Have you been wondering what you can be doing to help teach your baby to roll over? In this
video I'm going to show you 3 ways to teach your baby to roll from the tummy to the back,
and 3 ways to teach your baby to roll from the back to the tummy.
If this is our first time meeting, I’m Dr. Belousov. I equip parents with knowledge so
they can care for their baby with confidence. This video is a part of my baby development
series. Some of the other videos will be linked at the end of this one.
Most babies will master the skill set of intentionally rolling from their tummies to
their backs around four to five months of age. I use the word intentional because sometimes
babies will roll over unintentionally in their first few months after making a certain movement
that will cause their bodies to roll over. That is why it’s so important to never leave a baby
unattended on an elevated surface. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had frightened parents
in the office after their baby had fallen onto the floor because they didn’t think that the
baby was capable of rolling at that age. So always keep your baby’s safety in mind.
In order for your baby to roll over, he will need to gain strength in his neck,
back, core, arm and leg muscles. Doing tummy time on a daily basis
will help strengthen those muscles and prepare your baby to start rolling over.
I have a separate video on tummy time. If you need more guidance with that, I have it linked above.
A way that you can know that your baby is ready to start rolling over, is to
pay attention to when she starts reaching for objects in front of her while doing tummy time,
and is able to hold her upper body higher off the surface by pushing up on her arms.
During tummy time sessions, devote some of the time to have your baby laying on the side.
This exposes him to the different body positions that are involved in rolling over.
Place him on a play mat or blanket on the floor. You might need to prop his back against a rolled
towel or small blanket for support. Both of your baby's arms should be in front of him. Have his
legs forward and knees bent for comfort. Distract him with a toy or a black-and-white image.
After several minutes make sure to roll him to the other side for the same length of time.
As he becomes more comfortable on his side, he will begin to cross his top leg over to the floor.
This will make him roll onto his tummy. When your baby is doing tummy time and has
her chest lifted off the surface, gently put your hands on her shoulders and rock her back and forth
while singing a song or talking with her. This teaches her to shift her body weight from side
to side, which is a skill she needs to master to roll over. As she becomes comfortable with this,
you can shift her body weight just enough to give her the opportunity to roll over.
Another way that you can try to get your baby to roll from her tummy is to hold a toy that
she likes in her line of vision, but just out of reach. Allow her to try to go for it while
you raise it up to encourage her to roll over while she is trying to reach for it.
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notified when the newest video is released. Now I’m going to go through 3 activities
you can do to teach your baby to roll from the back to the tummy.
It is harder for a baby to roll in this direction than from the tummy to the back.
Typically babies start rolling from back to tummy around 6 months of age,
although some babies can do it earlier and some will start doing it later.
In order to roll in this direction, the baby needs to master rolling onto the side first. To give
your baby an opportunity to learn this, lay him on the back and have a toy within reach that you
are either holding off to his side or is attached to a baby play gym. Let him work on rolling to his
side while reaching for the object. Be sure to repeat this activity on the other side as well.
Another exercise to do is lay your baby on her back on a firm flat surface. Put your hand on top
of one of her legs and straighten it. With your other hand, bend the baby’s other leg at the hip
and knee. Then bring the bent leg across her body towards the leg that you are holding straight.
This will help her initiate the roll. Give her several seconds to roll the upper body
over on her own. If she is struggling to do so, then assist her in fully rolling over.
Baby’s are motivated to move towards objects that they really want. You can try holding a
favorite toy in your baby’s line of vision just out of reach and on her side. As she goes for it,
continue to keep it just out of reach to encourage her to roll onto her side and then onto her tummy.
Remember all babies are unique. They develop the skill of rolling over in their own time.
Be patient and do these activities on a daily basis to help your baby master
the developmental milestone of rolling over. In the comments below, let me know which of the
recommendations you found to be most helpful. If you would like to track your baby’s
development and know which developmental milestones should be achieved next,
get your free baby development checklist through the link in the description below.
I’m looking forward to seeing you in my next video.