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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

5 month old showing no signs of rolling

19 replies

Jezabella · 22/11/2010 13:21

DD is 5 months and 1 week and so far has not really made any move towards rolling. She has found her knees and her feet, and is pulling her knees up about half the time she is on her back, and from here has almost made it onto her side a couple of times but no further. A few times she has rolled from her tummy onto her back, but I'm not sure if this hasn't just been accidental as she seems to hate tummy time (wails after only a few minutes), but generally seems to get stuck there, flapping her arms behind her rather than roll over to get onto her back. She is also not yet pushing up on her arms when on her tummy, but can only keep her head up when her arms are bent and tucked into her chest.

Not sure if relevant but she has been checked out by a paed physio a couple of times (had torticollis) who has always said that she has good muscle tone and strong head control.

Is not rolling at this age really nothing to worry about or should I be concerned that she has some developmental delay? (I am happy for her to develop entirely at her own pace, btw, just have read a number of things which seem to imply rolling happens at 3-4 months, and all the other babies I know at this age seem to have been rolling for ages!)

Thanks

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KnittingisbetterthanTherapy · 22/11/2010 13:27

Nothing to worry about at her age. DS1 didn't roll til he was about 5 1/2 mths and some of my other friends' kids didn't roll til over 6 mths (one sat before she could roll, never crawled and just went straight to walking at 12mths!).

Babies are a law unto themselves!

Bumpsadaisie · 22/11/2010 13:30

Don't worry - I think my DD had rolled once by this age by accident but then never ever did it again.

She sat up at 6 months on the nose, crawled at 10 months exactly and toddled the day she turned 14 months - all of which average.

I never did tummy time with her either - she hated it! Just keep seeing if she will do it for a couple of mins each day but don't press the issue - I really don't think it makes much difference!

She is now 17 mths and ahead of all her milestones if anything.

The books all say different things for milestones - some of them ridiculously too advanced, others ridiculously delayed when compared with what I would say is the norm. Take them with a BIG pinch of salt.

I would only worry if she isn't even making an attempt at sitting up by say 8 months. Many babies don't sit independently till after this though. That is a much bigger milestone that I think all babies will do at some point. The rolling is an optional one - many babies don't even bother with it, from my experience.

Mumcah · 22/11/2010 13:34

My DS isn't rolling yet and he's 6 months. My DD had been rolling for weeks by this stage but DS is just really chilled out and prefers to be upright.

Please don't worry,she'll get there in her own time.

Marrow · 22/11/2010 13:35

It's fine. My DD didn't roll until a few weeks before she started walking.

Firawla · 22/11/2010 13:36

i dont think you necessarily need to worry, some babies just do not like rolling? my ds1 never really rolled, he wasn't interested, only after crawling he would roll but never used to use it before that as a method of travel, and there is nothing wrong with him he is v strong healthy and everything he just didnt feel interested in rolling
and as you say she has done it a few times so you know she can, but maybe she just is not that interested, she could be focusing on something else they all develop in different ways

Original poster

Jezabella · 22/11/2010 13:50

thank you all for your replies, I am reassured there is nothing to worry about - I guess she will roll (or maybe not) in her own time! :)

OP posts:

motherinferior · 22/11/2010 13:55

DD1 was immobile for months. We moved house when she was six months old and you could plonk her on a mat on filthy floorboards and she'd just loll around playing with her feet. Didn't walk till about 17 months.

She is now nine and really very good at rolling over and walking.

happygilmore · 22/11/2010 15:16

DD is 6 months and is sitting up (with support) but hasn't really rolled yet (well she did once but def by accident rather than design!)

trixie123 · 22/11/2010 19:38

please don't worry. DS could sit at 6 months but didn;t roll until he was crawling at about 8 months - meant he was a bit like an upturned turtle if he toppled over while sitting! Enjoy it, nappy changes get a whole lot harder once they roll.

sunndydays · 22/11/2010 19:57

wow I could have written this thread, same age as my dd and she just lays there happily looking around and chatting to herself, I reckon they are 'thinkers', obviously extremely intelligent and just want to be 100% they will be able to do it first try

notasausage · 22/11/2010 20:39

She will wait until you've left her on the sofa, changing table etc and as soon as you take your eyes of your immobile little one - crash. She'll master rolling!

Original poster

Jezabella · 23/11/2010 13:17

Ha, yes Sunndydays, I like the thinkers idea... here's hoping!

OP posts:

Fennel · 23/11/2010 19:31

None of my 3 ever rolled more than once or twice, I used to wonder if it was the real nappies hindering them. But they are all perfectly agile in general. Just not rollers.

Morph2 · 23/11/2010 19:43

Sunndydays love your thinkers idea!!. My DS id just over 6 months and has only rolled a few times from front to back which i think has been more by accident, and he has never rolled from back to front. He can more or less sit up, although i can't move away from him has he has a tendancy to topple when something else gets his attention. I always think he is such a chilled out baby that he is happy to just stay in one place!!

I was also worried that he wasn't rolling as all his baby friends seem to be but HV told me not to worry as rolling isn't a milestone they look at and are worried if not doing by a certain age like they would be with sitting and walking. HV also said to me it is good to have lots of friends with babies the same age but this is the downside of it that you will start comparing and worrying.

AngelDog · 24/11/2010 08:27

I know 10 m.o.s who've never rolled: I think it's normal. I also know very late rollers who crawled, stood & walked within a week of starting to roll.

DS was 6 months before getting the hang of it.

TooBlessed · 24/11/2010 08:34

My DD is 8 months and she has never rolled,,no need to worry,my mate's son crawled however at 5months,,they do things on their own time,their way not ours,,not to worry,she will soon get there and by the time she gets to walking you will wonder why you even bothered about it,because she will just catch up with the rest of them,,enjoy her being in one place,it won't last:0

Quenelle · 24/11/2010 13:33

My DS didn't roll until he started crawling at 8 months. I don't think it occurred to him.

DancingThroughLife · 24/11/2010 13:39

DD is 26 weeks today, she rolled for the first time 10 days ago - completely unexpected. I could have written the OP 3 weeks ago.

You might find that you (like I did) look up from tidying/MN/picking your nose to find her lying on her front with a very puzzled look on her face. Then you'll be rescuing her every 5 mins because she can't get back onto her back to try it again

Don't worry, and enjoy her being stationary while it lasts

marge2 · 24/11/2010 13:42

DS1 never rolled til 8 months either, then he rolled, crawled and got up and walked all before 12 months. Nothing to worry about.

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