These were Dr's orders at 9 mo checkup...thoughts?

[Karen616]

This is a 2 part question...

I just took Layla to her 9 month checkup bc I completely forgot it was time. She will be 10 mos next week. SO, they had me fill out a questionaire for the first time, basically wanting to know what fun stuff she had learned how to do. Well, when the Dr looked at my answers he said she was behind, and wanted to have her hearing checked. I cant remember everything that she isnt doing that was on the list but the ones I can remember are, pointing, clapping, understanding the word "no" (she stops when I say no, but then just goes back to what she was doing, I think its more to look at what Im talking about, rather than understanding she should stop doing that), playing peekaboo, patacake, saying momma and dada to the correct person (she says momma and dada but I dont think she necessarily knows what it means), coming when you tell her to come here, and giving you the toy she is holding when you ask for it. Those are the ones I can remember that she doesnt do. I am wondering how yall's babies compare? Are they doing all of that stuff? Anyway, Im not exactly sure what any of it has to do with hearing, but he wants to have it checked. She can definately hear bc earlier I was whispering her name when i was in the livingroom and she was in the kitchen and she stopped and looked at me. Anyway, thats part 1.

Part 2: He told me that the maximum amt of formula she should be having is 16 ounces. Basically, a bottle in the morning when she wakes up, then breakfast lunch and dinner, and then a bottle before bed. And he said that breakfast lunch and dinner should be normal adult foods now instead of baby food, so my other question, is what am I supposed to feed her? I mean, to be honest, I dont really eat breakfast or lunch and usually eat a big dinner (which I know is opposite of what Im supposed to do) so what am i supposed to feed her during the day? I want to give her healthy stuff which Im not a big fan of myself and I guess Im just wondering if thats what yall's babies are getting, and if so, what are you making them to eat?

Ok, maybe this was like a 6 part question...sorry lol

[eternidad200]

sweetheart, I think your pediatrician is a little ahead and less flexible. James just turned 9 month yesterday, he listens to the word no but mostly all the time he keeps doing whatever he was, so we have to direct him to something else.
He is not pointing at thing, he pats them, but no pointiing.
no clapping yet.
no pat a cake, I play him but still does not get it
peek abook, he can play with a blanket on his face but if I do it to him ith my hands he does not get it.
he comes to me when I ask him to come both in spanish and english.
He says dada, mama but to anything even his poopy diaper is mama.
My pediatrician says that the main source of baby food should be his formula until he is about 1 year old. At least 24 ounces daily.
About food 3 x daily, but I make my own, vegetables, meat and blenderized it and give it to him. Now with a little more of consitency.
He eats, oatmeal,millet, sweet brown rice, bananas, raisins, peaches, apple sauce, yogurth for breakfast.
Lunch and dinner sweet potatoes, peas, lentils, chick peas chicken, turkey, cottage cheese, zuchinni, pastas, squash, redpepperr, avocado, etc.
No fish yet.
I think he means that from your own family food maybe you can blenderize some and give to her.
Anyways I think your daughter is great and is doing fine. I don't think you shoul dbe concerned at all.

[Karen616]

Thanks, all of your comments really reassured me. Her hearing test is scheduled for April 26th (kind of far away). I guess that will just give me more time to work with her and see if I can get her up to speed, lol.

[jenkaye21]

Wow, no, I do not think you little one is behind at all!!  While she may not have met some of these "milestones" by the *average* time, I agree that her hearing does not seem to be an issue.  Maybe her doc is being overly cautious and wanting to rule that out, in which case I give him credit (i guess, hehe).  To be honest, I think he is *completely* over-reacting to a little one who is perfectly normal!!  My ds is only 8 months, but he isn;t really doing any of those things yet, either.  And having three older kids, I know that my third child barely spoke until ager 2 1/2!!!!  He was "late" to do everything, and now, at age 4, he is probably the MOST brilliant of my kids, honestly, he is super-amazingly smart.  Like any parent, I worried when he was "late" to walk, talk, point, clap, etc.  You can't help but feel like your child "is not as smart", but trust me, that is NOT the case.
Sorry to ramble, but I am just feeling a little irritated at your doc!! LoL = )

[kaprovea]

Joel is only 8 months old but to me it doesn't sound like your little one is behind.  I would go to get a second opinion.  I am going to try and transition Joel to regular food by 9 months but that is my choice.  A lot of babies that I know that are almost a year are still eating baby food and I think that is perfectly fine.  What I do with Joel is that sometimes for breakfast I give him cheerios and banana.  I just give him the cheerios on his try and then I cut up the banana into small enough pieces so that it is easier for him to grab but on the days he doesn't get this I give him baby cereal.  For lunches I am still just giving him baby food but for dinners if there is something that we are eating that he can have then I try to give him that.  I give him things such as sweet potato, peas, chicken and salmon.  I just cut it up into really small pieces.  

Developmentally I think that your doctor is asking a lot.  Joel likes it when you play peakaboo with him but he doesn't do it himself.  He says dada but not to DH .. He just says it all day long.  I say No to him but I don't necessarily know that he understands what I am saying.  He turns around and looks at me then continues going toward what I don't want him to go toward.  He will wave bye bye but not consistently or when I ask him to.  He does come when you call him or tell him to come see you but he just started doing this.  

I personally think that some babies are develop their motor skills or verbal skills better than others.  I have a friend whose son is 6 weeks older than Joel and understands and says a lot of words but he just started to crawl.  Joel could crawl at 6 months but doesn't say that many words/understand that many words.

I think that all babies are different and I think that some of the development has to do with genetics.  My husband walked at 10 months and I think that Joel is on that track.  You should talk to your parents and your DH's parents and find out if they remember when you and him might have reached some of these milestones.

[Tasia32]

Wow, Layla's pediatrician expects her to do a lot. JT's pediatrician told me she didn't expect him to completely understand the word no eventhough he does because when he goes for something he shouldn't I tell him "no don't touch that" and he starts to cry because he wants it but then sometimes he decides he will get it anyway so Layla could just be doing that. His pediatrician didn't expect him to know how to clap or wave or point she said he should know those by 1 year of age. JT kind of knows peekaboo be would cover his head with a blanket but not always remove it himself sometimes I have to move it. He doesn't play patacake because I don't play it with him. He says mama dada but not to me or dh. He knows come here means I want him to come to me and it is rare for him to not to want to. Now the bottle thing is what JT's pediatrician told me she said by the time he is a year he should be having only 16 oz a day and be eating baby food, I don't know if she meant big people food I just assumed she meant baby food but if it is big people food I would love suggestions as well.