Hi Everyone,
I asked a question last week and it seems to be the only question that didn't get any responses. =( I was hoping that someone would be able to offer encouragement or relate to my situation in some way.
My almost 10 month old daughter is not bearing any weight on her legs yet, and she only bears a little weight on her arms. She cannot get into a crawling position, she does not scoot around, but she just started rolling to get to a toy this week. I am very excited about that! She is obviously way behind with her gross motor skills, but she's doing great in all other areas. Does anyone know of any other babies like her? I was just hoping for some reassurance or some other stories of babies who developed like her. Thanks to anyone who can offer some advice. I'm a worried first time Mommy.
We had an appointment with a neurologist, and he seems to think that Rachel has benign congenital hypotonia, which means that she has low muscle tone but she should eventually catch up. She may never be an Olympic athlete (the doc said), but I can live with that! I'm just hoping she'll eventually walk! Her ped said she may not walk until 18 months or later. I still feel worried at times because she's almost 11 months and still not bearing much weight on her legs. I'm trying to have faith and trust in the Lord!
I honestly don't remember seeing this question so maybe it didn't show up.
I agree with the last poster about talking to your ped about it. Also surronding her with brightly colored things would help to attrack her attention and make her reach for them.
Remember that all babies develop diffrently!
C.,
I too don't remember seeing this post before but am glad that you decided to post it again!
Most babies learn to crawl between the ages of 6 and 10 months. So your baby is not behind schedule. Children tend to develop at their own pace. Your baby may opt for another method of locomotion around this time, though — like bottom shuffling (scooting around on his bottom, using a hand behind and a foot in front to propel himself), slithering on his stomach, or rolling across the room. Some babies skip crawling altogether and move directly to pulling up, standing, and walking. Since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was initiated in 1994, more babies seem to be crawling later or skipping it completely. (The campaign aims to reduce the risk of SIDS by encouraging parents to put babies to sleep on their back.) My oldest daughter didn't crawl at all. She went from sitting up, to pulling herself up to just walking all of a sudden one day. It totally shocked us!
Don't worry about her style; it's getting mobile that's important, no matter how your baby does it.
Your baby will gradually (over a couple of months) learn to move confidently from a sitting position to being on all fours, and she'll soon realize she can rock back and forth when her limbs are straight and her trunk is parallel to the floor.
Somewhere around 9 or 10 months, she'll figure out that pushing off with her knees gives her just the boost she needs to go mobile. As she gains proficiency, she'll learn to go from a crawling position back into a sitting position. She'll also master the advanced technique that pediatrician William Sears calls "cross-crawling" — moving one arm and the opposite leg together when she moves forward, rather than using an arm and a leg from the same side. After that, practice makes perfect. Look for her to be a really competent crawler by the time she's a year old.
After your baby has mastered crawling, the only thing between her and complete mobility is learning to walk. To that end, she'll soon begin pulling herself up on everything she can reach, whether it's the coffee table or Grandma's leg. Once she gets the feel of balancing on her legs, she'll be ready to stand on her own and cruise while holding onto furniture. Then it's just a matter of time until she's walking, running, jumping, and leaping.
The best way to encourage crawling — just as with reaching and grabbing — is to place toys and other desirable objects (even yourself) just beyond your baby's reach. The American Academy of Pediatrics also suggests using pillows, boxes, and sofa cushions to create obstacle courses for her to negotiate. This will help improve her confidence, speed, and agility. Just don't leave her alone — if she gets stuck under a pillow or box, she'll surely be frightened and may be in danger of smothering.
A crawling baby can get into a lot of mischief. Make sure your house is childproofed, with a special emphasis on stairway gates. Your baby will be drawn to stairs, but they can be dangerous, so keep them off-limits until she's really mastered crawling (usually by about 12 months). Even then, supervise her closely. For now, suggests the AAP, create a couple of practice steps with foam blocks or sturdy cardboard boxes covered in fabric.
You don't have to invest in shoes just yet. Your baby won't need to wear footwear regularly until she's mastered walking.
Babies develop skills using different methods and different timetables. But if your child hasn't shown an interest in getting mobile by some means (whether it's creeping, crawling, rolling, or scooting), figured out how to move her arms and legs together in a coordinated motion, or learned to use both arms and both legs equally by the time she's a year old, bring it up at her next doctor's appointment. Keep in mind that premature babies may reach this and other milestones several months later than their peers.
So don't worry, she sounds like she will be fine.. Good luck and I hope this information helps.
Bella
First and formost, have you talked to your ped. about your concerns? All babies grow differently. My daughter walked at eigh months, my son who is six months dosn't even roll over yet. And his arms stick straight out at his sides. It's weird and I almost think something is wrong with him (which every mom worries about).
i wouldn't worry too much.
I tend to babble, sorry, but when my daughter was about a month old I would just lay her on a blanket and let her go on her own little way. She developed very quickly, but I wasn't that luck with my son. I would just put toys all around your daughter and let her go. Good luck and let me know how things turn out!!
hi catharine,
my son is a delayed developer also. he was 3 weeks premature. was your daughter premature? my son's pediatrician reccommended a free service called CHILDLINK, it has services like physical, and speech therapy. i'm not sure if that service is offered in your state but maybe you could ask your doctor if that or a similar service is offered. i used the physical therapy for my son, it started when he was 5 months old and i recently stopped it. the therapy helped to stregthen his core so that he was was strong enough to roll over, reach for toys and crawl. they really helped . she also showed me exercises to do with him when she wasn't there. you have complete control over how many days you want the service and it is up to you to decide when you want to stop it. My son is now 15 mos. and is still not walking but as i saw in the past he is simply delayed and his peditrician associates it with the fact that he was premature. i am just enjoying him at his level and when he's ready then thats ok with me! good luck and keep us posted on her progress.
