AIBU to think it's fine that 5 and a half month old isn't rolling yet?

[Aberforthsgoat]

DS was born JUST early 36 and 5 days.
He hates tummy time due to reflux so we don't do it as often as I'd like.
He's not rolling yet either way - he's done it twice front to back I think by accident and not done it again or tried since.
My best friends baby is flipping about all over the place front to back and is a month younger. My other friend has a 5 month old who is the same
They both referred to DS as 'delayed' when we were chatting on WhatsApp the other day due to the lack of rolling

He can sit in a high chair quite happily and in a parent facing or world facing pram. He has excellent head control and if you hold his hands will pull himself up into a sitting then standing position. He can sit upright albeit a little flopped forward or to the side when wedged between my legs on the floor.

I've tried putting toys out of reach during tummy time but he doesn't seem interested in the toys enough or just gets frustrated.

AIBU for thinking he's fine developmentally and will get to rolling when he's ready, probably a bit later due to lack of tummy time?

[iamapixie]

yanbu at all.
Babies all develop at different rates. Try to ignore people being, frankly, really silly about "delay". They'll be the same ones wittering on about how their children were reading Dickens at 4 and had worked out relativity on their own by 5!
Reflux can have a - temporary - effect, both in itself, and also because it can be correlated with a slight lack of core muscle development. My dd (who also had reflux) didn't roll at all, didn't crawl at all, and didn't walk til 18 months. To avoid "those" parents' fake concern, I simply used to tell them all that there was no need for her to crawl/walk and get into everything because she was quite capable of talking in sentences to tell me exactly what she wanted and why (!) Just fight fire with fire! They are really rude.

[ChristmasCarcass]

DS was born at 36+0 as well, and was late with all motor milestones (never into rolling at all, didn’t sit in independently until about 9 months, didn’t crawl until he was over 1, didn’t walk without support until he was about 15 months. And then he went through a bitey phase at nursery. Oh, and didn’t do two-word phrases until he was about two.

He’s 3 and is ahead in everything now except fine motor. Loves riding his bike, and running about, fearless on the climbing frame, loves swimming, great at tumble tots (really good balance), huge vocabulary, lots of imaginary play, plays nicely with others at nursery etc etc. No issues at all. I could have saved myself a lot of worry.

[iano]

My 9 months old still hasn't rolled front to back. I suspect he never will now he's crawling.
Your friends were very rude. I think you should call them out on it. Or find better friends.

[looselegs]

My daughter only ever rolled once- scared herself silly, cried for ages and never did it again!

[KatieKat88]

Your baby is perfectly normal, mine is 7 months and rarely rolls because she clearly doesn't want to! Quite happy sitting up though. I can't believe your friends said delayed - I'd reassess how friendly they really are!

[Laaalaaaa]

Mine absolutely hated being on their front so tummy time was a disaster. Started rolling about 5 months. Now 8 months and never off their belly and would roll across the floor all day if they could. Baby has no interest in sitting - as soon as they’re in a sitting position they use it to roll over.

[Peasypasta67]

Baby with reflux here too. Tummy time would mean puddles of vomit and screaming so we rarely did it. She was sat unaided at 5 months. Crawling (backwards 🙈) at 7 months - forwards at speed at 8 months. Pulling herself to standing at 8 and a half months. Now gets everywhere and stands up using everything at just over 9 months and crusing on furniture confidently. Shes also been able to use a push along walker with confidence since 9 months. You're friends sound awful to be honest. Who would even use the word delayed when talking about a mate's child.

[CorianderLord]

All babies are different. My cousin never really crawled, went straight from rolling to walking one day 😂 your friends were very rude

[Aberforthsgoat]

Thank you everyone I feel a bit better about it today

[TalkinginCircles]

Im not sure if this has been mentioned already but tummy time doesn’t have to be on the floor. Tummy to tummy with you being carried in a sling counts, or lying on your chest. None of mine have had tummy time on the floor and they’ve done everything in their own time.

[SomeBunny]

Your friends sound charming. Your baby doesn’t sound delayed to me, I think there’s quite a lot of variability with rolling and it’s sounds like you’ve got good head control going on.

I really don’t understand competitive parenting. Babies all do things at their own pace and in a few years time you won’t be able to pick out of a group of children which one talked first or walked first or whether they rolled or crawled on schedule.

I read somewhere that you shouldn’t let milestones become millstones, and it’s probably my favourite thing I’ve ever read on the internet. If you’re ever unsure, ask your health visitor (mine can still be reached by phone) or GP whether there’s cause for concern.

[FlowerTink]

My baby (2nd DC) is prem and is now 5 months, it's only in the last week she's rolled one way and I think it was by accident! She also has reflux so I do tummy time and just mop up any sick as we go along! (Medication has helped with the pain for her) Putting a towel or a cushion below helps, or even laying them on their tummy on your chest then sitting leaning back so they lift their head to see your face is a gentler way of doing tummy time too.

My eldest was 5 weeks prem and didn't roll til about 8 or 9 months. My eldest did everything 'late' with being early and I worried all the time, we were even under doctors for her development as it was a concern for them. She is 5 now and in school now, not delayed and excelling and is very clever.

[Hagisonthehill]

Mine didn't roll.Would just eat the floor if put on her tummy,quite happy.
She was also a bottom shuffler and walked around 1 yr.
I just don't think she ever found a need to roll.

[HunterAngel]

DS was 36+5 when he was born, didn’t do anything much until nearly nine months then went from rolling to crawling in the space of about three weeks. Now nearly 18 months he walks with support and climbs anything he can get hold of. I wouldn’t worry too much just yet.

[sylbunny]

Mine never really rolled. She did it once when she was about 14 weeks and then decided she was never doing it again! She's 2 and she can obviously roll now though!

[bakingdiva]

My ds rolled twice from front to back at 4 months, didn’t do anything more until 6 months when he started rolling front to back but refused to go front to back again (irritating when he woke up screaming because he was on his tummy and didn’t like it). By 7 months he was rolling and at 8.5 months he is crawling all over the place, pulling himself up to standing and trying to walk.

My dd rolled early but didn’t pull herself up to standing until 12 months.

They’re both equally noisy though 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

[sallyedmondson]

Do you know that "tummy time" was invented as a response to not putting babies to sleep on their tummies ( SIDS prevention and very effective too) in the 1980"s.
Unless there is true motor delay, very rare, you baby will roll at some point. She will also talk feed herself etc at some point.
Development varies from baby to baby.
Do not be sucked in by the "mine did it earlier" brigade.

[ShouldWeChangeTheBulb]

Why are your friends calling your child ‘delayed’ that isn’t language I would use unless the parent had used it first and even then I don’t think I would. They are your friends not your HV. I’d make it known that it’s not appropriate for them to compare children especially when they are drawing conclusions about your child that are unwelcome.

[Mumoblue]

I've been wondering this myself. My son is just about to be 5 months.
Everyone talks about rolling front to back or back to front. He will roll onto his side from his back but that's it. These replies have given me a bit more hope.
It's so easy to freak out about this stuff.

[strawberry2017]

Wow some friends they are referring to your baby as delayed! I'd have told them where to go if they did that !
All babies do things at different times it's not a race. They are very rude and sound like competitive mums, there is nothing delayed about your baby,
They will continue this bad attitude, some mums are just like that unfortunately.
Ignore them. Your child will get to all milestones when they are ready. X

[Aberforthsgoat]

Thank you so much this is really reassuring
I've been feeling really guilty that I haven't been doing more to try and get him to roll and they left me thinking I'd hampered his development a bit!
He seems fine in all other aspects, putting things in his mouth trying to out his feet in his mouth (failing at the moment much to his fury!), Swapping toys from hand to hand and playing with them etc

[DoloresOnTheDottedLine]

Mine didn’t roll until nearly 9 months by which time she was already sitting well. She didn’t crawl until 11.5 months but was walking by 13. Nothing wrong with your little one at all - they all move at different paces and your friends are not very kind to call him “delayed” - he’s no such thing.

[Millicent10]

None of mine rolled before 6 months but as soon as they did they sat up and walked in quick succession (before 12 months). They are all on the lighter side and my he said that this pattern is typical in smaller children. Your child is not delayed, your ‘friends’ sound really pathetic.

[MonaChopsis]

DD didn't roll, ever, until she had physio at around 15 months old, and she could walk quite happily by then (though not crawl!!) so it's not as if she spent ages practicing after that. She's now 10, and looking at her racing round with her friends you'd never know who hit milestones early and who was 'delayed'. These things seem really important when they are wee, but honestly they don't matter at all.

[user1471546851]

My dd was a 36 weeker and 5lbs just when born( 36 wks and 2 hours so just made 36 weeks) she's alot slower than my ds's but perfectly normal according to hv.
Shes 20 weeks. She hates tummy time too
Doesn't roll yet her head still abit floppy! But she can hold it up even ifit does bob abit
She's started shouting and guugling later then the boys too (they where born at 39 and 38 weeks) I do really think that being slightly prem and her small size has made her a tiny bit slower than the boys but she's reaching milestones just a tad slower I really wouldn't worry to much! All baby's are different.
And can I add that you're friends are clearly not very nice to be calling you're baby delayed!! My friends would never ever speak about mine or any of our friends baby's like that!