Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

I've never heard of teaching babies to roll. You might give them incentives to roll, like putting a toy just out of reach, or putting them on their tummies or something, but they roll when they're developmentally ready to roll.

Plus, it sounds like these babies CAN roll over, they just don't do it very often. My baby was like this--she could roll, but she almost never did. It's not a very efficient way to move around, really, so I kind of understood her point.

I'm the first PP and this was kind of my point Babies roll/sit/crawl/walk/talk when they are ready. I have seen SOME evidence that a baby who is reluctant to crawl should be taught (basically just manipulating their arms and legs to help them feel how they need to coordinate their muscles) but even that research is sketchy at best and I would never criticize a parent for letting their child develop in their own time (even if it means skipping the crawling stage).

OP, your charges have rolled over. They are physically capable of it. They are also still only 4 months old - depending on SO MANY FACTORS beyond our control they might start rolling over and over and over tomorrow, in two months, or never again because really, what's the point? If their pediatrician thinks something needs to be done, he or she is the one who should explain how/what/why because ANYONE who has had a baby or who has worked with babies knows that (if they are otherwise developing normally) these things don't need to be taught and will happen when that particular child is ready. Period.

Just an FYI- Crawling is not a neccesary developmental milestone. There are many babies who never crawl and it's fine as long as they figure out some way to get around.

Who told you that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

I've never heard of teaching babies to roll. You might give them incentives to roll, like putting a toy just out of reach, or putting them on their tummies or something, but they roll when they're developmentally ready to roll.

Plus, it sounds like these babies CAN roll over, they just don't do it very often. My baby was like this--she could roll, but she almost never did. It's not a very efficient way to move around, really, so I kind of understood her point.

I'm the first PP and this was kind of my point Babies roll/sit/crawl/walk/talk when they are ready. I have seen SOME evidence that a baby who is reluctant to crawl should be taught (basically just manipulating their arms and legs to help them feel how they need to coordinate their muscles) but even that research is sketchy at best and I would never criticize a parent for letting their child develop in their own time (even if it means skipping the crawling stage).

OP, your charges have rolled over. They are physically capable of it. They are also still only 4 months old - depending on SO MANY FACTORS beyond our control they might start rolling over and over and over tomorrow, in two months, or never again because really, what's the point? If their pediatrician thinks something needs to be done, he or she is the one who should explain how/what/why because ANYONE who has had a baby or who has worked with babies knows that (if they are otherwise developing normally) these things don't need to be taught and will happen when that particular child is ready. Period.

Just an FYI- Crawling is not a neccesary developmental milestone. There are many babies who never crawl and it's fine as long as they figure out some way to get around.

Did you google Magda Gerber?

She wants my opinion and trusts what I tell her. I also informed her I would speak with other nannies so I had other opinions to back mine up. If her and the pedi are dead set on teaching them I will follow their instructions but would need to know how the pedi wants it done.

I had a baby who never rolled until 11 months!! He is perfectly fine, just a bit of a slow bloomer when it comes to gross motor skills and not super motivated to move around the way some other kids are. The biggest problem with this was that he did not sleep through the night until he started rolling onto his tummy where he was more comfy, so it was long first year!

I did find one video online that showed how to help a baby roll by pushing one leg to the opposite side. But it did not do anything to help my lazy LO roll!

But as a nanny, I don't think it is your role to offer medical advice to your MB. Sounds like she is the anxious type. The best thing you can do is be calm and supportive and help focus her on the positives. Tell her every day how well the babies are doing, how cute they are, etc! If she brings up her concerns directly then you can tell her that the babies seem fine compared to other babies you have worked with.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the responses and reassuring me that I do know what I'm doing and the babies are fine not constantly rolling. I'll talk to mb Monday and let her know that I don't know how to teach a baby to, and it's not like teaching them to walk. If she can get information from the pedi on how to teach them then I will do waft they say.

14 years ago I had a baby that never rolled, even at 2 she wouldn't roll down the hill with the other kids. She walked by 9 months nobody was ever concerned. Her mom was an er attending at a children's hospital.

Current mb is paranoid that they don't roll and then the doctor didn't help.

To poster that said they wouldn't be making a 10lb baby roll. What are your reasons for that?

I am not part of the "sooner is better" culture. Unless there's a disability, I do not interfere with a baby's natural development.
You can google Magda Gerber about this.

Thanks for all the responses and reassuring me that I do know what I'm doing and the babies are fine not constantly rolling. I'll talk to mb Monday and let her know that I don't know how to teach a baby to, and it's not like teaching them to walk. If she can get information from the pedi on how to teach them then I will do waft they say.

14 years ago I had a baby that never rolled, even at 2 she wouldn't roll down the hill with the other kids. She walked by 9 months nobody was ever concerned. Her mom was an er attending at a children's hospital.

Current mb is paranoid that they don't roll and then the doctor didn't help.

To poster that said they wouldn't be making a 10lb baby roll. What are your reasons for that?

I think the blanket thing that your friend mentioned is more for children who are uncomfortable with the process of rolling over. Some babies can roll over but get scared at the sudden shift.

In your case, I would definitely ask the mother to clarify with the pediatrician exactly what the protocol is. In the meantime, I would just encourage them to roll over by placing interesting or alluring objects just out of reach.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

I've never heard of teaching babies to roll. You might give them incentives to roll, like putting a toy just out of reach, or putting them on their tummies or something, but they roll when they're developmentally ready to roll.

Plus, it sounds like these babies CAN roll over, they just don't do it very often. My baby was like this--she could roll, but she almost never did. It's not a very efficient way to move around, really, so I kind of understood her point.

I'm the first PP and this was kind of my point Babies roll/sit/crawl/walk/talk when they are ready. I have seen SOME evidence that a baby who is reluctant to crawl should be taught (basically just manipulating their arms and legs to help them feel how they need to coordinate their muscles) but even that research is sketchy at best and I would never criticize a parent for letting their child develop in their own time (even if it means skipping the crawling stage).

OP, your charges have rolled over. They are physically capable of it. They are also still only 4 months old - depending on SO MANY FACTORS beyond our control they might start rolling over and over and over tomorrow, in two months, or never again because really, what's the point? If their pediatrician thinks something needs to be done, he or she is the one who should explain how/what/why because ANYONE who has had a baby or who has worked with babies knows that (if they are otherwise developing normally) these things don't need to be taught and will happen when that particular child is ready. Period.

I would not be trying to make a 10 pound baby roll.
That's plain nuts. Mom needs a better doctor.

Anonymous wrote:Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

I've never heard of teaching babies to roll. You might give them incentives to roll, like putting a toy just out of reach, or putting them on their tummies or something, but they roll when they're developmentally ready to roll.

Plus, it sounds like these babies CAN roll over, they just don't do it very often. My baby was like this--she could roll, but she almost never did. It's not a very efficient way to move around, really, so I kind of understood her point.

Anonymous wrote:Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

+1--if ped said you need to teach them, s/he should have explained HOW!

My charge has been a bit "late" in doing everything--rolling over, crawling, standing up, walking. However, he was noticeably developing new skills every week or even every day, and once he really started doing something he got very good at it faster than other babies I've known, so we've never truly worried that he was delayed.

I was very tempted at times to help him but figured that if he wasn't doing something yet, it might be because he wasn't quite strong enough, and forcing the issue could strain or injure his neck, back, knees, ankles, etc. I trust in evolution! Babies do stuff when they're ready, and taking an extra few weeks will not make a difference a few months from now.

Anyhoo, my charge would roll about 3/4 of the way from back to tummy, get his arm stuck under him, get pissed off, wiggle his whole body a bit then drop his face onto the floor and scream. I thought his "problem" was the stuck arm. But Mom watched a bunch of videos of babies rolling over and said that the "successful" babies lifted their heads. Then their arms would sort of pop right out.

After she told me this, I would sometimes shake a toy or rattle slightly above his forehead right when he rolled over, trying to get him to look up before he got frustrated and started crying. I don't think it made much difference but it was fun to cheer him on.

He REALLY hated tummy-time, though. He'd only tolerate it for about 5 seconds unless I draped him over my legs or a big pillow...even with that it took WEEKS to work up to 1 or 2 minutes!

If they've already rolled over a few times, they could suddenly start doing it 20 times a day tomorrow or 2 months from now. Unless they're very frustrated with not being to reach for toys & stuff, or they're applying for a job where not being able to roll over is a deal-breaker, I don't know if rushing them is really going to accomplish anything.

I work with a lot of infant multiples.

Some do it a few times and then never again and some (& actually my current set) won't stop rolling (front to back back to front front to all around to the front and same with the back to back).

As long as they did it a few times I never (& the parents never) were concerned. All my charges crawled, walked and talked early - and super early for multiples.

Mom needs to call the pediatrician and ask how s/he recommends "teaching babies to roll over."

I work with 4 month (18 weeks) old twins and their pediatrician said we need to teach them how to roll.
I've worked with 8 infants in the past, but they rolled on their own.

Twin A is 11lbs 10ozs, twin B is 10lbs 6ozs. They both have rolled tummy to back Twin A has done it 2 times and twin B 3 times, twin A rolled back to tummy once. They get a ton of tummy and floor time. They have great head/neck control and great trunk control. Both can sit unassisted for about 2 minutes and have been doing so for 3 weeks.

A friend of mb said to lay them in the middle of a blanket, hold onto one end and pick it up and roll them over. Mb and I can't see how this would teach them.

So if anyone has any tips on how to teach them it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance