Worried About My Baby's Development, Please Help!!

My daughter did not want to roll over until she was almost nine months old and then she was walking within a couple of weeks. I don't believe you have anything to worry about because every child is different and develops at their own time. Asking the doctor is a good idea though just in case. Hope this helps!

I have a little one who will be 8 months on the 27th and he doesn't care to be on his tummy either. He does roll over but he just started that not long ago. I also have another son who will be 2 on the 27th, and he was already doing everything by now. He would already sit up and crawl, so I believe that every child develops at their own pace. With my youngest I just try to put him in tummy time as much as possible even if its for a few minutes. That way he can get the feel of things. I hope that this helps out.

Hi J.,

Premie babies tend to be behind a little in developement. Don't worry about comaparing him to other babies focus on him and help him at his pace. Maybe get down on the floor with him at tummy time and let him watch you roll over and grab at thigs. Make a game out of it. Hang in there he will be fine.

Hey J.,
My degreee is in early childhood-fourth grade and I want you to know that your baby is just fine. Just keep working with him on his tummy time and when he is ready he will roll over. All babies are different and will develope at different times. He could start walking before your sisters baby. All babies are different. Your child is going as his pace so just go along with him.

B.
www.MoreForMyBaby.com

J.,
i am a pediatric physical therapist who (until recently) worked with babies 0-3 years old. first, as you probably know, you can consider your baby's developmental age to be 7 months due to the 4 weeks he was early. second, you are right - typically 7 month old babies do roll around on their own, however every baby is very different!!! and what is "normal" varies greatly! that being said i would still recommend you ask the doctor to refer you to an early intervention (EI) program for a full developmental evaluation (the therapists there will know more than your pediatrician about development in all areas). most babies concentrate on developing their motor skills during the first year and their language skills the second year, but a few do it the other way around. maybe your guy is very advanced in other areas. an examination by and EI team will give you all the details and assure you of your babies abilities, and, god for bid, if there is something wrong, they will be able to help you and your baby catch up! good luck to you.
G. - new mother of 2 month old baby boy

Of course you need to talk to your Pediatrician. All I know is that ALL babies hate tummy time. They ALL get frustrated and cry. I let my son cry a little and get frustrated and often that's what motivated him to push up.

As much as people say about not comparing your child to others, there IS a standard set of milestones Drs look for. With preemies (I have three)they do go on a different scehdule, but for a 36 weeker there's not much of a difference.

My girls are those you don't want to compare to. My oldest was a 32 weeker and started rolling at 2 months. She was crawling by 5 months and walking by her first birthday.

The developmental milestones are great to have handy. according to this, babies by the end of their 7 months should be able to roll both ways, sit with or without the support of hands, transfer object from hand to hand, and support her weight on her legs. I highly recommend you make an apt with Early Childhood Intervention, which will evaluate her for free.

http://www.medem.com/MedLB/article_detaillb.cfm?article_I...
S., mom to four girls-three of them NICU babies

Hi J.,

You are wise to be concerned about your baby's development. Premies oftentimes lag behind their peers and the time to get caught up is NOW. Gross motor, fine motor, oral motor, and ocular (eye) motor skills are the basis for all higher level skills, including academics. If I were you, I would tell your pediatrician that you want your child to be evaluated by an occupational therapist and a physical therapist, and maybe even a speech pathologist. I would look into both private therapy (insurance might cover it if the Dr. writes the order) and OT/PT/Speech through your local school district's infant program. If you are in Bastrop County, call ###-###-#### (special education dept.) to get the number for the PRIDE program, which is the Early Childhood Intervention program that serves birth through age 3 years. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with normal development in Arnold Gesell's book (2007) Infant And Child In The Culture Of Today - The Guidance Of Development In Home And Nursery School (Paperback)--it lists what children should be doing by certain ages. Good luck!

Hi, J., Calm down. Keep in mind that he's a boy and he's a preemy. Both of which usually mean slower development. If everything else is ok, don't rush him. Of course, talk this over with his doctor. I would also suggest that you try to find a copy of 'Polly Prudent's Exercises for Infants'. It gives you some wonderful excercises for strengthing the muscles need for sitting, turning, standing, walking, etc. I hope that you can find it, it's been 20 years since I used it for my granddaughter. If you know a Physical Therapist, they are a good source of exercises. These are just suggestions. See what the doc says.

About me: Retired RN, gm of 5

NEVER JUDGE YOUR BABY BY ANY OTHER BABY!!!! First of all how large is your son? Breastfed babies tend to be thinner than formula babies because of the calories in the formula. If he is bigger, he will have trouble getting over. Their necks aren't very strong at first and it can be frustrating and uncomfortable for him to try to lift his head when he is on his tummy (that is the only way to look around from there). Keep the appointment with the doctor, but if your son is reacting to facial expressions, making gurgling sounds and beginning to interact with you, he is likely 100% perfect. I liken your situation to a movie, tv show or even commercial that you haven't seen before. As you watch it for the first time, it seem to last for a long time. Once you have seen it though, it seems to fly by. You have already seen this "show" and are anticipating the next step already. Enjoy the babiness in him, it won't last long. Try to live IN the moment and don't rush him.

I have a friend whose daughter was born on 7/4/05 and my son was born on 8/15/05. I've long since learned not to compare the two of them as far as developmental milestones are concerned. Number one, each child is different and accomplishes different tasks at their own special pace. Right now, my friend's daughter is yapping away and my son is still trying to put together simple sentences. While I do believe it's important to address anything that you're concerned about with your Pedi (which I've done), remember to let your son be who he is without comparing him to others. He's got his own special little timetable going on =)

J.,

My son was born at 31 weeks (14 years ago!) Try not to compare your baby with your sister's baby. Your miracle baby will develop at his own pace. Keep up with regularly scheduled well visits and always write down your questions so you will remember them. Preemies are physically behind at first but they do catch up. Michael, my son, didn't walk until 13 months, but boy, he's never stopped going since! He's tall like his dad AND he's a genius! (God is amazing!)

Just remember that every human is unique when it comes to development (learning, physical, emotional) and your precious baby will do what he wants when he feels ready!

Be happy, enjoy your time with your baby, try not to fret, and let him develop in his own time. Everything will be wonderful, you'll see!

~S.!

My youngest daughter was premature and developmentally delayed. She was 9 months old before she could sit up on her own, she didn't crawl etc etc etc. It seems that the "valleys" in the brain are deeper in premies and the electrical impulses can't breach the gap and that's what causes the delays. After physical therapy, she was fine. She started sitting on her own after a month and started walking around 19 months. One of the exercises we did with her was to sit her on top of an exercise ball, hold her firmly in place by the waist and gently roll the ball left to right and backwards and forwards. Small motions at first then building as she became accustomed to it. She is now a very bright and healthy 19 year old about to turn 20.

Hi J.,

Another thing to think about is this: Is the almost 10 year old "helping"? My sister is almost 4 years older than I am. When I was born, my mom said that my sister "helped" me do anything I wanted to. I didn't crawl for a long time because my sister would always give me everything I needed. I didn't think I needed to crawl. Maybe someone is always turning the baby over and he just hasn't had to learn yet. I agree with other posters who said not to judge your baby by what SHOULD be happening. God made everyone different. God Bless!

Every baby develops at different levels. Preemies have a harder battle because they spend more energy on just catching up in gross and fine motor skills. So they are often a little behind their peers. I would not panic yet.

My youngest was sick a lot and while he siblings were crawling at exactly 6 months, he did not even pull up to standing or stay on all fours till he was 10 months old. The doctor told me part of it was due to his body using it's energy to battle germs and just grow like it should. Sick kids, preemies, and undernourished kids have bodies that have to work harder to pass those milestones. ;-)

You can ask your Dr. about excercises though. I would suggest asking to evaluate how your son does when you lay him on his tummy. Can he hold his head up for any length of time? Can he push with his feet any? Can he push around and raise up on his arms at all? These are all first steps involved in learniing to roll over and then eventually to crawl.

You can do basic excercises if the Dr. thinks everything is fine. Look for a book on it. I can't remember what they were or where I read about them. But I remember just playing with my babies and doing a few of them every day. Things like laying him on his back on my lap and then pulling him gently up by the hands--so that he is holding his head up for a second. That strengthens the neck muscles.

Good luck

I am a mother of a 33 week premie and what my doctor told me was that any child that is born early may be delayed in some or all areas. My doctor told me if my child was 4 months, his development is that of a 2 month old because he was born 2 months early. I have a web site and a telephone number of an orginization that will evaluate your son and if needed will give assistance in areas that he is lacking. The cost of the evaluation is free, but they will look at you household income and then they will use a sliding scale to share the cost of the help. you may not have to pay anything!
This program is statewide and they will come to your son's daycare, school or home for therapy. The name is Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services. It is Early Childhood Intervention and their web site is www.dars.state.tx.us. Their toll free number is 1-800-628-5115. They will give you all the information that you will need and I hope that they can give you the help that you are looking for.
Best of luck!
J.

I have had many foster babies who were premature and were slower in doing things then other babes. Contact MHMR, through their infant development program (ECI) they will come to your house and evaluate your baby and recommend therapy. It is covered by most insurance companies and if you get a referral from your doctor it would certainly be covered. I believe the initial evaluation is at no cost. I have used them several times with my foster children and with my own children. From developmental delays, speech delays, learning dissabilities, etc. They are great!

On the other hand, your baby is probably just taking her time. I have an almost 20 year old, who was not premature and wouldn't even start crawling until 10 months and couldn't really sit up until like 8 months. He developed just fine and is extremely bright.

Good Luck

L.

Put into perspective your baby is actually a week younger than your sister's full term baby.

Remember milestones have a three to six month leeway. Have you checked out Parenting.com, they have a great wealth of articles on milestones. Some children skip some and some take six months longer than others.

Talk to your pediatrician they will know if there are any other things that go together to be of real interest.SO fret not, unless your pediatrician feels like it is something.

If you have done this and you still feel a gut feeling see another pediatrician with Preemie experience.

J.,
From what you're saying, your baby is perfectly normal. I just went and looked at my old journals, and my daughter (a 36-weeker) didn't roll over voluntarily until she was 9-months old, and she HATED tummy time, too. She didn't walk until 3 months after her first birthday, so don't be alarmed on that delay, either.
Don't forget to "adjust" his age. He's not actually 8 months, but effectively only 6 1/2. I think our pedi finally quit "adjusting" my daughters ages (my second was a 35-weeker) after they started walking and started to communicate.

This is just to help with your frame of reference. Most importantly, don't compare your sweet boy to other babies (even mine). ;-) He'll get there in his own time.

Best wishes!
M.

Im a mom of twins that were 28 weekers. most doctors give them in till 2 years to ceach up with there age. they will be be hind a baby that was born at 40 weeks. you might ask your doctor to refer you to ECI they come to your home and work with your baby, they help with all kinds of things. rolling over crawling, walking speech. my boys are on it. but I think that it will be ok. it never hurt to have them come out and tell you if its some thing that they need to help with.

Hi J., I have a 17 month old boy and I can't even remember exactly when he rolled over, but it was late, and he never like being on his tummy either. I would go to a baby group where all the babies were roughly the same age, and at 8 to 9 months the girls were always rolling around and sitting up for long stretches, whereas I was always having to make sure my son didn't simply topple over while sitting up! He walked hanging on to fingertips before he crawled. Now he's running around just fine. The best advice I can give you is to minimize your worry over him and have fun with him, totally accepting exactly where he is. That positive glow will do more for him than anything else you could do.

Best to you,

A.

I am mom to a wonderful 32 week preemie who is 19 months old today. I had the same worries with rolling over and tummy time, my boy hated to be on his tummy and was delayed rolling over because of it. So I stressed and worried about it as I took him to his development pediatrician and regular pediatrician. I was told to do certain exercises with him to get him on his tummy. I stressed, and he rolled over whenever it was his internal clock said roll over and not one minute before. Same thing with sitting and walking and on and on. :)

That being said, if you're worried, talk to your doctor. Also, you might talk with his caregiver about tummy time and such, just to see if they can help you out. Maybe he's done it away from you and they didn't let you know?

Best of luck, I know how it is. :)

my son was born at 35 weeks (4lbs & 14oz) and I was afraid of his development too...he did just fine, compared to other children it was slower but everyone is diffrent....he HATED to be on him tunny too but my pedi told me tummy time was important it strengths their muscles (lifting up the head)...so i would just try to put him on a mat as much as I could.....he didnt start roling over til he was almost 9 mths and didnt start walking til he was 13 mths old.......I think children are all diffrent, I know its hard not to compare him to others but unless ur pedi says something is wrong just enjoy him...because now my 17 mth son is on the run and does not seem to need me, hes so independent...Good Luck and God BLess.

My daughter was born at 26 weeks and was a teeny little thing. We had Early Childhood Intervention come out and do an assessment of her developmental progess, at first they saw no delays, however later I felt there was a need for a second evaulation. Upon that second evaulation, they did notice a delay and we started weekly physical therapy. Depending on your state, you might qualify for ECI. Talk to you pediatrician. I would keep two things in your mind, first every baby develops on a different schedule, preemies especially and don't ignore your gut feeling as a mom. You know when things are quite right, so ask questions and be an advocate for your child.

Good Luck.

I think you've recieved some great advice. I do not think that you need to worry. Like Gina said since he was a preemie he will be a little behind.

That said, most babies do not like being on their tummy. My son also used to hate it. BUT it is important to continue giving him "tummy time" every day for a few minutes regardless of how much he hates it. I used to lay my son on a clean blanket with a few colorful toys just out of reach. He will push him self up and may try to reach for the toys. This is good for his muscle development. After a few minutes of fussing/crying you can declar tummy time over lol.

You may also want to use a boppy pillow, I loved mine! It can help support him while you are playing on the floor. Eventually my son was crawling all over mine.

Of course if you are that worried talk to you pediatrician, but I really don't think there is anything to worry about. Like others have said all babies develope differently. I used to care for a baby who didn't walk until he was about 17 mos old. There wasn't anything wrong with him he was just a little slow, eventually he was running all over!

Good luck!

Hi, I'm writing this without reading the other responses, so I may say what everyone is saying.

When comparing your baby to the charts and to other babies with the same age you need to remember two things:

1) ALL BABIES ARE DIFFERNET! My daughter was born 1 day AFTER her due date and she didn't roll over until she was almost 9 months and didn't take her first solo step until 11 months and sisn't fully start walkimg around the furniture until 14 months. Same with my son, who was also full term. They are both very intelligent and clever - my daughter is in the G/T classes at school.

2) This is more important for you: Since your babie is a preemie, you need to look up his ORIGINAL DUE DATE, not his calendar birthdate. He didn't get the needed time to grow in you, so he had to catch up for 4 weeks of in-Mommy growth. If he was born a month preemie and he has been in your arms for 8 months, then you need to look at what a 7 month old baby should be doing. If the books say he should roll over at 6-7 months, then he'll probably rollover at 7-8 months, or maybe even 9 months like mine. The guides are JUST GUIDES. At this age a couple of months is a HUGE age gap. My kids hated tummy time too, but loved to stand on my legs at 3 months even though I had to support their heads, backs and everything else by leaning their backs against my chest. If your son is doing what an average 6 month old id doing, then he is on target. If your DH is still concerned, ask him to come to the next baby check up with you if he hasn't been able to so far. If he's not able to, have him write down his list of concerns and ask the Doctor to hand-write his/her answers down for you. This way your husband can see that your son really is okay. Find books on raising preemies, there is info in there that y'all need.

When they say "You're the Mom and your instinct is always right", they should actually say "You're the PARENT, so trust your instincts", so pleas don't just push husband's feeling away. My husband felt something was wrong even though I didn't. If your husband is still concerned then, he NEEDS to talk to the doctor. My husband had concerns that our son was deaf, I knew he wasn't. We had his hearing checked and NO hearing problems. However, the ENT did recommend the Speech Pathologist abd it turns out my son needs speech therapy. Turns out it runs in my Dad's family. That was 3 years ago, my little boy is doing great with twice a week lessons at the elemantary he will attend in the fall. He will start Kindergarten in regular classes with his current schedule of speech tharapy.

I know this sounds like wishy-washy advice, but just combine these two: Preemies are Birthdate/Duedate confused. Trust Mommy's AND Daddy's instincts.

Hope something in this helps.
Donna

I would contact your local ECI (early childhood intervention) program. In San Antonio there are three: PACES, Brighton, and Easter Seals. They are divided among the city based on your zip code. You can find them in your local phone book. Call and tell them you want to make a referral for your child. They'll ask about your specific concerns and get other demographic information. They'll have someone from intake get in contact with you and that will start the ball rolling. They will eventually do an evaluation (if deemed necessary) and let you know how your child is developing and if there are any concerns. They can also provide therapy and activities. There may be nothing wrong at all but it won't hurt to have the evaluation done...it's completely non-invasive so better to put your fears to rest or get some good answers that will start you on the path to helping your baby. Hope this helps.

A mother should always be concerned about her child, as who usually sees their child the most, but the mom. Do share your concerns with your Dr., whom I hope has experience with preemie development.

Since your child was premature, the rate at which "milestones" occur will be delayed. With that in mind, think about babies that are the same age (and were full term). Not everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, for good reason. Their muscular systems develop at a different rate. You state that your child doesn't like to be on his tummy. My suggestion would be to try (For short periods of time; 1 min. or a little more) putting him on his stomach on a SOFT/firm surface that's safe. Then find his favorite toy and hold it to the side, barely out of reach. See if he will start grabbing for it. Eventually build the time up.

Most of all remember, DO NOT COMPARE yourself to the Jone's or Smith's baby ALL of the time. It will only frustrate you. But do keep in mind the basic time frame for development and give yourself a little breathing room. BEST WISHES!

Well I'm sorry to hear about your son, how sad that he cannont flip over...I guess my daughter is way more suoerior to your rugrat. She's been rolling over since she was 6 1/2 months old! Lmao!!!! J/K, I loovve you and my little Bully! He's fine Jess he's just a chunkie munkie! He'll roll when he's ready poor baby stop putting pressure on him! Once he starts rolling your going to wish he didn't because then you have to be watching him the whole time. Ok gotta go back to work. I got you something I'ma drop by your house before I go home!

Hi,
Early Childhood Intervention is an agency that can be of excellent help in these situations. You do not need a physician's referral. They will have specialist such as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or developmental specialist come out to evaluate your child. Yes, you do need to check out why your child is not rolling over. This milestone usually happens between 3-5 months. Some kids are just late bloomers, but it is best to get it checked out and intervene early if therapy is needed. You can look up Early Childhood Intervention on the web. In the central Texas area, they are based out of Temple and called ChildTeam. However, if you live in a different area you can find them under DARS (Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services). Good luck.

I have a really good friend that were foster parents and they received a little boy that was born premature as well. The drs told her that for every week he was premature was a month younger in development than his actual age. So with premmies you can't look at the actual age of the child. You have to look at the developmental age. So your son is ok, you husband is right there is nothing to worry about, it will just take him longer to do those mile-stones but once he is up and going you won't even know he was premature. That is the way is was for my friends with there little one, and they did adopt him.

I don't know about any tests (sorry), but I would mention it to the doctor. IN THE MEANTIME, keep in mind that ALL kids develope at different stages & if you constantly worry about this, your baby will sense it & that isn't good for him. If this is the only problem you are seeing, I wouldn't ASSUME anything. Not only am I am mom of 3, but I also work in a nursery at a daycare & I can tell you of MANY babies in there who are "behind" in their developement in at least one area. But there is NOTHING wrong with them. I hope this at least brings you some comfort until you see the doctor.

My daughter was a little early. She was not rolling. She had a hernia. You might just ask the dr to check for that at his appointment. Also ask for an Occupational and Physical Therapy referral for eval and recomendations

Hi I am 27 years old and a first time mom of a 7 month old and she was only a week early and only rolls over from her tummy to back and not back to tummy or crawls yet either. She really doesn't like to be on her tummy much as well. I don't think you have to worry about it because every baby is different and reaches different stages at different times. To get her to roll over I would give her tummy time when I knew she was in her best mood and would put toys in front of her or lie down beside her and play with her. :) Good luck but I don't think you have anything to worry about.

I snuck a peek at some of your responses before I wrote this so I wouldn't go into a long drawn out message if everyone else said the same things... sure enough that was the case. I wouldn't worry either..... My son really didn't move much at all until about 11 months or so but I had a nephew that walked by ten (he is now 5) and his little brother was walking at 9 months. Every child develops at a different rate. My daughter is crawling already and she is 9 months the 19th (tomorrow). One thing I also know is that you really can't compare boys to girls even if they are on the exact same day. My husband is a twin and his twin brother has fraternal twins (boy and girl) and the doctor doesn't even ask totally the same questions and they don't expect the same things out of both of them. The girl was walking for a couple of months before the boy did. I know my husband and his brother were preemies and my mom-in-law said that they were pretty "late" for eveything including teething. I will say though... don't be to excited to get him moving because there will never be a dull moment in your house once he does. Count you blessings for him staying still, I wish my daughter still did. Just enjoy the time that he will cuddle with you and stay close to you... the day will come soon enough that he will be moving everywhere. As for the tummy time... make him do it. You are still the mom and you know what is best for him and I would just make him do 5-10 minutes a day or so and then prgressively move it up to more time... and just think more tummy time means eventually he will get mad enough and roll over becuase he doesn't want to be on his belly anymore.

Although neither of my childer were born premature, I have known several people with premature babies and what their doctors told them was: Your baby was born early and it may take up to 2 years for them to "catch up" developmentally to their age. So please, don't worry too much just show your baby love and support (which I am sure you already do!). My younger sis' baby was not premature and she did not roll over at all until 9 months and she is just fine. I hope this helps!

ECI-early childhood Intervention. They help with many many things. They will come out to your house and do an evaluation of your child in what you feel he/she should be doing and isnt or isnt doing it well. After they do the evaluation they will let you know if he/she qualifies for their program, the eval. takes atleast 2 hrs. sometimes longer, so dont plan anything, also your child only has to be 1 month behind to qualify (or at least that is the qualification for speech). After qualifing you will write out a goal plan with them, for instince if my son/daughter rolls over by himself/herself for two weeks consistantly by himself/herself then i would feel like he/she has made an improvement, after you write out the goal plan with them you will set up the visits how often and when, and they will be at your house (although i have meet her a few times at the library). Im not sure where you live, I live in three rivers, so my sons therapist comes from the portland and beeville office. I can give you the phone number to that office and the should be able to give you the number to your local office if it isnt it and i can also give you their web site. The toll free number is 1-888-819-5312, the ECI State Care Line is 1-800-250-2255. The website is www.eci.state.tx.us I hope this helps you, if you have any more questions please dont hesitate to ask, i will try to answer them. Ohhh, and you dont have to get a referal from the pedi to get some of the services (and if you do end up needing it, and your dr is giving you a hard time about it they will handle it, i had this problem with my sons pedi and his physical therapy, not that she didnt want to do it she is just a believer in all kids do things in their own time, which so do i but i say what could the help do, not hurt him only encourage him.) Anyway, sorry if i misspelled anything not great at that. Good Luck, i love the ladies that come out here, they are always so nice!!

I think that you should bring this up to the doctor at your 9 month visit. I just had my daughter she is six months and my older son is 9 going to be 10 in July... So I know what you mean when you say it is like doing it all over again. We worry about all kinds of things and the doctor will tell you if it is really soemthing serious. All babies are not the same. Me and my daughter go to a "Little Gym" class for babies. The class is for 4-10 month old babies. Some of the babies can crawl, and sit up straight, 1 can even walk! But like I said they are all different and none more "advanced" than the other...

J.,

Try not to worry. When you go to the 9 month checkup you can talk to you doctor. But just know that all babies are different. My son, now 11 months, started to crawl, roll and pull up all at the same time! He was 9.5 months! We would call him turtle because if you put him on his back he would just move his arms and legs like crazy but couldn't turn over. He rolled over a couple of times early on but that was about it. He also hated being on his tummy. You just have to keep doing it. It is the only way they will get strong. My son would cry the whole time. Then he started pushing up when he was mad. Finally he got on all fours -- the next thing you know he is crawling. And strangely he rolled too! I can't say if anything is wrong or not -- but I think it is too early to tell. Good luck!

You should have a local ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) program in your area that you can call and make a referral for your baby. They will then come to your home and do a free evaluation to see if your baby is developmentally on tract. If he is not, they will recommend services within the child's natural environment, home or child care setting. Depending on his needs a physical, occupational, or speech therapist would come and work with your baby. Their philosophy is to help the caregiver to help the child every day in his natural environment. They serve babies from age 0-3 and if your child still needs help after age three your local school district would be who you would contact for an evaluation. Let me know if you need more information about ECI, it is a GREAT program.

I was in a somewhat similar situation recently. My daughter was only one week premature but was diagnosed with Torticollis at 2 months, which affects muscle development. She was late in hitting every milestone... but she DID hit them.

Tummy time is critical, even though your baby hates it. Start for just a few minutes at a time and slowly build up. Try some toys to help make it interesting. The one that worked for us was the "Lamaze Spin & Explore Garden Gym" (we bought ours from Amazon.com).

Also, consider contacting your local Early Childhood Intervention office. They will send a physical therapist to evaluate your baby and determine if he needs some extra help. We have had a therapist come to our home every other week and it has made a HUGE difference. The fees are based on income, so don't worry about your ability to pay.

And don't sweat it too much... some babies are just on their own timetable. My brother did not speak a single word until he was almost 3.. and then he suddenly started speaking in complete sentences! Keep us posted, and best wishes to you!

Hello, I am a mother of a little boy and he was also born premature. He was born at 37 weeks. He also showed signs of not being able to do certain things at the times in which he should have. Remember three things. Premies are slower than other kids and will catch up. You also have to remember that your baby is a boy. Boys are also slower that girls. Also, all kids are original and he will do what is comfortable for him. Try to think positive and look at what he already has achieved. I worried from the day my little boy was born, and still worry some to this day. I talked to several mothers and found that all kids go at thier own pace. My little boy was so chubby, he did not crawl until 11 months and did not walk until almost 14 months. Please have faith that he will be just fine and that you are experiencing what everyone goes thru. Now my little boy is 2 weeks from being 2yrs old and he is so smart and does so well with other people and is developing perfectly. hope this helps, good luck

My grandson was born at 32 weeks of pregnancy. At 11 months old he didn't sit up, roll over, or the other normal things children do at that age. My husband a chiropractor started to work with him. Using an exercise ball to roll him around, cross crawling excises, and taking him to the pool for movement. He is now 9 years old, speaks 2 languages, makes the A honor roll and many times is student of the month at his regular school. Be patient and your child will grow and learn. Try an early childhood center for special children that don't learn at the so called normal rate. The advise we got from the ped was to put him in an institution for handicapped children that he wouldn't amount to much.

Hi J.,
As a mother of T. I understand what you are going through. Try to calm down and look for the following things: Does your baby look at you when you talk to him? Does the baby follow you when you move around? Does he cues or babbles? You may want to make a list of things that are bothering you and bring it to the Doctor.

Now remember that every child develops at a different pace. Try to teach him how to turn over. Talk to your baby a lot read to him often as all of this things will stimulate his brain.

Good luck and try not to worry to much. Take action and face with courage with what ever comes.

My 2 yr old is speech delayed and it was hard for me to deal with but down deep inside I know he will be ok.

Have a blessed day,
Elisa M

First and foremost, don't flip out! My boys (7 and 4) were both preemies at 33 and 35 weeks respectively. The oldest did absolutely nothing when he was "supposed" to. On many things, he was behind even the "adjusted" age. He did not crawl until he was 13 months, He did not walk one step before he was 18 months old. Even though it may take them longer, they still learn to do things. Now he's fast, he swims, and he gets good grades in school. He's still small. That will take some catching up. But he becomes less and less small by comparison as he gets older. I would say that as long as your pediatrician is happy with his health, to calm down and enjoy your baby, he'll be shaving before you know it!

You could check with your pediatrician if you are really concerned, but keep in mind that they all do things on a different schedule. I have four and they all did things a little differently. I have one that just turned 8 months old a week ago and she has just started rolling over. My older girls crawled at 10 mo., 9 1/2 mo, and 8 mo. This one is not crawling yet. My older ones got teeth at 10 mo, 10 mo, 16 1/2 mo, and the baby has just gotten 1 at 8 mo (much earlier than her older sisters). I've heard of babies walking as early as 6 months and as late as 18 mo. I really wouldn't worry about the rolling over. Your baby will probably start doing it soon. Like I said, mine has just started rolling. I'd give yours another few months or at least a few more weeks before you get concerned.

J.,
Try not to worry so much. Every baby develops on a different timeline. You are probably over anxious because you have a close relative to compare your baby to. Things like rolling over come naturally, in their own time. You could try tempting him with a nice toy, but he may sense the pressure from you and respond adversely. It's like potty training; the child has control, not you.

I also have a 10 year span between my children and feel very rusty at times. (My baby is 11 months now.) But I think I am also more relaxed and able to enjoy the cuddles and smiles and spills with more relish and humor.

You CAN control YOUR attitude and the way you react to your feelings. Try not to get uptight. I'm sure you will feel better after you see the doctor.

Your son is developmentally late in being able to roll over. Even though he hates to be on his tummy, it is vital he gets enough tummy time everyday, several times a day. He will not like it at first, but he will get used to it. There are several toys that roll that my son enjoyed chasing. You will need to talk to your doctor and see if he/she can recommend a therapist that can help you. Call today.