What is a Baby Roll Over? How important is it?

Rolling over is a very important stage of a baby’s life. Rolling over happens when babies develop enough strength to kick themselves over. Generally, a baby rolls over first from his tummy over to the back since it is easier on the body. This happens as early as 4 months though premature babies might take a bit longer than that. 30 to 60 days from that time onwards the baby would have developed enough strength to roll over from its back to the front on their tummy.

This rolling over allows the baby an all new dimension of movement which they find to be the incentive for getting up in the later months. If you baby is not rolling over, consult a doctor to ensure that the motor functions are normal and to see if the baby is healthy enough.

You can also urge the baby to roll over by moving around when they are following you with their gaze. A toy that is always within reach can also be kept at a touching distance yet in a way to make sure they try rolling over. Take it slow and do not push too much in one day. The most important thing is babies should try to do a mini-pushup of sorts when placed on their belly. This strengthens the required muscles for the rollover.

One important precaution every parent should take once a baby starts rolling over is to never leave them unattended on elevated surfaces. After your baby learns to roll over, he/she gets more control over the head with the neck muscles becoming stronger and slowly develops the ability to sit on their own without support.