months & crawled about 10 months. He walked at about 15 months

He was always quite far ahead with his speech though and had caught up with other kids physically by the time he was about 18 months and runs around like a lunatic now at almost 4. I think he is potentially mildly on the autistic spectrum but he is absolutely fine and doing well at preschool and making little friends and starting to learn to read, nothing that I'm worried about

My friends baby is 11 months and hasn't met any of those physical milestones either, although he does say some words. She's not at all worried because her DH was a late developer too and turned out fine. I'm not sure if it's all that relevant but it might be worth asking your parents and in laws about your own development, maybe it's just a family trait.

@helenmelon7 how is your baby now? X

@Chzm he is absolutely thriving! I have zero concerns about him now. His speech has been amazing for a good while now and I love being able to have full blown conversations with him now, in fact out of the group of 8 I mentioned he was way ahead with his talking, the same as potty training he picked it up absolutely no bother and pretty much potty trained himself when he was 2. Nursery reports always say he is exceeding. I'm incredibly proud of him. He's has the typical 2 year old stubbornness and can be quite bossy but overall he is a real joy. He didn't walk until he was 17 months but he certainly makes up for being a bit of a potato baby now, he does not stop 😂 he still isn't very affectionate but neither am I in general and I think that's just our personalities, although he does sometimes get affectionate with his dad (his favourite person) just not very often me! No concerns from the health visitor either.