'Baby race' stress has hit me again!

[DancingtoDisney]

I swore I wouldn't do this second time round, but here I am once again on Mumsnet after lots of comments from family and friends about my baby's development 🙃.

DD2 is 8 months old and is showing absolutely no inclination whatsoever to crawl. She just loves sitting, watching the world go by (and her bonkers big sister!). My eldest DD was crawling by this age and I maybe naively thought DD2 would be earlier, if not the same, as her.

I've fallen in to the trap of comparing her to my friends little ones - who are the same age (and one younger) and crawling. One is even pulling themselves up and cruising furniture!! There's been a few comments now from family and friends about DD2 and why she may not be crawling yet. Trying to let them go in one ear and out the other!!

So, when did your babies start crawling??

My eldest didn’t ever crawl, straight to walking at a year. Youngest crawled from 7 months, then walked at 9 months. Enjoy her being still because once she starts, it’s all go!

DC2. Didn't even roll over till her first birthday. Bum-shuffled from 15 months, crawled (surprisingly, assumed she was skipping it) at 19 months, finally walked at 21 months. Never pulled herself up on furniture, just finally got to the confidence of standing alone and she was off. No issues at all, just happy to take her time.

DC1 started crawling earlier, maybe 10 or 11 months but still didn't walk till 16 months. Same as DC2, didn't pull himself up, just started walking one day from the middle of the floor.

Mine didn't crawl til 10.5 months but then walked at dead on 12 months. Currently a bit behind on speaking but constantly chattering and starting to repeat words but barely saying anything consistently! And if you ask around you'll find plenty of babies - I think 15% - who totally skip crawling. Age at first walking has a big genetic aspect, I don't think you have anything to worry about at 8 months!

My DD(8) never learned to crawl. She dragged herself around like a slug, learned to pull herself up at around 1 and then walked at 14 months. She now doesn’t sit the fuck down so I’m glad I didn’t rush her 😂
She wasn’t even confident sitting until around 9 months.
DD#2 is due any day now and I’ll let her do her own thing too, she’ll get there when she wants.

Dd1 didn't crawl until she was about 10 months and rolled for a couple of weeks before she could crawl. Dd2 was about the same age but I was not at all fussed if she had crawled later. Its so much easier when they can't move!

Mine were both older than that.

When I trained in childcare, many moons ago, crawling wasn’t even a recognised milestone unlike sitting (7 months with hands, 8 months without). It is very good for them developmentally, but as PP, many bump along on their butts or skip straight to walking.
Stop listening to other people and go and read Ruby Flew Too.
My teens still reference Ruby when they aren’t ready to do something. 🥰

My son honestly didn’t even roll over until he was ten months old. Crawled at 19 months. Now he’s three years old, climbing trees, reading simple words and telling me that ‘butterflies are pollinators’. Comparison is the thief of joy, pay no attention x

3 out of my 4 children skipped the crawling stage.
The one that did crawl didn't crawl until he was 10 months old.

My DS is an adult now but I tell this story still..
My son never crawled really.. pulling himself up the furniture and walking confidently before 10mths.
My very good friends son, 3 days younger, showed absolutely no inclination to move at all... very rarely even rolled over..
He finally sat at 10mths, a little bum shuffling by a year .. didn't crawl at all..
A placid little thing (whilst I ran around like a loon trying to keep mine safe from the climbing and running away)
He started walking at around 20mths.
I tell you this because they then learnt to ride bikes the same week, at about 5 years old, playing football in the same team, learning to swim/surf the same summer. And both still play rugby on the same team...
Try not to worry! And don't let anyone else worry you...

Your doing great!

Comparison really is the thief of joy! It's perfectly normal not to be crawling at 8 months. Your daughters, and your friend's children, are all different people. Leave them be.

oh god I’m just the same unfortunately

Op you are wasting time worrying instead of just enjoying your dc.. I have 10+dc. No 2 hit any milestones at the same age...

My first was very early with both crawling and walking, my second started crawling a week before his first birthday. He isnt walking yet and he's nearly 20 months, he just prefers chatting about anything and everything, he will walk when he closes his mouth long enough to try I'm sure.

It’s so easy to worry, but please don’t! 8 months is still so little - I think in my NCT group only 1 or two babies were crawling by then. My eldest didn’t until just shy of his first birthday, then my second was about 10 months.

Baby 1- 6 months
Baby 2- closer to a year
Baby 3- about 8 months
Baby 4- just started crawling at 10 months.

Neither of mine crawled until 10-11 months. My daughter walked at 15m but son is there now and still not walking. With my daughter I was very stressed about it as she seemed behind all her peers. My son also seems behind but I’m not worried this time as my daughter is now 6 and obviously you can’t tell she was late to crawl and walk. Same with speech / my son has no words right now. My daughter barely said a word till she was about 22 months. All my son’s peers have a few words and some have had for months. But my daughter was reading at 3.5 and her language is way above average now. I know it can be hard but try not to worry!

Dd was like this. I discovered that she didn't do anything if she wasn't sure she could so she was running not long after her steps. She's had to learn how to fail but has had fantastic coaches who push her just enough. Sport has really helped round her off!

Thank you all for your comments!! I thought I'd be better second time around and not overthink or worry as much. You're all absolutely right, just need to focus on and enjoy my little one and not stress about everyone else!

The good news is that since you had DC1 crawling had been removed from the list of milestones as it’s such an unreliable indicator of how well they’re doing.

Sounds totally fine, DD1 crawled at 8 months, DD2 at 7 months but both walked a week after their first birthdays.

My friends DS didn't crawl until 14 months then a week later got up and walked from the middle of the floor.

They are all so different and she's clearly entertained by her big sister. Enjoy this stage before she starts moving as that's where the chaos with 2 really begins!

My first never learned to crawl, he used to drag himself around on one leg then learnt to pull himself up onto the furniture then walked. It was strange seeing my second crawl normally! I never learned to crawl either, I shuffled around on my bum until I was two then walked. Eight months is early for crawling, don’t worry, your baby will learn to crawl or move themselves in other way in their own time.

10 months DC started crawling, and 18 months before she was walking consistently.

Really don’t stress! They all do things at their own pace m. My DC focus has been more on the mental side, where they are doing amazingly given their age, physical milestones have taken longer, I assume this is because they can’t do it all at once and focus on different things at different times 😊

My first crawled two weeks before his first birthday, then walked at 15 months. PIL were calling him lazy but we just rolled our eyes.

My daughter crawled at 9 months, although she was up on hands and knees from about 7 months and we thought she'd be really early but then she just did her own thing. She's 13 months and we've felt she's a few days from walking for about 6 weeks now and still not doing it. PIL will probably start calling her lazy soon too!

Mine were 8 months, 9 months and 10 months. Try not to worry!