Friday 27 July 2012

The One Year Check-up

This week we had Dylan's one year review.  I had to take him along to the children's centre to have his progress measured and to make sure he was developing as he should be.  Although I knew it was only a formality I was a little worried as at 11.5 months he is still not interested in crawling and not quite able to pull himself up either.

Luckily the health visitor conducting the review completely put my mind at rest.  After doing his height and weight measurements and plotting them on the 99.6th centile lines in his little red book she told me that his rate of growth may be affecting his mobility.  His muscles need to be much stronger than your 'average' baby and as he is constantly putting on weight they are struggling to catch up.  She watched him stretch and shuffle across the floor to get to a toy though and was not worried at all.

Dylan will be one in a week and cannot
change position easily.  When he is laying down he cannot sit himself up, and from sitting he can pull himself up onto his knees but not to his feet (although he did do it for the first time yesterday).  When he is on his feet though he is more than happy and can clumsily cruise around furniture and sometimes stand unaided and unsupported for about 20 seconds.  Holding onto furniture he can stand all day - it is just getting there that he struggles with!

The HV suggested helping him less when he asks for it - giving him my hands but making him do the effort rather than me.  She also suggested lightly nudging his leg when he gets it stuck going on to his front although I really don't see him crawling at all - I think he will just get up and walk one day.

In all other areas he is doing well.  He can clap his hands, he can show you his head when you ask him, he is pointing using just his finger and sticking that finger into everything he can.  He can pass a toy and take it away, bang things together and is babbling (non stop!)  His weight and height are healthy and he is a happy and gorgeous little man.  

She was very complementary about my lovely ERGO carrier and Dylan's cute cloth nappies and assured me that I was doing a good job as a mother - something that is always lovely to hear.


I found the review incredibly helpful and it really put my mind at ease with the worries about his movement.  How have you found the health visitor service where you are?  

9 comments:

  1. Glad you had such a lovely HV! My HV with Eli has always been fab - she would just pop in for half an hour every now and then to check we were ok and play with Meg for a bit when I was struggling with his reflux. I had similar worries with Eli not even rolling over until 11 months but he's now 15 months and happily walking so they all get there in the end!!

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    1. I think that is the main thing to remember - they all walk in the end! Dylan is definitely wanting to walk now so sure it won't be long! Thanks for commenting

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  2. I had a friend whose sun seems almost the same as Dylan, he was very big for his age and off the charts. She was so worried that he wasn't crawling and in the end he just didn't crawl at all and ended up walking just slightly later than them all at 16 months. So there is nothing to worry about, I think the health visitor is right that if they are bigger it is harder. He will get there in the end. My friends baby is now walking everywhere and although he is still big he has lost some of his baby fat now he is on the move- he is 18 months now. x

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    1. I don't think it will be too long before Dylan walks as he has a lot of confidence but as long as he gets there in the end he will be fine!

      I will miss his chub if he loses it all - maybe I don't want him to walk on second thoughts . . .

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  3. Aw glad it all went well lovely! Dylan is the picture of health and you are doing an amazing job! Hope you are having a great day xx

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  4. Oscars review was pointless, we were in and out in 15 mins. I could've been feeding him McDonald's and chocolate for all she knew (Im not but that's not the point!)

    Glad Dylan's went well, hell be walking before you know it

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  5. I'm so glad the hv put your mind at rest and that Dylan is doing well, he'll probably get up and walk before you know it! Finn is in very similar situation but is now 14 months and can't pull up, cruise or crawl, heaven knows why as he's so bloody clever but he's super lazy. He's been referred for his development & I'm dreading the appointment!

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  6. I'm sure I have heard before (I think from my mum!) that some babies don't crawl but go straight to cruising and walking. At 12 months my mum said I didn't walk but shuffled about on my bottom. It seems like forever when you are waiting for your own baby to reach a milestone but it will soon happen.

    Great to hear that your health visitor was so helpful and supportive; putting your mind at rest is what they are there for. I know you hear stories of bad ones, but mine was extremely supportive through me bringing up two babies on a narrowboat, and went beyond the call of duty when my marriage hit a rough patch. She was a star! :-)

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  7. Oh so pleased to hear his one year check went well and so can't believe it's his birthday tomorrow! I think as a parent you always worry about little things that no one else would even pick up on or notice, i do it all the time with Riley but like they say all babies develop at their own rate and Dylan will start doing it all when he's ready hun xxx

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