[Development] Sitting up

Development: Sitting up

Children all develop at different stages, some babies develop their gross motor skills quicker than their fine motor skills and vice versa. It is important not to worry but to know how to best encourage development in your child and when to seek help if your child is struggling to meet the expected milestones.

As previously discussed, tummy time begins early and gets your baby’s muscles strong, ready to roll and sit.

Around 3-4 months your baby will enjoy being sat upright on your lap, fully supported. They may now have strong head and neck muscles to hold their head steady. Encourage reading a story whilst your baby is on your lap.

Around 6 months your baby may be able to sit on the floor using their hands to support them. They may still need soft pillows around or to be placed inside your legs to help support their sitting. Remember that time on the floor is so important to provide babies time to learn these new skills. Putting a baby in a stroller or a chair frequently will slow their development.

Around 8 months your baby may be able to sit independently without relying on their hands or soft support. Initially this may be just for a short time but soon and perhaps not until nine months your baby will be able to sit for several minutes as they master new balancing skills and build stronger muscles.

Remember that babies often need encouragement to stay in positions that require strength and balance. Exciting, colourful and noisy toys can help. Also making noises to encourage your child to look up at you and practice using their head and neck muscles is good for overall development.

Always remember to proof your house once your baby is confidently sitting and rolling and supervise your child at all times.

Sources: Ages and Stages/ CDC

Resource: For activities please refer to Ages and Stages http://archive.brookespublishing.com/documents/asq-activities.pdf

Author: Abigail Laurie Registered Midwife and Registered Specialist Public Health Nurse, United Kingdom.