Standing too soon?

Kelly_12 · December 2013

Not a preemie specific question, but I feel more at home with you ladies than my Aug/13 board.

LO is 5mos, 3.5 adjusted. Lately all he wants to do is push up on his legs and stand. Assisted mostly with our hands under his armpits. But the last few days he has really been doing all the work himself and my DH has started to just hang on to his hands so he is basically standing by himself. Tonight DH had him hanging into his exercauser from the side standing. He only held it for a few secs and DH was right there to support him.
I am worried about this...it seems too early. I don't want him to be doing things he's not ready for yet. DH tells me to chill that he's smiling and happy while doing it and clearly doing the work himself we aren't making him.
I just worry his little muscles aren't ready. I googled a bit and all I can find is that it is a myth/old wives tale that he can become bow legged from standing too soon.

Anyone have any insight/advice? He sees a chiropractor (to help with his reflux) so I plan to ask him at his appt next week. But in the mean time I'm being paranoid.

Here's a pic of our little early stander.

kelly422 · December 2013

I agree with your DH. LO will do things when he is ready to do them. Relax!

LaciJaxx · December 2013

Wow!!!! Look at him. That is awesome. Go little man!!! I'm so excited for you. That's huge!!

From what I read, letting babies do what they're ready to do is the best and safest thing for them. We get into trouble when we try to coax them into doing things they aren't ready for. Magda Gerber talks about it in her books. She says babies rarely ever get hurt when we allow them to develop at their pace. For instance, they fall down and get hurt less when they're walking when they're ready. And from the looks of it, he's ready. I wouldn't be concerned.

That being said, ask your chiropractor when you're there. I'm sure that will ease your mind.

ashleymarie512 · December 2013

First of all, what a cutie!

I agree with the pp. Relax and enjoy the cuteness that is your stander!

Similarly, my LO is 4mos/8wks adjusted and she loves straightening her legs and jumping on our laps. She loves sitting up too so I have been putting her in the bumbo, even though they say not til 3-4mos. I'm right there with her, but she seems like she handles it ok so I just go with it.

Here's her first bumbo pic, just for fun

Kelly_12 · December 2013

Thanks..I'm trying to be excited, he seems very happy when doing it..I just can't help but worry! He just looks so little standing! Lol
And I can't help but feel DH is coaxing him a bit, but I know LO is truly pushing up on his own often and whenever I try to have him sit he just keeps pushing up to stand. Guess he's ready!

brachysira · December 2013

We went to our 6 month adjusted (8 month actual) preemie development appointment where all kinds of specialists assess. I told the physical therapist that she loved standing, and she said, "no, stop pushing her." She said that too much assisted standing would develop the wrong muscles for actual walking and that we should do more tummy time to force her to work towards movement goals herself. Sitting and back time were also given the okay. Not okay were jumperoos and walkers, and a little okay were exersaucers, which she said should be used very limitedly and on a low setting such that the baby was pretty much sitting and lower enough that she was not at all on her toes. I personally did not stop having my baby stand on my lap once we heard this because my baby was super into the view she could get from there. However, I would not encourage my baby to stand holding onto things because that doesn't seem to have a purpose like standing to see better and it seems like as parents you would start to feel comfortable and end up letting your LO fall. That isn't the end of the world, but there are enough falls when LO starts pulling up independently and I don't see why you would want to rush into that. We did take the pt's advice about more tummy time, even though LO really hated it, and within days she was crawling and pulling up and totally fine with tummy time. We also learned that when you let your baby walk by holding your hands, you are setting yourself up for a backache. The pt was not a fan of this either, and our LO was pretty addicted--we haven't stopped, but we seriously cut back just for our own health. Letting them do it on their own is fun to watch. I do think SOME standing while you hold them is fine.

Kelly_12 · December 2013

@ashleymarie512 that is too cute! Love her in the bumbo!
I guess I need to realize it's ok for him to do things early.. It's just wierd because he took forever to hold his huge melon of a head up lol. He really took off once he figured that out tho!

Kelly_12 · December 2013

BostonKisses2 said:
I would also mention this to your pedi and see what they say.

I definitely plan to ask our pedi but his next appt isn't for two weeks so just wanted some other insight first.

LaciJaxx · December 2013

@ brachysira - How long did they recommend doing tummy time per day? My LO hates it and now just rolls over after a few minutes. He loved it when he was really young and I wish I would have done more then. He's really good with his head and like I said, will roll onto his back. Or just start screaming. One or the other.

Our LO just started to get interested in pushing with his legs. He's pretty strong. But no interest in trying to stand. He also doesn't really have any interest in sitting yet. I will prop him up on a pillow on the bed if I'm folding clothes and he does okay but otherwise he pushes with his legs to lay flat.

He's also not a fan of the bumbo. I tried to put him in it to eat his veggies but its easier to hold him.

One day at a time ....

brachysira · December 2013

lacijacques said:

@ brachysira - How long did they recommend doing tummy time per day? My LO hates it and now just rolls over after a few minutes. He loved it when he was really young and I wish I would have done more then. He's really good with his head and like I said, will roll onto his back. Or just start screaming. One or the other. Our LO just started to get interested in pushing with his legs. He's pretty strong. But no interest in trying to stand. He also doesn't really have any interest in sitting yet. I will prop him up on a pillow on the bed if I'm folding clothes and he does okay but otherwise he pushes with his legs to lay flat. He's also not a fan of the bumbo. I tried to put him in it to eat his veggies but its easier to hold him. One day at a time ....

Well, before the appointment, we were just doing as much as we could stand, which would be a few minutes every few hours. We also found a video on youtube for different tummy time positions and she really liked to be carried on her tummy like she was flying except against you instead of in the air, which was one on the video. At the appt, she wasn't really like, you have to do x amount, but just said that babies needed to play on their tummies and not be held standing in order to develop properly. So after that, we pretty much put her on her tummy any time we set her down because she could roll over at that point. If she rolled over and fussed to be put into a sitting position, I obliged then, but she sometimes wouldn't mind staying in the tummy time positions for 10 minutes or so, which was more than we thought she would. She also liked tt and back time naked and on softer surfaces rather than just a blanket on the hardwood. Interesting toys and music light up things also encouraged longer tt. I think you can wait on veggies until sitting is fun. And I'd say it is plenty early to expect sitting...most full term babies don't do it until around 6 months...our preemie was pretty advanced with gross motor and she could only kind of tripod sit at 6.5 actual...but was a sitting pro by 7.5 actual/5.5 adjusted. I'd stick with back time, tummy time, and some propping for now.

I agree with pp--preemies can fake you out b/c some parts are stronger than others, so you think they are all ready to walk early because they favor their legs over tummy time. You can't trust them...the hard work is what pays off.

LaciJaxx · December 2013

Okey dokey. We do tummy time but he's not a fan. He may last a few mins or roll right away. He sometimes will go longer while looking in the mirror but other toys don't seem to help. I've tried getting down with him, rubbing his back, talking, etc....

I'm not concerned at this point that he isn't interested in sitting and standing. I know it will come when he's ready.

As far as veggies go, we've been given the green light by our pedi and he loves them. I don't feel its necessary for him to be sitting independently in order to eat. He has great head control, chews and swallows.

We have an assessment with our neonatalogist scheduled for Feb 14 but we have to try and get a referral since we have to move in January now. I'm really hoping we can go but I'd say its about 50/50 that they will allow it.

LaciJaxx · December 2013

I just realized he sits on my lap pretty good. I'll sit him on one leg with my arm behind and he hardly leans on me. Or in the middle with each arm beside to protect from him falling over.

carrotcake06 · December 2013

My LOs are just about the same age, actual and adjusted, as your LO. One of them loves to stand and has for a while - he gets this giant smile on his face, like "look what I did!" Haha. The other one has just recently started to stand and also gets a big, gummy grin.

They're super wobbly and don't stay like that for long, so I just think of it as another position for them to be in.

One rolls occasionally from belly to back (the early stander) and the other is just way more interested in being vocal so he hasn't rolled yet. Neither sit unassisted and are just barely starting to tripod sit but usually fall forward in short order.

I was just talking w H the other day about busting out the high chairs for them to sit w us during dinner bc they do well in the bumbo and the big one (stander/roller) has been in the exersaucer. We don't plan on starting solids for a bit - they're such a pain, honestly, but it would be nice for them to join us for dinner (we have an older DS).

LaciJaxx · December 2013

This article was posted today on Janet's Facebook page. I think she must have been reading this forum. LOL.

https://www.janetlansbury.com/2009/12/dont-stand-me-up/

And here's another great one ...

https://www.janetlansbury.com/2012/04/sitting-babies-up-the-downside/

Sorry I'm mobile so I can't make them clicky.

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