From the first day of birth, a newborn begins to slowly but surely learn about the world around him. Curiosity forces him to learn to repeat sounds and reach for a bright toy. And now the moment has come when, trying to follow an interesting object with his eyes, the baby follows it and unexpectedly turns on his tummy. This is a whole event in the life of a baby and, of course, a reason for parental joy. How to teach a child to roll over if he doesn’t want to do it?
When do babies start to roll over?
There is no consensus among experts about when children should start doing rollovers. Each baby has an individual development rate. Norms exist theoretically, but in practice, one baby matures later, another earlier.
But there are still limits of possibility that determine the ability to roll over. Typically, thin children are more physically active than their well-fed peers. Strong babies are able to roll on their side at 2 months. Slow, quiet babies may not be physically active until six months of age.
Some babies at 3 months attempt to roll onto their stomach. This can be done by babies who have learned to hold their head up with emphasis on their shoulders while lying on their stomach. In such babies, the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle are sufficiently developed.
According to most pediatricians, the norm for the onset of revolutions varies from 2 to 6 months. In most cases, 4-month-old babies are just beginning to roll over.
Doing gymnastics
It is advisable to place the baby on the tummy as early as one and a half months, or a little earlier. From this age he should try to hold his head up on his own.
The following exercise will help teach your baby to roll over from his stomach to his back:
- Very carefully and unobtrusively cross the baby's arms, slightly bending your elbows, then slowly move them apart. This exercise will help him in the future, when he needs to press one handle to his chest when turning over, and help him turn over with the other.
- Place your baby on his side and cross his right leg over his left so that the tips of his right toes touch the surface on which he is lying. Hold the baby's shoulder with one hand, and with the other, guide his pelvic area (push his butt) in the direction where you want to roll over.
Exercises to teach your baby to roll over
What can a 4 month old baby do?
At this age, children have achieved certain successes in physical development. Some babies independently roll over from back to stomach. Most babies master the following physical skills:
- confidently hold their head upright;
- reach out to toys;
- actively move their legs while awake;
- lying on your stomach, make a “bridge” - resting your arms, raise your head and arch your body;
- take the “airplane” pose - lying on your stomach, spread your arms wide and raise your legs.
Children develop meaningful reactions. The approach of a loved one causes joy, which is manifested by active movements. Seeing the stranger, the baby freezes. When communicating with parents, she laughs and recognizes the voices of loved ones.
First attempts
The development of the skill of turning over depends on the characteristics of the musculoskeletal system, the activity of the baby and his general health. It is considered normal if a baby at the age of two to four months confidently holds his head while lying on his stomach, leaning on his arms. Having mastered this skill, after a week or two the little man begins to try to turn on his side. And after a couple of weeks of such daily exercises, parents may notice that their beloved little one has learned to roll over from his back to his stomach without outside help. He masters this “trick” closer to the fourth month of life.
In the opposite direction, from the tummy to the back, children begin to roll over at about five months. There is a certain pattern: the sooner and more often parents lay the baby on his tummy, the faster he will learn to turn on his back. There is a logical explanation for this: when the fragile neck muscles get tired of holding the baby’s head, it drops, and there is a risk of suffocation. To avoid lack of air, the baby immediately leans on the arms, pushes and ends up on the back.
Physical development of a 5-month-old baby
By this time, the child is able to overcome body weight. Leaning on his outstretched arms, he sways, pushing off with his legs. Lying on your back, raises your head and shoulders. These movements indicate a rapid desire to get up.
If you support the child under the armpits, he stands steadily on his legs for 2–3 minutes. Some babies independently master turning over from back to stomach and back.
If a 5-month-old baby does not roll over, do not worry ahead of time; each baby has its own pace of physical activity. Most children will only need to increase their practice time.
When should a baby roll over: general norms
During the first year of life, the baby develops at a tremendous pace. Every day he becomes stronger, acquires new motor and mental skills. The average age of onset of revolutions is 4-5 months. For some children, these boundaries shift, and some begin to spin at 3 months, while others only at 6 months.
An important aspect in determining the approximate period for mastering certain motor skills is the baby’s due date. If he was born prematurely, then the acquisition of new abilities will be slightly delayed and this is not a pathological sign.
For example, a baby born 2 months premature may begin to roll over at 6–7 months. If the baby is healthy and there are no consequences associated with prematurity (pathology of the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular systems, poor weight gain), this is not a developmental delay.
Psychologists urge us not to forget about the temperament of the baby and his parents. Often in a family where parents are active, mobile and emotional, children are also quite active and learn new skills faster. In families where mom and dad are calm, measured, and unhurried, the situation is the opposite.
If a baby does not roll over onto its stomach for 5 months, this is not always a cause for concern. If the baby is healthy, holds his head well, rises in his arms while lying on his stomach and periodically tries to roll over, most likely you need to give him a little more time and everything will happen on its own.
Causes for concern
Infants develop according to individual programs. Parents should be concerned if their baby is falling behind in three or more of the following:
- does not hold his head confidently;
- minimal motor activity of the limbs;
- there is no babbling;
- the baby is not interested in toys;
- does not smile when communicating with loved ones;
- does not show a joyful reaction to the appearance of his parents.
Deviations on 3 points indicate developmental problems. In this case, the baby needs specialist advice. The pediatrician will conduct the necessary tests. Some children will need to be examined by a neurologist or endocrinologist.
If the toddler does not try to turn at six to seven months and older
There are cases when the baby began to “tumble” from side to side at three or four months, and then suddenly stopped. Should I be concerned if my baby doesn’t roll over even though he’s slowly approaching one year of age?
There is a possibility that the baby does not want to roll over because he is lazy. Or perhaps the reasons for such changes in the baby’s behavior are trauma, fear, or developmental delays. In such a situation, it is recommended to perform a daily massage either on your own or with a specialist. In addition, it is advisable not to hesitate to visit a neurologist.
Pay maximum attention to each stage of your baby’s growing up, love him, help him, and he will not be slow to please you with his achievements.
Reasons for the lag
As for congenital diseases, due to which children do not roll over, they are recognized by specialists in the maternity hospital. If the baby does not have the pathology recorded in the card, there is no need to worry unnecessarily.
Below are the reasons why a toddler may not roll over at 4 months.
- An overweight child is slow to master physical skills. If your 4 month old baby weighs 6kg, don't be surprised if he doesn't want to roll over.
- Hereditary predisposition indicates an underdeveloped neuromuscular system. Such children need free swaddling, periodic massage, and gymnastics. Strengthening the muscles at 3 months of age will help to roll over.
- Different temperaments - calm, slow babies are physically inactive.
- Features of development. Some children do not roll over from their back to their stomach, but immediately learn to crawl and sit.
- A premature baby is developmentally delayed, but this is not considered a pathology. After all, the baby’s organs have not yet matured compared to their peers.
- Rickets is characterized by a lack of calcium in the body. Such children sweat a lot and suffer from poor appetite. Their large fontanel is slowly overgrown. Weak muscle and skeletal systems negatively affect physical activity.
- Iron deficiency anemia leads to developmental delays. The disease occurs in a latent form. Anemia can be recognized by pale skin, tearfulness, and poor weight gain.
If a child does not roll over at 4–5 months, this does not indicate health problems. It is important to monitor your skills and abilities. Notice whether the baby responds to sounds. Does he turn his head in their direction? Does your eyes search for the source of the music? What matters is whether the baby, lying on his back, can raise and hold his head vertically.
The first revolution: terms and norms
According to pediatricians, the child’s first independent attempt to roll over should occur between 3 months and six months. This may be an accidental revolution, but it will tell you that a start has been made and the baby will master the skill on time. But, first of all, this skill depends not so much on specific deadlines, but on various factors. Among them:
- heredity;
- baby's weight;
- health status.
Babies begin their first attempts at turning from their stomach to their back quite early. Normally, by 4 months the child masters turning over to one side. By 5.5-6 months, a healthy baby is able to roll over in both directions at will.
Many parents are concerned about the question of how to teach a child to roll over on his stomach if the child is already 3-4 months old. A four-month-old baby will need special exercises to master the skill. Thanks to them, within a week you can notice the first successes in turning over on your own.
If your baby tries to roll over on his side, but it doesn’t work, you can try to stimulate his skill. Take a bright, ringing toy or any other item that will interest the child. Place it behind the baby's head so that he wants to follow it and touch it. The baby will immediately try to roll over to find the desired object.
Perhaps the child simply does not know how to roll over from his back. While lying on your back, gently bend your baby's leg at the knee and tilt it in the opposite direction. The right bent leg should be moved to the left, the left leg to the right. Give your free hand to the child so that he can turn around with it.
It is very easy to master the coup from the position “on your side”. Place the baby on its side. The parent should position himself behind the child, providing him with support. Place a bright rattle in front of your baby. He will try to reach for it and roll over onto his tummy on his own.
Important!
In order for a 3-4 month old baby to quickly learn to roll over from his back to his stomach, daily exercises are necessary. They will help master the skill of turning over by 5 months, as well as instill in the child an interest in developing this skill.
How to help your baby learn to roll over?
To speed up your baby's turns, you need to work with him more often, starting from 3 months of age. Pediatricians recommend stimulating a child’s physical development in the following ways.
- Place your baby on his tummy more often. In this position, he will try to raise and hold his head, strengthening the neck muscles. To keep your baby in this position longer, place a bright toy in front of him.
- Water procedures are useful to strengthen the abdominal muscles. Before going to bed, let your baby splash around in the bath to his heart's content.
- Do gymnastics, alternately bend and straighten your limbs.
Regular exercises train the child’s muscles and stimulate physical activity. You should exercise with your baby 2 times a day, an hour after feeding. You should not play educational games when the baby is in a bad mood or is capricious.
Mom, help!
If you notice that your child only rolls over in one direction, you can help him unobtrusively and playfully learn new skills.
There is a simple way to teach a baby to turn in the right direction. Place the baby on his stomach so that he rests on his arms, and place his favorite toys at a distance of 40 - 50 cm. Take the brightest object that makes sounds, slowly move it above the baby's head to attract attention, and then place it on the side at an outstretched distance. hands. Most likely, the little one will reach for an interesting toy and involuntarily roll over from one side onto his back.
