Newborn Tummy Time: Building Strength and Motor Skills

Newborns go through many stages of development, and one of the most important is when your newborn rolls over onto their tummy. This is a time when your newborn will start to build strength, dexterity, and motor skills with the arms and legs. Your pediatrician can tell you more. The pediatricians at White Oak Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC, provide a wide range of medical care for children, including newborn care.

What You Need To Know About Developmental Milestones

Let’s start at the beginning, and what you can expect to see when your baby is 1 to 3 months old. You should see:

• Smiling, both to themselves and to you
• Raising their head and chest when lying on their stomach
• Tracking movement with their eyes
• Bringing their hands to their mouth
• Gripping and reaching for objects

When your newborn is 4 to 6 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Rolling over
• Laughing and babbling
• Sitting up while supported
• Having improved head control
• Beginning to crawl

As your baby grows and gets stronger, at around 7 to 9 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Sitting up without support
• Responding to familiar words
• Clapping and playing simple games like peekaboo and patty-cake
• Pulling up to a standing position

At about 10 to 12 months old, you should see that your baby is:

• Beginning to feed without your help
• Moving around while holding onto furniture
• Speaking one or two words
• Pointing at objects to get your attention
• Copying what you do
• Taking their first steps

Regular visits with your pediatrician will help ensure your baby is on track for normal growth and development, including building strength and motor skills. Developmental assessments usually happen when your baby is 9, 18, and 30 months old.

To learn more about the American Pediatric Association guidelines for developmental assessment, please click here. 

Want To Know More About Newborn Care?

To discover more about newborn care and newborn developmental milestones, call the pediatricians at White Oak Pediatrics in Raleigh, NC. You can reach them in the office by calling (919) 787-0266, so call today.