As your baby grows and develops strength in the muscles and bones, you’ll be a lucky witness to their amusing stunts. And the very first stunt is rolling over. First thing to remember as a parent is to not freak out, your baby is just exploring its body and having fun with it! But in order to make this exploration a safe and happy one, here are some tips you can use:

The first signs of rolling over

In the first month you’ll see your baby rolling onto one side, while sleeping. By 4 months, the baby will have developed the upper body strength and muscle to propel herself/himself up and over from the belly-down position to the back. Some kids show signs of this at 3 months of age.

Increase tummy time

Lying on the tummy helps babies develop motor skills that eventually help in crawling. Some babies like tummy time and some don’t, and they show their dislike for it in a rather loud manner! So be ready for it. Make sure the baby doesn’t sleep during tummy time, back is for sleep whereas tummy is for play. Start with shorter sessions like 1-5 minutes and gradually build on.

Activity Mat

Lay your baby down on a mat with toys. They can be used as  bait to motivate your baby towards tummy time. Get your baby to reach out to these toys using her/his muscles and upper body strength.

Get on the floor yourself

Show your little one how it’s done. Show off a few rolls!

Don’t freak out when you baby rolls over at night

It’s always recommended to put your baby to sleep on the back, but if your baby rolls over to the tummy position during the night, don’t worry about it. Your baby has developed the strength to roll over and also the ability to sense trouble of any kind, so it’s highly unlikely for your baby to get trapped in a position that would compromise breathing.

Once your baby masters rolling over

The neck muscles get stronger and your baby will be able to lift her/his head and sit up without assistance. Soon your little one will be crawling and standing!

If you’re worried about the progress of these milestones, do pay a visit to your pediatrician, at the same time enjoy the ride, and keep your camera handy!