Rolling over is one of the first milestones a baby achieves. It is great fun to see your little one do so from the time when he could do nothing on his own. It is a gradually learned skill which comes with time and practice in the baby. It tells us that the baby has acquired strength in his arms, neck, and back. However, rolling from front to back and back to front requires different muscles and skills.
At what age do babies roll over? This is the most common question among parents. Unfortunately, we cannot specify any particular time or an age to it. Some babies may start rolling over at three to four months, and some may not even get it until they are close to seven months. However, babies between five months and seven months have improved flexibility, making them master the skill of rolling over in all directions i.e. from front to back, back to front and side to side, comfortably and with great ease.
Seeing our little one rolling over from side to side gives us immense joy. However, we must be cautious and should take certain precautions during this period, so as to keep our baby safe from the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Premature babies often reach developmental milestones at the same time or a little later than full-term babies (having taken their corrected age into consideration). For example, a 6-month-old baby’s corrected age, who was born 2 months premature, would be 4 months. Therefore, if the baby develops or attains milestones akin to a 4-month-old, it is considered to be absolutely normal.
However, there may be preemies with health issues or disorders. They may also not grow in accordance with the developmental timeline.
An infant learning to roll over can be a gradual process. Below are the developmental processes that lead a baby to the “rolling over” milestone.
1st Month
2nd – 3rd Month
3rd – 4th Month
4th – 5th Month
5th – 6th Month
Rolling over is a milestone which almost all babies learn on their own. However, parents can also help their babies in the learning process. Here are steps to do so:
You could encourage your baby to lift his right hand by brushing a toy or an article of his liking against his right hand, and taking it to the left side. Slowly, with your hand on his right hip, gently bend his hip and roll him towards the left. Repeat it on the other side.
On average, babies start to first roll over between 2 – 5 months. However, parents can help them in doing so and be a part of their growth process by the list of tips given below:
Carry your baby in a carrier which keeps his legs in frog-like position, rather than in a carrier in which his legs are kept apart as in straddle position.
Your baby is able to roll over means his neck muscles have become strong enough to hold his head up. After that happens, your baby will start crawling, which will be followed by your baby being able to stand up on his two feet. Once he reaches this milestone, he will start walking too with someone’s help in the beginning and then slowly, all by himself.
Most babies start rolling from their stomach to their back, because that is easy to do. However, some babies start rolling from their back to their stomach very early. This is somewhat rare, but absolutely normal, and in fact a good sign. Rolling from back to stomach requires much more strength and therefore, if your baby does so, it may be so that he may have the ability to roll from his stomach to his back, too.
A baby rolling in his cot while sleeping is a common worry among many parents. Here is a list of things to do in order to keep your baby safe:
A lot of care must be taken while putting your little one to bed in order to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Below is a list of things you could do:
After your baby starts rolling, make sure to always place a mat or a blanket on the floor and keep him there. Keeping him on a table or on some raised platform may result in a fall. While putting him to sleep, make him sleep on his back, and on a bed with tight bedding. Also, be particular to remove all toys, pillows, or objects that might suffocate him.
Baby rolling over at 3 months is the correct age. The primary concern for parents has been baby rolling over in sleep or baby rolling over at night as that increases the risk of SIDS. Apart from this, the other major concern of parents is regarding babies not being able to roll over even at 7 months. However, if your infant was born premature, he may do it a little later. If that too isn’t the case with your baby, and he still has not started rolling over or developed some other skills like sitting or crawling, then you should consider consulting a paediatrician.
Rolling over is one of the first milestones to watch out for in your little one. It is one of the major motor skills that a baby acquires. It can happen only if the baby has developed the muscles that are required to perform the skill. As much as seeing your little one roll over on all sides will bring a smile in your face, it will also raise certain concerns like his safety, for which parents need to always be on high alert.
Also Read: Baby Development Milestone – Head Control
This post was last modified on November 4, 2020 2:22 pm
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