Is my baby's motor development appropriate?

This is one of the most common questions that parents may have when watching their baby develop at a rapid pace. The baby's movements change so quickly that we are often not prepared for new things and strange situations.

In this article, we will explore the topic to help you understand the generally accepted developmental stages. We will mention some situations that indicate problems and explain why it is so important to ensure your baby's free movement without neglecting appropriate physical and communicative contact with him.

Babies' motor development varies

Why is it that we worry so much about our baby's movements? Perhaps it's because the stages of the process are divided into time intervals determined by professionals, and we anxiously watch to see if our child is late somewhere or lingers too long somewhere else.

Lack of information may be another reason. People are uncertain about things they don't know enough about, especially when it comes to their child's health.

All concerns are completely natural, and it is also a good idea to mention any movements that we consider suspicious or abnormal to our pediatrician during the baby consultation. If he or she sees anything, we can be sure that he or she will refer us to the appropriate specialist – a pediatric physiotherapist, a pediatric neurologist, or an orthopedic specialist.

The optimal motor development scales may show differences. Since the only factor in an infant's movement is not when the latest major movement occurs, but also the daily quantity and quality of movements must be taken into account - the latter being the responsibility of a specialist - therefore, cases that deviate from normal motor development should definitely be clarified with a doctor.

What are the stages of baby's motor development month by month? 

In the first month, the baby turns its head while lying on its stomach. This movement becomes more powerful in the second month, so it can hold its head up for a while. It kicks its legs asymmetrically.

At 3 months old, your baby can support himself on his forearms while lying on his stomach, lifting his head and chest to support himself. He also makes progress when lying on his back, as he kicks symmetrically with his arms and kicks asymmetrically with his legs.

Sometimes you can see him reaching for toys with his hands, but he only hits them, not grabs them.

At 4 months, he can hold his head steady when lying on his stomach, lean on his palm or fist and look around. He can already grasp objects held in front of him and pass them from one hand to the other.

He develops quickly, reaching for and holding toys by himself at 5 months of age. He can roll over from tummy to back and back to tummy.

In the 6th month, lying on the stomach plays an important role, as in this position, the baby rotates around its own axis, supports itself with its entire palm, and this is where the first attempts at crawling begin.

At 7 months old, he is already crawling skillfully and even pushing himself onto all fours. 

At 8 months, they try to reach the toys they have chosen with their first climbing movements, but the more routine of crawling still remains. They sit up from a hand-and-hand position.

 By the 9th month, they also gain speed, as they are already climbing quickly. In fact, they are not content with the ground, they pull themselves up into a standing position from time to time. At 10 months, they can stand up while holding on and holding themselves up, and they can even stand for a little while. The 11-month-old baby can already walk sideways while holding on, and at 12 months, he can stand and squat independently for a few moments.

 The first independent steps begin then, sometime in the 13th month, and independent walking begins from the 14th month.

 (Source: Trappsifüles )

What individual influencing factors can we encounter?

Parents of two or more children may find that each child has a different personality and temperament. Their interests and, accordingly, their motivation for movement are different. There are bold and cautious babies, persistent ones and those who deviate from their goals more quickly.

Your little one's body shape and muscle tone are also different. They may have a more agile build, or a more relaxed, harder, or looser muscle tone.

Not the least important aspect is where your little one spends the majority of their time. Is he often held, in a carrier, stroller, or on the floor as much as possible, in a crib? What is the hardness of the surface?

(Source: Teddy Bear Clinic )

Is your baby holding you too much?

One of the foundations of a child's healthy psychological development is the early bond that develops between the baby and its mother and father. The baby has innate physical and emotional needs, which can be fulfilled during daily interactions. What are these effects? Communication, care, nurturing, physical contact.

That's why finding a balance between the two extremes is the right way to go. When the baby gets the closeness he needs, but is also given enough freedom to move around in his crib or on the floor so that his movement, muscles and nervous system can develop properly.

(Source: Trauma Center )

Some common differences that we can also notice 

Although it can be difficult to recognize our child's movement problems, it is still worth reading about them because it will be easier to remember and help us in a timely manner.

From 1 to 5 months of age:

• The baby is unable to suckle adequately after birth.
• When held after birth, it seems as if he is holding his head, even though he is not yet able to do this, his muscles are just tense.
• The baby does not lift his head.
• He can only turn his head to one side.
• He doesn't use his hands for support, the support is too wide.
• It only turns over starting from one side.

From 6 months of age:

• It doesn't crawl.
• Crawls irregularly (right arm-left leg, left arm-right leg moving at the same time) – this is not always a problem.
• Climbing is out of the question.
• Ankle sprains, toe claws, standing on tiptoes, putting weight on one leg – as long as they don't change over time.

(Source: Trappsifüles )

How can we help the baby move freely?

Free movement means a situation that the baby can independently assume and carry through, without obstacles. Movement development is a self-operating program.

Let him move! How much time does our baby spend each day in situations where he is restricted? Think about breastfeeding, being held, being strapped into a stroller, or a car seat. Does he get enough opportunities to move independently?

The surface should not be soft under him, because then he cannot lean on it and cannot feel the stable ground beneath him. Since he develops with experience, he receives false feedback that he cannot generate adequate force on the ground, cannot carry out his movements effectively. And when he gets to hard ground, these bodily experiences will cause him a series of disappointments.

If your baby's clothes are tight on their body, they will start many movements but not finish them because they encounter obstacles. When shopping, we would never think that there are so many baby clothes that look very attractive but are unsuitable for use.

The body-hugging cut and extremely flexible bamboo fiber material of LiaaBébé's baby leggings and bottoms give your little one the greatest possible freedom of movement, which is not only important when crawling and climbing, but also makes dressing them easy.

We rarely hang toys above the baby, as this limits the little one's attention by narrowing the space around them. Playmats have a similar effect, and it should also be mentioned that the child rarely reaches toys hanging from above. Even if he does reach them, he cannot pull them closer to him. Therefore, it is good to place some interesting, colorful baby toys around the little one.

Choose a position for your child that he can already assume independently. In this situation, his movement is completely unhindered according to his free will. However, if we put him in a position that he cannot yet get into on his own, we are limiting his actions.

Since the child's movement is constantly monitored by our health visitor and pediatrician, any deviations are quickly detected and can usually be effectively corrected with appropriate development, exercise, and massage.