9.5 month old no babbling/or using gestures

[Mumof3bb1]

My DS just turns 10 months old in 10 days.

he sits well unsupported and will reach for toys but HATES being on his tummy, he just pulls himself back into sitting, has just learnt how to crawl and can pull to stand with ease, struggles to sit back down though.

he is not babbling like the other babies, makes occasional noises and screams but no babbles Ma, baba or dada.

His eye contact is fleeting, doesn’t copy us or clap, wave or point. Everything goes straight into his mouth, wants to lick and bite everything.

He will bang his hand on table if I do it, and can bang two object together.

I feel like a terrible mother and im at the very end of the rope. We read together, sing, babble, all day long.

when I make the mama movement with my mouth with no sound he consumes copies that movement with his mouth.

Smiles when he sees me/husband or other family members, can lift arms to be picked up and will use me to pull to stand up.

I find he twirls his arms/feet occasionally and stares at the door handles and lamps A LOT.

I am at the end of my tether, HV seems to think I have health anxiety.

He has no separation anxiety and I feel he stares into blank spaces at times.

will smile if I say smile, and looks at where I point at times, 70% will look when I call his name, if he isn’t engrossed in something.

Will watch me do the actions to heads shoulders, knees and toes but can’t mimic any songs or actions.

my main concern is lack of babbling and the no gestures!

Any help or advice would be appreciated.

it’s just a constant worry.

Between my two kids, they had most of that. Some of it in both kids.

My daughter never babbled, and talked late at just over two. Once she joined the toddler room at nursery, her language and social skills exploded. She's rapidly approaching 5, and now she never stops talking. I will say that she did have slight hearing issues due to congenitally massive tonsils, but that's been surgically fixed now.

They were both obsessed with the light fixture in our living room. We think it's just because it was bright, shiny, and an unusual shape. They were pretty keen on door handles too. Neither of them mimicked actions at that age either. Tbh I don't remember when they clapped, pointed, or waved, but I don't remember being worried about it, so it must've been within the normal range of 7-15 months. Banging two objects together counts as clapping, so that one is good.

My daughter hated being on her tummy. My son crawled at 10 months as well, then walked at 17.5 months. He loves nothing better than riding his scooter or balance bike now at two.

Neither of them appear to have any signs of neurodivergence. Admittedly it's still too early to tell for sure, but they are otherwise healthy, happy, and meeting all their milestones.

Tbh it does all sound like normal behaviours to me.

Hi, thanks for replying, that sounds reassuring.

oh I didn’t know banging two objects together counted as clapping, I wonder why he can’t just clap his two hands together then 🙈

It could be autism but it’s too young to tell. You’ll just have to wait and see how he progresses and just enjoy him in the meantime xx

@Ivycott90 what makes you think it could be?

No babbling, doesn’t copy gestures, fleeting eye contact, hand/ feet twirling, staring at inanimate objects, not distressed being separated from you, staring into space and so on. Of course all of this could end up being inconsequential but you’ll just have to give it time

He’s so little still. Give him time.

Hi OP, under another name I started this thread a little while ago about my DS

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/parenting/4978920-9-month-old-is-he-on-track

He’s now 15 months and meeting all social and communication milestones. Has about 12 words, waves, lots of joint attention including pointing, very sociable and I have no worries about him.

His communication really came on after he started walking at 12 months. Hope this helps!

Please try not to worry and enjoy your lovely, lovely DS. As someone else said, banging two objects together is a milestone in itself, and you have yourself recognised lots of other things that he's learnt to do that I'm sure he couldn't so a couple of weeks or months ago, so you know you're seeing progress all the time. Have you read the Wonder Weeks book? That talks about how at each developmental stage, there is so much babies could be learning, they can't possibly work on it all at the same time, so they 'choose' certain things - sounds like your DS is 'choosing' some gross motor skills like crawling and pulling to stand, and out there somewhere there will be other parents worrying that their babbling babies aren't crawling yet, because their babies have 'chosen' language skills to work on first. Do talk to your health visitor if you're worried, and to someone about any anxiety you might have, if that could help you to enjoy this time more. It is worrying and it's so easy to compare babies to others, but there's a huge range in all types of development. Also babies do some pretty weird stuff; staring at certain objects, feeling certain textures and wanting to lick things we think are pretty gross, they're just tiny explorers learning about the world for the first time, and it's all pretty interesting to them, even light fixtures!

Have you had hearing checked?

My little one was walking at 10 months but not talking at all. He's 21 months now and says 3 words. Didn't point or clap til about 14/15 months. Your baby sounds absolutely fine. Like a pp said, he's obviously working on his motor skills first so please don't worry, he'll do it all in his own sweet time. They never do it when you want them to 😅

My little one started walking at 1 he's now nearly 2 and half and still doesn't talk...he claps
His hands knows all the nursery rhymes ( when we sing wind the bobbin up the bit when it's place your hands up on your knees he taps his knee) he understands things and knows what we are saying he just doesn't talk..all children develop different and in their own time and I've been told boys are lazier than girls...we have HV follow up end of this month and SAL in September and we should be getting a audiology appointment soon,but his nursery have given us feedback and we feel he's on the right path...just keep doing everything your doing..lots of reading and point at picture in the books ...are you apart of any baby groups? Maybe get him involved in any in your area ...don't worry too much pressure is put on kids these days that they have to be at this milestone at this age...your doing everything you can mama so keep smiling 😊

Hi OP , just wondering how things are going? Having similar concerns x

Hi @Ktd123 please don’t stress, my DS is now 15 months, claps, waves and points all came about 12/13 months. He’s got 49 words and animal sounds! Gives kisses and understands what we ask of him just simple stuff like give mummy the Teddy etc
Pretends to talk on phone and can stack his ringer toy. Can’t stack his big Lego blocks but hopefully it will come.
DMs are open if ever need to chat.

Daughter of a speech therapist here, so i smugly thought my DD would speak early. She never babbled and went straight to words at 13 months. Now has an amazing vocabulary at age two. Don't sweat it, they will get there!

@Mumof3bb1 how is your little one doing now? I have very similar concerns about my 8m old. Although he is wrist twirling a lot and very little sounds.

Hi @NJJT hes just turned 20 months and honestly apart from being a really fussy eater and won’t use any cutlery or feed himself, he’s come on amazing, over 200 words can count to 20 and recognises up to ten, knows shapes, animals and there sounds and a fair few colours. Can sing most of the nursery rhymes and talks in 2/3 word sentences.

I know it’s hard not to worry I still have doubtful days where I think it can’t be normal that he knows this much but I do constantly read to him and have done since birth.

when everyone said to me that it would just come it really does, I wasted too much time worrying and stressing, try and enjoy each day because i cry looking back at baby photos knowing i was in such a dark place!