Hello. Sorry for the long post. Just looking for support and for anyone who may have had a similar experience.
My 16 month old DD has recently been seen by a paediatrician for what is being called developmental delay. She is due to undergo various blood tests, x rays and an MRI at the beginning of next year. She is massively behind on her gross motor skills. Sits up but cannot sit up unaided from the floor. She only really got the hang of her sitting balance after her first birthday to the point I felt I could take cushions away. She rolled from front to back at 7 months and has only just rolled from back to front. Other than that she does not move, bottom shuffle, crawl, pull up etc. She will bear weight but is very unsteady around the middle. Her leg strength seems good. She is currently receiving physio who has said that there is 'no good reason' why she shouldn't be moving.
After her first birthday she started to regress in language and social skills. She used to clap, wave, had great eye contact and said DaDa, Mama and bye bye. She has never ponted. She now rarely looks at anyone in the eye and only says Mam consistently. Has said Dada once in 4 months and it was in context. She has just started clapping again after 4 months. So we are also concerned about ASD. DD also displays movments which could be stimming. She does not really play with toys. Just mouths and/or throws them. I try and teach her games and and read/play with her but most of the time she doesn't seem to notice I am there.
I am struggling massively with waiting for a diagnosis and I know there is a possibility that we might not get anything definitive. I live away from family and friends. I have a few newer mum friends locally but struggle to be around them as their babies are so much more advanced. I live in the small town where my DH is from and people are always stopping me in the street and asking things like 'is she walking' and 'I bet she is into everything'. They try to get her attention and she just looks straight past them. It breaks my heart. She used to be such a bright and sociable baby and people don't seem to understand what's happened to her. I don't know what to tell them as to be honest, I don't know what's happened either. I just feel like I have lost the baby she once was.
I cry every day and feel like I have failed her in some way. My DH won't tell his family as he doesn't want to stress out his mum who has poor health. I feel so alone in this. I just want to move back to the city I am from so I can have a support network but my DH won't hear it. DH works a 60 hour week and helps when he can but he has no idea how lonely things can get even though I have tried to explain and broken down numerous times. I just feel so lost and don't know what to do to help my DD other than keep trying to engage her. We have an opportunity to see a private speech therapist while we are waiting for NHS so I am hoping that helps. Any words of support or similar experiences would be much appreciated. Thank you.