10 Month Old Is Not Crawling!

My daughter was in exactly the same place when she was that age. She never really got in to crawling, just rolled around the floor from one side to the other. At 15 months she took her first steps. It's really not anything you should be too concerned about as all babies develop differently. Enjoy the time where you don't have to keep such an eye on her - you'll miss it once she gets moving! Bless you for being such a caring Mom :O)

Per my mother, one of my older brothers never crawled... went right to walking at a year. He went on to be a perfectly healthy and quite athletic man.

Have your pediatrician check for muscle tone. My son needed PT as he had musch weakness in his left hip and ab muscles. He was evaluated and that was determined. He has been in PT and is so close now to walking. I wish I had done that at 10 months my son was 13 months before we got started.
Babies do everyting at their own pace and she may be just fine. Have her checked out for your piece fo mind. If she does need some early intervention then it is better to know now than later.

Get a referral from your pediatritian for Illinois Early Intervention, it's free, fabulous and they come to your home for an evaluation. We were in the same situation at 9 months and it turned out to be that she was just a slow crawler (she had also been sick most of her infancy so I think that affected her rate of development). Anyway they can let you know if there is enough of a delay to warrant intervention or probably just give you advice on how to encourage her in this area, good luck!

Hi C.,

My son was exactly the same way and I felt the same way you did. My doctor referred me to the Early Intervention program through the state. They will evaluate your child and then provide therapy as necessary if she is more than 30% delayed. You pay a flat fee per month no matter how much therapy she needs and it's based on your income and family size. My son was evaluated around 11 months of age and had the gross motor skills of a 6 month old. So we started physical therapy through the EI program and he began crawling at 13 months and walked around 16-17 months. The good thing about this program as well is that they will evaluate other areas of your child as well. We discovered that my son had a speech delay as well and they were able to start speech therapy for him as well. The contact information is Child and Family Connections, ###-###-####. Just call, explain your situation and they will begin the process for you. Just FYI the evaluation process takes about a month to complete (and it's free!), but it's well worth it. Your tax dollars pay for this program, so there is no reason to not use it, in my opinion. Also, if your daughter needs therapy, you'll need your doctor to authorize it, but that shouldn't be a problem. Good luck!!!

I've read many of the posts and I can definitely see both sides but I have to disagree with Cella's comments. What's with the quotes around the word "mom"?? As if having your child evaulated by Early Intervention or any other facility means you aren't a good mother? I'm offended!

I recently had one of my 2-yr-old twins evaulated by Early Intervention b/c I wasn't comfortable with her progress in many areas of development. The therapists agreed and she will be starting speech & occupational therapy shortly.

On the other hand, my 9 month old didn't start crawling until last week. She wasn't sitting up until last month. She didn't even start baby food until 5 months of age. And even though I believe in the merits of Early Intervention, I also realize that all children develop at their own rate. Something inside of me told me that I didn't need to be concerned about her (unlike the concern I felt about her twin sister).

Trust your mothering instinct. If this is something you're truly concerned about, a free evaluation can't do any harm. It's just the opposite. Whatever the results of the eval, you'll either feel better knowing your child is fine or you'll be pointed in the right direction to get your child the help they need.

Don't let ANYONE tell you what to do or make you think you are a bad "mom". This is a personal decision and I commend you for asking for advice. Chances are good that there's no need to be concerned, but why stress yourself out when there are resources available for things like this? Good luck MOM!

My daugher is now 11 months old and she just began crawling last week. I spoke with her dr. about it and he said not to worry. All kids develop at different times. Hang in there, it will happen soon enough!

I have 3 boys, all 4-5 years apart. Oldest now almost 13 never crawled, but walked @ 9 1/2 months. 2nd child crawled @ 7 months but didn't walk until 14 months, youngest(2 months preemie) didn't crawl 'til 14 months and walk til 19 months. Point is, they all do it in their time. It's way too early IMO to seek intervention. I also run a home daycare. We currently have a 9 month old who is almost craling and one who is no where near it. We have one who is almost 1 and has been craling since 7 months and is scaling furniture now. Don't rush it or worry just yet. Beore long you'll be wishing she wasn't so mobile!

I understand your concern and she might be just fine...however it's not a bad idea to take her to your pediatrician and as someone else said, he/she can refer you to state services if needed, or you can also go to Easter Seals here in Naperville or Villa Park. They also have wonderful services for children should there be a developmental issue with your daughter.

I would start with your pediatrician...you know your daughter and there's nothing wrong with making sure things are ok with her.

I wish you well!

K.

Is she sitting on her own? If she's sitting on her own, but not yet crawling, that's one thing and I wouldn't worry about that, but if she isn't sitting yet I would definitely have her evaluated.

My son was a late sitter (around 8 months fully on his own without falling over) and didn't crawl until about 11 months. Walking at 14 months but now he's 2 and 1/2 and is fully physically caught up with other children his age. Turns out his fine motor skills are really advanced, so I think they develop certain things at their own pace, and there is sometimes a reason that they might hit certain milestones "later" than other children.

Take a deep breath....she's probably okay. I have 2 daughters (my oldest is now 4 & my youngest is 2 1/2 today). My oldest didn't crawl until 12 1/2 months & didn't walk until 15 1/2 months. My youngest didn't crawl until 15 months and didn't walk the day she turned 18 months. My youngest never even did the pulling up on furniture thing or cruising...she just went straight from crawling at 15 months old to walking at 18 months old. Both of my girls are healthy with no developmental delays whatsoever...they were just "late" crawlers/walkers. Intellectually though...they have both been above the "typical" child their age. So I have always said....I'll take a "smarter" kid over a rambunxious running wild kid anyday. :) I never worried about my girls...I knew that one day they would do it....and they did. So, I just enjoyed their "babyhood" as much as I could for as long as it lasted...because as you know...they grow up way too fast. So you may having nothing to worry about.
On a side note though...if you are concerned something else may be going on, have her Dr. evaluate her to make sure she checks out okay.

Hang in there, I know how hard it is not to worry. My daughter didn't crawl until 4 days before her first birthday. Nothing we did interested her,she wasn't motivated by toys, food, games... she just had to do it on her own terms. I was incredibly worried too, and it was so hard listening to people's reaction when they asked me if she was walking yet and I responded that she wasn't even crawling....
If you feel there might be an issue you can always call Early Intervention. They'll come out to your house for free and evaluate her to see if she needs physical therapy etc... I don't have their 800 number handy, but just google it and it should be right there.
As hard as it is, try not to compare your little one to what all your friends' kiddies are doing. I drove myself absolutely crazy doing that. I completely understand your concerns though, i was in the same boat!! :)

I would say to call your doctor. But do not panic, she may just decide that crawling is not for her and instead begin to walk early. Try to spend time with her on the floor engaging in play.

Hello C.. I know that you must feel many things regarding this. Don't feel like a failure though, it isn't you doing something wrong. I am sure she is a beautiful and happy little sweetie pie. If I were you I'd talk to my doctor and ask what they think. All kids develop at their own rate, but if there is something the doctor should know or can help you with it would be good.

Not all kids crawl. As long as she is making other developmental milestones I wouldn't worry about it at all. My own two oldest kids crawled only a little bit and the walked at about 13 months.

Hi C.!
I agree with Cella! Don't get too stressed!
My FB was late with EVERYTHING!!!! I freaked out. It was to the point that my ped was gonna send someone to the house to work on the issues (but we never followed up). Ya know what? HE IS FINE!!!! Perfect!

He is four and it is his personality. He is a thinker and VERY cautious child. He approaches everything this way...games, other kids, everything!

What helped me is that my girlfriend (who is a Pre-K teacher and works with at risk kids) told me that unless it is almost 4 MONTHS behind the latest "milestone" date..let it go. She was right! Most don't even consider crawling a milestone anymore.

Mention it to your ped, but honestly...don't worry!

How is her muscle tone? When you hold her in the upright position does she extend her legs and support herself with your help? You said she rolls, does she roll all the way over? How about her neck muscles? When she is on her belly, can she lift and hold up her head? If muscle tone is a problem, you can help her exercise in a few ways. 1. You can lay on your back and put her on top of you, belly to belly and lift her away from you so that her hands and knees are on you-- work out for you too.... Don't fully support her, make her support herself too. Hopefully with continued play/exercise she will begin to get the strength and idea to do it on her own. 2. Exercise her legs and arms by having her hold your hands and gently pull slightly up and she can pull her self the rest of the way up. You can do both of these exercises throughout the day, just don't exhaust her or you. It may not be muscle strength, it could be a problem with cross crawl. You can help her stimulate those pathways in her brain by playing with her in such a way that you make her right hand touch her left leg/knee/foot, and then alternate and make her left hand touch her right leg/knee/foot. One more question... Does she not seem to like the feel of the floor on her hands? OR she might just be stubborn!!!! Just make sure she gets plenty of belly time and with fun things across the room--- she'll get there eventually.

Hi, I also agree with Cella! My son is 10 months and still not crawling either. He can't get to a sitting position by himself but when placed in a sitting position he can sit forever! He gets around by scooching on his butt and he can stand for short periods of time on his own, too. I have mentioned it to my ped and she checked out his muscles and said he has good muscle tone and he may never crawl but go straight to walking. He is in day care 4 days/week and his day care providers have agreed with my ped and have said that every child is different and he is just on the low end of the milestone curve and does things at a slower pace. My daughter crawled at 8 months and could stand at 10 months so like you, I was concerned. But after listening to my ped and the day care teachers and seeing that he does have a way of getting to where he wants to go, I have relaxed a little. He is very happy and easy going and just not in a hurry to crawl!

Definitely Early Intervention!

There's a wide variety of responses here. I advocate getting her checked out for an evaluation -- many are free and can't hurt (I do work for and also took both my children to Pathways Center - www.pathwayscenter.org, they do free evaluations and you are in no way obligated to take your kids there!)

Early motor delays are increasing in young babies because they are getting less tummy time than they used to. For the vast majority of babies, the delays are mild and they catch up quickly. Others may need a little help (therapy). Most often, there's nothing really "wrong," but therapy can help them catch up and get on the right track for development. The earlier the better.

As I said before, there's no harm in getting her checked out. Many doctors, while excellent, tend to "wait and see" more than a therapist would.

Recent press release on early motor delays:
(You will have to cut and paste the whole URL in...not sure why it's cutting the numbers off at the end...)
http://pathwaysawareness.org/?q=node/1371

My first daughter didn't crawl until she was one and my second daughter was almost one but I'd figured out what the problem was by then...it was me! I LOVE holding and carrying my babies around more than most and so they crawled and walked 'behind schedule.' Our ped was concerned with my first and we did have her evaluated by Early Intervention (have your ped eval & recommend)and we did some therapy for a several weeks. She's completely fine and when my second wasn't crawling 'on time' my pediatrician and I were both comfortable waiting a bit and sure enough she crawled on her own, just a bit late. She's also perfectly healthy and very athletic. Despite my attempts to carry her everywhere my third is crawling much earlier than the other two. Chances are your daughter is perfectly fine. That said, if it will give you peace of mind go ahead and have Early Intervention evaluate her on your doctors recommendation.

Do you have hard wood floors? That seems to be a common problem with slower crawlers.

OMG C.! I can't believe these "moms" are advising you to get intervention!!! I had to stop reading the responses as they made me sick to continue reading them. Please disregard their lack of sensitivity and knowledge. Understand that each baby is very different. No two babies should ever be compared. My son never crawled! My daughter at 7 months was moving around. Don't worry about it; they are BABIES. Do yourself a favor; just stop reading whatever guidlines you're reading. Sorry if I upset you in any way but I just can't believe the advise you got. GL

Connie,

You can have her evaluated, for free, by your local early intervention agency. Every county/area in Illinos has a early intervention agency. They will send someone to your home to do an initial evaluation. They will do a follow-up and recommend any services or exercises etc. that will help. Go to the Illinois Dept of Human Services web page. http://www.idhs.state.il.us/

You can click link for Pregnancy & Parenting. It will take you to that page and right at the top you will see Early Intervention. Click on that and it will tell you to go to DHS office locator - where you put in your zip or call an 800 number.

It's a free service so why not? It will give you peace of mind.

All kids develop at their own pace too. She may be one of those kids who passes up crawling and just starts pulling up on stuff and walking.

If she's mobile in some other way (pulling up, scooting on her bottom) she's probably fine. If she isn't mobile at all, talk to your pediatrician. He/she should have some recs for exercises you can do with her, or a referral for physical therapy.

Hi C.,

Every child is different and they all develop at different rates. Some parents and pediatricians feel that it's important for infants to crawl. However, you also mention that "she is hardly even moving". I would take her to her pediatrician or directly to a physical therapist for evaluation.

Like Susan, my son wasn't able to craw on his own either.
I consider crawling an important part of development. So, I asked my pediatrician for a referral to a physical therapist. With the help of therapy and exercises at home, my son was able to finally crawl.

I went through my insurance for all of this but like Susan said, Child and Family Connections is an excellent resource. The therapist comes to your home and shows you exercises for your child.

They evaluate the child as a whole and make recommendations if they notice delays in any other areas of development.

You are your child's advocate.
Do what you think is right for her.

Hi there. I have no advice, as my oldest crawled at a normal time but she was a super slow walker. Being a very large baby had something to do with it, I'm sure. I don't know if that's part of your issue or not, but I had to respond because I noticed that your are also a C. P. Do you pronounce your name Cor- in or Cor- een? I'm a Cor-in, but how crazy is it that we also have last names that start with the same letter? Good Luck to you and I second the early intervention idea, I have not used it, but it sounds like the way to go.
C. P

Crawling is not considered a milestone. Many babies never crawl. My husband didn't. He was content just sitting with his surrounding toys. He started walking around his first birthday.

If you are really concerned though about her physical development, call Early Intervention. The evaluation is free, and therapy is based on your income and really cheap.

My second son is 10 months also and just barely starting to get up on his knees. My first son crawled very early, so you just never know. My second son rolls everywhere also. Dont worry yourself. They all develop on their own schedule. If you would feel better getting her evaluated, then do that, but dont be too worried. I worried like crazy with my first, who was also born 8 weeks early, and he caught up just fine. I should not have been so worried about it. If you really feel something is wrong or youre not comfortable with the developemet, check with your ped and get an evaluation, but dont panic. Some people/therapists/doctors are overly concerned about that kind of thing.

As a Mom I would say every child goes at their own pace. But, as a therapist in pediatrics if your child is not wanting to get on all fours you can position her and try rocking her back and forth. Sometimes they just need a little help. If she does not tolerate this position or cannot sit up by herself or move from sitting to laying on her belly on her own she may need some help. You can contact the Early Intervention program in your area ###-###-#### Will county, ###-###-#### for Cook county and they can have your child assessed by physical and occupational therapists that can help.

First of all, as I'm sure all of the books you've looked at told you, each child develops at his/her own pace and the guidelines in those books are just that, guidelines. However, you should also not disregard your mom instinct. If you feel that she isn't developing appropriate, take her to your doctor and share your concerns. Many pediatricians have developmental specialists they work with. Also, in Illinois there is a state birth to three program that you can use to have your child evaluated for developmental delays, and get therapy if necessary. Good luck.