Six Month Old Not Rolling Over

[greenbeanmama]

Okay, I know it's not a majorly huge deal yet, but my daughter will be six months next week, and I am dreading the well-baby check up because the first question they'll ask is "Is she rolling over?" And she's not. At all. She's not even trying. On her back, she's content to lay there and watch the ceiling fan or her older brother or the dog. On her tummy she lifts her head, gets frustrated, and just puts her head back down and fusses till I flip her over. Or else she screams. But there is absolutely no way I can even say she's close to rolling over.

We did just discover that she has crossed eyes and is extremely farsighted. We know she can see, but not well. She'll be getting glasses in a few months. The opthamologist said that eye problems wouldn't be causing developmental delays, but would not being able to see much mean that she might not be realizing there is a great big world out there to roll into? She reaches for toys, so I guess she has to see well enough to do that, but...I don't know. I know each baby is different, but her older brother was siting up on his own way before now. I guess I just want to make sure that this is still in the "normal" range for development. It is, isn't it?

[slimkins]

My son is 6 and a half months and he isn't rolling over yet either. He has done both before but only on occasion. My doctor didn't even really ask about it. I told him, but he didn't think it was really a big deal. I just blame it on my boy being a very "healthy" weight. Hope that helps.

[Theia]

My 2yo DD didn't roll over back to front until she was 9mo. She did front to back a couple of months before that, like at maybe 7mo. At the WBV, this is only one of the things they look for. My ped. didn't seem bothered by it at the 6m WBV, and by 12m she had graduated.

[PrincessAnika]

dd is 7 1/2 mos....she CAN roll tummy to back...has rolled back to tummy once or twice....and just flat out refuses to do it if she can avoid it at all. she prefers mommy holding her to being on her stomach (and screams her displeasure at being put that way) and would rather stand than sit right now, though sitting is preferred to laying on tummy. i wouldn't worry too much unless you are seeing lots of other things throwing warning flags.

[kirstenb]

DS1 never really rolled over consistently until he was crawling at 7.5 months. He had done it on occasion before but it never really interested him.

[octobermoon]

FWIW Dr. Sears says rolling over isn't as much a milestone as it is a personality choice in the baby. He says active babes will roll before more mellow ones typically.

[Abraisme]

It's totally normal (at least in my family). My DS didn't roll (back to belly) until about 7mo, my DD (currently 7mo) has only rolled over MAYBE once, my nephew didn't start rolling until 8mo.. So long as she's working on other things, it's fine, each kid has their own time-line.

My DD (7mo) started sitting up early at 4mo. I strongly feel that she doesn't roll because she's never had the time to practice. Now, she'd rather sit and do other things. She just doesn't care to be lying down. Some kids are movers, some are talkers, some are quiet observers..

Also, I am extemely far-sighted and cross-eyed. I have had glasses since I was 18mo. Everyone around me is pretty darn sure that IT DID EFFECT MY MILESTONES. I didn't use my legs to support myself until after 12mo and I didn't walk until 15mo. Everyone thought that something was wrong with my legs, when the issue really was sight. I see double without my glasses on (I can control it now as an adult), which I image would make it difficult to maneuver the world as a tiny baby. Without my glasses on I have no depth perception, which can make it hard to determine distance. Anyway, that's just my person experience.. Good luck!

[marge234]

If you're worried you, you could get your LO checked out. I wasn't in your exact boat but my ped blew off my concern about our LO not reaching at 4 months. Per my midwife's advice, we went to our hospital's early intervention clinic for an assessment. The doc & PT there said he has some weaknesses and prescribed PT to help him. We've been doing that and he's caught up.

Also, I found this questionnaire--someone here on MDC shared it on another thread--helpful.

http://www.asqoregon.com/

[NEastMomma]

This is totally normal! My DS is 7 month and is not rolling from back to belly. He can roll from belly to back, but even that seems accidental.

At his well-baby checkup last month (when he was a bit over 6mos), my ped wasn't bothered AT ALL. He just teasingly said it was b/c DS is "beefy."

Also, out of 10 babies in my mommy-baby class (all of whom are 6/7mo), only 2 roll both ways. Finally, I heard that this is not such a big milestone anymore b/c we no longer put babies to sleep on their bellies.

[kismetbaby]

My DS is 5.5 months old and doesn't seem interesting in the least! But he's also 20lbs already, so that's a lot of mass to move around. The other babes I know that are his age are rolling, but I'm not too worried about it. . .he is super interested in the world and would just rather be standing all the time. He is even starting to sit unassisted for half a minute at a time or so before he keels over.

So I wouldn't be worried, if I were you, as long as you feel your LO is healthy and active in other ways. Sounds like it could possibly be related to her sight problem. . .but I'd guess she just has better things to be dong with her energy (like my guy) than rolling!

[MeepyCat]

I agree with PP - totally normal! My DD is about the same age as yours, not rolling at all, and the pediatrician theorizes that it's because she's mellow, or because her head is kind of big, proportionately.

Keep in mind that those milestones are averages, and some perfectly normal kids will be far ahead while others are far behind.

[greenbeanmama]

Thank you, mamas! It helps to know that I'm just overreacting a little. Like a few of your little ones, she's no peanut (20 pounds by five months!), and she does have a rather content personality. I'm not super happy about our well-baby checks, as this is the same provider who told me to not worry about her eyes at all, and that if there were a problem at all they won't do anything until she's over a year old. Goodness! I seem more concerned and worried this time around than I did as a first-time mom!