Early Rolling & Body Tension
“Does early rolling back to belly (5-7 weeks) indicate tension in the body?”
ANSWER- *Usually* early rolling belly to back can indicate some tension/GI discomfort/reflux/silent reflux...not necessarily back to belly. The back to belly is sometimes residual from the "newborn curl" aka in utero position- but either way, typically if you see early rolling for whatever reason, it's often unintentional/not consistent and purposeful until they're a bit older!
Here are some ways to start encouraging flexion when a child is struggling with extension! These tips can be helpful even if your child isn't struggling with extension - for things like fighting getting into car seats! When a child is struggling with arching, extending, flinging themselves back- that's the back/extensor muscles firing MORE than the front/flexor muscles. That may look like arching when belly down until they topple, or throwing themselves back in sitting, etc.
When you see that, the key is to position them in a way that encourages flexion and keeps them away from the "tipping point" that usually causes the extensor muscles to activate.
Let me explain some more! When carrying them, gently bending ONE leg can help a bunch in terms of dissociating limbs & breaking up that extension pattern (this is also AWESOME for helping any sort of belly discomfort!). When laying, you can encourage that flexion by positioning with a towel roll like you can see in this video.
Sitting is the same- aim to keep them slightly forward & away from that go* hip angle tipping point- because you'll likely see once they get to that position, they can't really help but fling back because those back muscles are overactive and much stronger than the front muscles, which would usually stop from flinging! Overall, when you're trying to combat extension, getting them into positions that better encourage flexor muscles to activate & strengthen is a huge goal!
Hope this helps!
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For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
