Holding your little bundle of joy in your arms is a sentimental moment of your life. Soon after birth, you start looking forward to the development milestones they go through until they are fully grown. Rolling over is among the first developmental milestones that your baby will have as they grow up. Therefore, this is an exciting moment for both you and your baby, especially because it assures you that they are growing up normally. Unfortunately, you may realize that your baby is not rolling as expected or as you see other kids rolling.
Suppose you are going through this why your baby, worry not since you are among many other parents going through the same. Read on for comprehensive information on rolling and where or not it is okay if your baby rolls only in one direction.
What Is Rolling, and When Does It Happen?
Rolling is the movement of your baby in different directions. For instance, they can roll from tummy to back, left to right, back to tummy, and right to left. As they increase their body strength and coordination, they are able to move around, thus rolling. Ideally, rolling starts when the baby is about three months old. However, since development differs, your baby can take up to six months to start rolling.
Why Is Rolling Important?
Ideally, your baby’s milestones are a stepping stone to the next development stage. In the same way, rolling is a stepping stone that shows that your baby is ready to move to the next development stage, which is sitting. Additionally, rolling is essential since it shows you that your baby is developing well and strong. Even if your baby is only rolling in one direction, rejoice since this is a sign that they are growing well.
Why Does Your Baby Roll Only in One Direction?
As mentioned above, rolling should be in about four directions. However, you may realize that your child only roles in one of these directions. Although this may be scary, it is often not a problem. More often than not, mothers assume that their babies are left-handed if they roll to the left or right-handed if they roll to the right. However, the side your baby rolls to has nothing to do with their playful side.
Your baby may be rolling only in one direction because they just learned the rolling technique. If your baby is only rolling to his left at four or five months, they will have learned to roll in the other direction by the time they are about six months or more. Do not rush your baby but let them go through each of these milestones at their own pace.
How Can You Help a Baby Who Only Roles in One Direction?
If your baby continues to roll only in one direction even after a long time, this may scare you. In this case, you may look for possible solutions to help your baby, such as Osteopathy. Osteopathy is a process that involves the evaluation of the baby’s shoulders, neck, back, hips, legs, and arms. The process examines each of these parts to see whether they are okay to help the baby roll on all sides. Additionally, during the Osteopathy process, there are exercises done to help boost these body parts.
Osteopathy is done by exerting a little pressure to help relax tight muscles, thus promoting movement. The pressure also helps boost joint movement, which is also necessary for the baby’s movement and helps role on all sides.
When Should You Seek Help?
After the Osteopathy treatment, your baby should be in a position to roll to more than one side. For this reason, if they are still rolling in one direction even after the treatment, consult your pediatrician about it. It should also alarm you if your baby does not roll at all when they are six months and older. Additionally, if your baby lacks other movement skills such as moving their hips, legs, shoulders, and neck, seek urgent medical attention.
Conclusion
When your baby is only rolling in one direction, they have probably not yet gained enough strength to roll on directions. However, this calls for more attention to the baby to help identify another medical reason why they are not rolling. It is also advisable to seek medical help if your baby only rolls on one side when they are about a year old and does not sit or crawl.
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