A bit worried after 9 month check up

Well, we went for our twins 9 month check up last week. My pedi is very worried about their development.
My twins are quite active and they roll around from one end of the room to the other. But they are still not crawling, sitting on their own or trying to stand.
DS1 is atleast on his fours trying to sit/crawl (trying for a while now), but DS2 is not even motivated. My pedi wants us to visit her again next month to see how the boys are doing.
I am quite worried.
When did your little ones start sitting up on their own? Started crawling, standing??
Should I really be worried?

Also, when I put finger foods on the tray in their high chairs, they try to pick it up, but do not put the food to their mouth. They just drop it.
But they pick and put all their play toys in their mouth!!! What's going on?
Should I be training them to do things? What am I doing wrong?
Any advice / help is appreciated. I am really worried.

 

All babies develop at their own rate. Mine were both sitting well by about 8 months but neither baby crawled or stood. DS is crawling now and pulling himself up to standing position but my DD isnt even interested in crawling or even rolling from back to front. I would get them sitting up as much as poss under supervision, they will get it eventually. As for the rest, that will come.

As for finger foods, DS loves biscuit, bread... but I havent done much else (pedi doesnt recommend it). DD isnt interested. At the moment it´s just for fun/practice so keep offering it to them. They will get it eventually.

GL & try not to worry too much - easier said than done I know! :hug:

 

I agree with the PP, all babies develop at their own rate. It sounds like yours are really close though! I know right before my babies sat, I didn't think they were anywhere near sitting. But after just a couple days of supervised sit, they were sitting on their own with some support, then within a couple weeks, sitting without any support at all. GL!

 

Like PP said, I would keep practicing with sitting up assisted. I used myself as a human boppy pillow [cause we don't have them, lol] and practice with each a couple times a day.

With finger foods.. What are you giving them to practice with? I know mine have a more difficult time when the snacks are smaller. I started out with baby mum mum's. They are like 4" long and 2" wide and are thin little rice crackers that pretty much disolve in their mouths. We've recently gone to puffs [they really like these] one of my girls had a difficult time at first [grabs with fist and can't figure out how to get it in her mouth] and after a few practices she's finally got it!

All babies hit milestones at their own pace.. just be patient and keep practicing with them. They will do it when they're ready.

 

:hug: I'm sorry you are worried! Just keep watching, and helping them to do things. Take them back in a month, and see if there has been some progression. Until then, just enjoy what they are doing (and enjoy what they are not doing, too :laughing.

 

I would discuss the possibility of an Early Intervention (EI) Assessment with your Ped next month if they are still not making any progess. They are trained professionals that will come out and evaluate the babies and see if they need any kind of therapy to jump start their progress. There are tons of moms and babies on this site that have been through it. But with that being said, every baby does develop at their own rate. Were they premature at all? If so, then you should go by their adjusted age for developmental milestones.

As for the puffs, just keep letting them practice picking them up. You can break them in half and finger feed them yourselves so they learn they taste good and to put them in their mouth. Give them time, they will get it. :hug:

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Apr 13 2009, 12:12 PM) [snapback]1270923[/snapback]
I would discuss the possibility of an Early Intervention (EI) Assessment with your Ped next month if they are still not making any progess. They are trained professionals that will come out and evaluate the babies and see if they need any kind of therapy to jump start their progress. There are tons of moms and babies on this site that have been through it. But with that being said, every baby does develop at their own rate. Were they premature at all? If so, then you should go by their adjusted age for developmental milestones.

As for the puffs, just keep letting them practice picking them up. You can break them in half and finger feed them yourselves so they learn they taste good and to put them in their mouth. Give them time, they will get it. :hug:



Yes, my babies were born at 36 weeks, so their adjusted age is 8 months and 1 week...

 

QUOTE(DoublyThrilled @ Apr 13 2009, 01:15 PM) [snapback]1270927[/snapback]
Yes, my babies were born at 36 weeks, so their adjusted age is 8 months and 1 week...


At 8 months ours were sitting but not crawling or pulling up. HTH! Hang in there. Just keep giving them plenty of floor time so that they can get the practice. Put them in a sitting position between your legs and help them learn to sit. There is a wide range of "normal" for all developmental milestones.

 

QUOTE(DoublyThrilled @ Apr 13 2009, 09:15 AM) [snapback]1270927[/snapback]
Yes, my babies were born at 36 weeks, so their adjusted age is 8 months and 1 week...

Doctors don't adjust 36weekers. Usually not after 35 W so your kids are expected to be doing their true age.
Here's a developmental chart
develpmental chart

Kid's development is usually done in age ranges and everyone is different so it is hard to tell if a child is delayed or just doing their own thing. Typically, children are sitting up unassisted by 8 months so it doesn't seem that your children are very far off of that mark. I do think it is too early to be upset or panic but I would keep an eye on them and try to work with them on sitting etc.
also, remember that not all children do things in the same order. Some never crawl and go right to standing. My ds never walked and went right from standing to running (I'm not kidding!!). My youngest dd didn't walk until 18 months and you can't slow her down now!

The bottom line is if you are concerned, call your local EI dept and ask for them to be evaluated. It's free and it will give you peace of mind that you are doing everything you can for them and tell you where they stand. Talk to the evaluator and they can also give you things to do to help your kids with the th ings they need to learn.

:hug: It is so hard to be concerned about your kids. Hang in there. THey are lucky to have a loving mom like you.

 

My son/twins were sitting at that point but far from crawling. My three crawled in their 10th month and my youngest did the inchworm crawl until about a week ago when he decided that hands and knees crawling wasn't so bad. At 9 months, my youngest wasn't interested in crawling. :hug: It's hard when they don't develop like people think they should.
I don't think they are that far behind.. .if at all.
Babies born early do tend to be a little later with milestones... but my son's excuse can only be laziness! :hug:
My youngest wasn't interested in finger foods at that point either.

 

Jacob has been sitting up since 7 1/2 months and crawling on hands and knees just started at 8 months but he would belly crawl since 7 months and just learned to pull up all the way this weekend

Mekaila started crawling at 6 1/2 months and sitting at 7 months and pulling up since 7 1/2 months

 

QUOTE(twoplustwo @ Apr 13 2009, 01:34 PM) [snapback]1270961[/snapback]
Doctors don't adjust 36weekers. Usually not after 35 W so your kids are expected to be doing their true age.


I have to disagree with this because an entire month can possibly (not always) make a difference in being ready to perform a developmental milestone.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Apr 13 2009, 11:40 AM) [snapback]1271161[/snapback]
I have to disagree with this because an entire month can possibly (not always) make a difference in being ready to perform a developmental milestone.

Well, that's the way it was when I worked in EI at all children's hospital in florida and at the hospital I worked at in New Jersey. The EI people here in Oregon said the same thing. I figured since that's 3 states all saying the same thing it was pretty universal but maybe not.
36 weeks is considered full term for twins.
Also, developmental stages aer done in ranges so a few eeeks here or there shouldn't make much of a difference.

 

my DD could pick up Cheerios but wouldn't eat them and would cry till we fed them to her - but she could pick up individual cat hairs off the floor! The docs (at this age) are looking for pincer grasp moreso than self feeding....

neither the hospital nor my ped (in PA) adjusted my kids ages either - and they were born at 36W also...

my DD didn't crawl till she was nearly a year - and walked 2 weeks later...she hated her tummy!

 

QUOTE(twoplustwo @ Apr 13 2009, 03:43 PM) [snapback]1271166[/snapback]
Well, that's the way it was when I worked in EI at all children's hospital in florida and at the hospital I worked at in New Jersey. The EI people here in Oregon said the same thing. I figured since that's 3 states all saying the same thing it was pretty universal but maybe not.
36 weeks is considered full term for twins.
Also, developmental stages aer done in ranges so a few eeeks here or there shouldn't make much of a difference.


I am sure that every Dr. is different but I was told that 36 weeks is not full term for ANY baby and there is no reason not to give the benefit of the doubt and adjust the age if needed especially when being followed closely by the Ped.

 

QUOTE(twoplustwo @ Apr 13 2009, 01:34 PM) [snapback]1270961[/snapback]
The bottom line is if you are concerned, call your local EI dept and ask for them to be evaluated. It's free and it will give you peace of mind that you are doing everything you can for them and tell you where they stand. Talk to the evaluator and they can also give you things to do to help your kids with the th ings they need to learn.

:hug: It is so hard to be concerned about your kids. Hang in there. THey are lucky to have a loving mom like you.


I was going to say the same thing. Listen to your gut. If you think they may be delayed, make a call to Early Intervention and get an appointment. If you do that now, their appt might be a week or so after your Dr. appt. Sometimes it takes a while to get in for an evaluation. If you call now, you'll waste less time if your Dr. does want them seen by a specialist. My boys have been evaluated 4 times now, but for speech issues. I think I kind of stretched Ryan sitting up at one of the evaluations though b/c he wasn't really doing it without help yet. Luckily he did it for 3 seconds and they counted it. We struggled a lot with the sitting milestone, but my boys were 33 weekers so I was kind of expecting it. I believe they were sitting well at the end of 7 months. They didn't crawl until almost 11 months and started walking around 15 months.

 

I say you should not really worry about it. My DS started crawling at 8 months and sitting unassisted a 9 months. However, my DS just started crawling and sitting uassisted last week, a little over ten months. Before then, she would just roll to get what she wanted.

 

My kids are almost 10.5 months and not crawling or pulling themselves up. DD was sitting for bits of time by 6 months, not DS. Their ped suggested EI so we went along with it for the eval, and were told our kids (at this time 7 months) were functioning at a 4 month level. I was shocked and embarassed, like it was all my fault. But we got them the therapy they needed. They say its better to get them caught up sooner rather than later.
The ped didnt think DD would make it in but she did because of her fine motor skills.

So to sit up, we started doing baby sit ups with both of them. Also, lots of bouncing on an exercise ball, tipping them different ways so they correct their positioning and strengthen those muscles. It all comes down to their core muscles (their middle section). We strengthened that and then things just started to happen. DS was sitting up within 10 days of sit ups and sitting with him, making him sit up.
We also worked on things like putting blocks in buckets, they like to evaulate their grasp patterns and correct them.
We started feeding them puffs, and were told they should be self feeding...we didnt know that...so anyway we worked on that forever and they can feed themselves most finger foods now. Everything just takes reps and reps.
They still arent crawling though nor pulling themselves up. I am glad we did EI though, they'll probably only be in it for a few more months. They are caught up and I learned SO MUCH. I wasnt doing half the things I should have been doing, I figured they just learned this stuff on their own. I guess some just need that push.

I would get them checked out, they have to be 25% behind or something weird like that, and even if they don't qualify they can give you some ideas. At least you will know...I wouldnt worry too much though, I did at first and now I'm just enjoying them to the fullest. I certainly dont want them crawling

 

Thank you all. After reading all your suggestions, I am trying to sit them both up daily, so that they learn to sit up on their own. I also help them pick the finger foods and put them in their mouth. Hopefully they'll get it soon. Right now, they pick it up, but just resist my help in putting it in their mouth. Let's see how they progress. If not, like many PP's have suggested, I am planning to do EI. Well, I have to convince my DH first!!! He thinks my kids are doing great and will learn things in their own pace!!!

 

So an exercise our doctor had us do to strenthen their middles and assist in sitting is :

Sit on the edge of the couch.
put the baby on your knee.
as the baby gets more stable and has more trunk support lower your hands from under their armpits to down towards their hips.
When they are Close to sitting on their own you should be able to sit them on your knee and just hold onto their hip bones.

DD didnt sit on her own till 8 months. crawled at 10, stood up at 11, walked at 12.
DS at 6 months, crawled at 7, stood up at 9, walked at 12.

 

I agree with previous posters that if you are worried about it, you could have them evaluated to put your mind at ease. :hug:

I'll tell you our experience. My two were sitting by 5 months and that's about it until 9.5 months. That's when they both started to crawl and within two weeks they were both standing and cruising. :good: Neither of them were rollers. My ds was in phyical therapy at the time for his torticollis and our PT was not overly concerned about it. My ds didn't put food in his mouth until he was 14 months old and my dd until she was 13 months old. Again, I did tell my PT this (eventhough he'd have to go to an occupational therapist for this) and they told me to give him to 18 months, since every child is different. That is my experience with all this.

Just keep on working with them on these skills and soon enough they will be all over the place. :hug:

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Apr 13 2009, 02:40 PM) [snapback]1271161[/snapback]
I have to disagree with this because an entire month can possibly (not always) make a difference in being ready to perform a developmental milestone.



Yep. Have to adjust!!! Even a day makes a difference in the life of an infant!!

You stop adjusting at age 2, IF and ONLY IF, you feel you should!

MUST ADJUST. Just cuz they were born early does NOT mean they were conceived earlier (Hence developed as much as they would need to to just chop off those additional weeks!!)

Try not to worry and DO adjust for things like this. They are not automatically older just cuz they're twins!!

Give them time.