When Do Babies Roll Over
Last medically reviewed on September 29, 2020
When do babies roll over? Age and how to help them
Most babies can roll over by 6 months, and many do so much earlier.
Every baby is different, and a range of factors, such as premature birth, can affect when they hit milestones. However, significant delays in rolling over may point to a problem with their motor skills.
Once a baby begins rolling over, it is crucial to ensure that they cannot roll into trouble. It is also no longer safe to swaddle them at night.
Many babies begin trying to roll from their stomachs to their backs at around 2 months of age. Some succeed, but most take another month or two.
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By 4 months , many babies can roll from their stomachs to their backs. At 6 months, many babies begin rolling from their backs to their stomachs.
If a baby cannot roll in either direction by 6 months, it may indicate a developmental delay or underlying health issue.
Rolling over takes practice and coordination, and young newborns lack the head control and other motor skills needed to manage it.
As a baby’s strength grows, they may show signs that they are about to roll, such as:
- lifting their head and shoulders more during tummy time
- rolling onto their shoulders or side
- kicking their legs and scooting in a circle when on their back
- increased leg and hip strength, such as rolling the hips from side to side and using the legs to lift the hips up
Some babies may “accidentally” roll over and seem afraid or surprised a few weeks before they begin rolling regularly.
Every individual is different, and babies naturally develop at different rates.
But some research suggests that culture or geographic location may influence how babies roll over. For example, an older study , from 2004, found that babies in Hong Kong or China roll from back to stomach first — the opposite direction as babies in the United States, who usually roll from stomach to back first.
Some other factors that might affect when a baby rolls over include:
- Motor development: Rolling is a measure of motor skills, so babies who develop motor skills more slowly, for any reason, may roll over later.
- Practice and support: While rolling over is a developmental milestone, it is also a skill that demands practice. Babies may roll over earlier if they are encouraged to spend time playing on the floor, if they generally have an incentive to move, and if they have help practicing.
- Prematurity: Babies born prematurely tend to develop more slowly early in life, but they usually catch up. In the meantime, a baby born 2 months early, for example, might roll over 2 months later than is typical for full-term babies.
- Other issues: A 2012 study found that babies who rolled over later had more of certain types of body fat by 3 years of age — but not overall body fat or obesity.
A wide range of rolling behaviors is typical, and most babies roll over for the first time between 2 and 4 months of age.
However, when babies roll very early or seem to have other uncontrolled movements, it may be a sign of cerebral palsy. Early rolling can signal characteristic differences in reflexes.
Some other warning signs to look for over time include:
- gastrointestinal problems
- a history of pneumonia
- unusual movements
- trouble with balance
- poor muscle tone
- little apparent control over movements
Before a baby can roll over, they need to develop head control, shoulder strength, and the understanding that they can move independently.
To help a baby master these skills and reach other developmental milestones, try:
- playing on the floor with the baby every day, for example, by:
- cooing and mimicking their noises
- singing
- reading
- showing them colorful toys or images
Speak with a doctor or another healthcare provider if a baby:
- cannot roll in either direction — stomach to back or back to stomach — by 6 months
- gains some motor skills, and begins to roll over, for example, but then loses these skills
- seems unable to control their movements
Below are some other motor milestones and when a baby might reach them:
- Head control: By 2 months, most babies can hold their heads up for short periods.
- Sitting up: Some babies can get into a sitting position by 6 months, and many begin sitting up without support between 6 and 9 months.
- Standing: Many babies begin pulling themselves up to stand between 6 and 9 months, and most can do so by 1 year of age.
- Cruising: Cruising means walking with support, from the couch and other furniture, for example, and most babies do this by 1 year.
- Walking: Most babies begin walking at around 1 year, though some begin slightly earlier or later.
All babies are different, and there is no way to predict when any baby will roll over.
It is important to get to know a baby’s rhythms and behavior patterns. Doing so can help a parent or caregiver respond more effectively and anticipate the next big developmental milestone.
A pediatrician can provide guidance to anyone concerned about their baby’s motor skills or development.
Last medically reviewed on September 29, 2020
- Pediatrics / Children’s Health
- Parenthood
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- 12-step process for diagnosing cerebral palsy. (n.d.).
https://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/diagnosis/12-step-process - Growth and development after prematurity. (2017).
https://www.tommys.org/pregnancy-information/pregnancy-complications/premature-birth/taking-your-baby-home/growth-and-development-after-prematurity - Main, M. (2018). Four talking points on safe swaddling.
https://depts.washington.edu/nwbfch/safe-swaddling - Neelon, S. E. B. (2012). Age of achievement of gross motor milestones in infancy and adiposity at age 3 years.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3321389/ - Nelson, E. A. S., et al. (2004). Rolling over in infants: Age, ethnicity, and cultural differences.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2004.tb00985.x - Your baby at 2 months. (n.d.).
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/checklists/all_checklists.pdf
When Do Babies Roll Over?
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on June 14, 2021
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Rolling over is a major milestone for your baby. Learn more about when babies learn to roll over, how it happens and how to keep your little one safe.
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In This Article- When do babies roll over?
- How to help your baby roll over
- What should you do if baby rolls over in her sleep?
- What milestones are next after baby rolls over?
While rolling over for the first time usually comes as a surprise both for baby and her parents, don’t be surprised if rolling from tummy to back soon turns into one of your little one’s favorite tricks.
With growing strength in her arms, back and neck, your baby is beginning to discover new ways of moving her body, rolling included.
Be sure to keep her safe on the changing table and in other places where all those exciting new moves that come with this big milestone could result in a fall or other hazard.
When do babies roll over?
Some newborns will actually roll onto one side to sleep in their very first days, but most babies seem to lose the ability to roll onto their sides independently within the first month.
- Rolling from tummy to back: By 4 months of age, your little one will have developed sufficient upper body strength and muscle to use her arms to propel herself up and over from the belly-down position to her back, usually as an unintended result of one of her mini push-ups during tummy time. She may even demonstrate this ability as early as 3 months.
- Rolling all the way over: Though many 4-month-olds get pretty adept at rolling over, by 6 months old, most babies have mastered not only the stomach-to-back roll but also the reverse back-to-stomach maneuver.
How to help your baby roll over
Making sure your baby gets plenty of tummy time helps her build the strength in her back, neck and arms that she’ll need for the big push to roll over (which is a big step in baby development).
You’ll want to start tummy time as early as the first week, laying your infant face-down across your lap for a few minutes during alert wakeful periods.
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As baby’s first month progresses, help your little explorer work her way up to 15 to 20 minutes on her tummy every day (always under your watchful eye).
If your baby’s really indignant about being on her belly, start with shorter sessions of tummy time — one to five minutes will do the trick — and build gradually to longer tummy-play sessions.
An activity mat with tantalizing toys is great motivation for helping your baby learn to roll over. Try placing some “belly bait” nearby so she can reach for it, which will help her build arm strength and muscle, and may also result in a side roll. (Halfway there!)
Practicing a gentle roll from side to side and then onto her back lets you show your sweetie how it’s done — or get down on the floor with her to show off a few rolling maneuvers yourself.
What should you do if baby rolls over in her sleep?
Once your baby starts rolling from belly to back and from back to belly, you may find that she starts rolling over in her crib at night, too. This is not a cause for concern, although you should continue to put your baby to sleep on her back, even if she doesn’t stay in that position all night.
Because your little one has developed the strength and mobility to roll onto her tummy, she’s also developed the ability to sense trouble when she’s sleeping — which means she’s far less likely to become trapped in a position where her breathing is compromised.
After 6 months of age, she’s also past the high-risk stage for SIDS, which peaks when baby is between 2 and 4 months before tapering off.
If you’re really worried about your baby rolling over to sleep on her stomach, you might try laying your little one down in her crib on her back or side with one of her arms extended. That way, if she rolls it’s more likely to be onto the side with her arm out in front of her chest — and then she’ll be slightly less likely to flip fully onto her tummy because it tucks that arm underneath her.
Remember, too, that all babies hit developmental milestones like rolling over at their own pace, and in their own time. It may take weeks of tummy time before your baby gets the hang of pushing up on her forearms and rolling onto her back, and many weeks more before she figures out how to tuck her arm under her body or over her head to roll back onto her stomach.
Just give her plenty of opportunities to practice, preferably on a blanket or a mat that will cushion the occasional (and, sadly, inevitable) noggin-bonk on the floor. And be sure to offer lots of praise, cheering and encouragement when your little one finally makes her first flip.
What milestones are next after baby rolls over?
Once baby gets the hang of rolling over and her neck muscles are strong enough to lift her head, both important motor development skills, she’ll soon be sitting up — first with a hand from you, then unassisted.
From there she may start crawling, and later master standing up. After she knows how to crawl and stand with the best of them, she’ll be ready to take her first steps and start walking on her own two feet.
As always, check in with your pediatrician if you’re at all concerned about the timing and nature of any baby milestones. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride! This first year of baby rolls, smiles, coos and steps is one of the most fun.
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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- What to Expect the First Year, 3rd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- WhatToExpect.com, Baby and Toddler Milestones, 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, Tummy Time for Baby, April 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, Squirming During Diaper Changes, January 2019.
- WhatToExpect.com, When Can Your Baby Sleep on Her Stomach?, May 2020.
- WhatToExpect.com, Sitting Up, March 2019.
- WhatToExpect.com, Crawling, June 2021.
- WhatToExpect.com, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), June 2020.
- Mayo Clinic, What’s the Importance of Tummy Time for a Baby?, August 2020.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Reduce the Risk of SIDS and Suffocation, January 2017.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Movement: 4 to 7 Months, March 2021.
- National Sleep Foundation, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Sleep, September 2020.
