Hellobee Boards Topic: When to get nervous?

Hellobee Boards Topic: When to get nervous? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 04 May 2026 15:16:45 +0000 LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2563721 Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:17:16 +0000 LuLu Mom 2563721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @SeptMomma12: DD is coming up on 15 months and she's a chatterbox, she really wants to say words but they are still pretty inconsistent. she does says dog, mama, dada, grandma (clearly which is strange), milk, drink. They are her words for them but it's a little progress. I'm planning on talking to the doctor at her 15 month appointment about her ears and if that's affecting her speech. She's getting frustrated when she's "talking" and we don't know what she says. She was telling me a whole story this morning with laughter and pointing and i had no clue what any of it was, but she thought it was hilarious. SeptMomma12 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2563662 Wed, 08 Jun 2016 09:02:28 +0000 SeptMomma12 2563662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @T.H.O.U.: Thanks so much for the reply :happy: I don't think my son met all those guidelines at 12 months either, but he did have at least 3 words I can recall. His real explosion was around 21 months when he went from words to sentences seemingly overnight - it was crazy. I know it's terrible, but I just assumed as a girl she'd be talking much earlier. T.H.O.U. on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2563656 Wed, 08 Jun 2016 08:49:56 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2563656@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @SeptMomma12: I just saw your bump on this thread. I read over the guides @delight: posted. I dont think my son would have met all of those at 12 months. We didn't have a lot of babble, wasn't using 3 or more words, wasn't even really waving consistently. But he was very receptive and would react to your questions etc. We really hit the sign language hard just to help him communicate. It took him until just before 18 months to really get a solid list of words and signs. Just now at 22 months will he respond with a phrase like "Bye Bye Momma" or "Where's that" or "Fix It" . SeptMomma12 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2563654 Wed, 08 Jun 2016 08:44:22 +0000 SeptMomma12 2563654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: Just wondering if you've seen progress since this post. DD is 12.5 months and in the same boat. She understands a lot of what we say, but her only coherent word is Dada (and it's pretty inconsistent). Thanks :happy: LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539632 Tue, 03 May 2016 10:27:59 +0000 LuLu Mom 2539632@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @Mrs D: Our doctor said 4 infections in a 6 month time is when they start to talk tubes. We are at 3 right now (technically four if they would count each ear individually.) Mrs D on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539583 Tue, 03 May 2016 09:28:53 +0000 Mrs D 2539583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: With DD1 we had to wait through 7 infections before our Ped would refer us. I asked at our 2w appointment with DD2 if she was more likely to have issues bc of what we had experienced with DD1 - he said no. I let him know right then and there that I was not going through 7 ear infections before having surgery this time...I'll give it 3-4...I'm not going to make her suffer though. Our tubes have been a huge success!!! LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539472 Tue, 03 May 2016 07:36:00 +0000 LuLu Mom 2539472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @catomd00: Yep, she talks for her constantly, I know this plays a part in it! She just adores her sister and is a bit of her shadow, following her around and her older sister has a bold personality and doesn't mind talking for her. @Mrs D: This is very interesting because yes we've been battling ear infections lately! I think if she has one more in the next 2 months we are candidates for tubes. I might mention this to her pediatrician at her 15 month. Selfishly if she get tubes I want it to be in this year because we have already hit our deductible (we've had a ROUGH year this year already medically!) Mrs D on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539442 Tue, 03 May 2016 07:13:20 +0000 Mrs D 2539442@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: lots of good input here which I would just be repeating mostly...but one side note. Has DD2 had many ear infections? Our first had several bad ear infections which ultimately led to tubes at 18 mos. prior to tubes I felt her speech was borderline - i felt she understood me and our ped was not concerned bc she was doing fine big picture. The pediatric ENT said her hearing had likely been compromised 30-40% by the fluid in her ears. About 2-3 months after the tube procedure her talking exploded!!! catomd00 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539342 Mon, 02 May 2016 21:24:03 +0000 catomd00 2539342@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: does your first do a lot of speaking for your second? I spoke really late because my older sister always just spoke for me. Once my mom worked on stopping that my language exploded. I knew how to, I just didn't because I didn't have to. delight on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539280 Mon, 02 May 2016 20:01:45 +0000 delight 2539280@https://boards.hellobee.com/ As an SLP, I'm going to attach the rough guidelines I use with parents at 12 months and 18 months. I find that doctors and pediatricians are a bit more lax on guidelines than speech pathologists are. However, there is such a range of normal development at this age and like others have said some kids are just slower to develop words and will all of a sudden have a huge language explosion. I usually do like to see a couple words at a year but I look at the big picture, at how the child is communicating overall. There are tons of ways to help stimulate development at home and it sounds like you are doing lots. Reading and singing are key! Talk as much as possible around your LO even if it feels like you are just narrating your life. " Wash, wash, wash the dishes. Mommy is washing the dishes. Pop, pop, pop the bubbles." You didn't ask for ways to encourage language development so I don't want to write too much, it sounds like you are doing great. I would not be worried about your LO at this point. I get concerned at 18 months if a child is not talking at all and recommend classes for parents on how to stimulate language development. [attach=3209/16/o6ktiy.600x450.image.png] [attach=3209/16/o6ktiz.600x450.image.png] mfa_lady on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539254 Mon, 02 May 2016 19:26:37 +0000 mfa_lady 2539254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Our ped looks for 3 words at 15 months. There's still plenty of time for that! :) Trailmix on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539249 Mon, 02 May 2016 19:19:19 +0000 Trailmix 2539249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ At 13 months, my son said 'mama' occasionally but I wasn't even sure whether I could count it as a word. At 15 months, he had 3 words ('mama', 'dada' and 'moo'). Pediatrician wasn't too concerned (in his case, bc he is a twin and twins are often delayed in speech), said to wait 3 months and if he hadn't improved at all, to start speech therapy. But in those three months from 15-18 months old, we suddenly had like, 20 words and has been fine ever since! Don't worry yet :) Beth24 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539247 Mon, 02 May 2016 19:18:07 +0000 Beth24 2539247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was a bit nervous because DD only had a few words at 18 months. She's only 19 months now and has a ton of words! It's true when they say so much can change in a matter of days/weeks. At 13 months I think there's plenty of time for your little one to start saying words! Pumpkin Pie on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539215 Mon, 02 May 2016 18:09:25 +0000 Pumpkin Pie 2539215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I was worried about my DD because she wasnt saying much at 18 motnhs. She maaaaaybe had 5 simple words. I talked to my pediatrician about it, and asked about EI, and the doc recommended waiting a bit because they tend to pick up more around 18-20 months. The pediatrician said DD should be adding another 5-10 words in the next couple months, and stressed that every child was different. It has been true that DD has been picking up more words, and is trying to say more, but I think she is still behind in her speaking, and she doesn't speak clearly. She is 19 months now, and I'll talk to my Ped about EI again around 21 months if she hasn't pick up more words. LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539128 Mon, 02 May 2016 15:46:33 +0000 LuLu Mom 2539128@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @MamaCate: thank you, I'm going to pay more attention to these things. She will bring stuff to me when I ask, but now that I'm thinking about it I don't know if I've seen her shake yes or no? I need to pay better attention to that. I know she doesn't point in a book yet but we are working on it. MamaCate on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539111 Mon, 02 May 2016 15:29:57 +0000 MamaCate 2539111@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: I think the other thing to look at in communication is receptive language: does she follow directions? Understand when you ask her to do things? If you ask her to bring you her shoes will she do it? Point to the dog in a book? And does she try other non verbal ways of communicating, like pointing and shaking her head for yes/no? If she does things like that I definitely wouldn't be worried about words emerging a little later than your first DD. I work in early childhood and we usually look for 15 words by 18 months and two word phrases/"sentences" by age 2 as rough milestones. LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539099 Mon, 02 May 2016 15:18:11 +0000 LuLu Mom 2539099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @BabyBoecksMom: I know that DD1 talks for her! I'm doing my best not to worry but as always that is easier said than done! @megjay18: Definitely have upped my reading, she loves it so it's easy to do! BabyBoecksMom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2539071 Mon, 02 May 2016 14:55:53 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 2539071@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @LuLu Mom: SAME exact thing is happening to us w/ DD1 being super advanced and DD2 not talking. DD2 is now 25 months, and her pediatrician recommended she have an evaluation. She's actually only 5 months behind, but they said that she is SO expressive in other ways (facial expressions and intonation), that they don't think it will be long before she really talks. (She only has about 15-20 words now). I hear it over and over again how the 2nd child doesn't talk much if the first is a big talker. megjay18 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538870 Mon, 02 May 2016 12:15:38 +0000 megjay18 2538870@https://boards.hellobee.com/ i know it's hard not to worry, but i probably would try not to at this point. just read more and keep an eye on her. stargal on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538748 Mon, 02 May 2016 10:29:10 +0000 stargal 2538748@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Wouldn't worry, she's still soooo young. My los both didnt have any words at 13 months. lamariniere on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538736 Mon, 02 May 2016 10:22:03 +0000 lamariniere 2538736@https://boards.hellobee.com/ As long as there is some sort of progress, I wouldn't be concerned until closer to 2. My DD didn't have that many words at 18 months, at 19 months had her explosion and then was speaking full and complex sentences by 2. T.H.O.U. on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538589 Mon, 02 May 2016 08:49:26 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2538589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yea, it took DS (second child) well until 18 months to really start "talking". At 18 months it was maybe 6 words but lots of animal sounds and sign language. Mamaof2 on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538572 Mon, 02 May 2016 08:45:16 +0000 Mamaof2 2538572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ DS had 1 word at 12 months 3 words at 15 months and then at 16 months he had a gazillion! :silly: I was sooo concerned and he literally became a chatter box over night! DD had 9 words at 18 months and Ped referred her for EI and she did NOT qualify - they said she was just a late talker - she really started talking at age 2 So, I wouldn't be concerned until 18 months LuLu Mom on "When to get nervous?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-to-get-nervous#post-2538568 Mon, 02 May 2016 08:42:26 +0000 LuLu Mom 2538568@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I know I'm jumping the gun some, but DD2 has no words yet at 13 months old. She babbles all the time but does not consistently use words. I've heard her say "uh oh" and momma/dada but not necessarily toward us. Our doctor said she should have 3 words by 15 months so I'm hoping a language explosion is coming since her babbling has definitely increased. I've up our reading and singing to her hoping that helps! DD1 was a very advanced speaker, and was speaking full sentences by 18 months so although I do my best not to compare it is hard.