Learning About Helping Your Baby With Sitting Balance

As babies grow and develop, they learn how to sit and balance on their own. Practicing helps them build the motor skills and strength for stable sitting. You can help your baby if they haven't been able to get into this position by the time they're 6 or 7 months old.

Learning to sit up starts way before your baby ever sits down without support. It may start with your baby beginning to raise their chest and gain more control. They may push up onto their elbows during tummy time and hold their head steady without support. This happens at around 4 months old.

At around 6 months old, your baby will begin to explore some new patterns. Your baby may lean forward with their arms extended for balance into a sort of tripod position.

Closer to 9 months old, your baby may start getting into a sitting position on their own. They may start sitting without support.

Helping your baby with sitting balance can help them learn how to move and control their body. It can help them get stronger. Having strong muscles in the back and core can help your baby align their head with the rest of their body. And this can help with balance. Your baby must also learn to sit without support before they learn to eat solid foods.

You can start helping your baby with sitting balance when they're about 3 or 4 months old. Give them lots of practice in different positions. Reduce support a little bit at a time as they get stronger.

Here are some tips to help improve your baby's sitting balance.

• Start with tummy time. Set your baby on their belly and place a toy just out of reach. Let them reach, bend, and push up on their own. This helps build strength for sitting.
• Sit your baby with support. Try holding them around the ribcage and belly while they explore. Use toys and let them practice reaching. This helps with balance.
• Help pull them into a sitting position. Lay your baby on their back. Hold their hands and help them do a sit-up. Let them fold at the hips to sit completely upright. This helps with neck strength and control.

• Sit your baby with less support. Try holding them lower down—around the waist or pelvis. Try it as soon as they have good head control. This gives them more of their body to practice stacking toys and balancing.
• Help your baby move into a sitting position. Lay your baby on their back. Hold your baby's right hand and hold their left leg down gently with your left hand. Hold the left leg down while gently pulling their right hand up. They should start to roll from lying to sitting. Go slow so that your baby can do it too.

Here are some ways to keep your baby safe while they practice sitting balance.

• Keep eyes on your baby.
• Use pillows or cushions around your baby when they're learning.
• Keep the area clear of hard objects or sharp edges.