how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

OK I see all these posts about babies saying "mama" "dada," etc.
My DC have "said" these things, but I don't consider them their first words, because I don't really think they are using them appropriately - they are just making noises - babbling - trying out different sounds.
Am I wrong in thinking that it is not truly a first word until the word is associated with a person or object?

Did I miss a major milestone by thinking when DS says "ma-ma" he is just babbling? Or when DD says "dadada" she is babbling?

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

IMO, it's when they use the word to associate it with an object. DD has been saying "dada" for close to 2 weeks now, but I know she is not associating that with my DH. Although she did look at him the other night when he put her to bed and said "dada" without the extra ninetybillion "dada's" attached to it. I'm pretty sure it was a coincidence.

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

I agree with you.

I think when they say it and mean it, we will know and then and only then would I consider it a true first word.

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

DD has been saying dada and mama for a while, sometimes saying dadadada etc...now recently in the past few weeks shes been saying dada, and stopping there, but has not been ALWAYS associating with DH, so I'm not considering it her first word yet I do know that she is desperately trying to say "hello" every time the phone rings she says "ehlo" it's too cute, but I'm still not considering it her first word bc it might just be my imagination

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

ok, my son started saying "dada" last night. Pretty sure thats the post being referred to. Maybe its not what all you would consider a first word, but hearing did melt my heart and as a working my who pretty much misses all her DS's 1sts because I'm gone from 7-7 everyday, I took it as it was. He did look right at my DH when he said and as he was walking out the door.

Honestly, I know this post not meant this way, but I'm pretty upset now. I mean, I posted I was sooo excited about something, got like no responses (but tons of views) and then read this, so are people thinking I'm being crazy or something????

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

I know I'm reading into it and very emotional, I guess I'm pretty bummed out about the fact that nobody commented, but instead I see posts like this, you know.

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

ITA with you. DS constantly says "dada" and occasionally says "mama," but doesn't associate the words with us. He definitely knows who mama and dada are since he'll look toward DH if I ask him where dada/daddy is. When he says dada though, he's not just saying it when he sees DH. I don't consider his babbling as first words.

Re: how do you know your baby is actually saying a word vs. babbling?

According to our speech therapists...all babies babble around the 5-9 month mark...they will start to say mama, dada etc and its not speaking, its a natural reaction, a reflex they cannot control and has no meaning. ( we found this out this b/c my son at 6-7 months old said mama, baba, dada etc for a while, and then suddenly lost it, never said it again till he was almost 2 and we couldnt figure out why he could say it and then stopped....)

They say real words tend to form after a yr old ( but can come earlier) where the brain understands premenance and associates the word with the person...thing etc.

Thats my take on it.