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At what age do babies start rolling over? Are there any signs that it’s coming, or will they just do it one day? Will this affect how we put her to sleep?
—Anxiously Awaiting
The most precocious babies roll around 6 weeks, but most babies don’t begin to roll until after 2 months. Around 50% of babies have rolled “somewhat” by 3 months and 75% by 4 months, getting to around 90% by 6 months of age. Most babies will roll from belly to back first, followed by rolling from back to belly. Since babies often start rolling unexpectedly, it’s essential, for their safety, not to leave them on a bed, changing table, or sofa, where they might roll off onto a hard surface. Because of the wide range of variation, most pediatricians advise this precaution from the day the baby is brought home from the hospital.
Most often, babies roll from their tummy to their back first. Tummy time on a flat surface provides the opportunity for infants to strengthen their neck and back and prepare for movement. The first sign of the rolling milestone nearing is when babies begin to lift their heads fully off the ground. This is a developmental milestone of its own — a true feat of strength since a baby’s head is disproportionately large at this age, weighing around 25% of the baby’s bodyweight. Once they can get the head lifted up, many babies will pull their heads or topple them to the side to initiate the roll. Essentially, lifting the head off the ground provides the momentum. Rolling from back to belly is harder and requires more core strength and typically follows after mastering rolling belly to back. Often, you can see this coming when they roll their body first and pull their head.
Rolling is a milestone where sooner is not always advantageous; some babies with increased tone who have tight or stiff muscles may be more likely to roll early by arching the back excessively, rather than lifting their head. Babies who roll earlier than expected or out of sequence — especially babies who had traumatic or complicated births or prematurity — should be closely evaluated by their pediatrician or early intervention to see if there are signs of hypertonia.
When we started encouraging babies to sleep on their backs for safety in the mid-’90s, some noticed changes in patterns for early motor development. Babies who sleep prone or on their stomach tended to learn to roll over — from belly to back — slightly earlier, although they rolled from back to belly around the same time, about a month later. We know lying on the back to sleep is important for infant safety and does not delay gaining motor skills.
Once a baby can roll over, you still should put them to sleep on their back; you’ll just need to stop swaddling in the traditional sense and make sure their arms are not restricted. If the baby can roll themselves over, they can be left on their tummy, provided they are in a safe sleep environment without loose pillows or blankets. Weighted sleep sacks are a bit controversial because they may be excessively heavy or hot for infants and haven’t been proven to be safe, but regardless, they too should not be used after babies begin rolling.
Often, rolling and scooting are pre-crawling behaviors, and we can see babies wiggle their way to the edge of the crib and off the playmat before they begin crawling.
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