OT- 11 month old not wanting to crawl??

[waltskids]

My niece will be 11 months old in a few days and I have a few concerns that I hope my fellow 'dis'ers' can help me with. She really has no interest in moving around and it has me concerned. She will sit up on her own and can roll over, but doesn't yet pull herself to standing, without assistance from another person. While she is sitting she moves her hands and feet constantly in a circular motion but doesn't go anywhere. She does not cruise on anything yet either. If I stand her up, she will stand holding my hands but her knee area remains locked and she won't take any steps. You physically have to move her legs to get her to move forward. If you let go of her hands she will fall down after a few moments. Her feet turn in slightly and she used to curl them while she stood in a exersaucer, but recently is standing with her feet flat.Her legs also seem slightly bowlegged as well. I know that crawling is not a developmental milestone, but I would think that by this point, she would want to get around somehow. Her ped. said that she is just 'lazy' and didn't recommend any intervention at this point. He did say she obviously wouldn't be walking by 12 months, but I am more concerned about her wanting to move around. DS walked at 12 months so I don't want to come off as 'that parent' who is giving all the advice, but I am a little concerned. Any ideas or suggestions would be helpful.

 

[MusiqChic99]

She could never crawl. Some just go right to walking.

My son crawled for a week and then was standing at 8 months old. EVERY including the doctor thought he would walk really early. He didn't take a step until 3 weeks after his 1st bday.

All kids are different. I think by 15 months then it might be a concern with walking. A lot can happen in that time so just wait it out and see. Otherwise i would just advise her parents to keep working with her!

 

[thegrimdwarf]

My niece is 15 months and never crawled. She only just in the last couple of weeks began cruising. Some kids just skip crawling all together. Her doc said that they don't really get concerned unless kids aren't mobile by 15-18 months. Like you, that blew me away - both my boys walked at 10 months.

 

[Jenvenza]

It is nothing to be concerned about. Crawling is not considered a milestone anymore, because some kids never do it. I had a friend whose baby didnt crawl until she was 13 months. Others crawl at 6 months. They are all different, and it is really nothing to be concerned about at all. Some babies dont walk until they are 15 or 16 months old.

 

[waltskids]

While I realize that crawling is not a milestone, don't babies usually want to move somehow by this point (ie: cruising, scooting, rolling over and over)? She can roll over, but doesn't use it to get where she needs to go (ie: if she wants a toy or to get to someone). BTW, thanks for the advice. You are putting my mind at ease.

 

[Jenvenza]

While I realize that crawling is not a milestone, don't babies usually want to move somehow by this point (ie: cruising, scooting, rolling over and over)? She can roll over, but doesn't use it tto get where she needs to go (ie: if she wants a toy or to get to someone). BTW, thanks for the advice. You are putting my mind at ease.

Not always. You said she was sitting up and rolling over, so there is nothing to worry about. I promise you, she is not the only one at 11 months not standing, cruising or crawling. Some babies develop faster in some areas than other babies. She will catch up.

 

[MNdisneymom]

this didn't happen to me (my son was one of those early walkers), but a friend of mine has a daughter the same age. Her daughter didn't crawl until after she was a year old--but my theory was (and my friend agreed) was that it was because she was so big; she had such long legs, she just didn't know what to do with them. It didn't bother her any, and she started walking on the late end of "normal" (around 15 months, I think.)

 

[marcyinPA]

It is nothing to be concerned about. Crawling is not considered a milestone anymore, because some kids never do it. I had a friend whose baby didnt crawl until she was 13 months. Others crawl at 6 months. They are all different, and it is really nothing to be concerned about at all. Some babies dont walk until they are 15 or 16 months old.

That was my son...crawled (finally) at 13 months and walked at 16 months. The drs. were never concerned. I couldn't WAIT for him him to walk because he was a big boy and weighed a ton! He's now 13 and perfectly healthy!

 

[thegrimdwarf]

While I realize that crawling is not a milestone, don't babies usually want to move somehow by this point (ie: cruising, scooting, rolling over and over)? .

Nope. My SIL tried to motivate my niece by putting her favorite toys a couple feet out of reach. My niece would make these pathetic whimpering sounds while pointing and looking at you with big, sad eyes, lol. It was quite the show of "woe, woe is me!!!". But she never moved an inch.

 

[DevilDuckie]

If neither her pediatrician nor her parents are concerned I would not lose sleep over the matter. Children develop differently and for there to be a "norm" or an "average" some children must be faster and some must be slower. Nothing wrong with most of the kids on the slower end.

 

[waltskids]

Thank you, thank you for your replies!

Her mom is also concerned so I will pass this information onto her as well.

 

[DevilDuckie]

I couldn't WAIT for him him to walk because he was a big boy and weighed a ton!

This was SO familiar. My son weighed 17 pounds at 2 months old. I spent a lot of time as he got older and bigger wondering when he'd get off his butt and walk! Thankfully he became mobile on the early end of the spectrum because my back was killing me!

 

[DevilDuckie]

Thank you, thank you for your replies!

Her mom is also concerned so I will pass this information onto her as well.

Okay, then, revising my prior advice slightly: If her doctor is not concerned I'd tell the mom to try not to worry either. Doctors do see a zillion kids and a much wider range of behaviors than we do as parents.

 

[puffkin]

Every kid is so different.

He was over 6 months til he could sit up, 11 months to crawl and 13 months to walk. He never cruised, one day he stood up at the sofa, let go and took off across the room. Pretty much everything he did he wouldn't do until he could do it well which made it seem like he was so far behind.

My son was (and still is) a big kid. I think a lot of it was that he had so much more weight and body to balance that it just took him longer.

 

[bzzymom]

My two kids both walked before they crawled. Once DD pulled herself up, it was only a couple of days until she let go and stood alone, and then she tooks steps within a week as well. It was like it all clicked together.

 

[reelmom]

My youngest never could crawl right. He would always drag one leg behind him when he would move around. It worried me but the doctor never thought it was a problem. Then around 14 months, he got up and walked down the hall like he had been doing it for months. I was in such shock. No baby steps, just walking. I was videotaping my older son at the time and if I didn't have it on tape, nobody would have believed me.

 

[disneybridetobe]

DD didn't walk until 10.5 months.. then we were at my mom's, and she INSISTED on getting the kitties. She finally crawled, I cried! It took a CAT to make my DD crawl. (Nothing I could do would coerce DD to walk!) It seemed like everyone else's kid was crawling, except for mine. It made me feel like a horrible mom, and it certainly didn't help that the other moms made me feel like DD was 'slow'. I wanted to crawl in a hole.

DD is 12 mo, almost 13 mo now, and she's still not walking. Same thing- other moms make me feel like there's something *wrong* with DD. It makes me sick just thinking about it... then DUH! It hits me... some babies don't walk until 18 months. Ironically, the babies that didn't walk until 18 months are very intelligent adults!

*HUGS*

 

[mamaLori05]

While I do agree with all the other posts, I did just want to put out there that I have a friend who's dd wasn't crawling by 12 months and they ended up doing an eye exam (not sure how on a 12 month old, but somehow they did it) and found that she needed glasses and wasn't crawling or walking because she couldn't see well enough to. Not saying that is the same with your neice, but it is something to consider checking out. soon after she had the glasses she started crawling and then walking.

 

[Zeebs]

My little fatty, has made NO attempted to move, he is 8 months, has on occassion (about three times) rolled over, screams the place down if you put him on his front. I think he is lazy and got that from his mother. Plus his big brother takes him everything he wants, why move if it comes to you?????

A big difference from Cullen, who was crawling at 7 months and cruising at 8.5 months, but didn't walk on his own until 13 months. He was was so much happier when he was on the move.

Seth is happy just sat where he is.

Kirsten

 

[lillykat]

Thank you, thank you for your replies!

Her mom is also concerned so I will pass this information onto her as well.

I agree with the above posters that kids do things differently so there probably isn't need for concern one day she might just get up and go. It isn't unusual at all!

But you mentioned her mom is concerned. If she is really concerned she could look into EI. If she is that worried getting an EI eval couldn't hurt at best she doesn't qualify - at worst she gets some help? I think a parent knows their child best so if she is worried I guess it couldn't hurt.