Hello!

Hi MoMs, my little one has just started rolling onto his tummy, back hasnt been able to figure out how to roll back to laying on his back.  Very frustrating only because its waking him up nearly every sleep at the moment. How do I teach my baby to roll?

Posted by anon 21.1.2013


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  • Lots of tummy time to strengthen those little muscles. Don’t stress, they will do it when they’re ready


  • Be patient & lots of tummy time


  • ummm, they do it when they are ready – it is instinctive!


  • He will do it in time, just help a little!


  • Ours seemed to work things out on their own — they each do things at different times but one sees the other doing something new and it seems to inspire them to try and do it too!


  • You cannot actually ‘teach’ baby to roll, it is more a matter of providing them with the right strengthening exercises to develop their muscles so they can roll themselves. This means lots of tummy time, if they do not enjoy tummy time (many babies dont) you can simply lie them on your tummy as you lie down, or even up on your elevated knees. Babies roll in their own time, and usually when you least expect it, so never leave them unattended any where they can roll off like a change table, bed or couch!


  • We put a blanket down and rolled her from one end to the other end so she got a sence of getting somewhere.


  • They will learn how to roll over by themselves. Just give it time.


  • my kids taught them self


  • my little one figured it out on her own


  • I’m sure little one figured it out all on their own.


  • Hope you got the advice you needed.


  • They will figure it out in the end


  • I wouldn’t worry. Once starting to roll he will figure out how to roll back very quick. Especially if he doesn’t like it


  • At about 3 months, when placed on his stomach, your baby will lift his head and shoulders high, using his arms for support. This mini-pushup helps him strengthen the muscles he’ll use to roll over. He’ll amaze you (and himself!) the first time he flips over. (While babies often flip from front to back first, doing it the other way is perfectly normal, too.)

    At 5 months your baby will probably be able to lift his head, push up on his arms, and arch his back to lift his chest off the ground. He may even rock on his stomach, kick his legs, and swim with his arms. All these exercises help him develop the muscles he needs to roll over in both directions – likely by the time he’s about 6 months old.

    While some babies adopt rolling as their primary mode of ground transportation for a while, others skip it altogether and move on to sitting, lunging, and crawling. As long as your child continues to gain new skills and shows interest in getting around and exploring his environment, don’t worry.

    What’s next

    Your baby developed his leg, neck, back, and arm muscles while learning to roll over. Now he’ll put those same muscles to work as he learns to sit independently and crawl. Most babies have mastered sitting up sometime between 6 and 8 months; crawling comes a little later.

    Your role

    You can encourage your baby’s new skill through play. If you notice him rolling over spontaneously, see if he’ll try again by wiggling a toy next to the side he customarily rolls to. Or lie down next to him on one side – just out of reach – and see if he’ll roll to get closer to you. Applaud his efforts and smile. Rolling over is fun, but it can also be alarming the first few times.

    Although your baby may not be able to roll over until about 5 months, it’s best to keep your hand on him during diaper changes from the very beginning. Never leave your baby, even when he’s a newborn, unattended on a bed or any other elevated surface. You’d hate for his first rolling-over experience to result in a serious injury.

    When to be concerned

    If your baby hasn’t figured out how to flip one way or the other by the time he’s about 6 months old, and hasn’t moved on to sit and try to scoot and crawl instead, bring it up the next time you talk to his doctor. Babies develop skills differently, some more quickly than others – and some babies never really take to rolling over. Keep in mind that premature babies may reach this and other milestones later than their peers.


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