What To Do If Your Baby Is Not Meeting Milestones & No One Is Listening

“I’m worried my baby might be delayed and no one is taking it seriously.”

Let’s unpack this a little, it’s a complex issue and I KNOW firsthand how anxiety-inducing milestones can be. First, please know that really & truly, development is variable. Timelines and ranges are truly that, because they may look a little different for every baby, and that’s okay! 

Generally speaking, I recommend following the two-month rule. That means if a milestone is expected at say 6 months (like sitting and rolling back to belly/belly to back) if that milestone doesn’t seem like it’s coming within two months from that expected month (so around the 8-month mark), I would recommend speaking with your pediatrician about a physical therapy assessment. The reason the two-month rule is my recommendation is that SO many ministones & milestones happen so quickly in the first year of life.

Like we discussed last week, each milestone builds on the last, and two months is a fair amount of time to accommodate for completely normal variations and timelines in development, while not letting so much time pass that your little one falls behind. 

NOW – what if you’re getting push back on that? Here’s the thing. The vast majority of counties in the US do not require a pediatrician (or any doctor) referral to schedule an evaluation. What you can often do is google your county’s name and “early intervention”. A phone number will come up, and you can contact your county directly and ask them first, if a referral or script is needed to schedule an evaluation for a developmental area of concern, and second, whether or not it is free to do so. 

Lastly, please know that whether you are being taken seriously or not, you deserve to have your worries be heard, validated, and assessed! There are experts in each developmental domain and area of medicine/healthcare for a reason! In many cases, you’ll have an assessment and even if they don’t qualify, you’ll get specified activities and exercises to help YOUR little one advance. And if they do qualify, you’ll get the individualized care to help your little one (and you) succeed! 

Hope this helps, please just know above all else that you’re doing a great job, and so is your sweet babe! 

Want More?

For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.

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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.