One of the first developmental milestones that new parents look forward to is the day their baby learns to sit up. Most babies will learn to sit by themselves somewhere between 6 and 8 months, however, it can happen as early as 4 months or as late as 10 months with no cause for alarm. As soon as your baby can support and control her head and has mastered rolling from back to belly, she can start learning to sit. There is no way to insure that your little Buddha will develop at the same pace as other babies, but if you are becoming concerned, and want to help encourage her to learn to sit, here are a few things to try.
The muscles in your baby's back, sides, belly and thighs are essential support for a sitting baby. These muscles are easy to strengthen as well. To work all the muscles together, you could hold your baby in a sitting position on a medium sized exercise ball, and slowly roll the ball a couple inches forward, backward, then side to side. As the surface your baby is sitting on angles downward, your baby will automatically lean "uphill". The muscles are flexed, and the concept of self-correcting for balance is reinforced. Though you can also work each of your baby's core muscle groups separately, it is a good idea to strengthen them with balance-reinforcing activities.
2. Go through the motions.
Now the process of maintaining a sitting position is only half the puzzle your baby has to figure out. Getting there is the difficult part. One of the best and easiest ways for a baby to get into the sitting position is to first raise himself up on his hands and knees, then to walk his hands backward, while letting one leg collapse into a sitting position, then the second one. To teach the technique, you need to walk your baby through the process about 5 or 6 times in a row a couple of times a day. This will help create muscle memory which will give your baby a clear process to follow when they are ready to try it on their own. Start with your baby on his tummy, then help him prop himself up with his arms. Next, push your baby's legs under him one at a time, keeping one hand under his stomach to lend support in case he collapses. Then, take hold of both of your baby's arms, moving your hand from under the tummy to hold one, and physically walk them back toward your baby's knees. Be careful not to let your baby lunge forward during this process, try to keep the balance of weight over your baby's knees. Try to naturally guide your baby to collapse his legs into a sitting position by leaning to one side and then then the other while walking your baby's arms more slowly back toward his knees. Once he is in a sitting position, let him enjoy the position for a minute or two, then lay him back onto his stomach, and begin again.
3. Be the "Bumbo".
Although a Bumbo or Bumbo type seat is great for certain things, I highly discourage parents from leaving their baby's in them for very long. It is not because there is anything wrong with the Bumbo, it is because those seats do their jobs too well. Your baby is completely supported on all sides, and does not have to work at all to keep her balance. As a result, muscle development can be slowed, and balance-correcting skills can fall behind. I think the best sitting support system there is, is you. You can sit on the floor with your baby in a sitting position between your legs. Offer maximal safety in the form of blankets and pillows and minimal support, only correcting your baby's balance a moment before she topples over.
4. Toy with motivation.
As your baby's interest in toys develops you can capitalize on his burning desire to grasp his favorite toy. If you dangle it just outside of his reach, he will be highly motivated to figure out a way to get at it. For example, if your baby is able to get into the "crawl" position, on his hands and knees, try dangling his favorite toy an inch or so above his forehead. In order to see it better he will be motivated to back up. Then if he wants to grasp it he will have to figure out how to take the weight off of his hands while maintaining his height. This technique can be used at every stage of development, from rolling over to standing, and even walking. Try to be conscious of not frustrating your baby though. If he begins to fuss quite a bit it's a good idea to allow him to get the toy and play with it for a while before resuming the exercise.
5. Solo act.
After your baby has gotten the basics of balance down, whenever you have a few minutes when your baby is happy and content, prop her up with a few pillows, maybe a "Boppy" pillow and a few others, give her a toy. Then let her be on the floor by herself until she needs your help. The Independence promotes self-reliance and self discovery. Without your hand to catch her and sit her back up when she falls to the side she will have a more personal experience with the physics involved in keeping herself upright. I do not recommend that you remove yourself too far from your little wibble-wobbler, just move a few feet away so you can observe, but not intervene unless she gets herself in an uncomfortable position. If she falls to the side, if she is in a safe position, do not sit her back up for a few seconds. These moments just after slumping too far to the side are the ones where most of the learning happens.Over time your baby will eventually sit, even if you don't use any of these techniques. These are just ideas to help you encourage your baby's development to stay on schedule. I have seen quite a few babies learn to sit early, and most of them were babies that I worked with, and who I used these techniques with, but they don't always help. Every baby has their own natural schedule for development, and sometimes it is quite resistant to our attempts to speed it up. Some babies even learn to walk before they learn to sit up without help. If you have found these tips to be helpful please forward them to any new or expecting parents you might know. Happy parenting!
There is a NEW post from NAOMI up today (9/5/14)! Check it out HERE.
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Very Helpful Post...Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks. It worked. Baby getting into sitting position by himself within 2 days.
ReplyDeleteDo you have any tips to get baby to stand by himself? When I put him in standing position, he stands well and for long periods of time. How do I make him learn to do it himself? Same thing with walking.
Hi KrishV,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear the sitting tips worked well for you! Thank you for the feedback.
As for standing, I will write up a full post about this in the next few weeks, but I can give you a couple quick tips for now.
First, he'll need something steady to help pull himself up into a standing position. I recommend a small sturdy footstool. Next, when he is sitting next to the footstool, place an object of interest dangling just above it. Support him from the stomach as he reaches for the object, and guide his non-grasping hand onto the top of the stool. It may take a few tries, but giving the motivation and the support/guidance is the basic structure. I hope this is helpful!
Oh, and for walking, letting him cruise back and forth along the front of a long couch is the best way to develop the muscles and balance skills he will need. Also letting him hold onto your fingers as he walks around is great, because they are not too sturdy and he will still have to do balance corrections using his own core muscles. Again, having something that motivates him to want to explore is important.
DeleteThanks again. Let me try these tips.
ReplyDeleteMy baby is 6 months and simply hates it to lay on his tummy. He can roll over from tummy to back and that's it. Will this affect his ability to sit up?
ReplyDeleteMost likely this won't impact your little buddy's ability to sit up. Babies that hate tummy-time often learn to sit fairly quickly because it is easier for them to hold and play with toys while sitting than while laying on their backs. It may delay crawling a bit, but not always.
DeleteFor a baby that prefers to spend time on his back I recommend letting him have floor time on a blanket or rug with an interesting pattern. If you place his toys just outside of his reach it will encourage him to roll up onto his side to see and play with his toys. Mastering the ability to roll onto his side, and maintain that position on his own is a sign that he is very close to learning how to sit up.
Also, try to give your baby as much independent floor time as you can. This is very good for encouraging curiosity and independence.
I was in a car accident few years ago and I broke my back, it's really hard for me to get up when I'm on the floor. I want my six months old son to spend more time playing on the floor but then I don't know how we will get up, do you have an idea that can help me?
DeleteDL
I'm not sure exactly how limiting your situation is, but it is quite important that your little one have time on the floor to explore and practice his rolling, sitting, scooting and eventually, crawling skills. I recommend having a low stool or chair at the edge of a fenced in play area. Hopefully you can use the fence to kneel down and stand up if you need to, but mostly just sitting in a lower than normal spot should give you the ability to help out your baby, and still be able to get up and down with relative ease.
DeleteI also highly recommend baby-wearing for you. It will be extra important for you to have both hands free, so keep a sling, bjorn, moby, or other device on your body. Then when your little one is done with floor time, you can pop him in the baby-wearing-device and use your hands to help yourself up.
I do discourage you from letting him play on a raised surface too much. Beds, counters, and tables might seem like a good option for tummy-time, but if your baby were to tumble from such a hight, there is a really bad risk of injury. And the more often you use these surfaces, the more relaxed you will most likely become about your baby's safety.
my daughter is almost 7 months and although she can sit up while in between my legs and i help to support her slightly she never stays up for more than a few seconds before arching herself backwards..especially when she leans to get the toy she wants and grabs it she just shoots backwards against me and wants to lay back down.
ReplyDeletei should mention that she does go to PT 2x a week for torticollis and is currently being treated also for plagiocephaly. she sits well with the therapist when shes there, and i am also aware the tort can delay some of her motor skills. but i guess my question is....should i be concerned about the back arching and her only wanting to lean against me for support if its more than a few seconds. the pediatrician at her 6 month checkup was concerned about her lack of even attempting to sit on her own and the fact shes still so happy just being on her back/belly.
For a baby with no known reason for developmental delays the lack of a desire to sit by the age of 8 months would be concerning. However, your little sweet pea has some challenges that it sounds like you are already on top of. Babies are supreme at adapting to what they are presented with. If it is difficult for your daughter to sit, she will find a way to try and get around it while still entertaining herself. However, natural curiosity is usually enough to begin motivating babies to explore a bit more, and to push their boundaries.
DeleteI think the best thing you can do to help your baby learn to sit is to help strengthen the muscles she needs to do it. Try to help her build core strength so that she will be able to pull her torso forward to correct her balance when she begins to express a desire to do so. If the core strengthening exercises listed above are not working, you can also try holding your baby with one arm across her chest facing away from you, letting her legs dangle. Then tickle her tummy, and sides intermittently for about 5-10 minutes. This should stimulate her to lift her legs forward, producing an abdominal "crunch". Let her rest if she becomes distressed, but repeat and re-try it several times throughout the day each day. Within a week of doing this every day, you should see a marked improvement in her efforts to correct her balance while sitting.
My 7 month old son is around 13kg.He is a great roller .he rolls along he room to reach for he things.but he didn't sits up on his own. But if I keep him in sitting position he will sit for long time with out any support and plays ,move forward and come back to normal position own his own .but I'm little worried that he can't situp by himself....do I need to worry.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is any reason to worry. Your little rolly-poly boy sounds like he is on the verge of learning this new skill. I would try a few of the suggestions in this post, especially #2. However, don't let it stress you out. He is able to sit, and shows a healthy curiosity, so it is only a matter of time before he connects the dots and begins sitting on his own.
Deletehi there my 8 months old baby girl doesn't like to sit I put her on jumper she love it jumping all the time I tried to make her sit with pillows and stuff but after a while she just lay down by herself wha should I do to make her sit m trying everyday can u plz help me with it
DeleteMy son just turned 6 months. He spends a lot of time on the floor he can roll pretty well. The problem is when I sit him up on my lap or on the floor he will throw his upper body back trying to stand up. He loves to stand up when I'm holding him, but he won't sit for more than a few seconds. If I sit him on the floor by himself he only leans forward until his head almost touches the ground and than cry for help. Does this sound normal?
ReplyDeleteAt six months, this is certainly a normal place for a baby to be developmentally.
DeleteIt sounds like he has plenty of strength, but is lacking in coordination. Holding him on your lap in a pool or a tub may help by giving him more of a weightless sensation. Movement takes a bit more effort in water (which is good for strength), and also movement is more visible and controllable, which helps with coordination.
Also, motivation is key in developing coordination. If you can sit with him on an activity mat (like the ones they use to encourage tummy time), and play with some part of it (crinkly, squeaky, mirrored) between his knees he should begin to try to sit up with control, so that he can see what you are doing.
I hope that helps.
:^)
Hi Naomi,
ReplyDeleteMy little boy is 8 months old today and still can't sit unsupported. He is a great roller and will get himself into all sorts of places with that but if I sit him up he will stay for a few seconds until he leans to the side and then topples over. He doesn't seem to have much core strength as he will also slump forward while sitting and never sits with a straight back. He tries to wiggle his way on the floor and i sometimes think he's closer to crawling then sitting. Just getting a bit concerned, and at what point do I bring it up with the GP? Thanks :)
You have another couple months before this becomes a serious concern, but it is about time now for stability to start kicking in. Some things to try that might be helpful are:
Delete1. Baby sit-ups
I describe these in my post on keeping your baby fit, but in that post I am specifically talking to parents of infants. So for an 8 month old, try holding a favorite item (binky, treat, toy) in your mouth, while he is on his back on the floor. Hold his knees straight, and firmly against the floor. When he reaches up for the item, keep it just out of his reach for a moment or two while his stomach tenses. Then dodge his hands and nuzzle his belly button with your nose (this will give him a moment to relax his tummy and it is fun).
2. Baby back-lifts,
These are simple, and easy, and there is no actual lifting involved. They are more like "crunches". While your baby is laying on his tummy (maybe playing with a toy or something), run your fingernails lightly up his back, from the diaper line to the neck. As you do this (and it is meant to be ticking), your baby's back will tense for a moment. Repeat a few times, maybe make it into a game (I sing the "Eensy Weensy Spider" sometimes while I do it).
These two exercises are great for building core strength.
One more thing to try is to show him while he is sitting, that if he braces himself with his hands he can hold himself up. To show him, just take his hands and old them on the floor on either side of him, and slightly forward. As he pushes and pulls to free them, he will see how it affects his balance. Believe it or not, sometimes that really does make all the difference with sitting.
hi. my boy is 8 months and still ddoes not put any weight on his knees when on his tummy. he can sit for short periods of time unassissted when I sit him up. he can roll onto his tummy and uses his arms to hold the top part of his body up but just sorts of throws his legs out yo the sides as if doing a frog leap, lol. how can I encourage him dot use his knees and legs more?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like your little sugar plum is doing quite well! He sounds like he has an interest in things around him, and has been really working on those push-ups. Although I am sure he will develop just fine on his own time, here a a couple tips to help things along if you feel worried.
Delete1. Socks off, pants rolled up.
Keep his knees and toes bare, and give him more yummy time on slippery surfaces (like hardwood). The feel of the floor on bare toes triggers the instinct to push with both toes and knees. As long as your little one isn't cold, it is a good idea to do this a few ties a day. 2. Motivate, motivate, motivate.
Find anything that your baby is fascinated with and use it to motivate his desire to explore. Whether you jingle your car keys just outside of his reach, or offer him a mostly-empty water bottle to shake, as long as it is fascinating to him it will help him focus on figuring out how to get moving.
And here is one more little tidbit, that I filmed in preparation for my next post (which will be on teaching your baby to crawl) I hope you find it helpful! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlMJVFrY9dE&feature=plcp
Hello Naomi Tripi, i have a baby girl she is 7 months in some days, she can't sit, she can turn left and right but when she lay on the belly she start crying bcs she cant turn right.I was in doctor with her,and they checked her,they said some things i could not believe.That the baby will never learn walking bcs the mind of her is like a 2 months old baby.Anyway.can you tell me what you think about that.? i would like to give you also my Email. i would really love it when you write me , i m so so worry for my baby , pls help me ( email ) - sara.19@windowslive.com
ReplyDeleteThank you very much
Oh, my heart breaks for the fear and frustration you and your little angel must be going through! I'm a big believer in not letting medical professionals decide what your baby will, or will not, be able to do. We all have much more potential than we get credit for.
ReplyDeleteI am not a specialist in this kind of challenge, but my personal recommendation would be to continue strengthening your baby's core muscles, and to do some gentle stretches with her each day. Massage her from the shoulders down to her toes several times every day, and keep trying to give her as much tummy time as she will tolerate.
I hope this helps, I will email you privately as well, but I wanted to post your comment publicly so in case any other mothers who might have had this challenge saw it, they might be able to lend you better advice than I can.
My heart goes out to you, keep loving and believing in your little one.
-Naomi
I too have a child with developmental delays and we are constantly working with therapist. ANd have seen slow progress, I under it is a struggle and disappointing at times. Our little one is showing some improvements. Contact me if you need to share ideas...
Deletehlopez2710@yahoo.com
hi. i have twins boys. there about to be 7 months in a week. they dont put any pressure on there legs when i try to stand them up & they dont roll from back to tummy. what can i do to strenghthen there little bodies? they do tummy time everyday & i put them in there walker but nothings really working.
ReplyDeleteI would bring your concern to the attention of your doctor, and ask for a recommendation for physical therapy if your concerns persist.
DeleteThough the reflex to push against a surface with their legs does sometimes go away after about the age of 4-5 months, if they are still not rolling over or showing signs of a desire to learn to walk by 10-12 months there could be something wrong.
If your boys like kicking their legs in water, then increasing the frequency of baths may help. Shoes with bells, or crinkly toys near their feet might stimulate kicking, and that is the best way to strengthen those little legs right now.
As always, trust your instinct, and if you feel that something is wrong, bring it up with your pediatrician and keep at it until you get some help.
I have a very curious give month old little boy. He hates tummy time, but he can also roll from back to both sides, and occasionally when he's angry enough from his tummy to his back. He does try to correct himself when sitting a little bit. He also tries to sit up by sheer force like he's trying to do sit ups. When he's in his boppy he trends to lean forward alot though. And when I just sit with him supported in my lap, he either lunges backwards or stands. Should I be doing anything to help him along? I'm a first time mom and I'm just not sure I'm doing it right.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a perfectly healthy curious little fella on your hands. The only thing I would suggest is to make sure to have ample padding in front of him for when he leans too far forward, and behind him so he doesn't hurt his head when he lunges backwards. It sounds like you're doing a great job with him.
DeleteMy son is almost 10 months old and he can do everything perfectly as long as we position him. He can sit and play, but we have to sit him up. He can pull up on furniture to stand or grab our hands and stand up, but as long as we set him in front of the furniture the right way. He crawls but only on his belly. We can prop him up on his hands and knees up he goes right back down and takes off. He can't sit himself up when he is on his belly he just rolls to his side and props himself up on his arm. Should we be worried yet? I have several friends with babies the same age that have been doing these things since they were 7-8 months
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like your little man is doing great! Everything you describe sounds normal and healthy to me. If you are really feeling worried just walk him through the motions of the transitions you're hoping he will make (sitting to standing, laying to sitting, etc.) a couple times a day. You'll be shocked how quickly he will catch on and begin making the transitions himself.
DeleteBabies this age often stay in the scooting stage for a while, because they are so much more focused on where they are going than how they are getting there. I've found that deep plush carpeting, and thick, clean grass are two surfaces that babies don't like to scoot on, and they become more interested in crawling when they are put down on these type of surfaces a few times a day.
Hi Naomi,
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 8 months old and was born pre- mature with birth weight as 1.7 kg. Currently her weight is 6 kg. She rolls well and can sit for longer period. She always wants to stand up and walk while grasping my fingers and feels very happy once she stands. Also, she would sit up directly while laying on her back and grasping my fingers. But she can' t sit up on her own and in fact never comes in crawling position. Please suggest how to make her learn this missing milestone.
Oddly enough, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of children who are skipping the crawling phase in the last decade. So far, there seems to be no ill effects of this different way of developing independent movement, so there is no reason to worry.
DeleteThat being said, I know all parents love to see their babies learn to crawl, and explore, so there are a few things you can do.
1. Spend a lot of time crawling around and playing with your babies toys near them through the day. Having interesting and engaging things happening at their eye level really inspires babies to explore on their own level, rather than constantly looking up to see what the adults are up to.
2. Hold your baby an inch or two above the floor and walk around the room like this a few times a day. It is a pleasurable way for your baby to see the potential for exploration with your assistance.
3. Constantly remove a toy from your baby's grasp and place it a few inches away from where they can reach. This might seem a little mean (and by all means if your baby becomes too upset, help her move to the toy),but it is a great way to motivate your baby to figure out how to move herself around on her own.
I hope these ideas are helpful. They are things I routinely do with babies at this stage to help them learn to crawl.
hi, I have a 10 month old boy, and he has been sitting since 5 months, but he doesnt like tummy time and doesnt want to crawl. If i lay in on tummy, he doesnt lift hands or legs into crawling position. he also doesnt sit up on his own if laying on his back. should i be worried!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, I wouldn't worry too much, but it is something to pay attention to. I would bring it up with your little fella's doctor, just to get some reassurance.
DeleteIn the meantime, you might want to try tummy time with some support. A few folded cloth diapers, or burp cloths under his chest and hips might give him the idea to try and support himself above the floor a little.
Remember, he might skip crawling all together, and though it is a little sad to see your baby skip this step, studies have not shown any lasting ill effects from it.
Hi, my son is 5 months old.Ive made a point of tummy time since he was born and he is ok with it he can do baby push ups - sometimes looks like a see saw with his head and feet going up and down. He can can lift his neck and legs so his tummy is supporting him, head is stable too rolls from tummy to back but not back to tummy and when he is on his back he rolls to the side. when i put him on his back he trys to pull himself up, it seems he has the strength to start sitting on his own- with those skills how soon should i expect he can sit up?
ReplyDeletehi maybe u can help abit! my baby girl is going to be 8 months on the 16th of july & shes hit most of her milestones no teeth rolls both way grabs stuff sticks everything in her mouth she smiles laughs at her 6 mth check up the doc wasnt worried at all no concerns...she passes objects from one hand to another also...at the 6 mth she could not sit tripod...when the doc tried she screamed. Now she can manage (depending on her mood....teething has turned her into a lil miss fussy pants lol) for a few seconds before tumbling to the side...if i act as bumbo for her shell be ok but she tends to get lazy & pushes or slides herself down! lol is she lazy or should i be worried? doc said at 9 mths they sit alone but i see so many babies sitting earlier! she was born late...shes a good 20 lbs she was a big baby. i will def try your tips tho! any advice is appreciated. thank you :)
ReplyDeletehi, my daughter is 6 months and although she can roll over on to her tummy and back again she just starts crying and doesnt even try to roll onto her back, i have tried leaving her to see if she will just do it but she just screams her head off and she can sit up with a little support but if i try on her own she flops forward, completely bends in half she seems to hate being in any position for longer than 2 minutes. i cant get anything done, even going to the loo can be a challenge as she will scream and want me back or want into a different position. im not concerned about her inability to sit up but i am a little concerned about how much she leans over when we try it xx
ReplyDeleteMy baby is 8 months old. She is not sitting by her own. She can sit unassisted for some time. she rolls all over the house and if she want to grab a toy. If she raises her hand, she does not raise her knees and reversal. I am worried.
ReplyDeleteHello, i'm also worried about my son. He is 6 months but still can't roll well. He only rolls on the right side then can't roll back from his belly. And once he is on his belly, he always push himself with his right leg. So What is this sign? Is my baby too late to roll, sit, crawl, others? And one more thing is my baby's neck is still not strong enough. He likes putting his head down on my shoulder whenever i hold him. Can you please give me some advices? Thank you
ReplyDeleteHi, I have 1 year old girl, who is developing with a bit of delay. Her born weight was 2kg.
ReplyDeleteI have to sit her up, she can't do it herself. She usually spent her time in a sitting position and plays with her toys. She can reach her toys well. When I put the toy too far sometimes she will try to get it and collapse to her tummy and start to cry.
She doesn't crawl and she hates her tummy time. Every time when I put her on her tummy she will roll back right away to her back.
She doesn't pull herself up near furniture.
She can stand for a bit near sofa if I put some toys in from of her.
I saw my GP and he said not to worry that all babies develop at different faze. But I'm worried. Any advice, please.
Hi my son is 10 month old nw. He had lots of complications at birth an during his 8 month he had seizures. Coz of thus he has a lot of developmental issues. Our doc has recommended to go for physio. Nw he can sit without support. But he is not pushing himself up to sitting position . If I gv a slight support to his legs he gets up n sits down. I don't knw how to proceed further for my baby to reach his milestones.
ReplyDeleteHey Naomi my son is 5 1/2 months old & doesn't roll, he has severe acid reflux so when placed on his tummy he throws up :(
ReplyDeleteWhen I put him on his back & place toys just out of his reach he arches his back but doesn't use his legs or arms to roll over? Is this his way of starting out to roll lol
I have a 10 month old boy who was born was gastroschisis and he doesn't sit up at all i help him and all he wants to do is throw a fit . Im worried that his stomach is the reason why he wont sit up . Do you have any tips for me ?
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI just found your post that I found amazing, I definitely gonna come on `this blog more often for tips.
My 9 months old baby girl can sit by herself since she is 5 months, but I think we made a mistake by actually sitting her up - which she loved and learnt within 2 days! The issue is that now she can't sit up by herself and doesn't even try, so if she falls she will get upset until i help her to sit up. Do you have any tips on how I could help her to learn how to sit up from when she is lying down on her back. I just tried the first solution and I think she'll get it quite quickly, the 2 times we did it she did half of the job. But from back to sitting, it looks like she has not interest in trying it. She is not late in learning though, she trying to stand and all, but I think she relies on us too much for some things and would like to teach her to do those things by herself...
Hey hi. I have a 10 months old baby. He turned over at 4 months and loves rolling to anywhere he wants. I made a mistake of not propping him to sit and hence till 8 1/2 months he never sat except while having food. Then i started putting him to sit. He sits steadily till there is something entertaining but when he is bored he just flops backwards. When i try to make him stand he is able to put weight on his legs(this he could from 6 months) and if i help him he is able to take few steps forward. But he is not sitting on his own. How worried should i be? Otherwise he is a very active kid.I am not worried about crawling. Apparently i didnt do it myself and i turned out alright!!
ReplyDeleteHI, my baby is 9 months and 3 weeks now, and premature at 32 weeks. until now, he still cant sit up without support. he can lying on with his tummy and head up quite high, but he dont know to sit without support. even sit with support also he would prefer to push his body to back. he prefer to stand while we carrying him. he is very naughty as he dont like to sit with support. he only knows to roll from left to right and never see him turn the other way. he knows to roll and turnaround with 360 degree direction. and lying with his tummy and dont know to crawl forward but only know to turn to 360 degree as well with his tummy. i am quite worry, as he is already around 10 months (adjusted age around 8 months).
ReplyDeleteMy baby is 6 months old, she can roll tummy to back, but not back to tummy and is always rolling onto her sides. But when we sit her up, she instantly falls forward. We use the boppy to support her sometimes, and she can sit up for 3-7 minutes in it by herself. But she cannot sit unsupported at all yet, do you think this is normal? I've been working with her extra hard lately, and I'm scared she is going to need physical therapy or have a disorder of some sort.
ReplyDeleteMy baby is 8 and a half months old. He began rolling from back to belly a month or so ago but has just now really mastered that skill. He's still not able to sustain the sitting position independently for more than a few seconds at a time. Once he made it about 30 seconds. His pediatrician is recommending Early Intervention services and I'm kind of freaking out with worry. What are your thoughts?
ReplyDeleteMy daughter turned 7 months yesterday. She hates tummy time and when we put her on her stomach she instantly rolls to her back or her side. She also cant sit on her own yet but trys to crunch herself to sitting position. She really doesnt seem to amused by toys but more her hands,feet, or what her older sister or my husband and i are doing. Jer sister by 7 months was already crawling. Should we be worried?
ReplyDeleteHey I'm a first time mom to a 6 month old boy he absolutely hates tummy time he has master rolling from back to tummy and vice versa and he even pulls his knees up to tuck them under his tummy when he gets mad and he can get around by rolling but when I sit him in my lap he throws himself backwards And wants to stAnd and is very unstable when he is sitting up with my support. He is very active and independent so I guess what I'm trying to ask is how do I get him to sit up without throwing himself around? I have been working on his core by laying him on his back nd grasp his hands and making him pull his self up which he loveS but I don't know what else to do he doesn't have a favorite anything he is more of a tv person which I limit.
ReplyDeleteHi Naomi, My son is 11months and can not sit up unaided. he keeps falling forward. Recently, each time he falls forward he sits up again. But he is unable to keep himself upright for long.
ReplyDeleteHi naomi,
ReplyDeleteMy son is 7 months 1 week. He cannot sit up on his own yet. He was ine month mature and has a pretty bad reflux problem. We have struggled with his feedings and he is not gaining weight and hates eating. We got him assessed bu early cildhood intervention and they said his motor skills are at age 4 months(but other skills he is on target). It saddens me that hr is behind. All the other kids around his age can sit up and is further along. We willbhave an OT come to his daycare to work with him. Do you have any suggestions? Would you do anything else or different if it were your child? Would you be worried?
Hello!
ReplyDeleteMy 3 1/2 month old is at a point now where he cannot stand to be laying down. We make sure we have tummy and back time every day, but he gets so antsy it doesn't last more than 5-10 mins at a time. He has rolled from back to belly since he was four weeks, and has great head and neck control. When sitting he even pushes himself to his feet if I support his arms. I attribute most of this strength to the fact that never sits still. He's been kicking his legs like he has had somewhere to go since birth, he even broke out of his restraints twice while being circumcised. He was also a very high cryer, in fact he spent the first three months crying. It was awful, but I do believe it's played a huge role in the development of his core strength.
In the past couple of weeks, while on his back, he's begun throwing his arms and legs towards me, hoisting himself up in a crunch motion while laying on his back. Several times a day I'll hold his arms and let him pull himself up into a sitting position then lay him back down.
I'd really like to encourage him to roll from back to belly to better prepare him for independent siting and crawling. Though I believe he has the strength and motivation to roll and be mobile, I think he's still lacking the necessary coordination. What are some ways I can focus his energy and strength to encourage rolling over versus just demanding that I sit him upright?
Excellent advice! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteSir,
ReplyDeleteMy baby boy is over 9 month old, till date he can not sit.When we let him sit, he can sit with support. Without support, he topples backside. should we contact a padeatric ortho
I know this thread is a bit old, but here are a couple of tips to try if your baby hates tummy time. You can lie on your back and put baby on your chest on his tummy. And you can sit up on the bed and put him on his tummy over your knees. In both these positions he will be able to work on strengthening those muscles without having to be in the traditional tummy time position. The other thing to try is changing the surface your baby lies on - putting down a different mat or rug and seeing if that makes a difference. These all helped for us.
ReplyDeleteHi... My one yr old does not sit by himself yet... He sits without support nd plays if i make him sit.. Can stand holding to furniture if i make him stand... Walks from one end to other holding furniture... My ped says he must have sat by himself by now. He suggested to visit a neurologist... Am worried that he s not sitting up yet.. Would something b wrong wit my baby?? Pls help...
ReplyDeleteI have read this article and the comments, and there are some great tips for me and my 6 month girl to try. She can sit unaided for a couple of minutes, she rolls from front to back and back to front, although if she is frustrated she just cries until I help her. She had amazing neck and head control from day one, and good strength in her legs. But her arms.. She can push herself up a little when on her stomach, but no where near enough to do the steps you said to walk her through sitting herself up, and she won't let me put her legs under her she likes them out like a frog still. Will keep trying though, thanks for a wonderful post
ReplyDeleteMy baby is nearly 11 months old and doesn't sit unaided. We put him in sitting position but he won't take him hands off the floor and eventually leans forward. He also doesn't crawl nor get up to sitting position. He either lays on his back or rolls over and over to get where he wants to get to but that's it. Would really like some help on this, think we've tried everything.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like your little one is going to be just fine. Some babies take a little longer to reach a certain milestone than others, and it is simply their own style, not a deeper problem.
DeleteMy main advice would be to just continue to sit him up with his hands supporting him. perhaps dangle toys above his head while he is in that sitting position to encourage him to look up and try to find his balance while doing so.
But the most important thing is to praise him for the things he is doing. Like rolling to get his toys, what a clever way to get around!
Hi Tripi
ReplyDeleteIt is a nice article. my baby is 7 months old and still not sitting unaided. he is on his tummy all the time whenever awake. he gets up from the tummy position to his hands and knees and trying to crawl. he crawls slowly four steps forward and then he lies down on his tummy. when i make him sit between my leg he leans forward. i am worried a lot. when will he sit and crawl.
please advice. thank you
Hi, my daughter is 8 months and doesn't sit on her own. She can sit for a couple minutes bug then toppled on her side. She shows no interest in crawling, her doctor recommended to see a neurologist. She will play grab toys, happy. eats okay but hasn't gained weight. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do extra to help? Thank you for your time!
ReplyDelete