Babbling: when does "mama" actually mean mama and how do you know?

[P.J.]

For those with older babies, I'd like to know your experience: when did your baby's babbling actually start to be conscious "talking" and associated with people or objects?

DS (8 months) says "mamamamamamama" an awful lot, and DH swears he is actually saying it to mean me. But I recall reading that it's not until 10 months (?) or later that they can actually consciously say something in reference to a person or object. And it just doesn't feel like he's saying "mama" on purpose, he's just randomly saying it. In fact, I know that is how the word "mama" came to be, which is nearly the same around the world, because universally that is one of the first sounds babies make.

So, when did your LO first start saying "mama" or "dada" or any word consciously, and how did you know it wasn't just random babbling?

[sosurreal09]

well DD started saying mama and dada at 7 m/o by 9 m/o she said dog doggie daddy bye hi and at 11 m/o started saying thank you and all done. It seemed she said dada more when DH was at work. The second he walked in the door she would say dadadadadadadada so I always just gave her the benefit of the doubt she always meant him. At 9 m/o she called him daddy. I was still mamammamama. She called the dog dog or doggie though. So I guess if you did read that she disproves it..

[Knitting Mama]

Cecilia started babbling "mamamamama" around 7 months, but around 8 months she would say it directly to me when I came into the room or her line of sight. I even remember one time where I was standing outside of her visual range, listening to her making all sorts of vowel noises at the toy she was playing with. When I stepped closer and she saw me, she very clearly said, "mamama!" She's 9 months now, and has said "ahh duhh" (all done), "didi" (kitty), "I love" (when I say I love you), "mohhh" (more) and still says "mama" to me. She says" dadadadada" too, but not to my husband. I think she said "wow!" yesterday too.

[katelove]

My 8 m.o. babbles mama, dada and baba but she has used each one specifically as well.

Once she was quiet in her carseat and when I opened the door to get her out she said "mam!". She did the same thing when she was playing on the bed and I had my eyes closed.

She was upset one day while I was changing her so I walked in front of the mirror, which she loves. When she saw us in the mirror she said "baba".

DH gets up with her every morning when she first wakes up. This morning she sat up, looked over at DH and said "Dad!".

Seems like she's doing it intentionally but the "baba" one was 2 weeks ago and she hasn't done it again so maybe it was just co-incidence

[Knitting Mama]

Originally Posted by Cecilia's Mama 

Cecilia started babbling "mamamamama" around 7 months, but around 8 months she would say it directly to me when I came into the room or her line of sight. I even remember one time where I was standing outside of her visual range, listening to her making all sorts of vowel noises at the toy she was playing with. When I stepped closer and she saw me, she very clearly said, "mamama!" She's 9 months now, and has said "ahh duhh" (all done), "didi" (kitty), "I love" (when I say I love you), "mohhh" (more) and still says "mama" to me. She says" dadadadada" too, but not to my husband. I think she said "wow!" yesterday too.

She proved me wrong about her "dada" babbling today! My husband was playing with her while I was making some lunch, and I came out of the kitchen just in time to see her put her head on his shoulder and sigh, "Dada." It was so amazingly adorable!! This little girl is the best thing ever!!

Katelove, Cecilia has said stuff before and then not repeated it for a long, long time. I still count it as words spoken since the intent is clearly there! I think a lot of times they stop doing one thing while they're focusing on another, like how Cece rolled over from front to back consistently for several days at 9 weeks old, then dropped it and didn't pick it back up again for a month or two.

[waiting2bemommy]

dd says mama and dada and that's it. Ds had a major language burst right around this age, but I don't forsee one for dd right now because ds acts as her official intermediary, so she really has no reason to talk, lol. However, she clearly associates dada with her dad, mama with me. If she is with me and wants her dad, she will reach out or point to him and say "dadadada." Likewise for me. She has very strong preferences for which one of us she wants at any given time and she always uses the right word, so I'm 100% sure that there is understanding behind it.

Plus she has good receptive language. If you tell her to come here, sit down, lay down and go night night, etc she will usually do it. I definitley don't believe that it's all just babbling at 9-10 months.