Worried about my 11 month old

[Alice4417]

Hi I'm probably being an over anxious first time mum but I just wanted some advice or reassurance about my boy.

My boy is almost 11 months although was born 3.5 weeks early.
He can crawl, pull himself up, cruise along furniture, stand briefly on his own without any support, walk with walker etc so physically not concerned at all.

I'm just worried about a few things.
He started babbling at 7 months baba, vava and Dada. Although this seems to have got less ? He doesn't really say bababa anymore although says yayaya now which he didn't before. However predominantly it's just dadada or dododo sounds with aaaaa and s few others thrown in.
He sometimes imitates me if I go ahhh or sigh or if I go uh oh he will say uh oh back but not babbling sounds.
He doesn't clap although waves very confidently and has learnt when people leave at the front to wave without being prompted.
He doesn't point either.
He responds to his name and has very good eye contact.
He loves people but doesn't like being in big groups close up to babies but is fine if it's just adults ?

I just feel he is behind in his communication skills compared to some other babies I know.
Thoughts ?

At 11 months old you need to relax. Enjoy having a baby. If he is different then so be it nothing is going to change that. Just keep doing what you are doing and try not to scrutinise every little thing.

With all due respect, I echo PP in that at 11 months old you definitely need to go with the flow. It's far too early to be considering a speech delay, especially given there are no other apparent delays. My daughter didn't intentionally say anything other than "da" until she was in excess of 20 months. By 26 months she was talking in five word sentences and had a vocabulary of hundreds of words. It's important to remember that children develop at their own pace.

All sounds fine. For 11 months he's doing well. No need to worry at this age.

Sounds great for his age! Don't worry

Sounds pretty advanced for a 10 month old.

sounds normal for 11 months

Thanks for your reassurance. It's hard when you are a first time mum not to compare x

Thank you for your reassurance. He has started babbling a lot more in the last few days although I've noticed he doesn't get have 'joint interest ' where he brings my toys or things. I guess it will all come with time.

Thanks for your reply. It's hard not to compare sometimes but I need to get better ! X

He's definitely started babbling a lot more again. However I'm now worried he isn't showing joint or shared interest. For example bringing my toys or household items if interest. Still waiting for him to point. Being a first time with health anxiety or anxiety in general is super hard !!

Yeah it is hard not to compare. My youngest is 13 months and her speech is pretty much as you’ve described your sons, she doesn’t point either, but I wouldn’t expect them to at this age. I have 3 kids and I’ve found with my older two their communication skills really didn’t start to progress until around 18 months.

t's completely normal to feel anxious about your child's development, especially as a first-time mom. Based on what you've described, it sounds like your son is hitting many of his physical milestones, which is great!
Regarding his communication skills, it's not uncommon for babies to go through phases where their babbling patterns change. The transition from one type of babbling to another can happen, and it's okay if he’s not currently babbling as much or in the same way he did before. Some variation in babbling is normal, and each baby develops at their own pace.
Here are a few points to consider:
Variability is Normal: Babies develop language skills at different rates. It’s common for them to focus on different aspects of communication at various stages. For instance, he might be focusing on imitating sounds or responding to social cues rather than babbling.
Imitation and Responsiveness: The fact that he imitates sounds like "uh oh" and responds to his name is a positive sign. It shows that he is engaging with you and understanding some aspects of communication.
Clapping and Pointing: Not all babies will hit these milestones at the same time. Clapping and pointing are important social and communication skills, but they often develop around 12 months or later. His waving and recognition of people leaving are good indicators of social development.
Interaction and Social Preferences: It’s also normal for babies to have preferences about social interactions. Being more comfortable with adults and less so with groups of babies is quite common.
Consult Your Pediatrician: If you’re still concerned, it might be helpful to discuss your observations with your pediatrician. They can provide more personalized guidance and, if needed, refer you to a specialist to assess his development.
Overall, trust that developmental variations are part of normal growth. Each child follows their own unique path, and many factors influence how they reach their milestones. It sounds like your son is making progress in many areas, and with continued support and engagement, he’ll keep developing his communication skills.

Hey 👋 i have 5 kids and all have done things at different ages, your LO sounds perfectly fine 👌🏻 stop comparing, all babies develop at their own time/in their own way, even my kids and they were/are all brought up the same all hit their milestones at different times in different ways, my youngest learnt to sit up by herself before she crawled, and she learnt to roll from back to front before front to back whereas my older 4 learnt the other way round lol xx

I know I must not compare. I must keep telling myself he will get there and it's not a race xx

Thanks for your detailed reply ! X

Learning isn't a linear process! My daughter has always had the pattern of doing something once or twice refusing to do it for weeks then overnight that's it she does it all the time

My daughter only ever had 3 words between 10 and 20 months as she dropped a word when she learnt a new word. I would say it was only when she wasn't building on language around 16-18 months that she was noticeably different to peers. By 26 months she was talking in 2 and 3 word sentences.
At 10 months they are really just playing with sounds and exploring what their mouths can do. They will their own favourites and that may vary from day to day. It's good to keep an eye on development but I would be comparing changes over months rather than days and weeks

He's now stopped repeating me when I say uh oh ! Is that normal that they learn something do it loads for a few days then stop for a bit? He is sighing tho if we sigh and thinks that's very funny !

Hey just wanted to ask how is your little one now my baby seems similar

That all sounds perfect and right on track.

Is this answer straight from ChatGPT?

OP your DC sounds like they’re doing really well. Lots of development is 2 steps forwards 1 step back. It isn’t linear.

One of mine wasn’t really talking much at 2. He’s now a completely normal 5 yo and won’t be quiet half the time 🤣 My other DC talked and communicated much earlier. They’re all different.

All sounds totally normal! Please done worry. So much development is due to happen between now and 15/18 months, no need to worry before. Sounds like your child is doing a lot to be honest. Continue to encourage clapping etc through singing, modelling etc but don’t get obsessed, you can’t force it, it will just click one day. Also skills come and go as they focus on different things. I remember one day my babbling boy was just totally silent and I was so worried all day but then then a couple of days later babbling resumed. With skills coming and going just park any worries for at least a week.

Normal. Guaranteed he will be in the supermarket trolly next week, suddenly climb out and point at an elderly woman and calmly say "fuck" because that's the joy of child development.

Babies will often focus for ages on learning one new thing then once they're mastered it the move on to the next thing and stop doing the other thing for a bit. It all comes together in the end. You really don't need to be worrying about which sounds he can and cannot make yet or that he isn't bringing you toys. Just talk to him lots, make him smile and play with him.

My little boy is now almost 3 and everyone says he is actually advanced in his speech. He's everyone's best friend at nursery and I have 0 worries about him