What if my baby stops rolling all of a sudden?

“My son is 5 months and was rolling off his belly fairly frequently but has stopped and I’m not sure why or what’s different. Should I be worried?”

ANSWER- This is a really common Q so let’s break it down!

Often times when a baby rolls really early off their belly (like before 8-10 weeks old), it’s usually because they’re extending/arching OR because their head is so heavy. When they lift their head, it causes them to topple over unintentionally because there isn’t much muscle strength to counter that weight quite yet. Here is a reel where you can see this happen!

In that reel you can see how uncontrolled the beginning roll is- the weight of their head just topples them right over! We may think “WOW look at them rolling already!” But then it stops, because as those front muscles get stronger, it stops that topple and they have to be a little more intentional/controlled to execute the roll!

So, if/when it starts & stops, we then expect to see it become a mastered, intentional skill- with belly to back rolling, that timeframe is 3-5ish month mark (make sure you are also considering the ministones that show that they are working on the skill) because… there is SO much happening in that time frame.

Lastly, it’s not at all uncommon to see a baby “pause” a previously mastered skill while they work on the next skill. Typically, it comes back either once the new skill emerges and/or within a month or so! If it doesn’t come back, it’s worth mentioning to your pediatrician, but SO often it does, promise!

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.

Was this helpful? Save it for later!

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.