Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

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

5.5 month not rolling but sitting and standing help!

17 replies

Flora0112 · 23/06/2025 14:53

My 5.5 month just had her 6 month check by HV (2 weeks early!). Anyway she's always hated tummy time and preferred seeing iut and being on legs. At 4.5 months she was sitting independently an straight up bo support needed and happy to grab toys. She loves being on her legs and bouncing if anyone holds her dhe wants to stand and jump on their knee. She holds thr coffee table and on her playmat she grabs the bars and tries pushing herself up to stand from sitting. If we hold her hands she pulls herself from sitting to standing. She doesn't keep still and pretty hard work! Anyway she does everything early bar rolling and my hv is now coming back in a month to see if she's rolling incase of delay in development even though doing things 5 months shouldnt be. She made me feel bad and said she won't crawl or walk without rolling even though if we do do tummy time ahe can lift up on her arms and knees abd arches back. I'm trying everything when she's on tummy like using toys, helping her roll etc but she screams. She can do it but hasn't connected rolling over and around but I think is happy to sit and likes standing. I'm so worried now they'll say she's delayed even though sitting and standing with support. In our baby classes the babies born same week as her are all now rolling but not sitting. In my yoga class the teacher has tk take her as she won't lie on the mat like other babies she likes to see and stand. Her cousin is 10 weeks younger and can roll front to back so DD is looking behind even though does other skills. A few people have said she will probably walk earlier. My niece never crawled but walked at 10 months. Anyone got any advice as I feel a crap mum that she can't roll and fear we're going yo counted as delayed and it worries me.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Bliebirds · 23/06/2025 18:08

Your HV is bonkers! 5.5 months is nothing to be rolling - the range goes up to 8 months. And look how advanced she is in other areas of gross motor! You have absolutely nothing to be worried about from what you have written here.

BunnyRuddington · 23/06/2025 23:24

Do you know how she scores on her 6 month check? The assessments aren’t designed so that all babies score perfectly. It’s pretty normal for babies to score grey in one or two areas.

Bliebirds · 23/06/2025 23:55

Well, the six month ASQ goes up to six months and 30 days, so OP’s little one would have another six weeks to achieve the competencies.

Regardless, being able to sit up, bear weight through her legs and pull up to standing ‘override’ the not rolling at this stage. The lack of rolling isn’t delayed at this point, and OP’s DD has huge gross motor strengths for her age. The HV should know better than to cause worry like this.

skkyelark · 24/06/2025 10:14

I had one like this (but had a more sensible HV)! DD1 simply wasn't bothered about rolling. Sat well at 4.5 months (the better to play with toys!), happy to be on her tummy for a bit, push up, and pivot in a circle, but no rolling. She finally rolled tummy to back at just over 6 months, but she was cruising the furniture and walking holding hands before she rolled back to tummy at a bit over 8 months.

She attempted to skip crawling as well and go straight to walking, but ultimately decided walking was taking too long and crawled for about a month before walking came together for her.

She's almost six now, no development concerns. She just had priorities, and they weren't rolling and crawling.

teaandkittehs · 24/06/2025 11:00

This is bollocks, your little one has several months to roll yet before you need to worry. Mine didn't completely master rolling both ways all the time until more like 7 months and it wasn't of any concern to my HV.

Row23 · 24/06/2025 12:58

My son was the same. Hated tummy time, always wanted to be upright. Started walking at 9 months. Didn’t roll or crawl until he was 1 as he just never ever wanted to be laying down. It was so tiring!
But he’s perfectly fine and healthy and rolls, runs, jumps, climbs etc just like any other 2 year old. No one would ever know that he walked early or rolled late etc.
I’d only really be worried if your daughter wasn’t doing anything physical, but she’s obviously physically strong already. Try not to worry too much about it, she’s just developing in her own unique way!

Flora0112 · 24/06/2025 23:26

Thanks everyone feel better now. We don't have points system in wales they just go through a list and I was honest about it. She has rolled back to front and vise versa handful times but not done a full roll and just hates tummy time. Screams blue murder. Much prefers standing
Even last two days she's become very grumpy and frustrated trying yo push up stuff and going on her knees and grabbing stuff high. All she wants to do is stand it's pretty hard work sometimes.
I think what didn't help was hv came unannounced at 5.5 weeks I'd just got in at 9.30am from walking 2 hours to get her to sleep as 5am is our new morning time and she'll only do 30 min cat naps so tiredness plus her saying she should be rolling at this check just upset me. She's just always been a nosey baby and hated her pram bassinet only liked car seat attachment always liked standing and I asked for any ideas to help her like keep her entertained and just got tummy time. She's got every play mat going to try different materials for tummy time, lots of toys, classes amd still hates it. I think like some of you sa9d she'll probs skip rolling and crawling and potentially walk early. I fear if she doesn't she'll be very grumpy baby

OP posts:
Bliebirds · 25/06/2025 01:45

She has rolled back to front and vice versa a handful of times but not done a full roll

What do you mean by a full roll?! You update sounds like she is rolling - both ways! 😁

skkyelark · 25/06/2025 11:26

I agree, it sounds like she is rolling – it's a minority of babies who roll over and over as a way of moving around. If she can roll back to tummy and tummy to back, then she's rolling.

In terms of entertaining a very nosy, high stimulation needs baby (I had two of them!), have you tried the pram seat, rather than the bassinet? It will be better for her than lots of time in the car seat attachment, but still let her see out. I also found the cot was the easiest place to learn pulling up and cruising – all those bars to hang on to, nicely sized for tiny hands to grip. DD1 in particularly used to like a cot practice session at least once a day, whilst I chilled in the room with her.

If she likes being on her knees, try putting toys on a step or a conveniently sized box so that she can play on her knees. Similarly, if she'll stand leaning against the sofa or footstool (which will probably come soon, if not quite yet), she can play with toys that way, and it will naturally progress to learning to reach down to get a dropped toy and get back up again.

The idea of 'toys' at this age also includes all baby-safe household objects – different bits of fabric, random small boxes and jars, a wooden spoon, plastic container, saucepan lid, etc., which helps ring the changes. Things like stacking cups are also good because they can be played with in many different ways. Baby won't be able to stack them yet, but she can knock down your towers, bash them together, find things hidden in or under them, etc. A homemade sensory bottle with, say, rice and some coloured beads, or oil, water, and a bit of food colouring (very well sealed!) can also be good because the contents of the bottle change depending on how baby moves it.

Flora0112 · 25/06/2025 21:02

She has previously gone front to back and back to front but like twice and was 4 months when she did it last and if I put her on her tummy she screams and she doesn't like lying on her back either just cries till she pushes up tp sit or she pivots round in a circle or bum shuffles down her changing mat. The HV said in order to tick it off she has to be doing it consistently and around the floor all the time going round and round and getting around that way which she doesn't and consistent at this age not 2 months ago and nothing.

She's been in her pram since 4 months and loves it. I meant since 4 weeks she hated bassinet but was too small for pram bit so was car seat but is in her pram now was a game changer for us!

I do put her in her cot if I need a wee but didn't think to sit her up or stand practice so will try that.

She's okay on her knees but cries after a bit and tries pushing up. I try putting her on her knees and washing basket upside down as a table. Yes she likes the arm chair standing and playing toys on that and the coffee table 🙈🙈

Yes she loves banging things and if I make a tower out of blocks she jsut pushes it over but will get some stacking cups as putting things underneath sounds good. She likes looking in handbags too.

All.my friends seem to have nice placid cuddly babies and I have a high needs DD who can often look naughty if out as she wants to stand on coffee tables and gets bored easily. She's very frustrated at the moment and very grumpy last 3 days. All she wants to do is stand and walk but can't and then cries cause can't get what she wants. I hope she learns before she's 1 as its gonna drive me mad if she's this unhappy for months.

OP posts:
Bliebirds · 25/06/2025 22:49

The HV said in order to tick it off she has to be doing it consistently and around the floor all the time going round and round

This is absolute nonsense. It’s simply not true.

Are there any decent HVs out there at all?!?

skkyelark · 26/06/2025 10:12

Yeah, according to your HV, very, very few of the babies I know ever 'rolled' – I can think of two. By everyone else's definition (including the HVs I've had), your baby is rolling.

If she likes looking in handbags, maybe try putting a random assortment of baby-safe stuff in for her to discover.

Does she engage much with people? I narrated life from when they were tiny to keep them engaged. What about people out and about? People love a baby, and even more a smiley baby, so we actually did okay on things like buses where there was a steady flow of people for them to smile and coo/babble at. I was also the one going round the supermarket handing my baby random bits of shopping to hold.

Flora0112 · 27/06/2025 20:44

Yes we're always at a baby class or meeting friends ans is really good with people and will go to anyone. Is proper smiley to anyone. I try go out and about a lot like today we had had a bad night so went to garden centre to look at fish then m&s cafe and she loved old people making fuss of her. She's good on buses and trains. We actually took her to Belgium on wurostar and travelled round and she was great. She's been a bit grumpy last few days she's so frustrated and just constantly wanting to stand up. Doesn't even like going in her jumperoo now. Its becoming quite hard to entertain her at home as she's quite miserable. Tried putting her on tummy and she will get into crawling positions realises can't do it and screams. Have put toys high so she can knock them but she gets annoyed can't walk to them
At a lass on Thurs we go tk every week she wouldn't even lie on the mat screamed everhtime. Worried it's gojng to be like this for months until she can walk or crawl

OP posts:
Kate1234567 · 03/07/2025 20:42

My DD1 sounds very similar to yours and I worried so much about the rolling. She is now 3 and has no issues with movement, mobility etc, she’s exactly the same as a friend’s baby of a similar age who was rolling constantly. The only difference is that I had an easier few months when there was less risk of her injuring herself by rolling into something!
From what I understand from HCPs who I asked, rolling is not something that is used as a measure of development.

Flora0112 · 08/07/2025 08:50

BunnyRuddington · 23/06/2025 23:24

Do you know how she scores on her 6 month check? The assessments aren’t designed so that all babies score perfectly. It’s pretty normal for babies to score grey in one or two areas.

Great thanks! We're still not rolling and 6 months this week and HV said shes coming back 🙄🙄 but were just obessed with standing she puts hands out and then uses you to push up and will stand by sofa to hold though our sofas a bit high and shes short. But her new thing now is scooting backwards. Trying to practice front crawling but likes to lie on her back and scoot backwards csn go quite far and her babbling is very loud and saying mamamama. So trying to keep doing tummy time sbd when she's sitting getting her to grab toys but don't think she'll care for rolling. So will tell HV back off hahav

OP posts:
Bliebirds · 08/07/2025 11:23

You say she’s still not rolling - but she is rolling! She is not just rolling but doing really well with her gross motor skills!

Flora0112 · 08/07/2025 15:27

Thanks! I think it's because HV keeps saying she needs to be rolling around on the floor and going back to front front to back in one which she doesn't do. She just prefers doing other things. Though it's hard work when she's verh frustrated

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page