17 month old still not walking - would you be concerned?

[Purple89]

My 17 month old DD still isn't walking. She is primarily a bum shuffler and only started doing that at 11 months - can traditionally crawl (very fast) and started that at 12 months. She started pulling to stand at about 14 months, cruises on furniture very well, can stand in the middle of the floor from sitting just about but is wobbly. Climbs well. Can walk holding your hand. However she just doesn't seem interested in taking independent steps (we're encouraging her as much as she can). Needs to hold onto her toy pram for example to walk with confidence. I can't notice any obvious physical weakness. She is very tall and heavy (98th for height on last measurement).

She is a very good talker and can say hundreds of words - can identify some colours (green blue yellow red purple green), puts some simple words together - e.g. more toast please, I did it, I love you (last one is not said particularly clearly lol). Could it be that she's just focusing on that instead?

I am starting to get a little worried as we approach 18 months that she's going to need tests etc.

Would you be worried? Should I contact HV? Thanks in advance! Any words of reassurance or tips appreciated.

My dd1 crawled at 11 months and walked just before she was 18 months. Just one day she just stood up and was off and as she was older she was less wobbly. Loads walk late don't worry, in my dd1 case she is a tad lazy and just couldn't be bothered trying inthink 😂 there's nothing physically wrong with her

Can the HV refer to peads? What that is what is needed for child who isn’t walking by 18 months?

My son didn't walk properly until he was 18 months, and he just did it out of the blue one day and never went through a wobbly stage like the babies who started earlier.

He'd been confidently pulling up and cruising on furniture for about six months at that point, I just think he didn't have any desire to walk until he could do it properly!

I don't know if it varies by area but my HV actually told us to take our DC to the GP if they weren't walking by 18 months. Which we did, and it was the GP who made the orthopaedics referral (which DC did need, as orthopaedics did unfortunately recognise a physical difference in him).

Hi OP @Purple89 I'm currently in the exact same position as you, with my little one doing the exact same things at 17 months but not walking (she was also a bum shuffler). When did your LO manage to walk? Was it anything to worry about? I have contacted the HV, but they said to wait a few months and if she doesnt walk by then, to contact them again. Thank you! X

I was 2 when i learned to walk. Could talk for England but didn't want to walk until I was ready lol. I am absolutely fine

She walked probably 2 weeks after this post - was 17.5 months. She chose to do it in the middle of a music class lol, I genuinely think she saw all the other kids doing it and decided today is the day. She still chose to bum shuffle or crawl most of the time for the next week or 2 after that, then walked more and more and then she was running probably after about a month. Wish I had not spent so much time worrying!!

I want to reassure you that it really was very sudden for us and absent any other things (eg assuming they can pull to stand and can move somehow like bum shuffling etc) that it is almost certainly going to happen, just on their time frame!

Ps. Apparently bum shufflers are notoriously late walkers