Did anyone have a baby who DIDN'T crawl?

My DS is a funny one. He was bearing his own weight on his feet by the time he was 3 months old and making stepping movements soon after (not the reflex stepping, real stepping). He was commando crawling at 7 months and now at 9.5 months can haul himself up to a standing position from flat on his tummy and is starting to cruise around the furniture. If we hold his hands, he will walk, even run, and can climb stairs. We don't actually hold his hands, he holds ours, IYKWIM. He is just desperate to walk.

However the Gymbaroo leader is a bit concerned that he has never done "proper" crawling and wants me to get him checked out by a paediatric chiropractor to see if there is some physical discomfort stopping him. She thinks that he is missing out on building upper body strength by not crawling. I said that surely he was building upper body strength if he can haul himself up from flat on his tummy and she said no, he was missing out on the "pounding" movement from crawling.

Now, I'm quite open to getting him checked out and I will do so, I've already taken him to see an osteopath because he was a forceps baby. But really I am not too concerned. DH never crawled, he was a bottom shuffler, and I read in Robyn Barker's Baby Love book that can run in families. I just figured that DS worked out very early on what his feet were for and I also think he is stronger than the Gymbaroo lady gives him credit for.

Sorry for being longwinded, but I was wondering if anybody else had a baby that was like my DS? A baby that walked before he could crawl??!!

My sister and I never crawled at all... but then, we were never placed on our tummies and had one of those walker thingies.

My DS is 5 months, has been able to stand (supported, of course, but holding his own weight) for months, almost since birth in fact, can pull himself up to standing from sitting, does little steps (bending his knees to do this) - and he holds our hands, not us holding his hands too. I can see him having a very short crawling phase, if he has one at all. He really hates being on his tum, even when he accidentally rolls over and puts himself on his tum (he can lift his entire upper body with his arms too, looks like he's attempting push ups some of the time!). DS can actually stand alone now, but is so wobbly I don't let him - LOL, well, I try to grab him when I see him trying to do it.

Anyway, I wouldn't be concerned if my DS doesn't crawl. I take him to an osteopath too - another forceps baby! Hey, I was forceps too, I wonder if forceps babies just don't like to crawl?

I never crawled either, apparently i scooted around on my butt!!

I've heard that children that don't crawl are generally more uncoordianted when they are older. Pretty acurate with me!!

I've also heard that children who don't crawl have trouble reading and speaking.

I will add to this that I used to dance and act, my sister was a gymnast. When we grew up, my sister became a speech and language therapist and I read Harry Potter 7 in 8 hours, that's WITH a baby for whom I put the book down to play with. Personally, I think it's made up to scare parents!

Non crawlers uncoordinated? I never crawled...mum said I just got up one day at 10 months and walked, and I did gymnastics for 11 years (state level) and dance for 5...so if that's the case then I must be one of the exceptions to the rule.

Yeah the non crawler thing is the biggest load of baloney it won't make any difference. There are plenty of sports stars who never crawled and also genius' so don't worry at all!

*hugs*
Cailin

My brother never crawled, and it doesnt seem to have affected him in any bad way.

I'm really not worried about it, it's just that the Gymbaroo leader made me feel like it might be something to be concerned about. DH has climbed a mountain and gone abseiling and runs his own business so I don't think his lack of crawling has affected his physical or mental agility at all!

I'm taking DS to his osteopath tomorrow to just check up on this because I know DS has some residual tension in his pelvis from his delivery (which was already being treated) but I'm sure he is fine.

I never crawled, you described how my mum described me EXACTLY when you talked of your DS. I'd trust your instinct that all is well.

Bx

my DS is 8 mths old and always hated tummy time, now doesn't like to crawl - does 2 commando moves then sticks his leg out to stand up.

Eden is nearly 7 months, and im pretty sure she wont crawl.. she loves playing on her tummy but does a swimming motion/ caterpillar dance manouver to get anywhere(which isnt very far) you know that rap dance thingy??? she doesnt seem to get that her arms work for crawling.. she pulls herself up with them and is standing against stuff but no crawling in site.... i never thought to worry about it??? should i?

My DD Matilda is now 10 months old, and has never crawled. For the past few weeks she's been walking around furniture. She had plenty of time on her belly as a baby, but chose to just lay in one spot playing.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, but if you are concerned, speak to your GP or Child Area Health Nurse.

Cheers
kylie

Well I took DS to his osteopath yesterday and he did have some tension on the left hand side of his chest and the muscles all down his left are actually slightly more developed than the right hand side because he tends to favour his left. The osteopath said that the tension in his little pectoral might be the reason he's not bothering to crawl because babies will naturally do what is most comfortable but overall she wasn't concerned either. (This is still partly related to his forceps delivery as well as the way he is moving). She watched him move about and was more inclined to think the same as me - that DS just knows what he wants and he wants to walk. Now, mummy, now!

So DS had a lovely massage from the osteopath (it's very cute, he loves it, every now and again he turns around and gives her a nice big smile!) and we're going back in a month for a follow up.

Sooo...he's just my little individual.:D Or stubborn like his father.:rolleyes:

My cousin never crawled, and she is now a very flexible and agile adult, involved in lots of physical theatre productions...

Aidyn also did not crawl until he was 10 months, so there is still time! Apparently some babies go back and crawl after they have mastered walking, or so I have heard!

I wouldnt be too concerned, as it seems to be fairly common?

i personally never crawelled but started walking at 6 months and it made me pigeon toed my bones wern't quite strong enough so it gave me slightly bowed legs, and now if i'm tired i still walk pigeoned toed. but other then that everything corrected its self and i'm normal (though some would argue hehe) i was also a very athletic child but not to smart, apparently they put it down to me developing my motor 1st everything eles went on hold. but i have to disagree.

I have a 4 year old that took her first steps at 8 months ( I tried to keep her down because of what i was told about me, if i hadn't she would have walked alot earlyer) and she is such a smart kid, that the whole motorskills being learnt first buts a back seat the the intelectuall learning has no grounding what so ever, i think it's a load of cods wallop Jess comandoed for about a week but she hated it so just stood up and walked.

Every child is different and there are no solid rules to development so i say enjoy your childs individuality and have fun telling the stories of how and when they learnt to crawl/walk/run/skip jump...

Olivia never crawled........another bum-shuffler.......as was my DH. (Who is a highly articulate and physocally gifted sportman, so I guess is yet another example that thows the "non-crawler" theory out the window!)

Charlie crawled for about a week, then moved to bum-shuffling.

Lexie is 10 months and showing NO signs of crawling at all.

JMO, but I peronally would not be worried at all.......

I don't think Toby is going to crawl.

He's been army crawling for weeks now and can get around wherever he wants to go, really quickly now. I just don't seeing him having the motivation to do it now that he's so mobile anyway.

DD only crawled for a couple of weeks.

Mackenzie never crawled. She rolled from one spot to another if she wanted something. She hated tummy time and would vomit if I put her on her tummy. She would have walked on her own at around 10 months if she just let go of our fingers but as soon as we pulled it away she would fall down on the ground. She walked at 13 months and the first step she took on her own was around 6pm one night. The next day she walked all day and never rolled again. You would have thought she had walked all her life. She was a champ. I have heard from nurses etc that babies that don't crawl can have probs later with spelling etc and co-ordination (as everyone else has said). I think at 3 Mackenzie is quite bright and hasn't missed a beat in picking anything up. I also did a lot of playing 'cats and dogs' with her when she was able to walk to get the co-ordination thing going. Interesting she never climbed and I stongly believe Gymbaroo helped her to learn to climb. We still go to Gymbaroo and she would have to be the one who climbs the equipment the most out of her group and we have around 12 kids in her group who are all around the same age. I wouldn't be concerned but just be aware if she dosn't crawl , once she is walking play games under the table etc which will help her to move her arms and legs in the crawling motion, as this will help with her co-ordination. Just my opinion but have to add that everyone else was more concerned about Mackenzie not crawling then I was.