As your baby graduates from the newborn stage, get ready for some mini acrobatics. It’ll be more fascinating than the Olympics – guaranteed
You’ve only known each other a few months, but you’ll already be pretty impressed by just how much your baby has developed.
While the newborn stage is amazingly cute, it’s during these next few months that your baby will really start to show a bit of his true character.
While he’s enjoying this newfound development and seeing what he can do with it, be sure to keep an eye on him. You’ll be surprised at just how quick he can be.
What to look out for
Between these ages, your baby may learn to roll over from his back to his front, so never leave him unattended on a high surface, like a bed or sofa.
‘Rolling often happens when your baby starts bending his knees and bringing up his feet to play with them, then flips over by accident,’ says child physiotherapist Kate Drake.
Don’t worry if your baby isn’t rolling - some babies skip this stage
Although don’t worry if your baby isn’t rolling – some babies actually skip this stage and go straight to crawling.
Towards the latter part of this stage, you could also see him pushing up on his arms and arching his back to lift his chest, then flailing around on his tummy. And, yes, we mean the parachute-expert-in-training mode.
All this is a great work out for his developing muscles.
Help his motor skills develop
Carry on enjoying tummy time – that is, letting your baby spend time on his stomach – to encourage his ability to push up, roll over, sit up, crawl and eventually stand.
If he doesn’t seem to like it, just do it for a few minutes at a time or try again later.
During tummy time, try shaking a rattle by his head so he turns towards it and rolls.
Consider baby yoga, too – the postures give him the chance to stretch and twist, boosting his limb coordination. Plus, it’s a lovely chance to enjoy some bonding with him.