Has your baby stopped rolling over out of the blue? If so, I’m sure you’re very worried and even considering taking your baby to the pediatrician. I completely understand how you feel.
It can be pretty hard for parents when their little one regresses on such an important developmental milestone.
Especially if you’re new at the incredibly challenging job of parenthood.
Rolling over is a key part of the development of every baby.
It’s a step babies have to make before they start crawling and stand up on their little feet to take their first steps.
However, if your little one has already mastered this new skill and then suddenly stops doing it, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong and you need to worry about your baby not developing properly.
Should You Be Worried If Your Baby Stopped Rolling Over?
I used to work at a daycare and I’ve seen many cases of a baby not rolling over at 6 months or a baby stopping rolling over all of a sudden.
It was pretty shocking for some first-time parents, while others were pretty relaxed about it.
They would say it’s because their little one is a bit lazy.
Fortunately, in most of those cases, the babies would manage to learn to roll over again.
Honestly, I never believed “the baby is just lazy” theory.
There is always a reason why a baby stops or starts doing something.
However, we have to be aware that babies learn new skills every day and it’s absolutely normal if they sometimes fail to reach one of their milestones at the expected time.
If this issue is bothering you and it’s taking too long for your baby to learn to actively roll over again, it’s a good idea to consult a health care provider.
If you notice that your baby hasn’t developed some other important motor skills, or that they’ve stopped eating or babbling, you should start worrying about their developmental progress.
I want to share my own experience with you. My baby got the knack of rolling over from her belly to her back by 6 months of age.
She was a very active baby and had problems with sleeping, so we had to go through sleep training.
However, she regressed after the training.
I found it very difficult because I was dealing with so much pressure from other people around me.
They would all say that a 7-month-old baby should be able to roll over by now.
It didn’t help that my best friend had a 12 week-old baby who had already mastered this developmental milestone.
I was freaking out until I consulted with our pediatrician and she managed to allay my fears.
She said that my little girl was developing just fine and that it was probably just a developmental delay she’ll soon overcome.
She gave me a few tips to encourage and help the baby to master this developmental skill.
Her tips really helped my baby learn to roll over, and now my little princess is a perfectly happy and healthy girl.
This is why I want to share my experience with you and give you some tips that I hope will also help you.
When Should A Baby Start Rolling Over?
The key thing to keep in mind is this: we’re all different human beings with different abilities, and the same can be said for babies.
All babies develop differently, and unfortunately, no one can give you the exact answer to this question.
However, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that almost every baby rolls over at least once by 7 months of age.
Once again, this is only general information, it’s not a concrete fact.
During the first year of their life, your baby will surely learn to roll over and become a real pro at both this and crawling.
Don’t worry too much about it, because your baby will show you some signs when she is ready to reach this milestone.
Around 4 to 6 months of age, the neck and arm muscles of your baby will be strong enough to allow her to roll over from her tummy to her back. This is when she’ll start ‘exercising’ to roll over.
You’ll see how sweet your baby will be, particularly if you put them on their tummy and they try to roll over.
It’ll seem like she’s doing push-ups and it will be the most adorable sight you’ve ever seen.
The point of this article definitely isn’t to make you worried about your baby’s delayed developmental milestones.
It’s actually the opposite, its aim is to calm you down, which is why I want to tell you you shouldn’t obsess over this issue and because your baby will definitely roll over when she’s ready.
RELATED: When Do Babies Start Rolling Over And How You Can Help
Baby Stopped Rolling Over? 8 Things To Encourage Your Little One To Try It Again
Has your baby stopped rolling over all of a sudden?
Maybe she hasn’t started to roll over yet and it’s worrying you?
Here are a few tips that will help you encourage your little one to learn and master this new skill.
1. Your baby needs more tummy time
You, your husband, your other children, and your baby should all try moving to the floor.
The reason your baby isn’t rolling over anymore is probably because she needs more tummy time.
So, you shouldn’t hesitate to add more tummy time into your daily schedule.
This is how you’ll be able to tell if your baby is ready to start rolling over again.
2. Try to avoid baby equipment
If your baby spends too much time in a car seat, swings or bouncers, and other baby equipment like this, it could be why she stopped rolling over.
She just doesn’t have enough space to roll from her front to her back if she spends too much time trapped in baby gear.
This could be a reason your baby isn’t rolling over even after you put her on the floor, as she hasn’t rolled over for some time and now she’s afraid to try it again.
3. Side lying position
Your baby will need extra help on top of the encouragement you’re already giving her.
The best position for getting your baby to roll over again is lying on her side.
Put her on her tummy or the left or right side, it doesn’t really matter.
If you can see that she’s trying really hard, but still can’t manage to do it, you should help her by gently pushing her.
After you do this, pull back immediately.
Your baby needs to think that she has done it all by herself. You’ll see how it’ll motivate her to master this skill.
You’re allowed to give your baby a boost, especially if you see that she’s trying really hard.
Lying next to your baby and calling her to come to you is also a great way to encourage her to roll over.
4. Place a few toys in front of your baby
Turn tummy time into playtime.
Surround your baby with her toys and you’ll see how it motivates her to roll over.
So, choose a good, non-toxic play mat and place it on the floor before putting your baby on her tummy.
It’s great if the entire family participates because the more fun a baby has, the more she’ll be motivated to move around and explore.
You can also put a few colorful storybooks just out of your baby’s reach for her to grab, and she’ll need to roll over in order to get them.
Or, you can take a toy and lie next to her, then ask your baby to come and take the toy from you.
6. Stop swaddling your baby
Unfortunately, most parents aren’t even aware of the negative effects that swaddling may have on their precious little one.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it’s not a good idea to recreate the womb environment by swaddling your baby, but it should always be done as safely as possible.
The first time you notice that your baby has started to roll over, you need to begin transitioning out of the swaddle.
If your baby tries to roll over in the middle of the night and succeeds, she may not be able to roll onto her back again, which can result in a huge risk of suffocation.
To be more specific, improper swaddling can increase the chances of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to stop swaddling babies at around 2 months.
It could be that this is one of the reasons your baby stopped rolling over.
If you were swaddling her every night she would have simply been unable to move while she’s asleep, which would have delayed the development of this skill.
7. Praise your little one even after she fails to roll over
This doesn’t relate to these developmental milestones alone, you have to praise your child every time she discovers and learns something new. It’s the best encouragement and motivation for her.
If you see your little baby trying as hard to roll over as she can, but she constantly fails at it, the only thing you can do is applaud her and show her how proud you are already.
Maybe you think your baby is too young to understand this, but she’ll definitely understand your smile and your gentle touch every time she learns something new.
She’ll see how much it makes you happy and continue trying until she finally manages to do it.
Babies are a lot cleverer than you or I may think!
8. Dress your baby in a onesie only
When you rest your baby on your tummy, she should only ever be dressed in a onesie.
She will be more comfortable this way, and it’ll be a lot easier for her to move around in a more ‘natural’ state.
It’s an even better idea to put your baby on your tummy naked.
If you remove her diaper, the pressure will be removed from her hips and legs, which will better allow your baby to move.
Use this as a kind of experiment.
I left my babies in the nude every time I had the opportunity to do so and, trust me, every time they didn’t have their diapers on, they would learn a new skill.
You probably think it’s foolish and pretty unlikely but I’ve found this to be true in my own experience.
Wrapping Up
As I’m sure you’ve realized by now that if your baby stopped rolling over, it isn’t necessarily a sign that your baby isn’t developing properly.
Of course, it would be a good idea to visit your doctor just to be on the safe side, but don’t freak out just because of a little issue like this.
Maybe your baby is just getting ready to set out on new adventures.
Perhaps she has found something more interesting and just wants to learn another new skill, which made her neglect this particular developmental milestone.
Also, if your baby is larger she’ll probably have a harder time learning this developmental skill.
It’ll take a little bit more time for her to master this new skill, and she will probably also have the same developmental delay with crawling and walking.
I know this can be pretty hard for first-time parents, but it’s definitely not a reason to panic.
The good news is that there are plenty of methods you can use to try and help your baby to roll over from her belly to her back.
I hope your little explorer starts rolling over again soon.
In the meantime, follow my advice and encourage your little baby as much as you can.
Remember to always be as patient and understanding as possible.
References:
• American Academy of Pediatrics. (2020, August 17.) Swaddling: Is it Safe?. Healthy Children website
• Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. (2009, June 7.) Developmental Milestones: 7 Months. Healthy Children website.
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