BJ turned 9 months old on Sunday. Earlier in the week my husband brought BJ to the pediatricians office for his 9 month checkup. I had to fill out this 5 page questionnaire about BJ’s development beforehand, so I knew that they were going to talk about how he is developing. I have a degree in early childhood so I wasn’t worried about how BJ was growing. I thought he was doing fine. Well… the doctor told my husband that she was worried about BJ’s gross motor skills. His fine motor skills are very skilled, but they said he should be able to pull himself up by now and he should be able to stand, bend down and pick up an object and stand back up without falling. And on top of that he hasn’t gained any weight in 4 months so they are concered about him. (he weighs 19 lbs and 3 ounces). Way to freak out a new mom! Now I am overly concerned about every little thing he does or doesn’t do. Should I be freaking out? I don’t know. I haven’t been a mom before. I was under the impression that when your child starts to crawl he would lose weight. Do kids develop at their own pace? Should I freak out and call the child development people from the state to come and evaluate him? (The doctor also suggested that we could do this) HELP!
Mom Freak Out…. Thanks Doc
January 27, 2010 By 7 Comments
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I wouldn’t be too concerned – my son was “late” in developing gross motor skills but he caught up and actually became quite an accomplished athlete.
But hey, if the doc suggested calling the child development folks, I’d go ahead and do that. It never hurts to have that little extra bit of attention to your baby’s needs.
But – look a him! He looks so healthy and happy! So I sure wouldn’t worry about him.
I wouldn’t worry about it too much. All 3 of my kids did lose weight when they became mobile. And all kids develop at their own pace. The very first pediatrician my 9 year old had gave me the best advice ever. He told me “You are the one with your child all the time, you are the one who knows him best, and you will know when something is wrong.”
You can get him evaluated if you want to , for the peace of mind. But don’t freak out too much
Oh my! I totally understand what you’re going through…and I agree with the two other posters. If you want to get him evaluated, go for it…but I’d also suggest that the doctor is being overly cautious in this litigious era!
My little girl is 2 now but has weighed about 24 pounds for a year now, but she’s healthy and active and still growing (Don’t ask me how she does it!) and that’s what counts. As long as kids level out at about 3 years old you’re fine, between birth and then everything varies according to the child, their genetics, and their motivation! If sister always gets him that toy he wants, or he gets carried all over the place and pampered by mommy and daddy, why would he want to do it himself?!
If you want to get him tested go for it, but I really think he’s doing just fine, look at that smile!
I would not be worried at all! I am a pediatric nurse practitioner and a mom of two ..soon to be three. Wow. I am surprised the doc was giving you a hard time. Kids all develop at different stages. The predestined milestones are generalized to have some sort of guide for parents to be aware of. There are ranges on all of those developmental tasks. I would not worry, nor would I have my child evaluated. Just give him lots of opportunities to work on the skills the doctor suggested and he will be doing it in no time. As far as weight goes, most kids slow down with gaining at that age due to increased activity levels. Also, linear growth also follows a weight gain. He may have just had a growth spurt and stretched what he has on a longer frame. As long as you have no concerns about his eating habits, I would not be worried about that either. Relax and enjoy him…people push push push. He will get there on his own time when he is ready. And once he is there, you will miss the days gone by.
I guess you should be happy you have a Dr. who cares, but there is no reason to be an alarmist.
A second opinion is a valuable thing.
Many children are not standing alone or walking before their first year. And when they do begin – they are runners. Enjoy this time. I am sure he travels well enough even by crawling.
Thank you all for your advice. In the back of my head I was thinking along the same lines as all of you. I just want our little guy to be happy and healthy. Oh the things you think when you are a mom!