Rolling is considered as one of the first steps in developing postural control, and it is engaging a part of the baby’s brain which is responsible for making the left and right side of the body communicate in order to coordinate. It is expected for the baby to start rolling between 2-8 months of age, starting from back to side and then from back to tummy.
Here are some tips on how to help your baby learn to roll:
Sit your baby on his/her butt and roll the baby over the side while you are putting him/her on the bed. Babies are born with the reflex that is telling them to keep their head from falling out, which will happen when you try to roll them over. This will also strengthen the muscles on the side of the neck. This will also help the baby to practice pushing against the floor with their arm when they are going down. Make sure you are doing this practice on both sides of the body.
You will need to minimize the time your baby is spending in bouncer chairs, baby swings, car seats, etc. Practice and experience will develop the baby’s motor skills, and sitting in baby equipment are doing the opposite. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be using baby equipment at all, just it is smart to spend more of their waking hours practicing their motor skills.
During the day, have your baby lying on his/her tummy as much as possible. This is the position in which the baby will develop most of the skills. This position will help the baby to strengthen the back and neck muscles, which are important for rolling. Babies can lift their head when they reach 2 months, and between 2 and 4 months, they will learn to lift their chest off the ground and hold their weight on their hands.
When the baby is comfortable on his/her tummy and is able to push the chest off the ground, the baby will soon start rocking the body left or right. This means that baby will soon be ready to start rolling, and the weight shifting from to the left or the right plays a major role in this.
Sometimes you will notice the baby being fixed in the pushed-up position and doesn’t know how to go left or right. You can help the baby by gently guiding him/her to the right or the left, and hopefully, the baby will finish up the roll by himself. Another thing you can use to help the baby is using an exercise ball, which should help the baby with shifting his/her weight from one side to the other and eventually do the rolling. Be careful and give the baby your full attention when you are using the exercise ball.Just like with tummy time, playing on the back is also important for the baby. In this position, you can help your baby to move through the rounded positions. This is how the babies learn to develop a good balance of extension, the arching position, and also flexion growing up and learning new motor skills. There should be a balance as you don’t want one position to overpower another. Because babies prefer being on their back, it is easy for them to achieve a rounded position. This position is also preferred by the caregiver because this way, they can easily interact with the little one. Use flat places for playtime on the baby’s back. It will provide the desired flexion for the baby.
Let your baby play on his/her side. You can use mirrors, the baby’s favorite toys, or even yourself to keep the baby in the side position. If the babe is too young and needs help to stay in this position, you can use your foot, hand, or rolled up fabric behind the baby’s back. As the baby becomes more and more comfortable in this position, you can place toys that are a little bit out of the baby’s reach. The baby will need to make an effort and initiate the roll to reach the toys.
Have your baby on his tummy, back, right side, and left side for about equal periods. This way, his/her body will be exposed to all positions that are involved in rolling when the baby’s trunk, neck, and arms are strong enough. Mixing up the position is good for preventing flat spots on the baby’s head. You can change up the baby’s position every 15 or 20 minutes.
You need to try to encourage the baby to play using the midline of his/her body. This “invisible” line that goes down the center of the human body has a major role in movements, and the baby’s ability to roll depends on its strength. The center of your body moves with us no matter where we go. Therefore, midline play for the bay can be done either when laying on the side or on the back. It is between 1-3,5 months when the baby develops the ability to play with hands in the midline. And between 4-5, the baby will be able to look with its head in the midline in that position.
Make sure your baby is separating the upper from lower-body movements. Newborns are bound to keep the body in one line, so when you try to roll them, they will do a “log roll.” When they reach 4-5 months of age, they should start or have developed the “segmental roll” because now they can separate the upper from the lower body movements, and they use the hips to do a roll. You can do exercises with the baby by moving him/her back and forth through some of the twisted positions when the baby is comfortable playing at the midline in a rounded position. Take both of the baby’s legs, move them together towards the baby’s upper body and help the baby grab one foot with the opposite hand. Take a little break and let the baby figure out what just happened and do the same with the opposite side.
Carrying your baby face down, or sideways, a tucked position can help him/her with developing the rolling. Carry your newborn in this position around the house or even dance around with him/her. Not only will the baby develop motor skills but also, he/she will love doing this with you. Make sure you are taking breaks every 30 seconds. That will give the bay’s nervous system to adjust to the new movements and process them.
When you are choosing a carrier, look for those that separate the legs in a frog-like position rather than a straddle position. The reason for that is because the first ones encourage engagement at the midline, which is important for rolling.
I hope these 10 tips will be helpful for you and your little one. Make sure you are not going overboard, as you want to help your baby not make a mistake and hurt him/her. Just have fun, enjoy the process. Your baby is the driver you are just there to help.
