So, we're now off to a neurologist, DD 12 mths & physcially behind

[JulieL]

Well we're having two issues with DD. I'm not even sure if they are are connected, and darn it forgot to ask the ped until we left, go figure. First DD went from 10th percentile in weight at 6 months, to 3% at 10 months to now at 12 months under 3% for weight and at 3% for heighth. She's self weaning and the ped thinks she is no longer effectively nursing. We are to check her weight in 2 weeks.

Then her gross motor skills are very delayed. She only sits for play or lays on her back, won't bear much weight on her legs, won't at all on her arms, and so on. I've posted recently about this a couple of times. Beth prompted me to call First Steps, and they are coming over tomorrow to start the paper work on her. In the appt today with the ped, he said she barely passed the ok mark in gross motor skills at 9 months cause she could roll, but now should be way past that. He wants us to visit a neurologist. So we are off to see one this thursday.

I'm really concerned. I'm frustrated that she is low in weight and is refusing the breast, so we are now getting her on cows milk. I'm ssoooooo concerned with her mobility, and lack of strength in her muscles. I'm trying not to get overly worried but I am. You want your child to be perfectly healthy and fine, not to have hardships :(

Anyway any btdt advice would be great, though how many people actually go to a ped neurologist? :(

[The Review Mommy]

Julie,

I'm so sorry you are going through this. (((HUGS)))

I haven't BTDT so can't offer any advice. Maybe you could hunt around for a good website that isn't too TMI? ;) Your Ped/Neur may also have a good medical site to recommend. I'm sure there are some wonderful boards out there for parents.

I'm so glad you have contacted First Steps. Please keep us posted.

My goal in life is to learn how to spell too! :)


ETA-Can you wait a bit on the cows milk? I'd be buying formula instead untill DC was at least 1yrs old. It's the next best thing to breastfeeding or you could just pump a little?

Rebekah

[oliviasmomma]

Bump--I keep thinking about you guys and wondering how things are with this. Please share an update if you feel comfortable!

[JulieL]

Well we FINALLY just got in for her first pt appt this week. It went....ok. She screamed and threw a fit, but we made through it. We are to get her fitted for splints to go into her shoes to keep her feet from pointing and to settling flat in the way they should. She is sorta camando crawling - sorto of, using her shoulders to pull her forward about 10 inches, it's not much but it's a start. all in all it's a slow go.

[maddyzmommy]

Hi. I just saw your post today and had to write. I've just been through a situation similar to yours and wanted to share my DD's happy outcome. When Eleanor turned 1 she could only commando crawl, too. When she sat for long periods (more than a couple minutes) she slumped. She would slide down too far in highchairs; she couldn't sit upright in her stroller. We were so worried for her! We went to a pediatric neurologist and were told that she was born "low tone" which means that, for whatever reason, her muscles needed extra help to get strong. We had an MRI to rule out anything preventing her from using her legs and it came out perfectly normal. We began physical therapy with an amazing pediatric therapist who worked a lot at giving "input" to my daughter's joints. She taught us how to do joint compressions and showed us how to lay Ellie on a large ball on her tummy and roll her around. She's lift her head and squeal and voila, she was building muscle in her neck and back. Our sweet girl started crawling up on all fours at about 15 months and finally, blessedly, took her first steps at 17 months. She was released from physical therapy last week at almost 20 months and I have to say I'm so thankful all that's behind us. She tests in the normal range now for almost everything. She doesn't quite run fast enough yet and she can't stand on one foot (so in one catagory she scores below average) but we can live with those things because we know they'll come in time. Our therapist told us to look at Ellie like you would look at a really relaxed puppy in a litter of yipping, hopping ones. She said Ellie's just the snuggly, soft puppy. That image helped me every time I worried that she wasn't normal. Cognitively she's right on and it truly was nothing more than a gross motor delay for her. Our pediatric neurologist has been wonderfully encouraging - he said some babies just need a push but once you get them going they catch up to their peers. We've made it to the other side I just wanted to pass our experience on to you. We came out of this with a true appreciation for little things like sitting up straight in a booster chair and toddling with a doll in tow and with the realization that all children develop at their own rates. The competitive parenting crap has got to end. So few people ever say, "Well MY daughter first walked across a room until 19 months!" You only hear from the people whose babies did it at 9, you know? We have two other daughters who walked and hit milestones like our books said they would. Our daughter who didn't stressed us out but it made me realize I was taking pride in accomplishments that have so much more to do with nature than nurture. Any sense of competitiveness I had regarding any of my daughters before has dissolved with this experience. It's all just fine now and I truly am a wiser mother for it. I pray you'll find your way to fine as quickly as we did.

Andrea

[mamamayi]

Andrea -
I LOVE this posting. What you said is so true and very encouraging.