When your baby accomplishes a new milestone, it’s something the whole family enjoys.  Whether they can hold their own bottle, smile, laugh or roll over, we get a kick out of their new actions.

When your baby rolls over, it’s probably one of the most exciting things you’ll witness.  They struggle for weeks even months to finally do it for the first time.  They get all the momentum built up so they can flip from the belly to the back or vise versa, but go right back to the same position.  Then, finally, they will roll over for the first time!  This may lead to to the common question all parents have:

When Do Babies Roll Over?

A baby can roll over as early as 3 months or as late as 6 months.  This is usually mastered by 6 months, meaning they can roll both belly to back and back to belly.  But, of course it varies from baby to baby.  If your baby isn’t rolling over by 6 months don’t panic.  It will probably be coming very soon.  Although, if your baby isn’t even interested in trying, you may want to talk to their pediatrician at their six month appointment.

Make sure that when your baby does start rolling over, you put them in a play pen type area to avoid hitting sharp corners or from rolling onto hard surfaces.  You should also have a baby gate up, and have your home baby proofed.

How can I encourage my baby to roll over?

Babies usually roll over on their own, and when they’re ready, but it definitely doesn’t hurt to try a few tricks.  I got my son to roll over the first time by letting him roll over from his belly to his back.  I placed all his favorite toys to his side.  Try both sides when you put the toys near them, you will find that your baby may favor rolling to one side more than the other.  Lay on the floor with them, talk to them, get them excited and of course encourage your baby to roll over by rolling them over yourself.  Do this a couple times each day.  Roll them in both directions and definitely put their toys out to their side!

If you have more questions about when your baby will master a certain milestone, here are some great baby milestone books to consider!  I have the book “The Wonder Years”, and it’s a great resource to finding out the answers to my questions!