It's a joy (and a little scary too) to watch your once-stationary lump become a giggling, wiggling little person. Suddenly, you'll notice her practicing new moves with the concentration of an Olympic athlete. (And if she decides to try her first flip on the changing table — watch out! All hands and eyes on deck!) Between four and six months, she'll likely learn these four acrobatic feats:
- Roll from her tummy to her back, and then back again. Tummy-to-back usually comes first, because she can use her arms to propel herself up and over from the belly-down position.
- Push herself up on her arms — first her forearms, then all the way up on her hands.
- Sit up and survey the world.
- Reach for and grasp a toy (or a hank of your hair!).
To encourage these developing skills, make sure your baby has the freedom to stretch, roll, reach, and squirm. Give her plenty of playtime on the floor — and on her tummy (with you supervising and cheering her on, of course) — and be sure she's not spending too many hours in baby-busiers like the swing, stationary walker, stroller, or car seat (all of which have their time and place, but can restrict movement). To buff up her bitty biceps, put her on her tummy with a few enticing toys just out of her reach; she'll push herself up to see them, then practice stretching toward the interesting objects. To help her learn to sit, it's fine (as long as she has good control of her head and neck) to prop her up with a rolled towel, nursing pillow, or other firm cushion. If she slumps or slides, it could mean that she's not ready, so stop the sitting session and try again later.
All this moving and grooving means something else too: If you haven't started childproofing yet, get out those outlet plugs, safety gates, and cabinet locks. It's just a hop, skip, and jump to crawling, cruising, and walking from here, so be prepared!
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