Seven Month Old is Not Crawling

[Anonymous]

I am going to preface this by saying that I am probably being a neurotic first time mom, but I am worried because my seven month old is not showing any interest in crawling at all. I don't ever see her push up on her knees and hand and gets frustrated very quickly during tummy time. She sits on her own without support, stands when grabbing onto a table (or holding our hands), and can take walking steps when holding our hands. I saw her tentatively pull her herself up the other day but she hasn't done it since. When she is seated, she reaches out to grab her toys but if she can't reach them then she just gives up. She does not try to crawl towards them at all.

What can I do to encourage her to crawl? Tummy time does not seem to be doing the trick. Can babies crawl from the seated position or do they have to be on their tummy? I guess I am wondering if I should be doing more to encourage her crawling or just focus on what she is interested in (sitting, standing, and walking). Also - it is normal for a seven month old to have no interest in crawling? I hate to compare (I really do!), but many of my friends' kids started crawling around five or six months so that is my frame of reference.

[Anonymous]

Some babies skip crawling all together- some just scoot on their butt and others crawl for several months. Some start and then walk in a few days. It sounds that your baby is progressing very well and may just not be interested yet or may skip crawling all together.

[Anonymous]

My daughter didn't start crawling until almost 10 months. PP is right, some babies do skip crawling entirely and go straight to walking. It sounds like your baby is making good progress, I wouldn't worry.

[Anonymous]

my son didn't start crawling until 10 months...he's fine.

[Anonymous]

Just fyi, most babies get frustrated by tummy time. It helps to keep the length of tummy time limited to the amount that they can tolerate without getting upset. Try putting db on your chest for tummy time or lie down yourself so that your face is right at db's level when doing tummy time to make it more appealing. And do tummy time multiple times a day for short periods rather than once a day for a long time. Try not to stress about the crawling so much. The tummy time is valuable by itself to build strength in db's arms, neck, torso, etc.

[Anonymous]

ANother mom in the "don't worry" category.

Some babies just don't like being on their tummies that much. My DD didn't crawl until 10 months, walked by 11.5.

My DS started crawling earlier, around 8 months. He didn't walked until 13.5 months because he was so comfortable on the ground.

They all have their own agenda and desires. Enjoy her immobility, because it's a lot more work once she's getting into things!

[Anonymous]

Yea, you are definitly being neurotic. A 7mos crawler would be considered early. 9-10 mos is more average.

[sunnyskies]

You are being totally neurotic. I think crawling at 7-mos would be considered pretty early. I forget what the AAP says, but you should keep a copy of that book handy for when you are feeling nervous about these things and just look it up.

My son did not start crawling until about 10 mos and now there is no stopping him. But he only crawls on his belly and I started to feel panicky because he does not really crawl on his hands and knees. Then a bunch of people told me of some study that says the longer they belly crawl, the better their language skills seem to be (has something to do with how the brain develops and how they view the world when crawling and doing the crossover motion with arms/egs) Now I feel slightly worried for my friends whose kids only crawl for a short time and go straight to walking and are walking before a year. All this to say that IMHO, FWIW - your kid is fine. Do not compare your kid to other kids - it will only make you crazy. The all develop differently. Heck, my younger brother didn't speak until he was nearly 5 years old. He now has a masters degree, a very succesful marketing career and speaks 3 languages (that he learned when he was an adult, much harder than mastering as a child.)

On this same note, I have a friend that told me her baby was waving bye bye at 6 months and I felt just like you when my kid was not waving bye bye until 9-ish months. My ped told me that my friend was either out and out lying or that her kid might be flapping her hands/arms but really had no idea what she was doing and to stop worrying about it. My baby started waving around 9 months (on the early side according to the AAP) but didn't really know what it meant. Now at almost a year, he understands what it means. And he is right on track and doing fine, no matter what the other kids are doing.

So again - dont compare your kid to the other kids!!! They will never all be the same. And why are you in such a hurry for your baby to crawl anyway? Their time as a baby is short - try to enjoy every stage. They go quick.

[Anonymous]

my son didn't "crawl" until about 7/8 months but then it was an army crawl -- he literally used his arms to drag himself along the floor. he never did the get up on hands and knees and rock thing... i worried he would never figure out how to really crawl! then, after a month he started using one leg to push himself along... then another month went by and the other leg started to engage. he was crawling in no time after that and then he oculdn't be stopped!

[Anonymous]

Yes, you need to calm down. I know it's not easy.
I have twins and one twin crawled at 6 months and the other at 10 months.

[Anonymous]

I don't even think crawling is a developmental milestone. Many babies skip it. And even if it was, 7 months would not be an age to be concerned about not crawling. Your baby is showing great progress on her mobility in general. I wouldn't encourage her to crawl. I would simply encourage her to move in any way that she can (assisted walking, cruising, whatever).

[Anonymous]

Huh? My daughter crawled at 8.5 months and walked at 10 months. While I'm sure they are out there, I have never personally known a baby who crawled at 7 months. Chill! (and I mean that in the nicest way possible).

[Anonymous]

Not to worry. Like people said, some babies don't crawl at all.
The milestone used to be between five and nine months, but I am not sure what it is now. All physical milestones, such as crawling and walking, have been pushed back because of the back to sleep campaign.

Take it from me when I say that you should enjoy this while you can. There really isn't much time when you can put a child down on the floor, leave the room, come back, and find her right where you left her. My DD was a very early crawler (4.5 months) and it was not all it was cracked up to be. It was exciting at first, but she then took her first steps at seven months, and was walking at 8 months. I know this sounds crazy but it's true and she was just so active, and hard to keep up with, that it was exhausting.

When I was pregnant with my second, people would ask what I wanted, and my answer was always the same "a lump". I just wanted a child who was at the milestone mark, or even a bit passed it.

[Anonymous]

Mine is 8 months and has no interest in crawling. She loves to stand when we hold her up, but that's it. Everyone I've talked to says either their kids never crawled or crawled for a day or 2 and all were much closer to 12 months in age. I am getting pressure from family (the MIL) for her to start crawling. She INSISTS that the baby must crawl or she won't walk properly...this is also the same person who was horrified when I put the baby to sleep on her back with no blankets. But that's a whole other topic in itself!

[Anonymous]

I could have written your first paragraph, except my baby is 8 months. I'm not worried; in fact I'm counting my blessings! Every day she doesn't crawl is another day I can go to the bathroom by myself.