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My 8 month old's development

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mountainboo | 18:10 Fri 07th Nov 2008 | Parenting
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Hi all My lo is approaching 8 months and he doesn't seem to have developed as much as other babies and also things I have read would confirm this.
He is able to sit up unsupported but tends to fall onto his back alot. He can roll well and if you place him in the crawl position he will stay on all fours for a few seconds and then extend all his limbs so he ends up on his front. I must add that he is a big baby weighing around 23lbs but surely that won't make a difference to his development?
His cousin who is 6 weeks older is admitedly not crawling or standing yet and she is very light. Should he be crawling or standing by now, if so how can I encourage him to do so? TIA
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I know it is easy for me to say this, but do not worry!
He sounds like he is doing all of the correct things.
I do not know if it is possible to encourage them to crawl or stand as such, just give plenty of encouragement - get on the floor and lie in front of him and encourage him to come towards you perhaps?
With my baby, I 'showed' her the technique for crawling when I was changing her nappy by gently pulling her left arm and right knee towards each other a few times and vice versa. OK, it made her look like a Thunderbird puppet but at least it was preparing her brain for the complicated task of crawling!
Not long after my lo started crawling, she started pulling herself up to standing.
Just to put your mind at rest, your health visitor should do a baby check at around the 8 month mark to check certain developmental milestones.
I really wouldn't worry at all. I'm a qualified nursery nurse and work in a baby room. Your baby sounds completely normal. They are all different in their abilities. Some babies crawl at 6 months and walk at 9, some do not attempt to even move until well after 12 months. My own daughter didn't crawl until she was nearly 13 months!
If he is rolling about then you may find he never crawls. Some babies are happy to roll around then will decide to pull themselves up to standing and so on from that. In regards to the sitting up that sounds fine as well. Babies do often forget and relax and let themselves fall back or their back muscles might not be strong enough to hold them up for long enough. At not even 8 months yet this is not a problem at all. I've looked after plenty of babies that can't sit up even at 10 or 11 months. In regards to his weight, the 'big' babies I've seen are often late starters to move around but they always catch up. This may or may not be an issue but like I've said he sounds completely normal to me! Hope I've reassured you a bit and I don't think you can encourage crawling that much either other than placing toys out of their reach! Just be patient and he will develop at his own rate.
He sounds perfectly normal to me hun.
Little CRX was walking at 10 months BUT he couldnt sit up without falling until just before.
Baby CRX is 7 months and is just sitting up but cant crawl and has been able to take her weight on her legs for ages.

they all develop at such different rates at this age, but i understand that it can be worrying when others babys seem to be doing so much more at the same age.

Chances are that baby boo is more of a thinker and is planning exactly what hes gonna get up to once he starts moving.

Make the most of him staying in one place, once they get on the move theres no going back.
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your all right and i really appreciate your replies. sorry for the delayed response.
i feel much happier knowing he's doing what he should be.
x
Hi MBoo. MiniNat is a one for keeping me waiting too! When she was about 4months she spent an entire day rolling rom front to back and back to front, all day long. I thought "My child is a genius!". However, that was the last time I saw her do it and she hasn't done it since LOL. At five months she was drinking out of a beaker and holding it (or a bottle) by herself - now she is 7months do you think she is interested? Is she heck. She was also on three solid mashed meals a day by six months, now she is back to just milk, and at a push, one weetabix!

I am just happy to let her do thing when she is ready, I haven't seen many five year olds rolling into school with a bottle of milk instead of walking in with a packed lunch! X
Oh, and she can neither sit by herself or crawl but she probably does it under cover of darkness when I am not looking!

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My 8 month old's development

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