Seeking Advice - Baby Has Not Rolled Over

hello V.,

i am a new momma of a 5 month old. he too has not rolled over. he has rolled a few times on accident and got so upset and mad that they threw a fit and he is not a fit thrower. instead of working on the the tummy time as much (i would put him on his tummy 3-5 times a day for a few minutes until he started to fuss.) i am now working on sitting up. he is doing wonderful with sitting up and when he falls forward he will lay on his stomach for a few extra minutes compared to me laying him on his belly. hope i helped. P.

One of my kids never rolled over. She's 5 now and fine. Another of my kids never crawled. Don't sweat it.

Is she behind on any other developmental milestones? You have to also look at development as a whole. I would also suggest doing tummy time everyday with her. When I started tummy time with my son I would put him on his belly and get down on the floor with him so I would be on his level. Start out a few minutes at a time and then gradually get her to do it longer. Put a toy or book in front of her to look at while she's on her belly. Talk to her and cheer her on while she's doing it. I work with families how have concerns about their child's development. If you want more information you can email me back.

My son was between 7 1/2 to 8 months when he first rolled over. He is 2.5 years old now and is happy and active. He was 9 months old when he sat up and was 16 months to walk. Keep an eye out, but each child is on their own time table. I know that everyone worries when their baby is not on the set marker. My son is my fourth child and each one did things differently. I don't think it would hurt to talk to your doctor, but if they tell you not to worry yet then don't. If your daughter is healthy then I am sure she will be fine. My son was bigger than other babies that could be one reason. Good Luck.

C.

This may sound weird, but does she have a head circumference in the higher percentile? My friend's baby could not move around much because his head was very heavy. Talk to your pediatrician if you are concerned. Good luck, and I'm sure everything is fine.. :)

Have you talked with your dr. yet about this? My oldest son has developmental delays. Although he did roll over on time by about 3 months -- he missed all of his other milestones. His pediatrician was even slow about making any kind of decision on testing. I would bring up your concerns with the dr. This could be a sign of low muscle tone. At the time people kept telling me that boys are just slower than girls -- and while that may be true some of the time -- it isn't true in the broader aspect of delays. I'm not posting this to scare you but I wish someone had told me when my son was a smaller baby that he could have low muscle tone and several delays.

As far as helping the baby roll -- I might try to roll her over myself to help her practice.

my second born rolled over (from belly to back) at 3.5 weeks old... however, my first born didn't until about 4 months... I knew of an 8 month old that rolled for the first time and he's perfectly healthy now at 2.5 years old. Talk to your doctor, but don't stress yet; it's so true that every child is different. good luck!!

Tummy time is very important. I know she doesnt like it, but she needs it. If you're picking her up within a few minutes because she is frustrated then she's not getting the time she needs to work on muscle coordination. Get some toys designed for tummy time and get her to start lying on the floor at least 30 minutes 3 times a day. Eventually she will get used to it and stop fussing, so just get down there with her and show her how much fun tummy time can be. My daughter hated tummy time with a passion when she was first born, and it took 3 months of being consisent about it before she got used to it, and then she spent a lot of time on her tummy happily playing. But it took time and patience through the tears.

And defintely talk with your doctor about this, since he or she see's your child on a regular basis they should be able to give you some more personalized advice and rule out any possible underlying concerns.

Have you asked her doctor about your concerns? My son, did not roll over until he was 8 and a half months old!!! I was also worried about him but his doctor said that since he is a little on the chubby side (at 8 months he weighed approx 24lbs) he would have trouble throwing his weight around. She said that as long as he can sit up and hold his head up he will be fine. Now he is 14 months old and is all over the place!!!!

Talk to your family members - were you or dad or any of your siblings like that?
Lay her on her side and if she will rotate head and upper body play with a favorite toy on the side where you want her to roll. see if you can get her attention and tempt her to want to get to you and the toy. If she wants to, and seems to try at all, do this for a minute 4 times a day increasing by 30-60 seconds every day or two. If she does not seem to have any increased ability or interest after 3-5 days, make an appt to discuss with her healthcare provider and keep up the play.
At the appt, go to your baby's provider and tell them you are seriously concerned, and are not comfortable with waiting and seeing. Ask them to check your daughter's muscle tone and strength all over. Can she hold her head up well, does it still lag behind when you pull her up from flat by her arms?
Sometimes, they just can't get those chunky monkey thighs thrown over far enough to complete the roll but will turn the rest of the body just waiting for the legs to follow. Keep doing tummy time 1-2 minutes a day and slowly increase - but if she does not push her face out of the blanket even after you get her palms down under her shoulders and position her to be able to do so, then she just needs a simple eval - some kiddos do motor skills slower for no apparent reason. So if provider does not feel muscle tone is low all over or any other skills are behind, ask for a physical therapy or early intervention assessment: most states have this to identify mild delays and teach parents little excercises to do daily which can result in rapid improvement.
If your provider does not take you seriously, or just wants to wait and see, ask them to explain what they see that reassures them about her muscle tone, development in other areas, other development that is on track, etc. so you too can be reassured. If they do this and it is helpful to you, then set up a definite follow-up time to reassess and check that you and provider are comfortable.
If the provider does not explain to your satisfaction or does not listen or validate your concerns, find another provider...

My child hated tummy time too! But I allowed her time to do other things she enjoyed doing, such as sitting up and even holding her up by her hands if she wanted to "pretend" walk. I would not be too concerned whether or not your child is specifically rolling yet, but I would look to see if she enjoys other physical activities. Can she hold her head up? Can she sit up on her own or with support? Is she able to hold objects in her hands and place in mouth? Is she able to touch her toes while lying down? If she drops a toy while lying down can she slightly turn to grab it? What is her general muscle tone like? If she is not doing any of these things I would speak to her pediatrician. If she is doing some of those things and perhaps she is exceeding in other areas such as the social aspect (as my child did) it may not be much to worry about. My child hated tummy time but in her own time she began enjoying it and then she enjoyed crawling. If you still have concerns with your baby please consult your pediatrician because if there are any developmental delays he can refer you to the appropriate place where she will get what she needs. Hope this helps!

My second son was 5 weeks premature and when he was discharged from the NICU he was required to attend physical therapy sessions just as a precaution. He was developing fine, but the therapist gave us lots of ways to encourage him to progress faster. One thing you can try is take a toy that she enjoys and when she is one her back put it on the floor a little over her shoulder where she would have to reach over to get it. And when she is on her stomach, you can take the toy and raise it up and over so that as she tries to reach for it she rolls over. Just try it a few times every day and she'll eventually get the hang of it. Both of my sons were big, in the 99th percentile for height and weight. My oldest did not roll over until about 6 1/2 months (and he was even sitting up at 5 1/2 months) and my youngest, who was premature, rolled over a little earlier I think right before he turned 6 months. Every other milestone, they were right on track. I just think some babies have a harder time rolling over at first.

She HAS to spend time on the ground in order to learn how to roll over. If she's always being held, sitting in a bouncer or her highchair or whatever, she's not practicing and strengthening her muscles. She's old enough now that you can let her be frustrated for a few minutes- she won't suffocate herself if you're nearby. Being annoyed may even be good motivation for her to push herself up and over. Most babies can roll one-way by 3 months, so I would certainly mention this to her doctor at her next visit.

She will get it! Continue with tummy time about 20 minutes total a day. Put toys within reach of her. When she gets conffy with that then put toys to her side where she can see it. Eventually she will roll, then you will be chasing her before you know it!

All doctors say that babies reach milestones at their own pace. However, most babies should be rolling over before 7 months old. Is she crawling or pulling up yet? If not, I would definitely talk to your doctor because she may have developmental delay. It's not to scare you or tell you there's something wrong with your baby. But I would rather be safe than sorry.

Keep laying your baby on her stomac for "tummy time". You may want to position yourself in front of her on your belly with toys and books to get her attention to lift her head like a turtle. This will build her muscel tones and allow her the ability to eventually roll over. She may cry but please allow at least 5+ min. several, several times a day for tummy time. She will build up to enjoy this position and this will increase muscel tone for rolling over.

Hi V., I have a 7 1/2 month old too and she's been rolling over for a while but just started sitting without support recently. A little boy I know who's just a few weeks younger than her has been able to sit without support for over a month but he still won't roll over. My point is that every baby is different, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Keep trying the tummy time and make it as entertaining for her as you can. Perhaps you can make a game of it by putting her on her tummy and then helping her prop herself on her arms and then roll her over.

It could also help to let her "play" with other babies who roll over. Maybe seeing others do it will motivate her.

Don't worry, she'll get it eventually, and then when she does she'll probably roll everywhere!

My daughter (now 2) was a slow mover at first too. She didn't crawl until her first birthday, but she walked by 14 months and is now off and running just like other kids. She is bigger than most babies and has a very large head so that could have been part of the problem!

First, i would definitely see what your doctor says about her. If your doctor isn't concerned, then i would just keep working with her like you're doing. A lot of babies these days aren't rolling over as soon because they are placed on their backs to sleep (which, of course, is the better option). Our doctor was a little concerned about our baby so we did some exercises with her. We used an exercise ball and had tummy time there- with her laying on her tummy and me holding her upper body looking at her. that helped her learn to push up. i also put her in a sitting position and rocked side to side and back and forth- this helps strengthen the tummy muscles. Keep trying tummy time- even if she doesn't like it. put a mirror in front of her so she'll push up and look at that pretty baby! but definitely check with your doctor. good luck!

Hey V.! In my opinion, tummy time is your best bet. I know it gets frusterating!! Maybe you can lay on floor with her and play and talk to her. This way it will get her mind off from it. Play with her on her belly and back. Kinda roll her over back and forth and put things for kinda outta reach. This will make her reach for them and work on it. I truly understand it gets frusterating, but keep putting her down there. She will grasp it.

I did in home day care for several years and had 1 baby who didn't crawl at 10 months. So I stimulated that area by putting toys just out of her reach. Try a variation of that by swinging toys over her head from left to right. Once you have caught her eye make the arc larger until the toy is touching the floor on either side of her. Her natural reaction should be to try and see where it went. This will begin to encourage the head movements that go with rolling over. If your spouse is home this can be upgrade to one of you rolling her just from side to side to follow the hand movements. Kids will cry when they are on their tummies if they aren't used to it. Make sure there are a few toys ready for her to look at when she rolls over. Don't "rescue" her from the position too quickly it may take her a few moments to take the situation in and get comfortable with it.

Good luck!

You really need to talk to the pediatrician and understand her muscle tone. My daughter hit every milestone about 2 months late (or more) - so don't think she won't get there - but it takes you being assertive with the health care providers and driving for referrals if needed. My daughter is in physical therapy - has been since about 22 months - she runs,jumps, plays but is still behind --- but with early intervention I am hopeful by kindergarten she'll have caught up.

I think that you did the right thing by putting her on her tummy, I just think that you didn't carry it out. You have to leave them there long enough to get frustrated and WANT to roll. Burrying their face in their blanket is just part of it and the first thing they do before they roll.
Try it again and leave her there and don't pick her up. Get on the side of her and keep telling her to come to you and to roll. Maybe roll her over the first time and then put her back and tell her "now, you do it."
Just make sure you carry it out all the way, don't stop in the middle.

Is your pediatrician concerned? There is a wide range of ages for most milestones. I had one son that rolled over so early my doctor did not believe me...until he rolled over right in front of him...and another who was so slow we thought he'd be a carpet slug forever...but he finally did the tumbleweed.

If your ped is concerned and if she is not meeting other milestones, I'd take it up with the doctor and possibly discuss some OT or PT to strengthen muscles and such...but otherwise I'd just enjoy the fact that you don't have a human tumbleweed right now. :)

be PATIENT!!! babies grow at different rates. My daughter was walking by the time she was 9 months old, and my son didnt roll over until he was 9 months, and started crawling at 10 months! if yo are really concerned, then talk to your doctor. Also, do lots of tummy time!

My son was exactly the same way...he hated being on his stomach...he would cry immediately. He also hardly ever rolled over on his own. I think at that age he may have rolled once or twice...by accident. I worried a lot also, but once he started sitting by himself (around 8 or 9 months) his skills started developing much quicker. It truly amazes me what can change with a baby in the course of one month. He is almost 11 months now and it seemed like one day he just started doing everything at once...crawling, rolling, sitting up, pulling up, etc. I would try not to worry too much about the tummy time. The fact that my son never spent time on his tummy has not kept him from doing all of the normal things. Some babies just do things a little differently and a little later. One of the hardest things about being a mother for me is trying to be patient and not worry so much. It seems like every month there is a new set of worries. Before you know it, you will be wishing for the days of no rolling over because you will be constantly worrying about your daughter getting hurt...that's the stage we are now in. Good luck...and try to relax...your daughter will be perfectly fine.

My daughter was slow to roll over too. Even our pediatrician said that girls hate tummy time more than boys. It was my understanding that as long as the muscles are being used, don't worry about the rolling over. We used a Johnny Jump up so my DD could build muscles in her legs and sat her up in our laps quite a bit. She didn't roll over first, but she did sit up on her own before a boy her same age. Hope that helps.

I would lay her on her back and put her favorite toys next to her just out of reach and she would turn on her side to reach for them. At first I had to help her onto her side or onto her belly but she got the hang of it.

I agree with those who say to ask your pediatrician about it, and other than that, try not to worry too much. But I'm a first time mom too, and I know not worrying is easier said than done.

Here's a suggestion I learned at a mom's support group: One way to do tummy time is for you to lie down, and you place her on your torso. My baby hated being down by herself, but this made it much more tolerable.

Hi V.,
I think it would be a very good idea for you to consult your pediatrician and ask for a developmental evaluation. You might also look for a local chapter of First Steps and ask them for resources. The following is just one of many links available that list normal "milestones" for development: http://www.childdevcenter.org/devchecklist.html Your baby may be a late bloomer with nothing to worry about or she may need help from knowledgeable people to "catch up".

Do NOT delay. Early intervention makes a huge difference if there is a problem and hurts nothing if there is not.

V.,
I wouldn't worry about developmental delays at this point. My daughter will be 11 months old on May 9th; she rolled over from her belly to her back once at 5 1/2 months, then once more at 7 months. She rolled from her back to her belly once at 8 months. I was so excited each time that I put it in her baby book, but they were total flukes! She just started rolling from her back to her belly in her crib last week (at 10 1/2 months). I haven't even seen her do it, but I think she might be using the bars of the crib to help her! She has hated being on her belly since day 1. I put her down for tummy time every day for a few minutes, so she was developing her strength (she could hold herself up at the angle she was supposed to at each age). I also would roll her half way to try to get her to roll, but she just didn't want to, so she didn't. I really didn't push it much, just a few minutes a day, and then when she got really frustrated, I would pick her up. She still doesn't crawl or roll on the floor; instead she scoots across the room on her bottom. She is very efficient at getting around in this way. I think babies just find what works for them.

Every baby develops so differently. There is so much pressure around to make sure your baby is doing things by a certain age, but I know plenty of people who have stories about a baby they know who didn't crawl until after a year or walk until nearly 18 months. I think continuing to put her on her tummy each day for a few minutes is important, but if she is constantly frustrated, it's probably only going to make her hate it more.

One of things we did, too, was lay on the floor or bed and put our daughter on her tummy on top of us. That way she was looking at one of our faces while she is on her belly. She could still push up, but it was certainly more fun than looking at the floor! You could also try putting a mirror in front of her when she is on her belly on the floor. She will love looking at herself and may even forget that she is on her belly (at least for a few minutes)!

Most of all, don't worry too much about what other babies are doing. It's hard, especially with milestones because we mothers love to talk about them. But every baby is going to be so different in the first 1-2 years, then they pretty much even out.

A.

I can understand why you might be concerned. What does her pediatrician say about it? My kids are older so I am not sure at what age a child rolls over or sits on their own-- it's been awhile for me. If you think she has any developmental delay, I would take her for an early intervention evaluation-- in Charlotte that is at the Watkins Center for ages 0-3 years...

Mel

Hi! Something that hass been told to me a thousand times is that you can't compare your child with others. They all reach those milestones at different times. I should know, my son's been "late" in reaching them all, according to the other kids in his playgroup, but he still manages to surprise me. Every time I think something's really wrong, he surprises me. He didn't ever really roll over a lot, he wouldn't sit by himself until really late, he didn't crawl well until after 12 months, and he started walking at about 15 months. Compared to a friends daughter who walked at 8 months and now ueses complete sentences at 18 months, it was really hrd to watch! I know it seems like something is wrong, but if your doctor saw her at 6 months and said she's fine, she probably is...
Something that I did with Will was to roll him 1/2 way over and then see what happened. After doing it a million times he finally firgured out that if he kicked enough he's roll over. Somtimes it was the same way he came from, others it was all the way over. Good luck- K.