Should I be concerned that 9 month old DD hasn't said first word?

[matthewsmom]

Today my DH and I were talking about our DD who is almost 9 1/2 months old. She still hasn't said her first word and I can't say that she really babbles. I wasn't worried about it until we were talking about it today. Otherwise, she's on target for everything else. She's crawling, standing, rolling around and generally a happy baby. She smiles a lot and looks at me a lot. Food wise, she's not a big eater and won't really drink anything but BF. But now I'm really starting to worry that she isn't saying anything. Should I be and what should I do. I think I mentioned to the pediatrician that she hasn't said a word yet but he didn't say anything. I've always looked on this wonderful board with all these wonderful moms for advice. Thanks in advance. Happy Thanksgiving.

[heidiann]

I thought the same thing when my DD was that old, not mama not dada not any kind of babble what so ever. She did make sounds and was on target for everything she even started cruising at around 9.5 months. I asked my ped if everything was ok with her and she told me that they expect 3 words at 12 months old that includes mama dada, ect. Now at 13 months old she has a vocabulary of about 8 words. Her first word wasn't mama or dada it was kitty. So I definately wouldn't worry at all. There is nothing wrong with your little DD, when shes ready she'll start talking and then look out it will be all day long LOL... :)
Happy Thanksgiving

Heidi
Mom to Jillian

[C99]

My kids did not say their first words until closer to 1-year of age. DS was saying "ball" for "balloon" at his 1st birthday party, but he later dropped the word altogether. I wouldn't worry quite yet, but if you continue to be concerned, I'd ask your ped about it at her 12-m/o well-baby visit. You can also call Early Intervention for your state and ask to have a consultation (it's free).

[scoop22]

ds says very few words now. i was very concerned and the ped was not. he would make sounds and jabber a bit at 9 mo.. now all he does is jabber.. he can say mama and dada. but not to us specifically. he can say poo and no no.. that is about it. it takes time. i am sure ds will be a big talker and in a few months we will be wishing he didn't say much. i am sure you have that to look forward to as well.. it is different for every child.. that is what i have been told and i try to look at it that way.

enjoy your day..
http://b2.lilypie.com/XbITm4.png

[AngelaS]

9 months?

Um...my oldest didn't talk until um....at least 20 months. By her second birthday she said exactly THREE words.

I would really not be worrying about it.

[lizajane]

ditto.

[hillview]

DS is 16 months just said first word. Don't worry!
/hillary

[clc053103]

My DS is 16 months- he spoke more at 10 months than he does now- he seems to have forgotten or something- Ped says it's totally normal, and no cause for alarm unless not speaking 1 word by 2 years of age.

Per my mother, I skipped baby talk all together and just started to speak in full sentences at 18 months. She used to pray I'd get laryngitis because I never shut up from that moment on- still haven't!

Your DD sounds fantastic, healthy and happy! Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!

[jennifer_r]

I wouldn't worry at all. I think most babies don't say their first word until their first bday or a bit later. And then, it starts out really slow but somewhere between 16-19 months, there is a big spurt and they suddenly are saying a new word everyday it seems. DD1 said her first word (ball) around 1 year old and she now speaks very well at 27 months. Your DD sounds fine. I don't know of any babies that, at 9.5 months, didn't say more than mama and dada (and then indiscriminately).

Jennifer

Mom to:
Christopher 12/29/89
Adelaide 8/23/04
Bronwyn 11/9/05

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url] Woohoo! 1 year and counting . . .

[kijip]

In what universe do kids talk at 9 months? Maybe the odd sound or something but words? Toby's first word was not till after 1 unless you count signing and the boy was all but mute until he was about 2. Words will come. No worries.

[Momof3Labs]

>In what universe do kids talk at 9 months? Maybe the odd
>sound or something but words? Toby's first word was not till
>after 1 unless you count signing and the boy was all but mute
>until he was about 2. Words will come. No worries.

Yeah, that. I've only met one 9mo who had a couple of words. No point in worrying about delays at the earliest end of the spectrum.

[matthewsmom]

Thank you everyone! It's really made me feel better. I guess I was worried because I was reading on babycenter.com that babies start talking at 4-6 months. I was like wait a minute. My DD is 9 1/2 and still not talking. So whew...thank goodness. I really should stop reading so much on the internet. It makes me neurotic. :-)

[brittone2]

Personally, I think some of the online places like babycenter, etc. are way off on their milestones. I'd love to see what sources they use because I know a lot of what I've seen in the past does not correlate to any of the developmental evaluation tools I've used as a therapist.

I was a physical therapist in my pre-mommy days, but worked in early intervention and had to screen speech regularly. The speech therapists I've worked with have always said they look for one word by one year of age (12ish months) and even that is not set in stone ;) I think my DS's first word was 11ish months? They generally look for combos of two words together by 2 years as well. Just rough milestones, but they give you some idea.

I'd actually be very surprised by a 9 month old that WAS saying actual words. I think at that age it is good to look for babbling, inflection of different tones, etc. but that's about it.

[clc053103]

ITA re: milestones on sites like Babycenter! I was just reading my 16 month old email from them and it included a poll on how many words your DC was speaking. 0-5 words got the most votes- but a few people wrote how their DC spoke incredible amounts- like over 100, and typically went on to criticize daycare, TV etc and praise their own parenting skills. It's like the sleep contest of the early months, where people just love to say "My child sleeps through the night" even if their idea of sleeping through the night is 11 pm to 3 am, while you are yawning from a night of interrupted sleep and wondering what you did wrong!

the internet is a great tool, but unfortunately, can make us a little crazy sometimes! :-) Unless your Ped raises a concern, most likely all our DC's are doing just fine!

[CiderLogan]

Do not worry. The Babycenter email used "talk" to mean "babble," I'm sure. My DD1 had just started babbling something that sounded like "baby" around her first birthday, and I was vaguely worried in a really minor way that she didn't have more. But she had 100 words by 15 months, proving that not being early in the first word thing was absolutely no cause for concern! So don't stress - it will come!

Jenny
Julia, 8/03
Clara, 5/06

[maestramommy]

If you're concerned about your 9 month old, I'm in trouble. Dora is almost 14 months and still hasn't said her first intelligible, deliberate word. She babbles sometimes, and does some "pre-language" talking, but that is it. Not even mama or dada. Some other moms have told me that their kids didn't really talk until 18 months or so, so I'm not too worried.

[megs4413]

NO! i don't think you should be worried at all!

BUT

if you wanted to, you could try to find some language boosting activities to do. I really don't think kids need to be "drilled" on skills at this age, but sometimes it helps as a mom to feel like yo'ure "workign on it". when DD was slow to walk ( and i say slow but she walked two weeks after her bday, i guess i wanted her walking at her first birthday party for some neurotic reason) I had my PAT educator teach me some activities to do with her to help her with that skill...did it work? i dont' know...she started walking eventually, but she probably would have with or without the games we played.....

it's just a thought if you're like me and want to have something to DO about your concerns.....

but honestly..i think you're GOOD!

[AngelaS]

Personally, I adhere to the "Walk at One, Talk at Two" school of thought. Of course, my second didn't walk 'til 17 months.... LOL

[blueeyedb]

I wouldn't be concerned at all. At our six month visit, our ped said that DS might have a couple of words at his 9 mo check, but that it wasn't at all unusual if he didn't. I think your DD sounds right on target.

[DrSally]

I agree, and this is what my ped said too. Look for babbling around 9 months and POSSIBLY one word around a year. AAP book says they may be imitating syllables they hear you say at this time, which DS is doing. That said, a friend's ped said sh'e be concerned if my friend's child didn't have 2 words by 9 months, which she does, which I find astonishing. I was suprised by this, b/c I've never heard it. In any case, 4-6 months, uh, no.

[jk3]

Perhaps you should read up on language development. There is no reason whatsoever to even think about what a 9 month old is or is not saying. If she isn't saying anything by closer to 2, I would start to worry.

Jenn
DS 6/03
& cautiously expecting in May!

[veronica]

Never trust those websites. DD, who is 6 days shy of turning one, baby talks all day long. Her daycare teachers tell me, she spends all day saying mama. DH says she will say it when I am gone too. I'll take it. She never has really said it to me but I tell myself that those other times, she does it because she misses me!