6 months can't roll or sit unassisted

[slm1994]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this, my baby was premature (born at 30 weeks) she is 8 months old but 6 months corrected.

She can just about roll from her tummy to her back. She can't roll from her back to her tummy and seems to have no interested in even trying. She also can't sit up unassisted, I know this can be normal for a 6 month old but she couldn't sit for even a second without falling forward or to the side. She also hasn't laughed (but smiles a lot!)

I would also love to start the weaning process but just don't feel she's ready :(
It can be disheartening seeing other baby's sitting, shuffling and rolling around at a similar age.

Has anyone experienced anything similar? Or have any reassurance?
She has a physio appointment next week so I will of course mention all of this. Just feel a bit low about it and feel as though she is a bit stuck.
Just to mention she has no health issues from being born so prematurely.

Thanks!

My completely normal full term baby definitely couldn’t sit independently at 6 months (but could roll). I wouldn’t get overly worried about it till around 9. But share your concerns with your HV/ physio so they could keep an eye out

@Nawh thank you for replying I will definitely speak to the physio and HV about it

I know the worry because my DD was 4 weeks early and sounded similar but soon after turning 6 months (corrected) she could roll both ways, but would usually get one arm stuck under her and not be able to get it out when going from back to belly.

Around 7 months (corrected) she could sit by herself if you sat her up but was very wobbly but over time got less wobbly.

It’s good you have a physio appointment to discuss your concerns as it’s hard not to worry.

When she was newly mobile, I was worried that she was bum shuffling and not crawling but then once she started being able to get into the sitting position herself, soon after she started crawling.

I had similar concerns about starting weaning and spoke to the GP who said if she can sit with support, give weaning a go and see how she does. If you don’t feel she’s ready, wait another month or so and reassess. My DD wouldn’t self feed or even open her mouth for spoon feeding until she was about 10 months old.

My DD has been sitting without assisstance since 6 months, but only at 9 months is she rolling both ways. I do think babies are all different but it's hard when you feel like yours is 'behind'. Hopefully physio can give you some reassurance!

Firstly I think that can be normal at that age, my friend's daughter took quite a long time to roll and sit unassisted. She walked a bit late (about 19mo I think) but she's fine now at 2yo.

I'm like a broken record mentioning this on threads but Milestones & Motherhood on Instagram is a really helpful account focused on gross motor skills and development. She's a paediatric PT in the US and has lots of helpful tips, I used them when my son got a bit stuck army crawling and it really worked for us

My dd is 7 months next week, will be 4 months corrected, she was born at 29 weeks (no health issues).

She can’t roll at all, completely uninterested in it. She smiles a lot and I have got her to laugh once just tickling under her chin. She can’t sit unaided at all but she does have strong neck control. Tummy time she just face plants the floor and cries then throws up. When in her car seat she is trying to sit up out of it loads though.

I started weaning a bit with pouches. I give her a little bit when we have dinner and she enjoys it. I really don’t think she’s ready for solids at all though as she can’t use her hands right, her fists are constantly closed. Her physio was fine with this.

We had baby massage through the hospital with a physio who said it’s all normal and not to worry at all, they’ll get there when they get there. Have a talk to your physio and see what they say but I’d say don’t worry. They just have a longer way to go than full term babies.

Neither of my children could sit at six months, DD1 rolled the day before she was 12 weeks and DD2 walked when she was 9 months and 1 week. Babies don’t always fo things in the right order.

I was worried too when my son was 6 months, not even a hint of a roll. He didn't roll until 8 months. He could sit up well when strapped into a high chair and took to weaning really well, just struggled unassisted. He failed all the gross motor points at his 9 month HV appointment but he learned to sit up at 11 months and 10 days later learned to crawl. Never thought he'd be crawling by his birthday!

My daughter didn’t roll until 9 months, she just wasn’t interested at all. I started to get worried, especially as my health visitor said she was concerned as she wasn’t hitting milestones. But she rolled at 10 months, crawled 2 weeks later and was walking at 12 months. She did it when she was ready 🤷‍♀️

I have five children and with my first I read every book, online article and compared him to every other child I would see. He was a little later in developing but is absolutely fine. I had my first twins and the smallest one walked at 10 months and the bigger, more robust one didn't walk until 18 months. I was convinced there was something terribly wrong. It took me a long time to realize what everyone had been telling me was right...they all develop differently. Try not to stress too much.

Honestly, they're all different and try not tomworey. My friends son, second child was almost 2 and he wasn't walking, bottom shuffling at best. He just got it and was fine, he's 20 now and athletic, got a good job, just very normal ... they just all do things at different times!

Mine was a 32 weeker and did everything late, even after correcting for due date. She caught up eventually and is now a very bright and sporty 11 year old

Thank you everyone for your replies! It's really helpful and reassuring reading about other people's experiences

6 months is still young. Do not worry.

She has a physio appointment? Wow. I’m surprised by this. My son didn’t sit till 10 months, he’s 22 months now and can’t walk, takes a few steps at a time which he started doing last week.

It’s to early to tell if this is something else or not, my son is under assessment for Autism but of course it’s still way to early to diagnose that yet.

Your DC may fully catch up, they may not but it’s to soon to tell just yet what’s going on or where things will go.

My advice would be to not analyse, I’ve lost out on so much enjoyment constantly assessing what he can and can’t do and I wish I’d just let him be him and enjoy him for who he is, I’m doing that now.

Sorry I’m surprised by physio because he was only seen for the first time last week.

@ItsmeImtheproblem200 yes not because she can't sit up yet, it's just because she was born at 30 weeks so she has automatically been given physio just to make sure she is developing properly.

You are so right though, I shouldn't spend too much time focusing on what she isn't doing!

My daughter was full term and is now a perfectly healthy 6 year old but she couldn’t sit unaided until 10 months and couldn’t roll until 7/8. She used to shove herself around with her feet while lying on her back. She then started crawling, crawled for a month and walked at 13 months.

@slm1994 oh ok that makes sense. I understand why you’re worried just try not to let that worry rob you of some wonderful experiences with your little girl x

Hey my DS couldn't sit up properly until close to 9 months & he was full term. DD born first could sit up around 6 months, so I too started to worry about this but honestly all babies are so different with their milestones! But of course if you're worried about anything, speak to the health visitor or GP :)

Can you talk to your HV (or consultant if you're still under them) about weaning? There's a lot of weaning advice, particularly around BLW, which says they have to have mastered certain skills before they can start solids, but that doesn't take into account that some babies are slower to develop but still need the nutrients from food (iron is usually running low by six months, for instance).

A couple of friends with prem babies (one 25 weeks, one 33 weeks) were both advised to wean at six months still but that was under paediatrician advice.

My DD (now 4) never rolled. It was quite useful as if I put her down on her back to change her nappy she was just stuck there like a tortoise while other peoples' babies would roll away!! Not quite sure how it happened but she basically walked before she rolled (but not until 14 months). She is a totally healthy normal 4 year old. Presumably she worked out rolling at some point but not sure when!!

Sitting happened really suddenly. I can remember that she just suddenly sat unsupported and that was that.

So basically they are all different and do things in their own time!