Non Dc Related- Concern About A Friend's Baby...

[newtodaycare22]

Does mom make her talk?

Does she get food ready and then say "say please?" Or get a sippy ready and hold it and say "milk, milk, say milk..."

Does mom sign?

If not then she is probably not pushing her to try to talk. I make my kids and dck speak up once they hit one. They obv cant say intelligible words but I do encourage at every meal "say please" then when they babble some nonesense I put the tray down and say "please" the rest of the kids push too. Doesnt take long for them to get the routine that if they want food they have to practice something. Now my 11 mo does it and my 15 mo old babbles it while getting in the chair, as if to hurry me up or something.

Yes, she says a lot of things like that. "Thank you" or "More please". But baby girl doesn't mimic. Sometimes she'll get a babble-sometimes nothing.

She doesn't sign. Someone suggested it and she was worried it'd delay her speech further if she had another choice? I didn't comment on that one

[Mom2TLE]

Could you print off some information from the infant and toddler program for your state so she can see where she should be? Being premature puts her at risk for delays and a good hospital would have connected her with the infant program from the beginning. They have to focus on growing and gaining wieght rather than development in the first few months. Which can cause delays. The earlier they start working on her delays the sooner she can catch up.

[My3cents]

I am on the side of waiting and see what the Dr. says. Not every child walks at such and such a month, or talks at such and such a month. Let her develop at her own rate. If there is a problem the Dr. is going to see it and bring it to the parents attention. From hearing what you wrote, I find the child to be right on track, just on the other end of the track. Babbling is a form of talking. Walking, not every child walks at nine months, twelve months or even later. Hard to understand esp, when you see many other kids doing it early or earlier then that child and younger or same age. Some kids wait until they can do things just right before even attempting it. I say give it time before you say something to your friend.

[MNMum]

I would wait and see. I don't think she is behind yet. She may just be at the late end of normal. As far as the preemie thing goes, no need to do a "corrected age". Even for those born very premature, things begin to even out pretty quickly. As for being wisked away at birth, I am a NICU RN. In our hospital, it is policy that any baby born before 36 weeks, even 35 weeks and 6 days, will go to the NICU for 48 hours of antibiotics and monitoring. I think it is a little ridiculous and hate the mom/baby separation.