Baby not bearing weight & other delays

[Ivfgottahope]

I’ve got an appointment with a paediatrician in a fortnight despite my GP and HV not being concerned, but I was wondering if anyone experienced similar so I can try and put that awful gnawing feeling at bay for the time being!

My 8.5 mo DD still can’t bear weight on her legs - if I try she just bounces on her toes as though she’s in a jumperoo (we don’t have one). Most LOs I see her age are near enough upright and taking assisted steps! She also can’t pull to standing (or even tries) or crawl but I appreciate it may be a little early for either. She only started babbling from 7.5 months. She’s always been noisy though and her fine motor is advanced, she’s also really observant.

She seemed to be on time for everything up to 6 months but since then I feel she’s fallen massively behind. The HV seems to think as long as she attempts to move and is alert there’s no cause for concern.

Im just a bit worried, I heard babies either excel at movement or speech and she doesn’t seem to do either! There’s also no waving clapping or pointing. She is a big baby (91st percentile!)

anyone have similar and everything turn out ok?

I'm no expert at all but none of that sounds "behind" at all to me. I wouldn't expect an 8 month old to be taking unassisted steps! My DD didn't walk independently until 16 months. Is not a happy, sporty 6 year old who loves nothing more than to run. She would bounce in the jumparoo on her toes. She crawled at just before 9 months but I know dozens of babies who've not crawled until much later. Why is it you think you should be worried?

My son didn't bear weight until about 10 months, and couldn't take steps holding onto hands until about 13 months. He was also a late crawler at around 11 months. I was so, so worried and we were referred to physio.

Then all of a sudden he started cruising and was walking by 15 months. So he was on the slow side but nowhere near as bad as we thought. It all happened so quickly and suddenly he was running around! He doesn't seem to have any physical issues at all now.

Taking assisted steps is a 12 month milestone, not 8.5. The other babies you've seen are ahead of the curve.

Honestly, get off Google. If GP and HV aren't concerned, that's all you should need for now. She's still very little and with a lot of developing to do.

My boy only clapped at 8mo (later than normal), and now at almost 13mo still won't wave or point. A while ago in the back of my mind I thought he was a lot slower than most babies, but now it's evident that he's ahead of the norm in some areas. These areas are very difficult to see at 8 months. You just need to give her time

I do think you might be a bit ahead in terms of expectations

@CottonSock I hope so, I’m only taking what my friends from NCTs babies are all doing. They must all be ahead!

@Algor1thm thank you, I really needed to hear something like this. Her back is a bit slouched too but she’s really strong and sturdy - so bizarre

I also thought 10m was the target age for assisted (hand held) weight bearing.
Your HV is not concerned OP. It's their job to worry even when you shouldn't.

Neither my DD or my two DGC babbled or made much noise till they were nearly 18 months. I really thought DD had a hearing or other problem. When she started talking she was off and it was the same with both DGC who by 2 had really good vocabularies and spoke in full sentences. The lack of any babbling was really worrying though. One DGC couldn’t sit or crawl until they were about 11 months and couldn’t roll from back on to their front till about a year. They didn’t start walking till 18 months and had had a referral to a paediatric but walked before it came through. Once walking they were fine but they were lots later than most Kids their age. If you are concerned it’s better to check then miss something, but nothing that you say sounds worrying or unusual.

Weight bearing is a 12 month milestone, I'm sure? Not an 8 month one. It's totally normal that she isn't doing that stuff yet.

We never got pointing until over a year. DS3 just turned one and has only started pointing in the last few days. Waving and clapping, yes, although I don't think DS1 waved before he was a year old either.

You always notice what other babies can do that your own can't.

By which I mean, that makes you think they are behind when they are probably totally normal, they just do things at different ages.

I bet your baby is doing things their babies aren't doing but you can't as easily notice a lack of things.

I mean this with lots of love, your baby sounds fine. Cancel that appointment.

Neither of mine crawled until 11 months - enjoy her not moving lol

Eldest didn't sit up until 7 months even though youngest was doing it at 5.

One walked at 16 months, the other 17 months.

I don't remember when they started babbling though DD was an early talker.

Please don't stress yourself about milestones and what every other baby is doing. Yours will develop along their own timetable.

Have a Google of a Bluey episode called baby race. It will help

I had early walkers, walking independently at 11 and 9 months. Neither were taking assisted steps at 8.5 months.

You are worrying way too much. Do you think you would benefit from talking to the HV about anxiety?

There are lots of age/stage activity ahead and if you keep this level of fear up, you will be exhausted.

My ds12 was behind in his development. The HV did a home visit at 15months and referred him to the Child Development Centre. It was obvious to us he was disabled and we were spot on with our predictions as to how he would develop.

My baby watched the world go by like a little potato until 18 months and then just took off one day. He is a normal and healthy active 4 year old now op! He's doing well in all areas and has a preschool gymnastics medal. Relax and enjoy your baby! They get there when they get there. Who cares what they do and when? I never have!

My DS did not bear weight/crawl until 16 months or walk unaided until 26 months. He underwent lots of tests including an MRI scan - no major issues were identified but they did diagnose hypermobility. He is 12 now and has developed normally although he is quite a slow runner. It's a concerning time when you are worried about your child's development but I would say try not to compare to other babies and see your health visitor if you are still concerned at 12 months. It all sounds within the normal range to me.

My boy is currently 10mo, and only just weight bearing: yet to take or try to take any steps when holding on to me. I wouldn’t worry to much OP.
DD will do it in her own time.

If that is an NHS paediatric appointment then please cancel it. There is nothing wrong with your child. Read up on early motor development and let someone else have the place that really needs it.

Some of those babies maybe are taking assisted steps - with their parents holding their hands above their heads and sort of manually moving each side of their body but they are not actually developmentally ready to be walking independently. People don’t actually walk with their hands above their heads! Your baby sounds well within the normal range to me.

Ps: I opened this thread because my son had these developmental delays - but he couldn’t weight bear until he was almost 18 months old.

I remember at my daughters 12 month review her scoring basically zero on the gross motor skills section. She just sat there playing with the toys.

But she understood everything the HV was saying. At one point the HV asked if we had any other questions and DD looked her straight in the eye and shook her head lol

Op you sound like my friend only she has an almost 13 month old and she's not interested in standing. I've told her there's nothing wrong with her baby.

Honestly she's fine. I have three kids and this is how their walking and talking went:

First walked independently (9 months) and talked early (14/15 months) with full conversational sentences at 18 months.

Second walked independently at 11 months and didn't speak properly until 2.5. We had hearing test (fine), speech and language therapy and after second session where he told the therapist to stop asking him the same questions, he was discharged.

Third is 15 months in a few days and only started walking independently at 13 months but is trying to converse with others. Third took two independent steps at the paediatrician's office which he stated in his notes. They all get there in their own time.

One thing I've learned as a mum of four and an aunt of four more is that babies develop at different rates.
Within the family there has been huge variation in the age they've got teeth, sat, walked and talked.. One of my nephews was almost one before he could safely sit without support and didn't walk until he was almost 20 months.
At 2 his speech was virtually unintelligible, yet now at just 3 and half you'd never know how slow he'd been to reach his milestones. He talks clearly, can run like the wind and has been reliably out of nappies day and night for over 12 months.

My DD didnt start to weight bear until 11 months, pointed at 12months and first word at 13/14months. We see our HV every couple of months due to issues at DD's birth (sepsis, 2 week NICU stay, drop below the 0.4th centile) and she hasn't flagged any issues yet. So i wouldn't worry quite yet. For us, it all started to come very quickly in succession.

If your dc was 14 months be concerned. Far too early to be seeking medical attention

I mean this gently, but if you have an underlying issue with anxiety, please try and seek treatment for this. I say this as someone who has struggled with anxiety disorders myself and has two young kids who often become the focus of it!

What you've described sounds totally normal to me, not concerning, so I'm not surprised GP and HV are not concerned. I don't think you will feel reassured by the paediatrition who is going to say exactly the same thing.

My eldest didn't crawl at all, she bum shuffled and not until 11 months. Can't remember when she pulled to standing. She didn't say a 'mama' babble until 12 months, a 'dada' babble at 11 months. My youngest is 10 months and has recently learnt to pull to standing, he also cannot crawl nor bum shuffle yet, but has more interest in standing than my eldest had, so I suspect he may just skip straight to walking eventually. Eldest didn't walk until 16 months. Youngest has been saying 'mama' and 'dada' babbles for about a month. However he can't wave goodbye, or clap yet, and my eldest was doing both by now. They're all different. I absolutely don't agree with the 'they focus on moving or talking' shite either because my eldest often had spurts where she'd learn new skills in a few domains, then a quieter spell where she wouldn't seem to learn much in any, etc. She was sort of at the back end of normal for her gross motor and communication skills until she was about 18m then her speech just went on a rocket trip to space and at 4 she talks like a mini university professor haha. But she wasn't a baby who spoke really early.

There is nothing wrong with your baby. Stop comparing to others and relax.