Moving (gross motor)
Rolling over
Many babies — 4–6 months
Rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy.
What’s happening
Rolling usually starts tummy-to-back before back-to-tummy, and it's the direct payoff of all that tummy-time strength-building.
How to support it
- Keep offering tummy time and floor play on a firm, flat surface — rolling uses the same muscles.
- A toy just out of reach to one side can encourage the reach-and-roll motion.
- Some babies roll back-to-tummy first — both directions count, whichever comes first.
Worth knowing
- Once a baby can roll, stop swaddling — a swaddled baby who rolls to their tummy can't push up.
- Never leave a rolling baby on a bed, couch, or changing table unattended.
Often comes after lifting head during tummy time
Often leads to sitting without support
Where this comes from
- Getting Mobile: Movement MilestonesZero to Three
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