My baby won’t crawl!!
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Category: Have A Baby?
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Topic: My baby won’t crawl!!
Posted By: babyg
Subject: My baby won’t crawl!!
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:23pm
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I have a 9 1/2mth old daughter who is still fairly immobile. I'm not terribly bothered but Plunket is keen to have her crawling as soon as possible as she is getting quite confident at walking aided.
She is happy to have TT for a few minutes at a time but no more, won't get up on her hands and knees (though she has done it once so can) and only moves in circles while on her tummy. While having TT she will lift her arms and legs up in mid-air and rock on her belly from side to side, but this doesn't take her anywhere. I do not enable her by bringing things to her and always leave things just out of reach while having TT, she just gets frustrated and gives up in a ball of anger. Plunket told me to force her up onto her hands and knees a few times per day so that she gets used to the position and will eventually assume it herself. I have been doing this at least once a day over the past month and she just gets angry until I release my hold on her and she flops back down onto her tummy. Is there more I can be doing??? Help? ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Replies:
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:27pm
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She'll figure it out! I don't know why Plunket are so worried, the 'normal' parameters for crawling are up to 12 mths. Mercedes was 10 1/2 mths or so when she started crawling, Sienna never really crawled, she bottom shuffled and she started that around the same time.
Mum did developmental therapy with my brother who has cerebral palsy and one of the things they used to have her do was 'patterning' - getting him up on all fours and moving his hands and knees in a crawling pattern. Oh and Maya crawled at 8 1/2 mths but she did no preparation whatsoever, no commando creeping, no rocking on all fours, just one day she up and crawled so you never know, Carys might do the same. -------------  Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:31pm
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Thanks for your support Emma, congrats on another beautiful little girl BTW! ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: WRXnKids
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:39pm
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Plunket can go jump crawling can be taught to kids who learn to walk first at a later stage (i think 2 is when they encourage this) as it is good for co-ordination but doesnt have to be enforced at that young age as she will still probably pick it up on her own.
Personally i wouldnt give a toss about what plunket tell you ive had some pretty strong opinions directed to me by my plunket nurse that im not impressed with so pretty much ignore what she tells me if i dont agree -------------   
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Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:50pm
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I assume that Plunket want her crawling so that she learns, oh what's it a called? when they can move both side i.e. left hand and right leg at the same time, can't remember what it is called. Anyway I was told that to help with this you can lie her on her back and bring her left leg up to meet her right hand and right leg to meet left hand.
Plunket are there to help but they do to a certain degree try and pigeon hole our kids. I think you need to listen to what they say, take it with a grain of salt and then follow what you think is best for you and your baby. I am sure that she will crawl/bottom shuffle/whatever in her own time ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:50pm
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My daughter is nearly one year old and is not furniture cruising, standing or crawling. Plunket suggested that she might have 'lazy baby syndrome', lol! Forgive me, but what the f@#k!?!?!
I have never heard anything so ridiculous. In my view there is too much focus on the 'right' age for babies to reach their milestones. They all reach their milestones in their own good time, and when I look around the adults I know I wouldn't have a clue who walked before one year old, or bum shuffled instead of 'regular' crawling. I think plunket has gone a bit awry with some of their advice, and worry new Mums unnecessarily. As long as their is no physical problem with your child, then I wouldn't worry! I crawled early and walked before 1, but my DH never crawled and just got up and walked when he was 15 months. No long term detriment. ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 12:55pm
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Daniel only just started crawling "properly" when he turned one.
He figured out a funny commando crawl and slowly got better and faster at that, then after he turned 1 he decided he would try crawling. |
Posted By: james
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:14pm
james only started crawling 2 weeks before his 1st brithday and walked two weeks after his frist brithday dont worry hun i,m sure she will get it
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:17pm
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Josh was about 10 month when he finally decided to crawl properly (up on hands and knees), he had been comando crawling for months (was teaching daddy how to do it ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: floss
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:27pm
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I wouldn't worry I was down at the Drs with Noah today and mentioned that he hardly ever rolls doesn't get up on all fours or anything where Lola is nearly crawling and she said not to worry he was quite content and would do it when he is ready so I'm sure it will be the same for your little girl ------------- My beautiful big girl Sienna 15.04.06 Double the trouble double the fun Noah & Lola 10/11/07 |
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:34pm
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I definitely wouldnt' put any pressure on her, just let her do it in her own time. perhaps stop with the walking aided time and put her on the floor every chance you get. Does she sit up?
I think in this instance let your girl do things in her own time. Cooper has only just started crawling at 10.5mths. You are doing a great job, just let her do it when she's ready. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
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Posted By: FionaS
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:41pm
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If it helps at all, Elle walked first but learned to crawl afterwards. She still learned the left/right brain cross patterning...just did it in her own time.
If she walks first, the important thing is simply that she learns to crawl at some stage (some kids still can't do it when they get to school but even then the cross-patterning can be developed with practice).  ------------- Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley |
Posted By: ElfsMum
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 1:55pm
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crawling is one of the few developmental stages that can be skipped totally and there are no developmental issues .. Plunket sometimes freaks parents out for no reason:( ------------- Mum to two amazing boys! |
Posted By: NovemberMum
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 2:13pm
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personally I wouldnt force her onto her knees as others have said she will crawl in her own time.
I'm going let my girl crawl in her own time and i suspect that will only be a few weeks away the way she is going. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: BugTeeny
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 3:08pm
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According to my "bible" - Your Baby and Child - Penelope Leach, you have nothing to worry about.
"It is not unusual for some babies to be immobile sitters on their first birthday" I like Plunket, but some of the advice I've been given has been a little off. At Hannah's 5 month check I was told not to give her solids as her tummy isn't ready for it. When I mentioned I'd been giving her solids - and she loved them - for a month, the nurse then said "Well, that's great!" So.... hmmm 
edited for spelling ------------- 
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 3:37pm
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Thank you all so much. You've basically all reassured me with what I already felt and believed.
I am not going to continue forcing her up onto her knees but will try to discourage the walking around furniture etc. Yes Mel she has been confidently sitting since 6mths and has been moving herself from sitting to tummy for a couple of months. Neither DH or I ever crawled, we were early walkers and we are both very co-ordinated. And 'lazy baby syndrome' Lulu  - how rude! Why do they think they can talk to/about us in that way? My PN said at our 7mth visit that my girl isn't exactly 'well-proportioned' for crawling ... read "Fatty!" into context - at least she's never been as blunt as yours was with you ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: Lulu
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 6:46pm
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LOL, yes my little girl is a bit 'rotund' too! Lucky I could just laugh about the lazy baby thing. A girl from my coffee group was told the same thing, and she almost belted the plunket nurse! ------------- Lou http://www.babysfirstsite.com">
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Posted By: Candkids
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 6:52pm
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sarah never ever crawled, she walked first too, i didnt crawl either , so i wouldnt wory to much about it ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">  DD 10.5yrs DS 6yrs DS 11mths 5 little angles watching from above |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 6:56pm
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Stuff Plunket's advice (on this occasion)!!! My DD1 and DD3 both didn't crawl until 10mos. The oldest one just wasn't interested and my youngest one was big and seemed to need more time to co-ordinate. Even then, my DD1 only crawled for about 3 weeks because she preferred aided walking. She's totally fit and able now though! ------------- |
Posted By: jack_&_charli
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 8:02pm
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yeah forget plunket!
i got told jack was a lazy baby too because he didn't crawl until he was 13mths and didn't walk un-aided until he was 18mths ------------- http://www.alternatickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: mum2paris
Date Posted: 22 July 2008 at 8:39pm
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Ha - don't stress, seriously!
Paris wouldn't roll, crawl, move, did the same thing when put on her tummy - screamed arched her back, tantrumed, she HATED it with a vengeance. I tried the 'forcing' her into the crawling position, we'd go through conditioning position practice like i had learnt with nannying a disabled girl, I did EVERYTHINg in my possible realm of experience and suggestions. nup, she didn't wanna do it. She did however learn to sit, and with that she learnt to figure things out - she'd play with her toys and knew how to work all the levers, learnt to build towers - we'd sit and read, sit and build with blocks. I still encouraged the movement, but worked on the other stuff in the time we had. As a result i have one very onto it, talkative young lady who fair enough couldn't walk at age 1 - but my god could she talk! She learnt to bum shuffle at 12 mths, and got super super fast and efficient at that - plus it meant she had hands free to hold things, unlike crawlers - so of course she wouldn't crawl when she had a more "efficient" way of moving. I would say not to help her walk around, but if she pulls to standing and cruises around the furniture, then be happy. Instead of teaching her to crawl - teach her how to fall safely so she puts her hands out, teach her how to get down again etc. once she is a bit older you can play crawling games like chase around the house - pretending to be animals - and she'll go back and learn that step which is what we did with Paris, we also worked on playing games that taught her to roll once she was about 16 mths too. (ie, 10 in the bed and the little one said roll over.. and we'd help her roll over etc, she learnt really quick) don't stress, she will get there. enjoy the fact that mostly you'll still be albe to leave the room and know she'll be in the same place when you get back. ------------- Janine and her 2 cool chicks, Paris & Ayja 
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Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 1:02am
Amen to that sister !completly agree ! if all our babies did everything at the exact same age then what a boring bunch of robots the little darlings would be ! thats what makes parenting exciting, that not knowing when your child will reach each milestone And in regards to the OP , pah, next time your plunket nurse says anything like that , look her in the eye and say "actually, i think my girl is quite intelligent, clearly at such a young age she already has the sense to know that once she starts crawling , it leads to walking,which leads eventually to be expected to work and other mundane things "
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Lulu wrote:Posted By: MissCandice
Date Posted: 23 July 2008 at 11:00am
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Babyg you will proberly find a few posts where i was worried when kylah was 10months and not crawling. Im the same as Lulu, our girls were both born in August and are nearly 1, Kylah doesnt crawl, walk, furniture shuffle nothing. But she is happy and healthy and finds her own way to get to things.. by pushing herself backwards and bum shuffling a tiny bit.. Dont worry chick, there are plenty of babies like yours around!! I still worry i know but iv learned to not get upset by it . ------------- ~ Mummy to a beautiful girl ~ |
Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 12:49pm
Interesting mum2paris - Carys is a BIG talker! The PN who saw us said that she must be putting all her learning energies into talking, leaving no room for crawling She did say that babies who are early talkers, are often slower to move ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 12:52pm
Oh, and yes - she has already taught herself 'safe-falling' techniques. She will confidently put her hands down and land on her bum most times. Thanks a lot girls! ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 1:11pm
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Very interesting about the talking and not moving.
What is Carys saying these days? Anyssa is keen on "b" words - admitedly they all sound a bit the same to the untrained ear, but she has got "bear", "ball", "bye bye" and "bath" nailed. She also says "up" and "pop", and did 'hi" for a while but has stopped that now. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 4:01pm
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I'd say she's 'vocal' rather than getting words through really clear DJ. Sounds like A actually 'says' more than C, but C just 'talks' as such, constantly!
She does say dad (and all its variants ) and teddy very clearly and has a good go at (clear enough for me to understand) - hello, love you, yum, boo, moo, dog, and duck. Besides these, she just blabs away in her own little language all day.------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 4:32pm
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yep I know all about the blabbing! I was on the phone to plunketline the other day and the nurse could hear her and said "well she certainly has an opinion" -i thought that was cute! C sounds very clever! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 4:37pm
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As does your sweet Anyssa ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |
Posted By: VannesaD
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 5:00pm
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Hey babyg .. don't stress at all (but I'm sure you're not) - as you can see EVERY baby is different. I don't know why Plunket would have said/acted in this way - but agree with several other ladies - they can be 'out of date' at times.
My daughter didn't crawl AT ALL .. and went from commando sliding (never on hands and knees) straight to walking at 12 months. She could of course walk aided well before then and now she is a perfectly abled young thing that doesn't stop talking. Gee Plunket need to keep quiet on certain things - they worry mums over nothing!!  -------------  
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 7:10pm
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Spencer still only commando crawls and has only been up on hands and knees and pulling himself up for the last couple of weeks.
We saw a paed for his lack of movement (he still wasn't even sitting at 8.5months) and they were totally unconcerned (my gp was being precautious cos Spencer has an eye condition which he though might be affecting his balance etc). He was 10.5 months when we saw that paed and had just started commando crawling very slowly. They said that on average he was behind with his gross motor movements but that normally they just suddenly catch up. All they did was check that everything else was ok (fine motor movements, speech and muscle tone) and that was it, nothing else needed. I'm not a fan of plunket, they tend to have a one size fits all approach to development and parenting which just doens't work. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: babyg
Date Posted: 24 July 2008 at 8:44pm
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Thanks Cuppa - hope you have a nice easy pregnancy ------------- Ev, Mum to: Carys Ruby - 4 October 2007 Spencer James - 2 July 2010 |