Baby Not Blowing Raspberries
Medically reviewed by Dr. Emily Torres, PhD, CCC-SLP · Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist
Content reviewed against published ASHA, AAP, Zero to Three guidelines
Last reviewed:
Speech and communication milestones vary widely, and worries about baby not blowing raspberries, here is what you need to know.
The short answer
Blowing raspberries typically emerges between 4 and 7 months as part of vocal play. This fun skill helps babies develop the oral motor control needed for speech. Some babies skip raspberries altogether and develop other vocal play behaviors instead, which is perfectly normal.
Key takeaways
- Blowing raspberries typically emerges between 4 and 7 months as part of vocal play. This fun skill helps babies develop the oral motor control needed for speech. Some babies skip raspberries altogether and develop other vocal play behaviors instead, which is perfectly normal.
- Usually normal when: Your baby is under 5 months and has not started blowing raspberries yet
- Call your doctor if: Your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness
- Varies by age — see the age-by-age breakdown below
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What Parents Should Know
According to ASHA, AAP, Zero to Three guidelines, blowing raspberries typically emerges between 4 and 7 months as part of vocal play. This fun skill helps babies develop the oral motor control needed for speech. Some babies skip raspberries altogether and develop other vocal play behaviors instead, which is perfectly normal. At 0-3 months, babies are focused on cooing and early vowel sounds at this stage. Raspberry blowing requires oral motor coordination that has not developed yet. Your baby is building the foundation for these skills. It is generally considered normal when your baby is under 5 months and has not started blowing raspberries yet. However, you should contact your pediatrician promptly if your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness.
Normal vs. Concerning
By Age
What to expect by age
0-3 months
Babies are focused on cooing and early vowel sounds at this stage. Raspberry blowing requires oral motor coordination that has not developed yet. Your baby is building the foundation for these skills.
4-6 months
This is when many babies discover they can blow raspberries, make spit bubbles, and create buzzing sounds with their lips. These activities strengthen the lips, tongue, and cheeks for future speech. However, not all babies blow raspberries during this window, and that is normal.
6-8 months
Most babies who will blow raspberries are doing so by now, often enthusiastically and repeatedly. If your baby is not blowing raspberries but is making other varied sounds like squealing, growling, and beginning to babble, their oral motor development is progressing well.
8-10 months
Babbling with consonants becomes the primary vocal milestone at this stage. Raspberry blowing may decrease as babies focus on more complex sound production. If your baby has never made any oral motor play sounds and is also not babbling, discuss this with your pediatrician.
10-12 months
The focus shifts to babbling and early word attempts. Whether or not your baby ever blew raspberries is less important than whether they are progressing toward consonant sounds and varied vocalizations.
What to Tell Your Pediatrician
- Describe when you first noticed baby not blowing raspberries and how it has changed over time.
- Note your baby's current age and which age-specific patterns you are seeing.
- Mention if your baby is over 8 months with very limited oral motor play sounds of any kind.
- Mention if your baby drools excessively and has difficulty with feeding along with absent raspberry blowing.
- Let your doctor know if you have noticed any related concerns, such as changes in feeding, sleep, or movement patterns.
- Bring a list of any questions or observations you want to discuss at the appointment.
What Should You Do?
When to take action
- Your baby is under 5 months and has not started blowing raspberries yet
- Your baby makes other vocal play sounds like squeals and growls but skips raspberries
- Your baby tried raspberries briefly and moved on to babbling instead
- Your baby is developing babbling and consonant sounds even without a raspberry-blowing phase
- Your baby is over 8 months with very limited oral motor play sounds of any kind
- Your baby drools excessively and has difficulty with feeding along with absent raspberry blowing
- Your baby seems to have weak lip or tongue movements and is not producing varied sounds
- Your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness
- Your baby shows no sound production at all and does not respond to sounds by 6 months
What You Can Do at Home
- Keep track of when you notice baby not blowing raspberries — noting the time of day, duration, and any triggers can help your pediatrician.
- Remember that your baby is under 5 months and has not started blowing raspberries yet — this is generally within the range of normal.
- At 0-3 months, focus on observation rather than intervention unless your pediatrician advises otherwise.
- Talk, read, and sing to your baby frequently. Narrate daily activities to build language exposure.
- While monitoring at home, seek immediate care if your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness.
Related Conditions
Baby Blowing Raspberries But Not Saying Words
Blowing raspberries is a positive developmental sign that typically appears around 4-6 months. It shows your baby is experimenting with oral motor control - learning to use their lips, tongue, and breath in coordinated ways. This is actually a precursor to speech. Babies often go through phases of intense raspberry-blowing because it is fun and feels interesting. If your baby is blowing raspberries, making eye contact, and engaged socially, their communication development is on track. Babbling with consonants (ba, da, ma) should begin emerging by 6-9 months.
Baby Not Experimenting with Sounds
Between 4 and 6 months, babies typically enter a stage of vocal play where they experiment with squealing, growling, blowing raspberries, and varying pitch and volume. This stage builds the foundation for babbling. If your baby is not exploring different sounds by 6 months, a hearing check may be a good first step.
Toddler Has Weak Mouth Muscles for Speech
Oral motor weakness affects the muscles of the lips, tongue, jaw, and cheeks, which can impact both feeding and speech. Signs include excessive drooling past age 2, difficulty chewing, messy eating, and unclear speech. If you notice these signs together, a speech-language pathologist who specializes in oral motor skills can evaluate and provide targeted exercises.
Related Resources
Milestone Checklists by Age
Track your baby's developmental milestones from birth to 5 years with age-specific checklists.
Month-by-Month Development
Detailed monthly development guides from birth through 24 months.
When to Call the Doctor
General guide on when to call the pediatrician, visit urgent care, or go to the ER.
Frequently asked questions
Is baby not blowing raspberries normal?
When should I call the doctor about baby not blowing raspberries?
When is baby not blowing raspberries normal?
What causes baby not blowing raspberries?
What should I mention to my pediatrician about baby not blowing raspberries?
Is baby not blowing raspberries normal at 0-3 months?
Is baby not blowing raspberries normal at 4-6 months?
Should I go to the ER for baby not blowing raspberries?
Does baby not blowing raspberries go away on its own?
References
- [1]American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Birth to One Year: Communication Development. ASHA
- [2]American Academy of Pediatrics. Language Development: 4 to 7 Months. HealthyChildren.org. AAP
- [3]Zero to Three. Communication Development in Infants. Zero to Three
Doctor Visit Checklist
Bring this checklist to your next pediatrician visit to discuss Baby Not Blowing Raspberries.
Things to mention
- Describe when you first noticed baby not blowing raspberries and how it has changed over time.
- Note your baby's current age and which age-specific patterns you are seeing.
- Mention if your baby is over 8 months with very limited oral motor play sounds of any kind.
- Mention if your baby drools excessively and has difficulty with feeding along with absent raspberry blowing.
- Let your doctor know if you have noticed any related concerns, such as changes in feeding, sleep, or movement patterns.
- Bring a list of any questions or observations you want to discuss at the appointment.
Observations to share
- Your baby is over 8 months with very limited oral motor play sounds of any kind
- Your baby drools excessively and has difficulty with feeding along with absent raspberry blowing
- Your baby seems to have weak lip or tongue movements and is not producing varied sounds
Urgent signs to report immediately
- Your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness
- Your baby shows no sound production at all and does not respond to sounds by 6 months
My notes
From ismybabyalright.com — free, evidence-based baby health guides
All content follows our editorial policy and is reviewed against published clinical guidelines.
2,705 evidence-based guides6 authoritative medical sources5 medical advisory board members
Related Resources
Bottom line
Most cases of baby not blowing raspberries are normal. Talk to your pediatrician if your baby has significant difficulty with feeding, excessive drooling, and no oral sound play, which may suggest oral motor weakness.
Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, reach out to your pediatrician. Worrying about your baby means you care — that is a good thing.
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Related Speech Concerns
Baby Blowing Raspberries But Not Saying Words
Blowing raspberries is a positive developmental sign that typically appears around 4-6 months. It shows your baby is experimenting with oral motor control - learning to use their lips, tongue, and breath in coordinated ways. This is actually a precursor to speech. Babies often go through phases of intense raspberry-blowing because it is fun and feels interesting. If your baby is blowing raspberries, making eye contact, and engaged socially, their communication development is on track. Babbling with consonants (ba, da, ma) should begin emerging by 6-9 months.
Baby Not Experimenting with Sounds
Between 4 and 6 months, babies typically enter a stage of vocal play where they experiment with squealing, growling, blowing raspberries, and varying pitch and volume. This stage builds the foundation for babbling. If your baby is not exploring different sounds by 6 months, a hearing check may be a good first step.
Toddler Has Weak Mouth Muscles for Speech
Oral motor weakness affects the muscles of the lips, tongue, jaw, and cheeks, which can impact both feeding and speech. Signs include excessive drooling past age 2, difficulty chewing, messy eating, and unclear speech. If you notice these signs together, a speech-language pathologist who specializes in oral motor skills can evaluate and provide targeted exercises.
Accent vs Speech Disorder in Bilingual Toddlers
When toddlers grow up hearing more than one language, they naturally blend sounds, patterns, and accents from both languages. This is normal and healthy, not a speech disorder. A bilingual child may pronounce some sounds differently than monolingual peers because they are learning the sound systems of two languages simultaneously. True speech disorders affect both languages equally, while accent influence appears only in specific sounds borrowed from one language to another.
Ear Fluid Affecting Baby's Speech Development
Chronic or recurrent middle ear fluid (otitis media with effusion) can temporarily reduce hearing by 15 to 40 decibels, which is like hearing through water. During critical periods of language learning, this muffled hearing can impact speech and language development. If your baby has frequent ear infections or persistent fluid, discuss the potential speech impact with your pediatrician.
Will Ear Tubes Help My Child's Speech?
Ear tubes (tympanostomy tubes) can restore normal hearing by draining persistent fluid from the middle ear. Many children show speech and language improvement within weeks to months after tube placement, particularly if hearing loss from fluid was contributing to their speech delay. However, ear tubes alone may not resolve all speech delays, and some children benefit from speech therapy alongside tube placement.