## When Do Babies Roll Over?

At what age do babies learn to roll over? Typically, babies start trying to roll over around 3 months old. However, not all babies develop at the same pace, so this milestone can vary considerably. Join AVAKids’ 0-3 Year Old Baby Care section to learn more!

### 1What Does Rolling Over Look Like?

When placed on their stomach, a baby will lift their head and shoulders, using their arms to push their torso up. This action helps strengthen their muscles, especially for babies who use their muscles to rotate and move their bodies.

So, at what age do babies learn to roll over? Continue reading with AVAKids to find out!

Most babies start rolling over at 3 months old. Source: Osteo for families

### 2When Do Babies Roll Over?

The question of when newborns learn to roll over is a common concern for most parents, especially first-time parents.

Typically, babies learn to roll over around 3 months old. However, since each baby develops at a different rate, not all babies will roll over at this time.

Many babies don’t show signs of rolling over until 4 months old. Some babies even skip rolling and move directly to other developmental milestones like crawling or sitting by 6 or 7 months.

Therefore, parents shouldn’t worry too much if their baby hasn’t rolled over yet. If the baby is feeding well, gaining weight steadily, and having regular bowel movements, parents can rest assured.

### 3Signs That a Baby is About to Roll Over

Experts say that the age at which a baby rolls over depends on their physical condition and strength. Compared to full-term babies, premature babies tend to roll over later.

In addition, weight is also one of the factors that greatly affects a baby’s ability to roll over. Leaner babies often roll over earlier than chubbier babies.

Not only does it take longer to learn to roll over, but some babies even skip the rolling stage and quickly move on to other developmental milestones like crawling or sitting. Therefore, as long as the baby is developing well, parents don’t need to worry too much about when they roll over.

Babies who roll over early are often smarter and stronger. Source: EDAC

### 4Is it Good if a Baby Rolls Over Early?

AVAKids has answered the question of when babies roll over in detail. So, is it good if a baby rolls over early?

#### **Babies Who Roll Over Early Are Healthier**

Rolling over early brings many health benefits to babies. When rolling over, the baby’s body will be more active, which helps them become stronger and more robust. This is an important foundation for babies to learn to walk and stand. Besides, rolling over early also helps babies avoid flat head syndrome caused by lying down for too long and too often.

#### **Babies Who Roll Over Early Are Smarter**

According to research published in the journal Pediatrics, the time when a baby starts to roll over is also when they lay the foundation for their future.

Early rolling also helps babies observe and interact more with the world around them, thereby gradually improving their cognitive abilities. Therefore, compared to babies who haven’t learned to roll over yet or skip rolling over, babies who roll over quickly will have earlier and better cognitive development.

### 5Is it Good if a Baby Rolls Over a Lot?

Many parents believe that rolling over a lot will affect the baby’s bones because they are still young and their bones and muscles are not strong enough, so they don’t even dare to let their baby lie on their stomach.

However, this view is completely wrong. When practicing rolling over, the baby’s head, neck, biceps, and calf muscles have been trained daily to a certain extent. Therefore, babies can only roll over when their bodies are ready.

In addition, rolling over a lot also has a very positive effect on the development of the baby’s brain. Instead of lying in one place, only being able to observe a two-dimensional space, now that the baby can roll over, they can observe the world around them with a wider perspective, thereby improving their spatial thinking.

Besides, rolling over a lot also helps strengthen the baby’s muscular system, creating a premise for the baby in the next developmental milestones. Therefore, parents should create an environment for their baby to roll over more!

### 6Why is My Baby Slow to Roll Over?

Here are some of the main reasons why babies are slower to roll over than their peers:

#### **Due to Excessive Weight**

Besides the question of when babies roll over, weight is always a concern for parents. Experts say that the bigger the fetus, the healthier it will be when born is not always true.

Therefore, right from the early stages of pregnancy, mothers should eat scientifically with a moderate diet. Next, immediately after birth, parents also need to control the baby’s nutrition and weight in the best way.

Having excessive weight not only makes the baby slower to roll over but also puts them at risk for many potential health problems.

#### **Due to Calcium Deficiency**

Calcium plays a very important role in the development of a baby’s bones. If the baby does not get enough calcium, their muscles and bones will not be able to develop, leading to slow or skipped rolling over.

Calcium deficiency is a cause of slow rolling over. Source: Happy families organic

#### **Due to Clothing**

During care, parents often worry about their baby catching a cold, so they tend to dress them in a lot of clothes. This inadvertently affects the baby’s ability to move, thereby prolonging the time it takes for them to roll over.

#### **Due to Psychological Barriers**

Babies who are slower to roll over than their peers may have had negative experiences while practicing rolling over. This makes them afraid and unwilling to continue practicing.

In this case, parents should not force the baby, but instead encourage and support them to practice rolling over gradually.

### 7Exercises to Help Babies Roll Over More Easily

When babies roll over depends not only on their health and physical condition but also on the support they receive from their parents. To help babies roll over earlier and more easily, parents should actively perform interactive exercises to encourage their children:

#### **Swinging Exercises**

Mothers can let their babies try muscle and back exercises to improve their balance. This is also a very important stepping stone for babies to progress to the full body rolling stage shortly after.

In addition, mothers can also place the baby in a hammock and gently pull the hammock to one side. At this time, to maintain balance, the baby’s body will tilt, and instinctively, they will also try to mobilize all their muscle and back strength to hold their body steady.

However, during the process, mothers should pay attention to the angle of swing, following the baby’s reaction, avoiding scaring, panicking, or dangerous situations.

#### **Rolling Over Exercises**

To perform rolling over exercises, parents first need to let their baby lie on their back on the bed in a comfortable position. Next, parents should stand on both sides and use their baby’s favorite toys to stimulate them to roll back and forth.

If the baby has difficulty rolling over, parents can use one hand to support their shoulder and gently lift it to help them.

Parents should never leave their baby alone when rolling over to prevent falls. Source: The Postpartum PartyTHe

### 8What Should Parents Do to Ensure Their Baby’s Safety?

Once babies learn to roll over, they will enjoy it and will roll over whenever they want. So parents shouldn’t be too surprised or worried when they find their baby waking up on their stomach because by 6 months old, babies can turn their heads to breathe. Accordingly, the risk of sudden infant death syndrome due to difficulty breathing will also gradually decrease.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that once babies start rolling, it’s not necessary to make them sleep on their backs. Parents can let their babies sleep in any position they feel comfortable. However, initially, when the baby is still in a crib, parents should still place them on their backs.

Also, parents should never leave their babies alone on high surfaces such as tables, chairs, or beds, to prevent falls. To ensure the baby’s safety, parents need to carefully protect the surrounding space.

Even if the baby can’t crawl or prop themselves up yet, parents shouldn’t be subjective because they can roll over at any time.

Besides, when changing clothes on a high table, parents should always hold one of the baby’s hands. When the baby starts rolling over, make sure there’s always someone watching them at all locations around the house.

According to Healthline, parents should not leave any objects that could cause suffocation around the baby’s sleeping area.

Not only that, parents should also stop swaddling their baby. Swaddling not only restricts the baby’s movement but also tends to loosen the fabric when the baby rolls over, increasing the risk of suffocation in young children.

### 9A Few Words from AVAKids

We hope that with the above article from AVAKids, parents have found the answer to the question of when babies roll over and have grasped some notes during the process of helping their baby learn to roll over. Regularly visit AVAKids to update more useful information!

Compiled by Lan Anh

Reviewed by Thuy Trang