Seven month old with repetitive behaviours and sensory seeking, should I worry?

[PeachesPeaches80]

Hi all my 7 month old has quite a lot of odd repetitive behaviors and every time I try not to worry about it being a red flag for ASD a new one pops up. My nerves are frayed. She used to move her arm like a conductor when she was 2-4 months all the time now she does it just while nursing , she also clasps her hands and brings them to her mouth repetitively when she is anxious or crying- sometimes a little hard hitting her mouth, she also claps a lot- not when we are clapping or singing a song- just sitting in her chair, nursing etc it’s never to mimic or play along, she pats everything- me my husband her leg , every surface she comes into contact with over and over or scratching me or surfaces as well. She did hand gazing for a bit when she was younger and still does a lot. She now presses her fingers together and looks at them or gives thumbs up and looks at it (then puts in her mouth lol) she also gets really really excited and jumps/ stomps up and down in our laps to get her energy out a lot, leg thumping at nap time and bedtime bc she has a lot of energy and possibly likes the way it feels- she also scratches and plays with her ears ALOT mostly when she’s tired and sometimes when she’s stressed. my point is it’s not just one odd repetitive behaviour it seems to be a lot of gestures to self soothe or get sensory input and she is a sensitive baby but also laughs a lot and interacts with us a lot and makes eye contact most of the time (for now). We are testing her responding to her name but that’s only 30% successful but I think she’s still a bit young for that to be consistent. I’m very worried and I know it’s too soon to tell anything but does anyone else have a baby with multiple “stims” or behaviour like this - not just one - and it was all fine??? Thanks for any advice:(

Pretty much all young baby’s have is repetition and sensory seeking. Stop googling and enjoy your baby. If you have any concerns when they get to around 2 about communication/ motor skills etc your hv will do a two year review.

Your baby is so lucky to have such an attentive mum! Autism is identified through developmental and behavioural signs, at 7 months it can be really difficult to know what something means; it could be a sign, or it could be completely typical development, and nobody can say for certain yet. Not even professional, but I argue parents would know more actually.

I wouldn’t dismiss your instincts though. You know your baby better than anyone, so keep noticing and maybe jot down anything (videos are helpful for record) that concerns you, but also try to enjoy your baby without watching every little thing for signs. And if you’re feeling a bit anxious, that’s part of being a mum who cares too! You deserve to have your concerns listened to, even when the answer for now is “we don’t know yet.”

Babies aren’t born knowing what their bodies can do - she’s exploring and learning. She needs the repetition to understand how her body works. She’s doing exactly what she should be doing.

My daughter does “motorbike hands” and shakes her head side to side. It could be autism, it could be because she’s a baby, it could be a comfort, I don’t know.
It doesn’t really matter, she’s happy, thriving, loving life.
Just enjoy your little baby, even if she is autistic, they won’t diagnose her now so just enjoy her.
If she’s otherwise healthy and happy, that’s all that matters.

If you need help with your anxiety, go to your GP. Anxiety is super common, nothing to be ashamed of, it’s your Mum instincts in overdrive.

Op, i just wanted to add another voice to those saying that everything you have described is completely normal behaviour. It is hard not to worry once you've had children, but if you spend all your time feeing anxious about everything your baby is or isn't doing you will miss so much of the joy that comes with having a child. Hand gazing: delightful when they find there hands! Clapping all the time: they have found out their hands can make a noise they can hear! Touching everything: everything feels different! Ear rubbing is a normal sign of upset and tiredness, on a practical note you could try bringing naps and sleep forward a little bit.

Your dd will very likely pick up on your stress and anxiety though. Speak with lots of people who suffer from bad anxiety and so many of them will say they had a parent who was always worried and stressed. Speaking with your gp or health visitor about your very high levels of worry might be a good idea.

Honestly, how has it come to the point where parents are looking at every little thing their baby/child does and assumes/googles/decides they have Autism.

Why does everything have to have a label? We now live in a world where we over analyse everything. Your baby is being a baby. I’m taking it she is your first? Try and relax take yourself away from Google and enjoy her

I think a lot of replies on here are pretty shitty- scoffing and dismissing you as having mental health problems. Please remember your concerns are valid and don’t put up with being dismissed like this.
I have an autistic child and when I brought up my concerns when they were a baby I got similar responses from wider family that you got here. I felt as though I was silly, attention seeking and overly anxious. As they grew up I kept my concerns to myself and that turned out to be a mistake. Your daughter may well not be autistic but I want to urge you not to ignore your worries or dismiss yourself as anxious as you are being encouraged to here.
If I were you, I would go to the GP, continue to monitor and discuss it at the next developmental review. If nothing comes of it, there’s no harm done. But also remember she is your wonderful baby whatever happens

Read about child development, it's fascinating

I'd also reccomend reading The Age of Diagnosis.

Autism is not a label, it’s a diagnosis of a neurological condition. Please don’t dismiss it as though it’s nothing

At 7 months I wouldn’t be concerned, at 18 months, I would.

I thought my then toddler could be autistic due to some behaviours (my second child, seen a lot of friends’ babies etc). Now I wish I had pushed for a diagnosis but his behaviours weren’t there in babyhood, he was very calm, and very easy.
This was mid-2000s so no social media to speak of and v little education around autism really. Now he’s early 20s and has suffered w poor MH since around age 8. I wish I’d been more informed then.

Exactly this. 🙌