11 month old not rolling over or sitting. Born at 31 weeks

[Seompmha]

Hi I have raised this to my health visitor through a telephone conversation. My 11 month old girl was born at 31 weeks she attempts to roll over from her back to her front but can't master it. If I sit her in a sitting position she seems very stiff and pushes herself backwards. She hates tummy time even though I try to do this in short intervals with her. She is very good with het speech and fine motor skills. It seems to be her core strength that lacks i really can't imagine her sitting up for a good few months and crawling seems impossible for her. Has anyone got any similar stories of this as I'm starting to get extremely concerned that she is not attending physio or anything due to covid19. I do not want to push this with the health service. My health visitor told me to wait until she was 12 months as this could just be slow development. This doesn't stop me worrying every single day please help I don't know anyone who has been in a similar position and I worry about future health problems. Has anyone been through the same ?

Hi. My daughter was born at 37 weeks, she did not roll over until around 13 months I think she was around 8 months for sitting up. I am sure that the rolling over isn't a milestone

This is normal. DN was the same and full term. Hated tummy time / crawling so didn’t do it, couldn’t sit but somehow learned to walk before he could sit without toppling over. HV thought he always has the core strength but prob didn’t enjoy sitting. Even now he prefers to lie down instead of sitting.

I'm really surprised this has not been picked up on, I think 9 months (corrected) is on the very late side of 'normal' and I would expect with her prematurity that she would be observed a bit closer. My dd wasn't sitting at 9 months (36 weeker) and was referred to physio who did core strengthening exercises and she sat up fairly soon afterwards.
I don't think it is anything to worry about OP but I would want a referral now so that after lockdown you can be seen, there is often waiting lists. I would simply phone the GP and ask for a paediatric physio referral.

Hi my DD was born at 32 weeks. She has been sitting up since she was 9 months (actual age) and has preferred sitting up to lying down ever since. She has only rolled over once or twice and she is nearly 13 months now.
Will your baby sit up supported in a jumperoo/baby walker/bumbo chair or similar?
I would push for some physio if I were you. We have a great local neonatal charity with links to baby/children’s physio practitioners so I’d also approach them. Do you have anything similar? (If you’re in NE England it’s Leo’s neonatal charity)

I understand your concern, my Dtwins were prem and low weight. DS mastered rolling over between 13-14 months old (actual age) and DD didn’t even try until around 15-16 months.

Like your DD mine hated tummy time, but we still did it religiously at every nappy change, only for a short while. When we knew she had it in her to roll onto her stomach but struggled rolling back over we would try and coax her into trying to by positioning a toy nearby. I think she would get onto her front and be using both hands for holding herself up, then she’d panic because she wasn’t sure how to get back again.

It can improve, my DD and DD only started walking recently (2.5yo) and DD couldn’t sit unaided or crawl until around 18 months.

She had regular check ups and the only suggestions were to keep at it with tummy time. If you google core strengthening for premature babies there are some good suggestions. I had to keep repeating to myself that they’d get there eventually and they have. Corrected age can take into account milestones by taking into account prematurity, but even for babies not born prem those milestones can differ from child to child, or the temperament of said child, my DD still prefers to be carried everywhere and I’d have her stuck to me all day every day if I let her!

Also to get DS into the habit of rolling/crawling I played a few videos on YouTube showing other babies rolling about and crawling, then the same for standing when he was a bit older. When he saw other babies doing it - it seemed to click. Then DD watched him at it, saw the praise he got and decided to practice in secret (sounds daft!) but she practiced rolling when we were asleep, when she was good enough at it she just did it for me one morning and gave me a massive grin. Then onto standing, we tried EVERYTHING to encourage her, only to be met with protestations and unwillingness, one night we heard a thud from her cot - DH went to check and she just stood up for him. She still seems to have a habit of trying things in her own time then showing us she can do it when she’s figured it out

Nhs paed physios aren't seeing patients at the moment (my baby is under them). But they will do a telephone consultation and send u a whole load of exercises and then call u to follow up etc.

Def ask for the referral and exercises. If u wait until this is all over u will be bottom of the list while they deal with those already on it too and it will be even longer until u are seen

My yd was born at 31wks and was quite late with everything. She also crawled backwards when she eventually crawled!

Don't worry OP take in to account her adjusted age too.
My niece was like this, screamed through tummy time she absolutely detested it! She was around a year before she really did much in all honesty!

Thankyou so much for all the advice it really does help alot. I have put a plan in action to do some sit ups ( I tried this this morning and she enjoyed it pulling herself up holding my hands from a pillow ) I will keep going with short bursts of tummy time. I am going to push for physio when she hits 12 months as I do feel that she needs this. If anyone has any other ideas of things to do to help core muscles I would appreciate it. Thanks

So glad to read she is enjoying sit ups 😊 I watched a lot of Kids on the Move videos on YouTube. I’ve linked one that focuses on encouraging rolling over (hope the link works ) m.youtube.com/watch?v=EtermoVom0o

I’m impressed your DD can sit at 6months, mine were still turtles on their backs at that age

Doh I meant 11 months (sorry brain is not in gear today!).

Thank you yes the link works 🤗 she's not the biggest fan of lying down prefers to be upright in a sitting position with support or in a jumperoo. I did some supported rolling with her today like on the video bending her knees she was happy to do it for 5 minutes or so which is good for her :) I know what you mean I do have to keep telling myself everyday that it will be fine and it will take time :) my DD does like to wiggle around in her cot for a while before she goes to sleep, maybe she is going to be a secret practicer too haha