Babies master the art of rolling over when they have learnt how to sit and have gained enough head control. This is the time when the baby starts to flip around from one position to the other. He will try to get on his tummy while lying on his back and vice versa and in doing so will begin moving around on the bed. You might have questions about when and how babies start rolling over and how you can help them in this regard. This article will tackle each of these questions and attempt to give detailed answers of all of them.

When Do Babies Roll Over?

Babies begin to roll over when they reach the age of three months. By this time, they become able to change their lying position from back to front with ease. As they grow and reach the age of six months, the muscles of their arm and neck become so strong that they are able to roll over on their right side as well as the left side without encountering any trouble.

Precautions to Take

Usually babies start rolling over without any notice. Therefore, it is important that you keep a close eye on them when changing their nappy or clothes while they are lying on a bed. The baby might suddenly want to roll over while you are looking away and might fall from the bed. Thus, it is better to change his clothes while laying him on the floor when he starts showing signs of learning how to roll over.

What Comes Next?

Rolling is among the most important developmental milestones of a baby which brings him closer to walking. The muscles that are strengthened during this exercise help the baby in doing other activities like crawling and sitting and eventually walking. It is highly possible that your child may not roll around and instead start crawling immediately so there is no need to worry if your baby skips the rolling stage.

When Should You Be Concerned?

If at the age of 6 months, your baby has not started to roll over from front to his back side then it is a matter of concern. If he is not even trying to scoot away or crawl instead of rolling over then it is high time that you should consult your physician. However, it is important to note that some babies develop more quickly while others take time for instance premature babies have been known to develop rolling and crawling skills at a much later stage in life.

How Do Babies Learn to Roll Over?

When do babies roll over? Knowing that is not enough. You have to know how your baby learns to roll so that you can provide help during the process.

The First Rollover—Month 3

A baby is most likely to begin signs of rolling over when he becomes three months old. At this stage, he will be able to push himself up on his shoulder when laid on his tummy. These pushups that he is doing are going to increase the strength of his rolling muscles and he will start rolling soon enough. The first time the child is going to roll over can either be from front to back or the other way around.

More Movements —Month 5

As the baby grows and reaches the age of 5 months, he becomes more agile and wants to try out other activities. His rolling pattern is going to improve at this stage and he is going to start rolling over in both directions with equal ease before he becomes 6 months old. Moreover, the baby is also likely to start kicking his legs, lifting his chest off the ground using his shoulder and arching his back and even lifting his head. All these exercises he performs are going to help in increasing his muscle strength.

Some babies prefer rolling to crawling while others skip rolling and start sitting and crawling first. Whatever you baby does first, it is important that he must try to move about on his own and as long as he is doing that you have nothing to worry about.

How Can You Help Babies Learn to Roll Over?

Watch a video for the most basic step of helping a baby to roll over, then read on for more helpful tricks:

The following are some tips that you can use to help your baby in learning how to roll over:

Tricks	Description
Encourage the baby to roll himself over	When setting the baby down try to roll him to one side and encourage him to reposition himself on his own. Try the same maneuver when picking the baby up.
Allow for enough space to move	Don’t leave your child in baby equipment for too long. Give him time to remain in the open and let him try out different activities.
Enough tummy time	Leave your baby on his tummy for at least a few hours in the day. This will help him in strengthening his neck and shoulder muscles which will be required for rolling.
Play on his back	Give the baby time to lie down on his back in the tucked position. This is important as it will give him the chance to flex his knee, hip and trunk muscles.
Paly on his side	Encourage the baby to play with a toy while lying on his side. If he is unable to stay in this position place an object behind his back to provide the necessary support.
Change his position constantly	Do not stick with one position for long. Keep changing the baby’s laying position from tummy to back to right and left every fifteen minutes.
Move his upper and lower body	Get the baby to twist both his upper as well as lower body. You can help him out by twisting his legs for him while singing a song.
More Tips	Keep your baby in carriers that allow him to be kept in a frog-like position instead of a straddling one.
	Carry the baby in the tucked-in position whenever you take him up for a walk. You can dance with the baby in your arms in this position as well.