Tips To Get Baby’s Hands To Midline

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“My 3 month old still isn’t swatting, reaching or holding onto any toys. Do you have tips to help?”

ANSWER – Around 3-4 months, we expect baby to start bringing hands to the middle of their body (& mouth) & to attempt to swat at toys above them. Usually they’ll swat erratically, but as they make contact it will become more intentional & controlled.

In the early weeks, because it’s HARD for them to bring their arms all the way together against gravity, I love to use a towel roll cocoon (shown here). That lets them work in a smaller range of motion which allows them to be more successful, which equals more motivation. Putting them into this cocoon brings hands closer to midline AND it helps encourage activation of other flexor muscles like grabbing knees/feet and other pre-rolling ministones.

How do I help my little one get hands to midline?

Below is a photo of my son having a hard time bringing hands to midline from flat on the floor in the early weeks of his life. Even though the toys are engaging and you can see he is looking right at them, gravity is making it really hard for his little body to make it there. The next photo shows him on the SAME DAY being able to play with the toys (and bring his hands to midline) while sitting with the Prop-A-Pillar (or having cocoon support). I have a whole highlight on the Prop-A-Pillar here if you want to see more ways to use it!

Sidelying is another awesome position to encourage hands to midline, because it will naturally drops arms together. Sidelying also encourages flexor muscle activation, changing pressure on the skull (helps prevent flat spots), and can help work on rolling! When in sidelying, you can set up the environment for success by putting an oball within reach. These are some of the easiest toys to encourage accidental grasp, which becomes more intentional around 3-4 months.

Hope this helps!

Want More?

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.