[Fleurette]

I'm just wondering how early your twins started speaking if they had an older sibling at home. My guys are 17 months and don't say anything. William will shriek or whine and point, nod etc. John will say 'brrr' for milk or drink and 'bal' for balloon. That's about it. He also grunts and points. My dd talked early and clearly. She was having conversations with us by age 2. I realize she's a girl and first born, but I just don't understand why the boys aren't even saying 'mama' or 'dada' when talking to us or trying to get our attention. It just makes me sad.

Maddy doesn't speak for them, in fact, she mostly looks out for herself and doesn't really say "We want X" just "I'm hungry. Can I have cheese, please?" :LOL

Anyway, I will be having them evaluated on Friday, but I'm just wondering what your experiences have been.

Thanks so much.

 

[BabyBugsMom]

Our dd is 13.5 months older than our (identical) twin sons. They were born at 36 weeks, but had very few preemie issues beyond being small and gaining slowly, initially.

Both our guys started talking at around 14-15 months. They didn't talk much until they were about 22 months, though--just the occasional word and lots of grabbing and pointing. They are very articulate 4yos now.

I never really noticed our dd talking for them--she was usually more concerned with making sure she got what she wanted, much like your dd. Perhaps someone whose older child was a bit older than my dd has had a different experience.

Our little guy, on the other hand, is 16.5mo, and doesn't really talk at all. I'm not concerned, though--he is very effective at getting what he wants! He does say mama, dada, dis (thanks) and ball...and has lots of noises he makes until he gets what he wants. He jabbers all day long, though--it's just not in English.

Honestly, at 17 months I wouldn't be concerned, yet, as long as they are interacting with each other, their older sister, you and your dh, and the world at large. There is a possibility that there is a delay, but 17 months is still well within the range of normal for speech to be just beginning. Were they full term? Are you adjusting for any normal delay because of being preemies, or because of any trauma/medical issues at birth?

I hope this helps....Update us after the appt later this week.

 

[Fleurette]

You make some good points!

Thanks! The boys were born at 35 weeks 5 days, spent no time in the NICU and were a healthy 6 lbs 12 oz and 7 lbs 7 oz respectively. They were a little delayed in their physical milestones, but only by about a month. Once they hit their year birthday, developmentally they've been on track with a full term baby. Everything except their speech. DD was 19 months when they were born...

I wouldn't be so concerned about it if they even said "mama" and "dada", but they don't even say that. I'm wondering if them having had several ear infections in the past 8 months has become an issue/reason for them not speaking more. They do babble, but not much. It's mostly whining, shrieking and grunting. :LOL

 

[BabyBugsMom]

Oooooo....ear infections.....hmmmm.....

Have you had them tested for food sensitivities?

Our guys--and our little guy, actually--are all sensitive to dairy. Eat cheese--get an ear infection. It's just about that predictable. Also causes fluid build-up, which results in muffled hearing....which could very easily account for some speech delay.

Consider having them tested by a naturopathic doctor for sensitivities. Can't hurt--and might considerably help.

BTW--my dd dealt with extreme excema from about 4 months to 6.5 months. Horrible, horrible issues--cracked, oozing sores, obvious pain, severe irritability (and who could blame her--she HURT). Treated her in every way possible our pediatrician recommend--nothing helped. We learned when we tested her for food sensitivities at 6 months that she was sensitive to rice and wheat. Took her off of rice cereal, which we had begun about two weeks earlier, and I stopped eating rice and wheat (I was bfing her at the time.) Within two weeks her skin was beautiful, and we have never had another problem with excema again. She can eat wheat when she's healthy, now, without any problems, but to this day if she eats rice her skin is dried out the next day.

 

[twopeasinpod]

Our eldest spoke at 9 months, sentences by 14 months, bizarre...he was 8 when they were born, and is a perpetual chatterbox.

Our 28 months old twins still are very choosy with their words, and only one is using full sentences. They enunciate perfectly and their hearing is tested fine, they just decide when they want to speak.
They love onomatopeia and colloquisms, tho LOL

 

[Diane~Alena]

My twin daughters are 8, my eldest daughter(by one minute) has speach issues still. She didn't talk at all for the first two years, her sister the dominant sibling talked a little bit to me but mostly she and her sister used sign language. We thought Emma was deaf as a baby because the words she spoke were not any kind of words we recocnized. It turnd out that my Emma talked "twin talk" she spoke it untill the age of three and had alot of work to learn english and how to speak properly, we still work on the finer points of it. My daughter Elizabeth the dominant and younger twin loved signing as a baby and then turned to speaking soon after. Thank God Liz learned to speak she was the only was anyone could understand her sister.