I have a 7mth daughter - first time mom - who is doing wonderfully! I use the What to Expect book for general guidelines if I have a question, etc.Don't use it so much anymore other than to check developmental milestones. My daugther still isn't using any consonants to babble...'talks' and 'hollers' alot with aaaahhhs, but I don't think I've heard any consonants. As a teacher, I'm always thinking about these kinds of things (anal!) but I just don't know when real life kids (and not those in a textbook) start babbling??? Should I be concerned when all other areas are either on or ahead of schedule? Do you remember when your kids started babbling? We read to her everyday and ALWAYS talk to her. I tell her everything I'm doing so she's exposed to language. (I'm a SAHM)Thank you so much!

By Elizabeth704 on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 05:31 pm:

I am so glad you have asked this. My daughter just turned 7 months yesterday, and does exactly the same. She vocalizes alot but not the Baba, gaga, consonant way. At her 6 mth checkup, the Pediatrician asked me if she was making these sounds and I said no. He then asked if I was ever concerned about her hearing. I am not concerned, but he has now planted that seed in my head.
I also have a loud 4 1/2 year old son, so I have always just assumed she probably can't fit a word in. I am curious to see what others say!

By Mrsheidi on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 05:39 pm:

My DS just turned 7 mo and I really should get one of those books. I thought I had one, but I've got to go through our boxes after our move.
Anyway...my son is saying "Ba ba ba, ma ma ma".
Squealing
Reaching for things
Turning over from belly to back almost too good, but not fully from back to belly. He doesn't like to be on his tummy for a long time. But, he is getting better.
Still hasn't fully understood the sippy cup, but getting better.
Sitting up in his bath and splashing. (Thanks to hubby for teaching him this...aaahhh...it's fun.)

I think she'll be ok, and I understand that "teacher/mother" concern...I'm worried about that stupid correlation with not crawling and reading disabilities. Reading is everything to me, especially with my teaching experiences and how everything relates to that.
Ok, I'm digressing...but, what does your pediatrician say?

By Trina~moderator on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 06:22 pm:

This web site is very helpful.

Speech and Language Development

By Katiesmommy on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 07:32 pm:

My dd will be 7 months on the 12th and she is not using the consonants to babble either! She does exactly what your baby does, shreiks, blows raspberries, laughs, aaahhh, etc. I am not worried, but was also wondering the same thing. I feel our children are just fine. My daughter has excellent hearing. I am a SAHM (nurse by profession for 17 years) and Katie gets tons of attention and we read as well.
Amy

By Reds9298 on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 08:19 pm:

I appreciate hearing about what other babies this age are doing. I truly feel she is fine, and she is so recpetive to any new noise that I don't feel she has any hearing issues. She has always passed hearing screenings with flying colors...it's just the one thing on the list she's not really doing so I dwell on it! My ped did not question us about this at all at our 6mth checkup. I'm going to check out the website from Trina. Thanks and would still love to hear more!!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 08:21 pm:

Sorry, clarification: I appreciate hearing about what others are doing in the area of language at this age!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 08:32 pm:

Me again...After checking out the website, I feel better! Natalie responds to her name and definitely recognizes 'mama' 'dada' and 'doggies' (we have 2) when she hears those words. I've just recently started using the word 'no' with her,just with a serious face and a straight tone, and her expression tells me that she knows it's something different but she's not sure yet.

By Pamt on Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 09:19 pm:

I'm a pediatric speech therapist. Reduplicated babbling (repeating the same consonant-vowel syllable over and over) like "babababa" or "duhduhduhduh" typically emerges at 4-6 months. Unreduplicated babbling (repeating a variety of consonant vowel combinations)like "bagawapaba" typically emerges at 7-9 months. Is your child saying any consonants at all, even if not babbling? "p, b, m" are typically the first to emerge, but "t, d, n" are also pretty common. I was just talking with a co-worker (physical therapist) about her 8 month old baby not babbling at lunch today. It's not a huge worry at this point, but if they aren't babbling *at all* a month or two down the road, you might want to have a cursory speech eval done just to rule out anything. And yes, people are surprised that we can evaluate infants, but I can do a speech eval on a baby just a couple of months old.

Some things to do in the meantime:
*Continue to read and interact with books
*Sing and do nursery rhymes and fingerplays
*Talk and "take turns" when talking (give baby some quiet time too)
*Have baby imitate motor movements (blowing raspberries, clapping, waving hands, squealing) and make it a game while throwing some babbled syllables into the mix and see if imitated occurs
*Babble while smiling and playing with your baby

That website Trina posted is an excellent one. When you go to the dev. milestone section just make sure that you look at expressive AND receptive language, not just receptive.

By Reds9298 on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 09:34 am:

Thanks Pamt - I remember in the early months she did make b, p, m sounds and I remember cheering because it was a milestone in the 'expect' book. However, I have not heard her make a consonant sound at all for a very long time...We are doing all of the things you listed. She recognizes and thoroughly enjoys itsy bitsy spider, pat-a-cake, clapping abcs, and a song from a book that her daddy sings to her. She is practicing clapping her hands together for pat-a-cake. I noticed in expressive lang on the website listed here that it should be happening between 7-12 mths. I think your advice is good, about watching for the next month or two. One thing I've learned about babies...they change overnight so she may start doing it tomorrow for all I know!! She is ahead in so many things..she sat independently at 5mths., crawls backwards at this point and turns herself around, stands well with balance, and rolls everywhere both ways. She's very concentrated on specific activities and seems to have good attention span...she loves books and music. We've gone through stranger phobia early because I think she is just so aware of what is going on around her. Thanks so much for the info.

By Mrsheidi on Friday, February 4, 2005 - 01:36 pm:

She sounds well on her way to presidency!!

By Kayleesmommy on Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 11:52 pm:

My daughter is 7 months and she is saying baba, gaga, dada, and mama. Kaylee has been early with a lot of things though. She was sitting at 4 months but still needed someone next to her because she was still tipsy. Now she is crawling and pulling up on things to a standing position like a pro.