Is Your Infant Not Rolling Over?
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Hello, proactive parents! I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, a pediatric physical therapist, and today I'm thrilled to share with you some valuable insights into helping your little one master the art of rolling both back to belly AND belly to back. This fundamental skill is not only exciting to witness but also crucial for your baby's physical development. Let's dive into how you can support your baby in learning to roll, breaking down this complex movement into manageable, understandable parts. For the most comprehensive information, make sure to watch the youtube video linked below!
Understanding the Basics of Rolling
Rolling is a significant milestone in your baby's development. It's the first real movement that shows your baby is starting to interact with their environment in a new and dynamic way.
Rolling involves being able to move the upper part of the body separately from the lower part, a skill necessary for many future movements, including walking.
Think of it like when you are lying on the ground and you bring your knees to one side, while keeping both your shoulders on the ground – you are moving your bottom half of your body BUT NOT the top half of the body.
If there is tightness anywhere along the way, you may not be able to bring your knees all the way to the ground while simultaneously keep your shoulders on the ground. It could also be different side to side. This is the same in babies and can keep them from being able to roll in all four directions.
Why Rolling Matters
Rolling is not just about moving from back to belly and vice versa; it's about ensuring your baby can do so in all four directions:
Back to belly to the right
Back to belly to the left
Belly to back to the right
Belly to back to the left
This symmetry in movement is crucial for developing balanced muscle strength and coordination. Asymmetries in rolling could lead to challenges with more complex skills down the line, such as crawling and walking.
Often babies who struggle with rolling or only do so in one direction (back to belly to left / belly to back to right and vice versa), are more at risk for developing non-optimal crawling patterns:
Belly crawling > 2 months
Booty scooting
Hitch crawling
Breaking Down the Roll
To understand how to help your baby roll, let's break it down into simpler components. Remember, this movement involves coordinating the upper and lower halves of the body, each playing a distinct role in the process. The video linked below will give you the most comprehensive understanding of how to help your baby roll in all four directions.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:30 Breaking Down Rolling
2:04 Rolling using your own body to learn
6:24 Rolling with your baby using model “baby eric”
10:43 How rolling affects walking
TOY IDEAS:
Best Toys for Babies Learning to Roll
Best Toys for Babies
PT Approved Equipment/Containers for Babies
Tummy Time Toys
Step-by-Step Guide to Rolling
Start on the Ground: Begin by lying on the ground to mimic the movements yourself. This will give you a firsthand understanding of the mechanics involved. It will also help you better understand what part of the process your baby might be getting stuck at.
Position the Arms: Ensure one arm is up and out of the way to prevent it from getting trapped underneath the body during the roll.
Initiate the Roll: Bend the opposite knee (to the side you're rolling towards) and bring it across your body. This movement starts the rotation of the pelvis, a key component in rolling.
Upper Body Coordination: As the lower body initiates the roll, the upper body needs to follow. This involves rotating the trunk and using the arms to assist in completing the roll. The arm opposite of the direction you’re rolling needs to come across the body toward the raised arm.
Repeat in Both Directions: Practice rolling to both the right and left sides to promote balanced muscle development.
Practical Tips for Helping Your Baby Roll
When working with your baby on rolling, the goal is to facilitate movement without forcing it. Here are some strategies to encourage rolling:
Pre-Positioning: Gently position your baby's arms and legs to prepare them for rolling.
Encourage Movement: Use toys or visual cues to encourage your baby to turn their head and follow with their body. Bringing toys toward the hand or making the toy make noise so that they are looking toward the direction of the roll can help them stay engaged.
Guide Gently: Provide gentle guidance at the pelvis or shoulders to help initiate the roll.
Promote Symmetry: Work on rolling in both directions to ensure balanced development.
The Connection Between Rolling and Walking
You might wonder how rolling is related to walking. The ability to disassociate the upper and lower parts of the body, as practiced in rolling, is foundational for walking. The pelvis's rotation during rolling mirrors the pelvic motion needed for walking.
When we are standing still, our pelvis is able to be still as well. When we go to walk forward, as our leg moves forward our pelvis tilts backwards as well as forward to a small degree.
The best way to visualize this is to place both of your hands on your pelvis and notice if one hand moves forward as your leg moves forward, then as you bring the other leg to pass that side of the pelvis will move forward, kind of like a forward/backward teeter totter.
The same happens when babies are rolling, except instead of being upright they are lying on their sides. If a baby struggles with rotating their pelvis while lying on the ground (easier) they will be at risk of struggling to complete against gravity in standing (harder).
Ensuring your baby masters rolling on both sides can facilitate the development of walking skills by promoting mobility, strength, and coordination.
Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development.
Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally which can be scheduled by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not rolling in all four directions by six months (back to belly over their right arm AND left arm + belly to back over their right arm AND left arm).
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Many Pediatric Physical Therapists including Dr. Baker, can successfully treat flat spots (Plagiocephaly) without a helmet with a combination of therapy and positioning strategies if seen prior to 4 months (0-3 months is ideal). Dr. Baker uses the Baby Begin Method of repositioning.
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Final Thoughts
As a pediatric physical therapist, I cannot stress enough the importance of early motor skills development. Rolling is a fundamental milestone that sets the stage for future movements.
By understanding the mechanics of rolling and actively supporting your baby through this phase, you're not only fostering physical development but also nurturing their confidence in exploring the world around them.
Thank you for joining me on this journey to help your baby master the art of rolling. Remember, every baby is unique, and they will reach milestones at their own pace. Celebrate the small victories, and enjoy this special time with your little one.
If you found this guide helpful, please consider subscribing to my channel for more insights into your baby's development. Let's help our little ones grow strong, balanced, and ready for their next big adventure!
Total Motion Release for Babies: Relieve Infant Tension to Improve Motor Milestones
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Hello there! I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, a pediatric physical therapist. Through this blog, I'm excited to share with you an effective technique known as Total Motion Release (TMR) that I've found incredibly beneficial for babies. My aim is to guide proactive parents like you in helping your little ones release tension and move with ease. Consider me your physical therapy bestie helping you help your babies move well.
What is Total Motion Release (TMR)?
Total Motion Release is a concept that is based in osteopathic medicine called the modified strain counterstrain principle. In simpler terms, it's about shortening a muscle to help it relax, thereby gaining range of motion in the opposite direction.
This technique is gentler than traditional stretching methods, which involve lengthening the muscle, creating that resistance you feel in your muscles when you stretch. In TMR, we do the opposite - we shorten the muscle, which is especially effective for babies due to its gentle nature.
Traditional stretching sometimes is less effective in infants, because when they feel the resistance of a tight muscles being “stretched” or “lengthened,” they may interpret that as dangerous and instead of relaxing, they can tense up.
Modified strain counterstain principles such as total motion release, use a positional release construct where you ONLY shorten the muscle, going into the easy direction or side, which allows the babies to continue to say calm and relaxed, since they are not feeling that resistance.
It sounds counter-intuitive but truthfully, it often achieves amazing and often quick results.
Why TMR for Babies?
Gentleness: It's far gentler compared to stretching, making it ideal for infants.
Effectiveness: It achieves the same goal of increased range of motion but in a more comfortable way for the baby.
Upper and Lower Trunk Rotation in TMR
In today's post, we'll focus on the upper and lower trunk rotation aspects of TMR. Babies bodies need to be able to twist in opposite directions equally. Their upper half of their body needs to go to the right, while their lower half of their body goes to the left easily as well as the opposite of those directions.
Think of wringing out a wet towel, you twist your right hand and left hand in opposite directions to squeeze out the water. Babies' bodies need to be able to twist like that in order to achieve their milestones such as rolling over (both directions) and getting into all fours to crawl.
Before You Start
Professional Evaluation: Ensure your baby is evaluated by a licensed therapist (physiotherapist or physical therapist) trained in TMR before trying these techniques. Total Motion Release for babies taught by Susan Blum, utilizes multiple principles. This video covers one simple positional release technique and should not be confused with Total Motion Release as a treatment option. To find a therapist trained in total motion release, please search here.
Direction of Ease: Your therapist will guide you on the correct direction of rotation for your baby. For positional release techniques using the TMR principles, you will ONLY hold the direction of ease.
The Techniques: watch the video down below to ensure that you are doing it correctly and to learn even more in detailed why this technique works well for infants.
Upper Trunk / Lower Trunk TMR Technique
Positioning: One hand supports under the baby's arms around their chest, and the other hand goes through the baby's legs with your hand being placed on their buttocks that is the same side as the arm you are using (if your right arm is around their chest, you will rest your hand on their right buttocks/pelvis and vice versa) .
Rotation: Gently rotate the baby's upper and lower trunk in the direction of ease by bringing the elbow of the arm that is through the legs backwards and holding their trunk steady against your chest. Only complete to the level of resistance and not past.
Duration: Spend 1-3 minutes in this position, depending on the baby’s tolerance and then follow up with 30 seconds to 1 minute of bouncing to “lock in” the newly gained motion.
TIMESTAMPS:
1:03 what is total motion release (TMR)
2:53 why the total motion release technique for babies is ideal for increasing range of motion
4:29 what not to do when using total motion release techniques for babies
5:09 what to do if a baby switches directions
5:37 RR upper trunk / LR lower trunk total motion release technique
7:13 LR upper trunk / RR lower trunk total motion release technique
8:17 safety tips and explanation of tmr upper twist lower twist technique
10:03 additional tips for upper twist lower twist TMR tots release technique
TOY IDEAS:
What Not to Do
Avoid Both Sides: Don’t work on both sides as you would in stretching. Stick to the direction of ease as advised by your therapist. If you do both sides, it isn’t as effective and instead of completing a positional release using TMR principles, you would be completing traditional stretching.
Handling: Always handle the baby gently, focusing on the pelvis and lower back, not the hip joints.
Additional Tips
Movement: Feel free to gently bounce or move around during the technique. I often bring them toward a window or walk around with them in my arms throughout the house.
Observation: Watch for the baby's cues. If they show discomfort, ease off. Never hold a baby in a position if they are trying to kick out of it, always allow them to move out of the position and then once they are calm, re-attempt.
Frequency: Aim for a 2-minute session followed by 30 seconds of gentle bouncing.
Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development.
Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally which can be scheduled by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not rolling in all four directions by six months (back to belly over their right arm AND left arm + belly to back over their right arm AND left arm).
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Many Pediatric Physical Therapists including Dr. Baker, can successfully treat flat spots (Plagiocephaly) without a helmet with a combination of therapy and positioning strategies if seen prior to 4 months (0-3 months is ideal). Dr. Baker uses the Baby Begin Method of repositioning.
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, show signs of Torticollis (tilt/rotation preference) or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Final Thoughts
I hope this guide helps you understand and apply the Total Motion Release technique for your little one. It's essential to always prioritize gentleness and follow the guidance of a trained professional. If you have questions or want to learn more about pediatric mobility, feel free to reach out or schedule a consultation with me.
Remember, every baby's journey is unique, and your proactive approach in understanding and aiding their movement is invaluable. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on various stages of your baby's movement development – crawling, walking, rolling, and more!
Look down below for more resources on rolling or click on the blog post page if your baby is working on a different milestone such as crawling.
And that's it, friends! If you find this helpful, let me know in the comments of the youtube video. I love interacting with parents committed to their children's well-being. Here's to a journey of gentle, effective proactive play for your little ones! 🌟
Walking
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Curious About Learning More on How To Teach Babies To Walk Without Support?
The absolute best resource for parents on helping their babies learn to walk with and without support is the free online course: Learning to Walk by Dr. Baker.
To gain immediate access to the online course, click the link above, submit your information, and the online course instructions will be emailed to you directly.
The free online video course is designed to help parents fully understand how to help their children walk with and without support and trouble shoot what building block of walking the child might not have mastered yet.
It comes with video examples of exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and information on when to reach out for additional help.
This online course was created by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones.
She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from 9-18 months (getting in/out of standing, cruising/walking with support to independent walking).
This online course breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for walking and it also covers a checklist to make sure babies have mastered crawling (otherwise, this could be a reason why walking is still a struggle!)
It also covers what areas might limit a child with walking, how to get in/out of standing, how to walk with and without support, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This online course can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 9-18 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with getting in/out of standing or walking with/without support
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master walking independently
8 Online Course Modules
Building Blocks of Walking
Walking Checklists + Shoe Guides
Getting Into Standing
Cruising and Walking With/Without Support
Strength Exercises
Mobility Exercises
Walking Specific Play Exercises
Next Steps: How to Prep for Jumping & Climbing
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your baby’s ability to pull into standing, cruise (walking while holding onto furniture), or walking independently without support, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should A Child Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not walking on their own without support by 18 months. Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy recommend if a child is not walking on their own by 16 months.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day. Flat spots can only be treated up until 18 months and success decreases after the age of 12 months.
Jumping
Approximately 6 months after walking independently, children will begin showing signs of attempting to jump on their own.
Once a child is 2-2.5 years old, they are typically able to jump forward 4-23 inches.
If a child is 2.5 years old and have been walking for > 6 months and they are not yet showing signs of jumping (up, down, and forward), there may be strength, power, or coordination skills that they need help acquiring.
One of my favorite ways to work on building lower leg strength and endurance is the toddler squat which can be done supported or having them do it on their own.
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your child’s ability to jump up, down, or forward with/without support, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your child moving and more confident in their coordination.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
When Should A Child Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in children who are showing significant signs of struggle with jumping at 2.5 years, are not jumping forward 4 inches by 3 years, not jumping down from a 12 inch height and landing with both feet at the same time by 3 years, or not jumping 1-2 inches off the ground by 3 years.
Stairs
Climbing skills begin as babies, when they crawl over objects on the floor and get on/off of elevated surfaces such as play equipment or a couch/chair.
Babies who skip crawling are at risk for having difficulty with climbing up and down stairs as they did not have the hip, leg, and core strengthening opportunities of their crawling peers.
Children who always lead with one foot when going up the stairs and with the other foot when going down stairs are potentially showing signs that one side of their body is stronger or more balanced than the other.
For example, if a child uses their right leg when going up the stairs and their left leg going down the stairs, their right leg is potentially stronger than their left leg. If they can do the opposite direction when prompted, there is less concern, but if they refuse or cannot without assistance, the left leg may be weaker than the right.
Children should be able to walk up stairs without holding on by 2.5 years (either with one foot or two feet on a step).
Typically, children should be able to walk up with either leg when prompted using one foot on each step by 3-3.75 years of age.
If a child is struggling with stepping up with one leg but not the other, try this activity to increase strength and confidence in the leg they tend to avoid using.
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your child’s ability to climb up or down stairs with/without support, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your child moving and more confident in their coordination.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
When Should A Child Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in children who are showing significant signs of struggle with stairs at 2 years, are not going up/down stairs with support using both legs by 2.5 years (either with one foot or two feet on a step), not walking up stairs with one foot on each step without support by 3 years, or not walking down stairs with one foot on each step without support by 4 years of age.
Throwing & Catching
If a child is having difficulty with throwing/catching, it could be due to difficulty with coordinating their eyeballs!
When a ball comes toward a child, their eyeballs need to come together in order for them to accurately catch a ball.
If you notice a child closing their eyes as the ball comes toward them, they do not yet have the coordination of their eyeballs coming together, so they close their eyes instead.
This decreases their accuracy and often the ball will bounce off their chest or arms instead of them catching it.
try this activity with your child to train their eyeballs (kids love it! and you can even have them do it to you too!).
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your child’s ability to throw a ball overhand, underhand, or catch a ball, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your child moving and more confident in their coordination.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should A Child Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in children who are not throwing/catching by 3-4 years old.
Crawling
this page contains affiliate links
Curious About Learning More on How To Teach Babies Crawl?
The absolute best resource for parents on helping their babies learn to crawl is the free online course: Learning to Crawl by Dr. Baker.
To gain immediate access to the online course, click the link above, submit your information, and the online course instructions will be emailed to you directly.
The free online video course is designed to help parents fully understand how to help their children crawl on hands and knees and trouble shoot what building block of crawling the child might not have mastered yet.
It comes with video examples of exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and information on when to reach out for additional help.
This online course was created by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones.
She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from 9-11 months (getting in/out of all fours to independent crawling).
This online course breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for crawling and it also covers a checklist to make sure babies have mastered rolling and sitting (otherwise, this could be a reason why sitting is still a struggle!)
It also covers what areas might limit a child with crawling, examples of disadvantageous ways babies might crawl, why hands/knees crawling is best, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This online course can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 7-11 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with getting in/out of all fours or hands/knees crawling
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master crawling
8 Online Course Modules
Building Blocks of Crawling
Crawling Checklists
Getting Into All Fours
Asymmetrical Crawling Patterns
Strength Exercises
Mobility Exercises
Crawling Specific Play Exercises
Next Steps: How to Prep for Walking
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your baby’s ability to tolerate an all fours position, have what they need to master crawling on hands/knees, or if they are not getting into all fours by themselves and are over 11 months, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not crawling on hands/knees on their own by 11 months. Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy recommend if a child is not crawling on their own by 10 months.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Sitting: with & without support
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Curious About Learning More on How To Teach Babies To Sit On Their Own?
The absolute best resource for parents on helping their babies learn to sit is the free online course: Learning to Sit by Dr. Baker.
To gain immediate access to the online course, click the link above, submit your information, and the online course instructions will be emailed to you directly.
The free online video course is designed to help parents fully understand how to help their children sit independently and trouble shoot what building block of sitting the child might not have mastered yet.
It comes with video examples of exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and information on when to reach out for additional help.
This online course was created by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones.
She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from 4-9 months (propped to independent sitting).
This online course breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for sitting and it also covers a checklist to make sure babies have mastered rolling in all directions (otherwise, this could be a reason why sitting is still a struggle!)
It also covers what areas might limit a child with sitting, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This online course can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 4-9 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with sitting with or without support
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master sitting
8 Online Course Modules
Building Blocks of Sitting
Sitting Checklists
Propped Sitting/Sitting with Support
Independent Sitting
Strength Exercises
Mobility Exercises
Sitting Specific Play Exercises
Next Steps: How to Prep for Crawling
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your baby’s ability to tolerate a sitting position, have what they need to master sitting without support, or if they are not sitting by themselves and are over nine months, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not sitting on their own, without support or their hands by nine months. Proactive Pediatric Physical Therapy recommend if a child is not sitting on their own by 8 months.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Tummy Time & Rolling
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Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently.
The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones.
She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll.
It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling.
It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your baby’s ability to tolerate tummy time, have what they need to master rolling, or if they are not rolling and are over six months, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist.
It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better.
I’m here to support you and release those worries.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – which you can learn more about by scheduling a free 20 minute chat with me (Idaho only) or an online parent consultation by clicking here.
I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not rolling in all four directions by six months (back to belly over their right arm AND left arm + belly to back over their right arm AND left arm).
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Many Pediatric Physical Therapists including Dr. Baker, can successfully treat flat spots (Plagiocephaly) without a helmet with a combination of therapy and positioning strategies if seen prior to 4 months (0-3 months is ideal). Dr. Baker uses the Baby Begin Method of repositioning.
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Physical Therapy Exercises For 3 Month Old: Posterior Pelvic Tilt
this blog contains affiliate links
Hello, Proactive Parents! I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, think of me as your pediatric physical therapy bestie, to help you learn tips and tricks to help your littles move with confidence and ease.
Today, I'm excited to share a simple yet powerful strategy to support your baby's early development, particularly focusing on those little ones from birth to about four months old, the exercise/activity is called a “posterior pelvic tilt,” but mainly looks like you propping your little’s bum on your foot or another style of prop.
It sound really simple and it is, but it can have such a large gain and especially helpful for newborns and babies who may struggle with tummy time. You can do this physical therapy exercise on newborns 0-3 months olds, and even some 4 month olds. This exercise is great for general mobility, posture, and preparing for rolling.
Understanding the Importance of Posterior Pelvic Tilt
Let's dive into why helping your baby engage their lower abdominal muscles and work on rounding their back is so crucial. This technique is especially beneficial if you've noticed that your baby tends to arch their back a lot. The posterior pelvic tilt is the direction in which the pelvis or bottom is moving in, when a pelvis tilts “posteriorly,” it rounds the back and flexes the spine.
You can think of this like holding a bowl of water, if you tilt the bowl away from your body, the water flows away from you. If you tilt the bowl toward your body, the water flows toward you. If you tilt your pelvis forward/away from you, your back arches – if you tilt your pelvis backwards/toward you, your back flexes.
Babies need their pelvis to tilt both by themselves as well as by others. Babies who struggle with tolerating a pelvic tilt, specifically a posterior pelvic tilt may be at risk for struggling with milestones such as grabbing their feet, sitting independently, or crawling — all of which require a posterior pelvic tilt.
Why Focus on Babies Zero to Four Months Old?
In this newborn to early infant stage, babies are developing rapidly. Teaching them to flex their spine and tilt their pelvis up is essential. This supports them in tolerating other positions better, including tummy time, because they are engaging their core muscles in a posterior pelvic tilt and that allows for them to have a stronger trunk from which to lift their head, when they switch onto their bellies. It also prepares them for mini milestones like grabbing their feet, which comes around five months old.
The Challenge of Extension Posture in Babies
Some babies, particularly those who have had issues like reflux or certain in-utero positions, may favor extending their backs. This habit can be disadvantageous for their overall physical development. So, if you notice your baby resisting this natural pelvic tilt, it's beneficial to introduce some intentional, beneficial activities or reach out to a Pediatric Physical Therapist if they are struggling. See our list of in home pediatric physical therapists here.
Simple Strategy for Encouraging Posterior Pelvic Tilt
This is an easy activity that requires minimal effort from parents but offers significant benefits for your baby. You can use your foot, leg, a folded-up bath towel, or a pillow to prop up your baby's bottom. This position helps them relax into a gentle posterior pelvic tilt, aiding in belly relaxation.
Important Safety Note:
Always supervise your baby when using any external prop like a towel or pillow. Never leave them unattended in this position.
This position involves the baby lying on their back and then helping them round their back, by placing their pelvis on your foot or another prop. Holding this sustained flexed posture can help them relax into this position as well as increase core strength through isometric (one static position) strengthening, which tends to be an easy way for newborns to four month old babies to strengthen their muscles.
Make sure to watch the video below to see exactly how it is done safely with a baby:
TIMESTAMPS:
1:13 age of baby in video and why this position / exercise is important for 3 month olds and newborns.
3:29 posterior pelvic tilt physical therapy exercises for 3 month old
TOY IDEAS:
Toys for Babies Newborn-Rolling
Integrating Play and Development
While your baby is in this propped position, you can introduce various activities. From batting at toys to a gentle abdominal massage, these interactions not only enhance their physical development but also foster a deeper connection between you and your little one. See the toy idea links listed above for examples of good ideas of toys that can be utilized in this position. Any vertical hanging toys, like from a baby gym, or small, light toys that babies can safely hold in their hands such a teether toys or crinkle toys.
Duration for Maximum Benefit
Aim to keep your baby in this position for one to five minutes, depending on their comfort and tolerance. This duration is sufficient for them to relax into the posture and reap the benefits. If a baby is enjoying this position they can continue to stay in it for longer as long as they are supervised directly. Babies who struggle in this position may need to only stay in it for 10-15 seconds at a time, but be introduced to it more frequently in short bursts throughout the day until they can tolerate a full minute.
Personalized Tips and Tricks
As a pediatric physical therapist, I've worked with many babies and understand that each little one is unique. If you're seeking more tailored advice or have specific questions, I'm here to help through online parent consultations or by leaving comments directly below the youtube video.
Preparing for Future Milestones
Remember, these early exercises are foundational for upcoming milestones like rolling and improved tummy time tolerance. By incorporating these simple strategies into your daily routine, you're setting the stage for your baby's continued growth and development.
Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better.
We're here to support you and release those parent worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists for one in your area.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally, which can be scheduled by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
When Should Babies Receive Pediatric Physical Therapy?
Parents can call and schedule with a Pediatric Physical Therapist at any time, for any concern in all fifty states without a referral from their Pediatrician.
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated in all babies who are not rolling in all four directions by six months (back to belly over their right arm AND left arm + belly to back over their right arm AND left arm).
Pediatric Physical Therapy is medically indicated if you notice a flat spot on the back of an infants head (possible plagiocephaly), a tilt of their head consistently to one side (ear to shoulder - possible torticollis), or a rotation preference of their neck (consistently look only to the right or left - possible torticollis).
Many Pediatric Physical Therapists including Dr. Baker, can successfully treat flat spots (Plagiocephaly) without a helmet with a combination of therapy and positioning strategies if seen prior to 4 months (0-3 months is ideal). Dr. Baker uses the Baby Begin Method of repositioning.
Flat spots can be due to in-utero positioning, rotational preference (right sided flatness most common) and babies are at an increased risk for flatness if they are male, were breech, multiple birth, premature, have difficulty with tummy time, or are in containers > 2 hr/day.
Final Thoughts:Your Role in Your Baby's Development Journey
Your involvement in these early stages of your baby's development is invaluable. By using these strategies, you're not only addressing immediate concerns like a tendency to arch the back but also paving the way for a smoother developmental journey ahead, especially helping your baby develop hand/eye coordination, hand/foot coordination, cross body coordination which involves development of both sides of the brain, and core engagement.
As always, feel free to reach out for more guidance and to become a part of this empowering movement in proactive parenting. Together, we can ensure our little ones move with confidence and ease from the very start! Hopefully, this exercise is a perfect place to start to incorporate proactive play into your time with your baby, providing moments of connection in the early stages as well as building them a solid foundation for rolling.
Prevent Avoidable Motor Delays: How To Test Your Baby's Trunk Mobility
this blog contains affiliate links
Hello! I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, a pediatric physical therapist. Today, I'm thrilled to share insights on one of the most crucial aspects of your baby's development - trunk rotation. This aspect of movement plays a pivotal role in milestones like rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking and it’s one of the least known aspects of movement and baby development in the parent world. Today, we are going to change that!
Why Is Upper Trunk Rotation Important?
Upper trunk rotation is essential for your baby's overall mobility. It's the foundation for many activities, including the ability to roll over, going from lying on the ground to sitting up, going from sitting to crawling, and it is even needed when we walk.
When we talk about trunk rotation, we're referring to the upper half of the body moving independently from the lower half, this of sitting in a chair and twisting your shoulders to look behind you (your upper half is moving but your lower half isn’t). This movement is crucial for maintaining our position against gravity, for getting in and out of positions, and for combining motions which we need for complex movements like walking and crawling.
Assessing Trunk Rotation in Babies
To ensure your baby is developing symmetrically and has mobility equally side to side, it's vital to assess their upper trunk rotation. When doing this, we're looking for equal movement on both sides. A limitation on one side can affect how your baby moves, potentially leading to preferences that might impact their development down the line.
Tightness in one direction can also lead to avoidance of movement in that direction, which is often why you see babies choose to only roll to one side (if we know what is limiting them, we can help them fix it! And then they can roll equally to both sides).
Baby Mobility Exercises: Enhancing Trunk Rotation
To encourage healthy trunk rotation in your baby, first try to see if your baby’s upper trunk can go equally in both directions. While they are sitting between your legs, gently move their upper body from forward to the right, stopping when you feel resistance (this is as far as you should go) and then forward to the left, again stopping when you feel resistance.
Watch the video below start to finish for the most comprehensive explanation and demonstration or click on the hyperlink to go directly to the exercise to watch in order to make sure you do it correctly!
TIMESTAMPS:
1:27 why upper trunk rotation and baby trunk rotation is important
4:52 straddle baby trunk rotation assessment
5:17 ring sit baby trunk rotation assessment
6:23 baby between parent's legs baby trunk rotation assessment
TOY IDEAS:
Trunk Weakness in Babies: Spotting and Addressing It
If you notice that your baby struggles with trunk rotation (typically you will feel resistance or they will express displeasure in that direction) or they seem to favor one side, it might indicate trunk weakness or tightness. Weakness and tightness are often companions, as a tight muscle is also a weak muscle, so sometimes when we increase the range and resolve the tightness, we then have to strengthen those muscles.
However, if you do not notice your baby has tightness when doing the upper trunk screen, but they do still show a preference, they could have weakness in the muscles that are needed to go in the direction they are avoiding. Weakness can be associated with tightness or it can be the only thing affecting the child.
It's important to be aware if your baby is experiencing trunk weakness. Signs of this can include a lack of balance in sitting, difficulty in holding themselves up (normal sitting age is 6-9 months), or favoring one side (if their little body forms a “C” shape in lying down or sitting). If you notice any of these signs, incorporating specific exercises can help strengthen their trunk muscles, see the youtube core strengthening playlist here.
What Is a Baby's Trunk, and Why Is Its Control Vital?
The trunk is the body's core, including the chest and abdomen. Trunk control is essential for stability and forms the basis of all movement. A strong trunk enables your baby to explore the world more confidently. Babies need full mobility of their trunk in order to build or access the full strength of their core, which is why assessing upper trunk rotation in infants is so important.
Regularly assessing your baby's trunk control (strength and mobility) can provide valuable insights into their development. Look for whether they have mastered rolling back to belly (right and left), belly to back (right and left), how well they hold themselves up when sitting, their reactions to gentle movements (do they throw themselves back or collapse forward when sitting), and their ability to engage in playful activities that involve twisting, such as bringing both hands to one side in sitting.
Crossing the Midline: A Cognitive and Physical Milestone
An interesting aspect of trunk rotation is its connection to cognitive development. When babies learn to cross the midline (bringing both hands from one side of the body to the other), they're not only enhancing their physical abilities but also strengthening neural pathways in the brain.
These pathways help with future academic milestones such as reading and writing. When babies have trunk tightness, they might avoid crossing midline in one or both directions, which can decrease their opportunities to develop and strengthen these pathways. This can lead to them being at a disadvantage compared to their same age, non-restricted peers.
Pediatric Physical Therapy Exercises for Babies
Incorporating pediatric physical therapy exercises into your baby's routine can be a game-changer. Simple activities like rolling over exercises and trunk control exercises can boost their development significantly.
Making sure that you resolve any tightness by completing the associated releases/stretches is equally important. If you ever find that the tightness is not resolving or you need assistance, reaching out to a local pediatric physical therapist can be the best, most effective thing for you and your baby. See our list of mobile pediatric physical therapists here.
Trunk Movement in Infants: Encouraging Healthy Development
Encouraging various trunk movements is key to your baby's development. This includes exercises that promote rotating, an easy switch in most families routines is to place toys to the side of the child instead of always in front.
This encourages the child to reach to the side and also bring both hands to the side (rotating at their trunk) in order to manipulate or grab the toy. It’s okay to start with the easy side and then build up to adding in the hard side (or assisting with the hard side and letting them do the easy side). Each of these movements contributes to a well-rounded and robust physical development.
Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – by clicking to the appointment tab or by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
Final Thoughts: Empowering Your Baby’s Journey
Remember, every baby develops at their own pace, and what's important is providing them with opportunities to explore and strengthen their abilities. By incorporating these simple exercises and being mindful of their trunk rotation, you're setting your baby up for a lifetime of confident movement, as well as decreasing the risk of difficulty with crawling on hands and knees.
Total Motion Release Technique: How To Teach Baby To Roll Over Back To Belly
this blog post contains affiliate links
Hello everyone! I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, your pediatric physical therapy bestie, and I'm thrilled to share with you some insights from my world of helping babies move better.
In my recent YouTube video, I dove into a Total Motion Release Technique designed for little ones and in this blog post, I hope to empower you, and all proactive parents, with the knowledge and skills to assist your babies in achieving fluid, confident movements as they begin to master rolling back to belly AND belly to back.
The Importance of Rolling: A Developmental Milestone
Rolling over is more than just a cute trick; it's a crucial developmental milestone for babies. It involves complex coordination and strength, marking a significant step in your child's growth journey.
However, some babies develop a preference for rolling in one direction, often due to tightness in their lower or upper trunk. This is where Total Motion Release (TMR) techniques can help, because sometimes the mobility limitation is the only thing holding a baby back from rolling in all four directions.
TMR: A Different Approach to Mobility
TMR is fascinating because it approaches mobility differently than traditional stretching. Instead of elongating tissues, TMR focuses on shortening them to promote relaxation and improve range of motion.
It is amazing for babies, because often babies don’t understand that their body is safe when they feel that resistance that can occur with traditional stretching.
Often, they will counter-intuitively tighten up when they feel that resistance of a tight muscle and thus limit the mobility that we are able to achieve. One of the more strange things that confuses parents with TMR, is that we interestingly, only work on the 'tight' or 'easy' side, which might seem counterintuitive, but it yields remarkable results.
My Experience with a Special Little Client
In my video, I demonstrated TMR with a baby experiencing right-sided lower trunk tightness, hindering her ability to roll over her right arm from back to belly. Using TMR, we focused on the right side, holding it for a few minutes, followed by vestibular exercises like gentle bouncing (while she was being held).
This combination not only addresses the tightness but also helps the baby's body integrate and understand the new range of motion. Once we finished both of those, we worked on rolling over, which you will be able to notice in the video that is much better directly afterward.
One of the core principles of TMR, is that you not only want to increase range of motion (that both sides of their bodies can go the same distance) but also that you make it functional by working on a skill directly afterward, like in this case: rolling.
In the video, I also demonstrate what it would look like to work on the other side if a baby was experiencing tightness on the left side.
Engaging the Baby: The Art of Distraction
Working with babies means expecting the unexpected! Not all babies are calm during therapy sessions, and that's perfectly normal. The key is to keep them engaged and happy. This might mean playing with their toes, singing songs, or introducing different toys.
The goal is to maintain their comfort while working on the techniques. In the video, you can watch as I use a few of my favorite techniques to keep this little one engaged and calm.
Assessing and Addressing Tightness
Identifying which side to work on is crucial. I often find that if a baby struggles to side bend on one side (think the “I’m a little teapot” motion), the opposite side might be tighter.
In the video, I demonstrated how to assess this on both sides, so that you have everything you need to screen your own baby. The TMR technique I used involved gentle side bending, moving their pelvis toward their elbow, ensuring not to push beyond the baby's natural resistance [make sure to watch the video or check out my book linked below to see exactly what to do!].
The Rewarding Outcome
The transformation post-TMR is always fun to watch. The baby I worked with showed a significant improvement in her ability to roll smoothly from back to belly and vice versa. She became more motivated and engaged in her movements, which is exactly what we aim for.
If I could educate parents on ANY milestone and encourage them to take just ONE seriously that could have the biggest impact on their child’s overall progress toward movement it would be rolling.
Often if a baby does not roll in all four directions, they are at a risk for struggling with crawling, but if they use all four directions of rolling they are at a much lower risk of struggling with future milestones.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 introduction
1:09 why babies need to roll in both directions belly to back and back to belly
2:38 how total motion release (TMR Release) is different than traditional stretching to increase mobility for babies to learn how to roll over back to belly
4:37 TMR Release Lower Trunk Sidebend to increase baby's ability to roll over back to belly
6:20 assessing which side to complete in lower trunk sidebend TMR release
8:07 example of TMR Release Lower Trunk Sidebend in Supine to help parents learn how to teach baby to roll over back to belly
12:53 improvement in teaching baby to roll over back to belly
15:17 how to work 1:1 with Dr. Lauren Baker, PT
TOY IDEAS:
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Curious About Learning More on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about your baby’s movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development.
Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists.
I am on a mission to educate parents on proactive ways to aid their babies' movement development. If you've found this topic intriguing and wish to learn more about Total Motion Release or other strategies to assist your baby's rolling and other milestones, I encourage you to reach out for a consultation. Together, we can ensure that your little one embarks on their movement journey with confidence and ease.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – both of which you can book by going to the appointment tab or by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
Final Thoughts
As a pediatric physical therapist, I find immense joy in helping little ones discover their full movement potential. Remember, every baby is unique, and their journey to milestones like rolling, sitting independently, and crawling will be just as individual.
Your involvement and understanding of techniques like TMR can make a significant difference in their development. Proactive Parents truly can influence how their children move when given the right amount of information and being shown how all the movements they are focusing on helping their littles achieve fit together.
I hope this post has given you a better understanding of how Total Motion Release can benefit your baby. I'm here to be your guide and support in this wonderful, albeit sometimes challenging, journey of parenthood. Let's help our little ones move with confidence and joy!
Guiding Your Baby's First Movements: Pediatric Physical Therapy Activity for Newborns to 3-Month-Olds
In this blog post, we're delving into an essential topic for new parents: physical therapy exercises for newborns and 3 month-old babies.
👋Hi I am Dr. Lauren Baker, a Pediatric Physical Therapist and I created this YouTube video to provide insights for parents seeking to support their baby's early physical development, especially getting babies in proactive play positions that can help them build the muscles they need for their next season of milestones, in this case, rolling (4-6 months).
The activity we are going over today, works on flexing the spine and tilting the pelvis, which are needed so that the baby can be ready for rolling, sitting, and crawling. This activity and exercise is especially important for babies who tend to arch their backs or who have experienced reflux or unique in utero positions.
These conditions can lead babies to prefer an extended posture, which we need to gently correct to aid their overall development. By gently guiding babies through these exercises, parents can help break the habit of extension, which can be disadvantageous for babies.
The bonus is this exercise takes almost no actual brain power from parents and is super easy to slip into their normal day without much thought.
The exercise in today’s video involves propping the baby's bottom up on a parent's foot, leg, or a folded bath towel while supervised. This simple yet effective position helps babies relax into a posterior pelvic tilt, a fundamental posture for further developmental progress.
The posterior pelvic tilt or rounding of the baby’s back will also support development for later mini milestones such as grabbing their feet while on their and back rolling to their sides. It's an activity that parents can easily integrate into their daily routine, requiring minimal effort but offering significant benefits.
If babies struggle with tilting their pelvis or look uncomfortable when placed in this position, it is important to decrease the length of time to their tolerance, even if their tolerance is only at 5-10 seconds before they kick out of the position. Completing this position/exercise frequently but in low amounts of time, can increase tolerance through gentle familiarization.
If a baby continues to avoid this position, they are at risk for potential difficulty with rolling, sitting, or crawling as all of those positions also require a rounding of the spine and tilting of the pelvis. If a baby cannot tolerate this position when they are a newborn, they may struggle once more challenges of gravity and positioning occur.
In order of ease & activities that require this same positioning of the body:
Posterior Pelvic Tilt/Rounding of spine (this exercise)
Lying on their side
Rolling back to side
Rolling back to belly
Sitting
Crawling
This exercise is great for newborns to 3 month olds, but I have also utilized it in my Pediatric Physical Therapy practice with babies who are 4-7 months if they are struggling with rolling or sitting. This premise is also utilized in other activities for littles who are struggling with crawling or walking, but this exercise isn’t the best because usually by 8 months they are too wiggly to stay on their back :).
The video demonstrates how this position not only promotes physical development but also provides opportunities for interactive play. Parents can incorporate grabbing and abdominal activation by helping the baby play with their feet, making the exercise both beneficial and enjoyable for the baby.
It is recommended to maintain this position for one to five minutes, allowing the baby to comfortably acclimate to it. Longer durations (more time) allow the baby to develop abdominal muscle strength (ability to get the body part to the position without letting gravity force it to the ground) AND endurance (ability to hold a body part in a position for a long period of time) as well as hand/eye, hand/foot coordination.
The approach I utilize is all about empowering parents with the knowledge and skills to facilitate their baby's development through strategic play and movement activities. I believe through proactive play that we can help babies avoid preventable motor delays and help parents connect more deeply with their babies.
For the full example on how to complete the exercise including a demonstration on a newborn, see the video below:
Curious about learning more on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Want Extra Help?
If you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries. If you are looking for in home pediatric physical therapy, check our listing of therapists.
For those eager to learn more or seeking personalized guidance, I offer online video parent consultations internationally and Pediatric Physical Therapy in Boise, ID and the Treasure Valley – by clicking to the appointment tab or by clicking here. I am dedicated to answering questions and providing tailored play activities for each unique developmental journey.
Remember, these early months are crucial for your baby's development. By incorporating these simple physical therapy exercises for your newborn or 3-month-old, you're setting a strong foundation for their future milestones, including rolling and tolerating tummy time.
Stay tuned for more insights from Dr. Lauren Baker, your go-to expert for nurturing your baby's early steps in life. If you have not yet, subscribe to our youtube channel.
Baby Struggling With Rolling Belly to Back? Try This Exercise.
Are you a proactive parent determined to help your baby achieve their developmental milestones?
Dr. Lauren Baker, a pediatric physical therapist, is here to guide you on a journey towards enhancing your baby's mobility and strength. In this blog post, we will explore the importance of tummy time, discuss exercises to help your baby bear weight through their elbows (including how to help them shift their weight onto one elbow!), and discover the secrets to independent rolling. Plus, stay tuned for an exclusive offer to boost your parenting skills with Dr. Baker's book, "Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers.”
The Significance of Tummy Time:
Tummy time is more than just an adorable photo opportunity; it's a crucial building block in your baby's development. Dr. Baker emphasizes that tummy time strengthens the muscles needed for rolling, crawling, and later, walking. The American Physical Therapy Association recommends that babies engage in 60 minutes of tummy time per day by three months of age. Starting tummy time from day one, lays the foundation for their journey into being able to have the foundational skills they need to roll on their own.
Weight Bearing Through Elbows:
Some parents may notice that their baby prefers pushing through one elbow during tummy time while neglecting the other. This can be due to a variety of factors, including musculoskeletal issues like torticollis, which result in muscle imbalances. The solution? Target the weaker shoulder, focus on it strategically, and bridge the gap between strength and coordination — jump to the exercise.
What if my baby only rolls belly to back in one direction?
Rolling is a multifaceted developmental milestone and it is important that a baby is able to roll belly to back in both directions (over their left arm and over their right arm).
Why is this so important? It's all about symmetry and balance. When babies consistently roll in one direction while neglecting the other, it may indicate a restriction or limitation in the less-favored direction. This condition is referred to as an "asymmetry" in pediatric physical therapy.
Babies don't naturally have a preferred rolling direction; they usually explore both sides equally. If your baby appears to favor one side, it's crucial to address this early. Neglecting one side can lead to potential problems in the future. It’s also important to figure out the underlying reason why a baby is only rolling in one direction, because often there are things parents can do to address it at home easily with access to the right information.
Rolling Exercise to Increase Arm Strength in Babies
To support your baby's transition from belly to back, you must work on weight-bearing through one elbow. This precursor activity paves the way for independent rolling. In the video below, Dr. Baker provides a hands-on demonstration of how to help your baby bear weight through both their left and right elbows while offering valuable insights into their motor development.
How to help your baby reach with one arm to build arm strength needed for rolling belly to back:
Start with the baby on their belly
Place your hand in an open cupped shape blocking their left elbow
Create a c shape with your other hand underneath their right armpit
Rotate their upper trunk to the right while also helping them reach with your pointer finger so they reach for a toy on the ground in front of them
They may need less support at the trunk to rotate and shift their weight over their left elbow and more support at their elbow to reach in front of them with a straight arm or vice versa
Complete for 30 seconds to 1 minute on left elbow and switch
Upper Trunk Rotation:
As babies attempt to roll, they encounter the need for upper trunk rotation. If your little one struggles with this movement, they may avoid lifting one hand to play with toys on their own. Lifting an arm to reach while stabilizing their other arm on the ground, is a precursor activity to rolling from belly to back.
If a baby struggles with upper trunk rotation, make sure to purchase the Tummy Time and Learning to Roll book which walks you through how to screen this motion and exercises directly related to helping improve it on both sides. It also comes with a free video course (details in the book) to help you be able to confidently complete all the motions on your own.
In addition to upper trunk rotation, babies need the ability to shift their weight from both elbows to one elbow. Shifting their weight is complex, because it requires them to hold all their body weight on one limb instead of two – kind of like how standing on one leg is much harder than standing with both feet on the ground.
It’s the same for babies on their belly, but in order to roll from belly to back, they need to first be able to shift their weight to one elbow and reach with their opposite hand for a toy or object without collapsing. If they are able to do this equally on both sides, they are one step closer to rolling belly to back on their own, symmetrically.
Curious about learning more on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
For proactive parents and healthcare providers, Dr. Lauren Baker's book, Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently is an invaluable resource. Dive deeper into the world of baby development, understand the intricacies of tummy time and rolling, and empower yourself to support your baby's journey.
This book is packed with easy-to-follow information, checklists, colorful photos, and demonstration videos to make learning how to roll easily accessible for both you and the baby. Don't miss the chance to enhance your parenting skills and boost your baby's development.
The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
More information on the book:
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll.
It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling). This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Need Extra Help?
If your baby is struggling with rolling or you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries.
If you have any questions or want to schedule an online parent consultation with me, you can schedule anytime by clicking to the appointment tab or by clicking here. Or, consider reaching out to a local pediatric physical therapist who can provide insights and guidance.
Let’s embrace the adventure of babies learning to roll and help your little one conquer this exciting milestone! 👶🌟
In this blog post, we've uncovered the importance of tummy time, explored exercises to help your baby bear weight through their elbows including learning how to reach one hand out to play with a toy with support to boost rolling skills. Dr. Lauren Baker is your go-to resource for understanding and facilitating your baby's journey to mobility. With her book in hand, you'll have all the knowledge and guidance you need to become the proactive parent you want to be for your baby. Don't wait; take the first step toward empowering your baby's growth and development today.
To purchase or learn more about the book click here
Baby Tornado: The Fun Exercise to Get Your Baby Rolling!
Welcome to the world of baby rolling, where you’ll be introduced to a fun, effective exercise called the "Baby Tornado." I'm Dr. Lauren Baker, a pediatric physical therapist and author committed to helping proactive parents like you help your baby move better. If you're diving into Google and YouTube searching for answers on how to help your baby roll, fear not! You're more capable than you realize – and all you need is a dash of knowledge and a whole lot of courage to get started.
Why Rolling Is a Big Deal
Rolling might not get the attention it deserves, but it's a critical milestone for your little one. Babies typically master rolling belly to back from three to five months of age and from back to belly from four to six months of age.
Rolling is a complex movement pattern because it is one of the first times babies learn to move their upper and lower trunks separately. Imagine sitting and reaching behind you to grab something off a shelf or table but without moving your pelvis – that is moving your upper half of your body on the stabilized (non-moving) lower half of your body. These motions – moving one part of the body but not the other – are important for complex movement.
When babies roll, it teaches them how to move one part of the body without the other, while lying on the ground. This is the first step for them to learn so they can then master it in sitting once they get to crawling age (it’s how the get in and out of sitting, too!).
Babies should roll from their back to their belly in both directions—right and left. If a baby consistently favors one side, it might be due to a restriction in the opposite direction. Asymmetry can lead to issues down the road, so helping your baby roll in both directions is essential.
The Benefits of Rolling for Babies:
Core Strength: Rolling involves complexity in how the muscles work together, particularly in the core (muscles that cover the front, sides, and back of a baby’s trunk). It's one of the first instances where your baby learns to engage and strengthen these crucial muscles in a moving position and not just stationary. This forms the foundation for later milestones like crawling and sitting up.
Spatial Awareness: Rolling teaches your baby about where their body is in space. As they figure out how to transition from their back to their belly and vice versa, they're also learning to navigate their surroundings and learning how they play a role (or roll) in them.
Independence: When babies can roll by themselves, they gain a sense of autonomy and control over their movements. It's an essential part of their journey towards becoming mobile.
Problem Solving: Rolling isn't as straightforward as it seems. Your baby needs to figure out the coordination required to make it happen. This early problem-solving experience lays the groundwork for more complex motor skills later on.
Development of Muscle Balance: Rolling helps your baby balance the use of different muscle groups on each side of their body. This balance is crucial for overall motor development and balance for when they transition to sitting, standing, and walking.
The Baby Tornado Recipe
Before we dive into the tornado technique, ensure your baby has full head control, typically around four to five months. If they're younger or they do not have full head control, you will have to support their head with your hand.
In the video, you'll see me demonstrating the Baby Tornado with two little ones—one around five months and the other closer to eight or nine months. Each baby has its unique challenges, so don't worry if it takes some practice!
For 4-5 month old babies:
Lay your baby on their back facing you with open space going to your right
Place your right hand on the front of what will be the bottom hip (the baby’s left hip) and your left hand (forming a C shape) underneath their right buttocks,.
Flex their right hip from the booty and rotate them over.
You may have to use your left hand onto the back of their left upper back to help go from side to belly if they are not pushing through their left arm to help
Tuck their elbows once they're in tummy time or prone and provide support if needed to keep elbows in place.
For 5-6 month old babies:
Lay your baby on their back facing you with open space going to your right
Place your right hand on the front of what will be the bottom hip (the baby’s left hip) and your left hand (forming a C shape) underneath their right buttocks,.
Flex their right hip from the booty and rotate them over.
Encourage them to push up on their elbow and pivot into prone position.
You may have to shift their pelvis down and toward the right to untuck their left arm
Tuck their elbows once they're in tummy time or prone.
Provide shoulder support in tummy time if needed
Baby Tornado Exercise with an 8-9 Month-Old Baby:
Place your baby on a playmat about four to five feet away from their toy.
Start with the baby on their back and guide them through rolling.
Gently block their shoulder and tuck it under to help them roll from their belly to their back
The baby should be able to control their head and push through their elbow to get from back to belly and belly to back, so you may only need to support at the hips.
Encourage three to five rolls in each direction.
The baby tornado and everything that I have learned in over 10 years as a Physical Therapist are located in the Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. To purchase or learn more about the book click here: https://amzn.to/3Q8dg5U
Curious about learning more on Tummy Time, Rolling, or Both?
The absolute best book for parents on tummy time and rolling is: Tummy Time and Learning to Roll: A Baby Development Book for Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers to Help Babies Learn to Roll Independently. The book comes with a free online video course to help parents fully understand how to complete the different exercises, printable checklists to know exactly where your baby is at, and when to reach out for additional help.
This book was written by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, who is a Pediatric Physical Therapist in Boise, Idaho, trained in helping parents learn how to help their babies move and master their milestones. She loves teaching parents how to see how their babies are moving as well as how to influence those movements though play positions and exercises to help babies move with confidence and ease.
Tummy Time and Learning to Roll is the first book in the Proactive Play series written by Pediatric Physical Therapist Dr. Lauren Baker in order to help Ambitious Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers learn how to help babies master tummy time and learn to roll. It is meant to help ambitious parents understand baby development from birth to six months (tummy time to rolling).
This book is a mix of easy-to-follow and more in-depth information than is typically found in baby development books because Dr. Baker believes parents deserve to have all the information at their fingertips.
This book breaks down each piece of movement in checklists so that parents know what their babies need for tummy time and rolling. It also covers what areas might limit a child with rolling, why it is so important, and when to seek help from a pediatric PT.
This book comes with colored photos and easy-to-follow demonstration videos that can help parents implement safe, strategic play-based exercises with their babies in 20 minutes per day.
A Great Resource For:
Parents and Pediatric Healthcare Providers of babies 0-6 months
Parents of babies who are struggling with tummy time, rolling back to belly, belly to back, or only to one side
Access to simple, easy-to-follow videos of play positions and exercises
Learning the four pillars of movement needed in order to master rolling
240+ Color Photo Examples of:
Tummy Time, Sidelying, and Back Play
Developmental Toys and Equipment
Hand Placement and Strategic Play Positions
Common Areas of Restriction or Weakness
When To Reach Out For Help
What If You Need Extra Help?
If your baby is struggling with rolling or you have concerns about their movement, remember, you can always reach out to a pediatric physical therapist. It's your right as a parent to advocate for your child's development. Sometimes, a few tips and tricks are all you need to get your baby moving better. We're here to support you and release those mama worries.
If you have any questions or want to schedule an online parent consultation with me, you can schedule anytime by clicking to the appointment tab or by clicking here. Or, consider reaching out to a local pediatric physical therapist who can provide insights and guidance.
Let’s embrace the adventure of babies learning to roll and help your little one conquer this exciting milestone! 👶🌟
Do This First If You Want To Open A Cash Based Practice
affiliate links included in post
If you want to open a cash based practice, there are a lot of skills that you need to know and I’m not just talking about your physical therapy skills you use to treat patients.
In PT school, we are taught a lot of things, but if you are like me your business class in PT school looked like this: do a group project on finding a niche, realize that reimbursement is terrible and you will never break even based on rent and equipment purchases…write off entrepreneurship as a pipe dream.
Until, being an employee sucks the life out of you and you start looking at alternative options.
Thankfully, these days there are options like cash based PT businesses renting rooms with other clinicians, doing mobile based care, and owning their own clinics.
The biggest problem that I hear people mention when they start talking about opening their own cash based clinic, is that they aren’t sure how to make the jump. In my professional opinion there are a few options:
Have a super amazing spouse who is willing to fund your life so you can take a risk and start your own business
Save 6 months + of living expenses and jump off the deep end to go all in, all at once
Work part-time in a non-conflicting job to fund your minimum monthly revenue number (what you need to hit the bare minimum of your bills + food + minor expenses) and use the open days to work on your business — Academia is a good way to do this
Have online revenue to either act as your part-time job or to decrease the amount of pull from your savings (this might mean you could have 3 months of savings if you were also pulling in 1-2k/month online, etc).
My favorite options include #4 + any of the others (truthfully, I have done a combo of all of them myself). Having online income, specifically in the area of your cash based practice (or as an income stream to help pay off student loans, etc) has a ton of different benefits, here are some of my favorites:
Learn marketing, sales, and content creation skills while still having an income (your full time job)
Takes the pressure off learning all skills at once (getting clients + business details like LLCs + sales/marketing)
Increases your variability in income streams, if you have a slow client month you can pivot to increase sales/revenue in the online space
Builds trust and credibility with potential new clients
Increase demand to work with you specifically, after clients watch youtube or online content they will want to work with YOU based on how you teach and your personality
Create scaleable income with online products like courses, books, blogging, or affiliate income
There are infinite reasons to add #4 and online business as a part of your cash based physical therapy (or SLP/OT/Chiro, etc) strategy. The best reason, though, is because it ends up compounding both your income and your impact. You can only treat so many humans, but you can impact so many more if you have an online presence.
Okay — great — so how does one add online income into the mix?
By getting the right online business coaches + a platform in which to SELL digital products.
Thankfully, I have an absolutely easy solution to that for you: my personal online business coaches Caroline & Jason Zook who run Wandering Aimfully an un-boring business coaching program with lifetime access and an online course hosting platform (which you can use for courses, memberships, or as a checkout for digital products like downloadable e-books or pdfs).
For full disclosure, Caroline & Jason are not physical therapists — they are online business owners with backgrounds in multi-million dollar creative entrepreneur businesses, graphic design, and creative digital art businesses. I chose them to be my mentors based on their business values, their personalities, and the value they bring with their membership.
Here is why I chose them over traditional cash based physical therapy mentors:
Caroline is honest about emotional impacts of business & Jason is action focused, together they create a sustainable business dynamic. Push-Push-Push mentality of online business does not fit who I want to be or what I want to create, so I chose differently.
They have a lifetime model of coaching, community, and resources — you get access to anything they have ever created and ever will: this itself is an insane value but it also allows you to grow at your own pace. It took me 6 years to create my first online course using the included platform Teachery.co (yep, you get it for free!) but I was still doing, creating, and learning business skills and using it for other things in the meantime. I never felt pushed to do or be any specific type of online business owner — I had the opportunity to evolve as I grew in skill and mindset and pick products that worked for me.
I save $50+/month every month for infinity on hosting my four online courses, which pays for your lifetime membership in 3-5 years. Teachery.co (the course platform like kajabi or teachable) is included in your Wandering Aimfully Unlimited Membership.
The speak in ways that are fun, interesting, and connect with me. If you are curious about how they explain business check out their youtube (their calm business encyclopedia is my favorite!) or podcast (it feels like they are real humans who talk about business in a fun way).
Wandering Aimfully Unlimited, is stock-full of value for someone who is looking to create an online income to have a diversified physical therapy business and create a world-wide impact. It will not give you the ins and outs of starting a cash based physical therapy business, but it will allow you to have a means to create your brand, diversify your income, avoid client burn out, and decrease your money stress.
*please note that the price of Wandering Aimfully Unlimited is increasing in 2024 to $2800.00
to lock in the 2k price, enroll via links prior to Jan 1, 2024.
Curious about how Wandering Aimfully Unlimited
will help you go from employee PT to Online Business PT?
Use Caroline and Jason’s Signature 5 Step Process to make sure you’re setting up your business in a sustainable way.
An online course that takes you on a week-by-week, 6-month journey to help you transition from client work (traditional PT) to running a successful digital product business (online courses, digital downloads, books, etc).
online group coaching calls to teach you specific skills you’ll need
for a successful online business and online course.
Everything you need to set up an online course in Teachery even if you’re at the beginner level
(like I was!).
BONUS
For those of you who are still really interested in learning about starting a cash based business, you’re in luck!
As a bonus for those who enroll in Wandering Aimfully Unlimited through my affiliate link (any of the buttons or linked here) you will receive a one hour online coaching/chat session where you can ask me literally any questions you have on starting a mobile cash based business. I will also send a personalized pdf on resources I think you would love so your journey is even easier.
Once you finalize your purchase, email me your receipt and I will send you the link to schedule an online business consult ($75 value)! If you are just interested in business coaching, you can schedule those at anytime here.
Added Bonus Content that you might find interesting:
How I used Wandering Aimfully Unlimited + Teachery.co in my cash based pediatric physical therapy business
I have been listening to the Wandering Aimfully live or recorded coaching sessions and implementing their strategies from email marketing, offer creation, sales strategy all known as their marketing bridge to increase my online income streams, in a way that feels sustainable and well thought out.
I use their philosophies to help create youtube content in a sustainable way, slowing down if I need to, but continuing with the intention that slow, consistent content creation is more valuable than burning out. I chose youtube based on its SEO (search engine) model vs social media (low lifespan of content, non-searchable).
My strategy is to create long-form content available in a library that is evergreen (lives for a long time and is solution focused). My customers find my content when they have a problem to solve: baby isn’t crawling — now what? They often binge all my videos on a topic and often find me through searching youtube or google.
I created four free online courses through Teachery.co as bonuses for my Tummy Time and Learning to Roll book, for a way to share more organized youtube videos for subscribers, to convert individuals onto an email list for email marketing, and as a way to promote proactive strategies for families in Boise who are looking for pediatric physical therapy services or have developmental concerns on tummy time, rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking.
I use a QR code on my business card to link directly to my online course page (which you can view here) giving families and providers an easy way to share information as well as build trust and promote my expertise in pediatric physical therapy. All online courses were created using made for you templates and graphics via picmonkey and canva (happy to share how to do this via the online business consult bonus!).
My future business plans for Wandering Aimfully Unlimited + Teachery.co include:
Build out paid webinars for Infant Educators including live in services birth-5 years old
Nurture the email list that is built from my learning to roll, learning to sit, learning to crawl, and learning to walk free courses
Use the courses to sell the Proactive Play Book Series: Tummy Time + Learning to Roll, Learning to Sit, Learning to Crawl, and Learning to Walk
Watch the replay/live business coaching sessions on video or via the private podcast.
Take some of the art courses that Caroline has made including ipad lettering for beginners.
Continue to build connect with other really unique online business owners in the slack channel + use their fun series of check ins “WAIM OF STONES” to stay on track with all the to-dos.
Use the free courses to promote my cash based PT business via my business card + QR code
Open Enrollment Ended?
I have a secret way in — but you have to let me know you’re interested,
kind of like a secret speakeasy knock but in this case you put your info in the form below
& I send all the details via email ;)
Youtube Live Q & A with Dr. Lauren Baker
If you would like to be notified asap when Dr. Lauren Baker, DPT, next plans to go live on youtube — please enter your information below.
You will also be given the opportunity to email your questions in, in advance in the event that the time zone or day does not work for you to attend live.
Primitive Reflex Exercises for Children
this blog contains affiliate links
take me to the exercises, please.
Below is a group of categorized exercises for primitive reflexes, but if you are looking for more information on what primitive reflexes are, whether primitive reflexes are normal to have, how these exercises help, and why are primitive reflex integration exercises controversial… you may be interested in the following books on the subject:
Integrating Primitive Reflexes Through Play and Exercise: An Interactive Guide to the Moro Reflex for Parents, Teachers, and Service Providers (Reflex Integration Through Play) — available on amazon
Integrating Primitive Reflexes Through Play and Exercise: An Interactive Guide to the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) (Reflex Integration Through Play) — available on amazon
Integrating Primitive Reflexes Through Play and Exercise: An Interactive Guide to the Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (STNR) (Reflex Integration Through Play) — available on amazon
Integrating Primitive Reflexes Through Play and Exercise: An Interactive Guide to the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex (TLR) (Reflex Integration Through Play) — available on amazon
Integrating Primitive Reflexes Through Play and Exercise: An Interactive Guide to the Spinal Galant Reflex (Reflex Integration Through Play) — available on amazon
How to test for primitive reflexes:
Primitive Reflex Exercises
Moro Reflex Exercises:
ATNR Exercises:
STNR Exercises:
TLR Exercises:
Palmar Grasp Exercises
Spinal Galant Exercises:
👋 Hi I’m Lauren, a pediatric physical therapist & author who is obsessed with helping proactive parents help their littles move with confidence and ease.
I absolutely adore helping proactive parents connect with information that they can use to help their children thrive in movement.
If you’re new here, make sure to check out the blog, books, and youtube channel or book an online parent consultation if you can’t quite find the answer to your question or need more support.
I also provide pediatric physical therapy in boise and the treasure valley to babies-prek in their homes where they are comfortable & we can create a calm, cozy environment for both parents & babies to learn. If you happen to be in idaho, book a discover call here.
The 6 Areas A Baby Needs To Master To Learn To Crawl and Exercises To Help
There are 6 things babies need to be able to do in order to learn how to crawl. If a baby is struggling with crawling, it is essential to focus on these six areas to ensure that kiddos who are struggling with crawling have the essential building blocks that children need to master in order to progress toward crawling.
If a child struggles in any or multiple areas, they may not crawl and instead move in less ideal ways such as booty scooting, hitch crawling, or army crawling for longer than one month.
The six areas a baby needs to master are:
1. Upper Trunk Strength
2. Upper Trunk Mobility
3. Lower Trunk Strength
4. Lower Trunk Mobility
5. Core Strength
6. Crawling Specific Motions
If you’re curious about why each of these areas is important, make sure to watch all of the videos linked down below where I explain exactly how each of these exercises can help a child progress to hands and knees crawling.
For Exercises, it's best to focus on at least one exercise per section for the week. I tell the families I work with to focus on 3 exercises or 20 minutes per day with some extra exercises on the weekends or on days when parents find that they have more time.
Each exercise is either 2-5 minutes or about 10 reps, however, it is okay to tailor it to a baby’s specific tolerance and then increase by 2-3 repetitions or 15-30 seconds each day or week as available/tolerated.
*exercise listed in more than one section
Mobility of the Upper Trunk
Mobility of the Lower Trunk
Strengthening of Upper Trunk
Baby Planks (goal 15-30 sec at a time)
Baby Wheelbarrow (goal 3-5 feet without collapsing)
Weight Bearing Through Arms on Elevated Play Surfaces (coming soon)
Strengthening of Lower Trunk
Tall Kneeling / Tall Kneeling on Incline Toy (coming soon)
Pull to Stand at Activity Table / Pull to Stand at Couch or Small Table
Core Strengthening
Supine to Sidelying to Sit (side core muscles)
Supine to Sit (if #1 is too difficult)
Crawling Training
Crawling on hands and knees is a significantly important milestone, maybe even the most important milestone for all around holistic long term development.
Without hands and knees crawling babies miss out on:
Strengthening the hand muscles which can impact hand writing legibility, formation of letters, and control of a pencil
Decreased postural control strengthening of the upper trunk which can impact handwriting
Decreased core strengthening which can impact gross motor skills such as running, jumping, throwing/catching
Decreased Eye movement and coordination which can impact reading / writting / catching a ball
Decreased isolation of head movements from the body, which can impact coordination
Decreased hip strengthening opportunities which can impact progress toward walking independently (especially if mobility is with booty scooting or army crawling ie neither of those result in neutral hip position weight bearing).
If your child is past 11 months and is not yet crawling on hands / knees, schedule a parent consultation or evaluation here.
What Parents Want To Know About Tongue Ties And Lip Ties
What are tongue ties?
Anterior Tongue Tie - an anterior tongue tie includes the area from the tip of the tongue to the middle part of the tongue. An anterior tongue tie is a piece of tissue called the frenulum that “ties” the tongue to the tissue on the bottom, in this case the tip or middle of the tongue connects to the tissue under the tongue.
This makes it difficult to impossible for the tongue to move past the bottom lip (cannot stick the tongue out or trying to stick the tongue out causes tension in the tongue in the area where it is attached)
The video below shows a good example of an anterior tongue tie and release procedure
2. Posterior Tongue Tie - a posterior tongue tie includes the area from the middle of the tongue to the back part of the tongue. A posterior tongue tie is a piece of tissue called the frenulum that “ties” the tongue to the tissue on the bottom or floor of the mouth, in this case, the tissue goes too far forward.
This creates difficulty in lifting the tongue to the roof of the mouth or bringing the tongue over the bottom lip.
What are lip ties?
Upper Lip Tie - The top lip is connected to the top gums limiting the ability of the top lip to go over an object (nipple of breast or bottle) and meet the bottom lip and create a good suction that is needed for efficient feeding.
Bottom Lip Tie - The bottom lip is connected to the bottom gums limiting the ability of the bottom lip to go over an object (nipple of breast or bottle) and meet the top lip to create a good suction that is needed for efficient feeding.
The video below shows a good example of an upper lip tie and release procedure
What are cheek ties?
Top Cheeks (right and/or left): Cheek ties also known as buccal ties is an abnormally tight pieces of tissue connecting the cheek to the upper gums.
Bottom Cheeks (right and/or left): Cheek ties also known as buccal ties is an abnormally tight pieces of tissue connecting the cheek to the lower gums.
Cheek ties or buccal ties are the least common ties that cause difficulty in function in children and adults. They may impact the formation of dimples, increased tension in the facial tissue (cheeks/surrounding areas) and cause gum recession in adults.
Can you have a lip tie without a tongue tie?
It is typically rare to only have a lip tie and not a tongue tie. It is more common to have a lip tie and a posterior tongue tie that might not be as noticable to someone who is not an expert in tongue or lip ties.
What are the signs that my child may have a tongue or lip tie?
Difficulty with breastfeeding
Nipple damage or pain with breastfeeding
The baby appears uncomfortable during feeding
Difficulty opening the mouth
Clicking noise with feeding (tongue is popping off the nipple or lip is popping off the nipple causing a noise)
Gulping/wet coughing sounds during feedings
Gagging with breastfeeding or pacifier (ties can increase the sensitivity of the gag reflex)
Open mouth while sleeping
Snorting or snoring sounds or loud breathing while sleeping
Constipation or reflux (whole-body tension from tethered oral tissues “ties” can result in GI distress)
Elevated shoulders, red creases on the side of the neck
Difficulty or dislike of tummy time (tension in oral muscles can cause babies to dislike neck extension due to the increase in tension/pull on the front neck and mouth tissues)
Furrowed brows
Tight chin with crease (can look like they have an overbite because their mandible “jaw bone” is pulled back)
Movement Screens:
Mentalis Muscle: Can you get your finger under the bottom lip? Hold your finger and hook there and bring downward to see if you’re able to gain movement and bring the lip away from the gums.
Gupee Pose Stretch: This position stretches/elongates the front of the neck. Place the baby over your lap with their head extended, you may have your hand behind their head for support. This is easily done sitting on the floor or on the couch.
Can a baby hold this position comfortably for 10-20 seconds? Babies need to be able to attain some neck extension comfortably in order to open their mouth wide for breastfeeding (try it yourself: try to open your mouth with your chin to your chest and then try to open your mouth with your neck extended midway between full extension and upright, see which one is easier and more comfortable).Tongue Mobility: Can the baby bring their tongue to the roof of their mouth if you hold a bottle nipple or teething ring or pacifier there? Can they bring the tongue to one side of the mouth, what about the other side? Can they bring the tongue over the bottom of their lip?
Sleeping Screen: When a baby or toddler is sleeping, if you open their jaw gently is their tongue resting securely on the roof of their mouth?
How does a tongue tie or high palate affect swallowing?
How do you get a tongue tie or lip tie release?
A tongue, lip, or cheek tie can be released via a laser or scalpel procedure by a licensed EENT, Pediatric Dentist, or other certified practitioners such as an oral surgeon. Typically a child is screened for a tongue, lip, or cheek tie by a Pediatrician, IBCLC (Lactation Consultant), Nurse, or Therapist (OT, PT, SLP).
Then they are referred for a more in-depth evaluation by a EENT, Pediatric Dentist, Physician/Pediatrician, or Oral Surgeon. If it is found that there is both a tie (tethered oral tissue) AND a functional impairment (difficulty with feeding, breathing, sleeping, motor activities, etc) then a release may be recommended.
Tongue Tie Release Example (also available under what is a tongue tie)
Lip Tie Release Example (also available under what is a lip tie)
Who do I need to contact to get a tongue tie or lip tie released?
You may contact a lactation consultant (IBCLC certified recommended), feeding therapist (OT/SLP), pediatric physical therapist with additional training in TOTs (tethered oral tissues) or your pediatrician. See the example listed above for what a typical procedure for getting a tongue tie or lip tie released goes. Additionally, you may need multiple opinions as tongue ties and lip ties are seen differently by different providers as well as based on the providers experience in oral motor (mouth/throat/airway) function.
If you feel in your gut as a parent that a tie is potentially impacting your child’s ability to sleep, eat, or move, please continue to seek out expert opinions until you feel heard and you feel your child has been fully evaluated. If you’re looking for a tongue tie or lip tie release in Milwaukee, WI a list of local providers is down below.
What are the risks if I choose not to get a tongue tie or lip tie release?
If a child does not have a lip, tongue, or cheek tie released that is impeding function or causing difficulty in movement, feeding, or sleeping there are possible consequences including decreased sleep and recovery, increased fatigue and muscle soreness, difficulty with feeding including pain for the mother if breast feeding, decreased weight gain for an infant, difficulty with motor milestones such as rolling and tummy time.
That being said, it is always within the parents right to choose what they believe is best for their child. Release of ties is only recommended when there is a presence of a tie AND a difficulty in function in the following areas: sleep, feeding, speech, or movement. It is not recommended for parents to have a tongue tie, lip tie, or cheek tie release is there is NO functional activity that is delayed, difficult, or concerning.
Why do lip ties and tongue ties seem so controversial when I google information on it?
There is a wide range of viewpoints on whether tongue ties, lip ties, or cheek ties directly impact function. Both pediatricians, therapists, and EENT doctors have professional opinions that fall on both sides of the street. There is evidence that supports both sides as well.
This can be confusing for parents who simply want to do the right thing for their child. The most important piece to think about is whether you are seeing signs of difficulty with function in eating, sleeping, or movement. If so, it is my professional recommendation to rule out whether a tongue tie, lip tie, or cheek tie is impacting that function.
Research shows that the fascia from your mouth can impact all the way down to your feet. It has also shown that tension in your mouth muscles and jaw can impact pelvic floor function in both kids and adults. Oral care is important, not just for the teeth but also for the whole body.
A note on research: often time research takes a long time to become published. While it is the best we have to make sound, evidence based decisions it is also widely known that there are politics in the research that is published in journals and therefore considered our gold standard “peer-reviewed,” evidence. Research is good, but it is also not the only thing one should consider when making decisions in the medical field.
How do I know I’m making the right choice for my kid?
If you believe there is difficulty in the areas of movement (not rolling, difficulty with higher level activities such as jumping, or hates tummy time), the area of feeding (scroll the list above), or sleeping/airway concerns, my recommendation is to find an expert in tongue ties, lip ties, and cheek ties to have an evaluation done.
In my professional opinion, that expert needs to have extensive additional training in tongue ties, lip ties, and cheek ties. I would find a practitioner who has significant resources on tongue ties and lip ties on their website before ruling out a tongue/lip tie presence in your child.
Recommendations in Idaho:
Lactation Consultant:
Family Seasons - Eagle - Craniosacral, Lactation Consulting, and Occupational therapy in clinic.
Whole Child Feeding Therapy - In Home - Kristen & Kristen provide speech and occupational therapy to families using a combined mobile practice (they come to you!). During evaluation, both Kristens will be there in order to give your child the best of both worlds. For tongue ties, they provide pre and post therapy.
Baby Bonds - Boise - While releases are uncomfortable, Melanie provides Craniofacial Therapy, Rhythmic Movement, and Infant massage prior to the release and provides a space for families to nurse directly after.
Releases and Procedures:
Breathe Airway - Boise - Specializes in the airway and everyone in the location is highly educated including the amazing front desk staff. Airway development is one of the main reasons to have a tongue tie release after feeding concerns and being educated on the improvement to the airway post release can help families feel good about their decisions.
Dr. Alexis Phillips - Boise and Eagle
Chiropractic:
Purpose Driven Chiropractic - Eagle
Tune Chiropractic - Eagle
Mosaic Chiropractic - Meridian
Additional Information:
For a list of recommendations for releases, providers, and general information on tongue ties see the Baby Bonds' Tongue Tie Guide
Recommendations in Wisconsin:
Releases:
Untethered - Milwaukee - Closest and Experts in both releases and airway evaluation with high emphasis on pre/post therapy to maintain release. Is out of network with all insurance companies but will submit their services on your behalf to your insurance if you have out-of-network benefits.
Wisconsin Tongue Tie Center - Fort Atkinson - Further Location, Free Consultations, Are in network with some insurances
Other Experts:
Airway Specialists at Children’s ENT Clinic - Children’s Wisconsin - Do not list frenectomy (releases) as a treatment option on their website. Most conservative option.
Milwaukee Myo and Mequon Speech and Language Connection - Mequon, WI - SLP and feeding therapy, body work, experts in tongue and lip tie treatment.
Success Lactation - In Home Milwaukee and Southern WI - IBLC Lactation Consultation trained in Tongue/Lip Tie Assessements
If you have worked with a clinic that does tongue or lip tie releases or is an expert in tongue or lip tie assessment in the Milwaukee area that you would like to recommend, please email Dr. Baker with their website, location, and name of the clinic.
More information on Tongue and Lip Ties
What Is Body Work and Does My Baby Need It? - a blog post covering how Pediatric Physical Therapists can support babies pre and post tongue tie release and lip tie release. It also goes into further detail on how the fascia from the tie itself can impact whole body tension. Written by Dr. Hope Reyes from Moving Munchkins (Dr. Hope went to PT school with Dr. Lauren and they’re still Peds PT besties even though they don’t live near each other right now!).
Ask The Dentist created a very thorough blog post on all things tongue tie and it includes lots of pictures (which can be tough to find!). Check out Tongue Tie (Ankyloglossia): Diagnosis, Symptoms, Surgery, and More
Melanie from Baby Bonds in Boise, Idaho, was kind enough to share her Tongue Tie Guide with us. It includes a lot of information including videos for families even if you are not located in Boise! Download here.
In Home Pediatric Physical Therapy Near Me
We know finding a good pediatric physical therapist to come to your home is more difficult than it should be. We want you to feel comfortable getting the care and education you and your child need, in the most convenient way possible. Yes, that means we’re cool with you drinking your morning coffee in your pj’s while we see your kiddo.
To make that as easy as possible, we’ve curated a list of In Home Pediatric Physical Therapy near you. The list has been vetted to only include people we’d want in our own home for a bbq or birthday party.
If you’d like to learn more about any specific Physical Therapist on this list, check out to see if they have done an interview with Dr. Lauren Baker, on her youtube channel.
If you cannot find a therapist in your area, email us and we will reach out to our network of Pediatric PTs to see if we can connect you with one (and then add them to our list).
*if there is not an in home pediatric PT in your area, see this post for my recommended clinic based therapists (some may do in home therapy as well!).
United States: Alabama | Alaska | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington DC | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin | Wyoming
Alabama
Birmingham, AL — Dr. Katie Dougherty, PT, DPT, CLT — Physio Baby Therapy and Wellness
Arizona
East Valley Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Bonnie Soto, PT, DPT — Be Well Bebé
East Valley Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Amanda Dudek, PT, DPT, ATC — PT Mama
Gilbert, AZ — Dr. Tirsa Baker, PT, DPT - Renewed Play Physical Therapy — interview link
Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Erin Dinnie, PT, DPT, COMT - Moving Together Physical Therapy — interview link
Scottsdale and North Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Stephanie Murillo, PT, DPT — email via Stephaniemurillopt@gmail.com
Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ — Dr. Nikki Robinett, PT, DPT— Moving and Grooving Physical Therapy
California
Encinitas, CA — Michelle Schiewe — Ohana Physical Therapy
Livermore, CA — Dr. Rhea Schmidt, PT, DPT — Grow Well Physical Therapy — interview link
North Los Angelos, CA — Dr. Judy. J. Wang, PT, DPT, PCS — Lil Peanuts Physical Therapy
San Fernando Valley (Los Angelos), CA — Shlomit Bercovich, MPT — Mobile Pediatric Physical Therapy by Shlomit
Orange County, CA — Dr. Taylor Henderson, PT, DPT — BloomWell Pediatric and Perinatal Physical Therapy
North County San Diego, CA — Dr. Hope Reyes, PT, DPT - Moving Munchkins Physical Therapy
San Diego County, CA — Dr. Alicia Coffroth, PT, DPT & Team — Abilities Pediatric Physical Therapy
Tulare County & Visalia , CA — Dr. Lynzie Asuncion, PT, DPT — More About You Pediatric Physical Therapy and Wellness
Whittier, CA — Dr. Hazel M. Legaspi, PT, DPT — Dr. Legaspi Synergy Physical Therapy
Colorado
Denver, CO — Dr. Brita DeStefano PT, DPT, PCS - Progress Through Play — interview link
Connecticut
Fairfield/New Haven County, CT — Dr. Marcy Fernandes, DPT — Benchmark Pediatrics (PT, OT, SLP)
Shoreline, CT — Dr. Kali Penders, DPT — Costal Kids Physical Therapy (SLP, OT, PT)
Florida
Fort Lauderdale, FL — Dr. Alicia Teeters, PT, DPT — Leap Pediatric Therapy and Sports Medicine
Jacksonville, FL — Dr. Beverly I Reyes PT, DPT, DMI cert — The Sensory DPT PLLC
Jacksonville, FL — Dr. Erin Whitmarsh PT, DPT, PCS — Grow Strong Physical Therapy
Miami, FL — Dr. Brittany Aquart, PT, DPT, PCS — Lemon City Collective
Ocala, FL — Tricia Rogers Steffy, PT — Pivot Rehab LLC (email)
Space Coast or Brevard County, FL — Rachel Williams, PT — Sandy Toes Pediatric Physical Therapy
Weston, FL — Dr. Lindsey Bragg, PT, DPT — Jump Start Physical Therapy and Training
Georgia
Atlanta, GA — Jagruti Hambir, PT, MHS, CIMI — Babies and Beyond Physical Therapy
Atlanta, GA — Dr. Haley McDonald, PT, DPT, PCS — Pathway Pediatric Therapy
Atlanta, GA — Dr. Brittany Zis PT, DPT — Mother and Baby Wellness Collective
South Atlanta, GA — Dr. Kim Baugh, PT, DPT — Babies First, LLC
Idaho
Boise, ID — Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC - Dr. Lauren Baker In Home Pediatric Physical Therapy
Indiana
Indianapolis, IN — Dr. Kelsey Keefer, PT, DPT — Kidtensive PT
Iowa
Des Moines, IA — Dr. Katherine Connor, DPT — Hatch Physical Therapy
Kansas
Wichita, KS — Dr. Brittany McGeary, PT, DPT - Grow Physical Therapy — interview link
Maryland
Bethesda, MD — Terryl Averbach Rosenberg, PT — Kid Networks Pediatric Physical Therapy
Massachusetts
Boston, MA — Dr. Karen Tanso, PT, DPT, PCS — Inchstones PT
Boston and Worcester, MA — Dr. Jenna Raheb, PT, DPT, PCS, CPST — Raheb PT
Middlesex, Essex, Worcester county, MA — Jocelyne MacDonald, PT — L.E.MacDonald Physical Therapy
North Shore, MA — Meagan O'Neill, MSPT, CIMI-2 — Ahoy Baby Physical Therapy and Wellness
Missouri
Kansas City, MO — Dr. Lauren Abelson PT, DPT, NCS — Function Forward Physical Therapy
Kansas City, MO — Dr. Katie Shipley, PT, DPT — Nurturing Touch Physical Therapy and Wellness
New Hampshire
Bedford, NH — Dr. Brenda Sacino, PT, DPT, — Playful Progress Pediatric PT & Developmental Wellness
New Jersey
Chester/Mendham, NJ — Dr. Carina Torres, PT, DPT, PCS - Little Champions Physical Therapy
Millburn, NJ — Dr. Sarah Riale PT, DPT, BSPTS — Kinetic Studio PT
Northern, NJ/Hudson, Bergen, and Passaic Counties — Dr. Vaishali Parmar, PT, DPT, MBA — Mobile PhysioCare
South Jersey/Cherry Hill, NJ — Dr. Nikki Galluzzo PT,DPT — Little Feats Physical Therapy
New York
Buffalo, NY — Dr. Alyssa Whitfield PT, DPT — Move to Learn PT
Carmel, NY — Dr. Yelena Bregman, PT, DPT — Inspiration Physical Therapy PLLC
Long Island, NY — Dr. Roulla Savva, PT, DPT — Tracking Miles Physical Therapy
Suffolk County, Long Island, NY — Dr. Taylor Jensen, PT, DPT — email via Taylor.jensen25@gmail.com
Syracuse, NY — Dr. Brittany Schuler PT, DPT, CBIS, NCS — email via Minimilestonesppt@gmail.com
North Carolina
Charlotte, NC — Dr. Kelsey Miles, PT, DPT, C/NDT — Move Pediatric PT
Ohio
Columbus, OH — Dr Amy Newkold, PT, DPT — Baby Moves Physical Therapy
Oklahoma
Stillwater, OK — Dr. Kayte Lynch, PT, DPT — Fit To Be Kids Pediatric Physical Therapy (email)
Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, PA — Dr. Anna Bolshin, PT, DPT - Loving Touch Physical Therapy — interview link
Philadelphia Main Line, PA — Dr. Lisa Schwarcz, PT, DPT, PCS, RYT — Homebody Therapy and Wellness
South Carolina
Charleston, SC — Dr. Savannah Wise, PT, DPT — Wise Little Movers Physical Therapy
Mount Pleasant, SC — Dr. Erika Espana, PT, DPT & Team — Mastering Milestones
Tennessee
Kingsport, Johnson City, TN — Dr. Whitney Castle, PT, DPT, DMI certified — Royal Pediatric PT & Wellness
Nashville, TN — Dr. Kristen DeMura, PT, DPT — Pediatric Physical Therapy of Nashville
Texas
Austin, TX — Dr. Kristi Hammerle, PT, DPT, CBS — Year One Wellness
Austin, TX — Dr. Jennifer Gaewsky, PT, DPT — Physical Therapy For Infants
Austin, TX / Bastrup, TX — Dr. Samantha Eaton PT, DPT — Hatched Physical Therapy
Austin, TX — Dr. Katie Kennedy PT, DPT, PCS, NTMTC, CEIM — Strive Pediatrics
Austin, TX — Dr. Carolyn Zuiker, PT, DPT — Boost Babies
Dallas, TX — Dr. Amie Dougherty PT, DPT, DMI certified — Milestones At Play Physical Therapy & Wellness
Dallas-Fort Worth & Denton County, TX — Dr. Jena Schultz, PT, DPT, PCS — Driving Development
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX — Kristen McConnell, MSPT — PhysiTots Pediatric Physical Therapy
Houston, TX — Physio Baby Team — Physio Baby Therapy and Wellness
Houston, TX — Dr. Caitlin Keller, PT, DPT, — Unconstipated Kids — interview link
New Braunfels, TX — Carissa Tracy, MPT — PEARL Pediatric Therapy, PLLC
North Texas (Argyle, Denton, Justin) — Dr. Alexandria Gentry — Jumping Jacks Physical Therapy
Virginia
Alexandria, VA — Dr. Allison Kops PT, DPT — The Baby PT
Northern, VA — Dr. Hannah Williams PT, DPT — Little Steps Pediatric PT
Richmond, VA — Dr. Emily Rosenberger, PT, DPT, ITPT — Expanding Reach Physical Therapy
Washington, DC
Bethesda, MD — Terryl Averbach Rosenberg, PT — Kid Networks Pediatric Physical Therapy
*if there is not an in home pediatric PT in your area, see this post for my recommended clinic based therapists (some may do in home therapy as well!).
Virtual Consult Specialties
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6 Warning Signs of Torticollis And What To Do If It Returns
Torticollis can resurface as a baby grows from an infant to pre-school age, due to the muscles growing faster than the bones. This blog post will cover torticollis warning signs from birth to 3 years old. The blog post is by Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC a pediatric in home physical therapist in Boise, ID
Early treatment for Torticollis is necessary to decrease asymmetrical movement (one side moves different than the other, or better than the other) and in order to reach gross motor milestones, avoid complications such as positional plagiocephaly (flat head), and improve gross motor skills, which are essential to academic skills such as reading, writing, and coordination.
Torticollis can resurface as a child gets older, even after Physical Therapy direct services (1:1 with a child) have been stopped due to achievement of goals. It’s important for families to know the warning signs of a reoccurrence of torticollis. These warning signs of asymmetrical movement patterns can also be used as a guide to know when to call your PT if a child was seen for delayed milestones, tightness, or other concerns.
What is Torticollis?
Plagiocephaly is a medical diagnosis that describes a flattening of the skull of infants. There are three main types of plagiocephaly: plagiocephaly, brachiocephaly, and scaphocephaly.
Plagiocephaly is a flattening on one side of the head in the back, which became more common after the introduction of the back to sleep campaign (which has decreased infant SIDS, thank goodness) but unintentionally has increased skull flattening. Data tells us that 46% of babies will have a deformation of the skull at some point in their infant lives.
Brachiocephaly is a flattening of both sides of the back of the head resulting in an increased width of the skull. Scaphocephaly is least common with a long, narrow head shape.
Plagiocephaly is often associated with a diagnosis of torticollis (head tilting and limitations in neck rotation), the baby is often rotated toward the side that is flattened and limited in the opposite direction.
The American Physical Therapy Association recommends that healthcare providers and family members screen children for head/neck tilting and preference for one side rotation of the head/neck within 2 days of birth.
Physical Therapy evaluation and treatment are recommended for infants 2 weeks and older. Torticollis has optimal results when a child receives Physical Therapy prior to 2 months of age; however, can be treated at any age. Physical Therapy average treatment is 1.5 months at up to 2 months and up to 6+ months after six months of age.
Can Torticollis be associated with Plagiocephaly?
Yes. Plagiocephaly, or flattening of the skull (usually one side of the back of the skull), is associated with both Torticollis and inutero constraint or positioning. The first warning sign of torticollis is usually a head tilt or rotation preference (rotation to the right is most common in infants). When a child spends a majority of their time in rotation, the side they prefer is at higher risk of flattening due to the pressure of the mattress/ground on the head.
It is important to eliminate any head/neck rotation preference through Pediatric Physical Therapy consultations, direct service, Chiropractic care, or a combination of both services. Plagiocephaly is easier to treat conservatively earlier, specifically before the age of 3 months. After the age of 5-6 months, or a child begins to roll, if the plagiocephaly measures in the moderate to severe range, a helmet (cranial orthosis) is typically recommended.
Physical Therapy is still recommended when a child is referred for a helmet (cranial orthosis) due to higher success rates with combined therapy and the influence of the muscular pull on the bones/joints that can decrease the effectiveness of the helmet if not completed in combination.
Can Torticollis come back after my child has been discharged from Physical Therapy?
Torticollis is a full body musculoskeletal condition, which means that the neck, trunk, and pelvis are all connected and therefore all involved. A Physical Therapy treatment and plan of care should incorporate flexibility and mobility exercises or stretches to the whole body and not just the head/neck.
Without this, the head tilt or rotation preference may return quickly after discharge of Physical Therapy. If this occurs, request additional upper and lower trunk and pelvis evaluation in the following directions: upper trunk rotation to right and left, upper trunk side bend to right and left, lower trunk rotation to right and left, lower trunk side bend to right and left. If any direction is moderately to significantly limited, further treatment is recommended.
A highly effective form of full body torticollis treatment is called Total Motion Release (TMR). Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC is level 1 TMR trained and can refer to other practitioners in your area if you are not in Idaho. She can additionally help screen your child online via an online parent consultation, which you can book here.
What if my baby has been discharged but not yet crawling?
For babies with a diagnosis of torticollis, I prefer to keep children on my caseload until they are progressing toward all fours (hands and knees) crawling. The reason for this, is that there are significant alternative crawling patterns that can present in a child with a history of torticollis.
If a child struggles with being on all fours (hands and knees) and is not yet rocking on all fours (the best precursor skill to crawling), there may still be significant trunk or pelvis limitations that are contributing.
Crawling is such an important gross motor skills because it sets a child up by strengthening their hips for walking, strengthening their hands for handwriting, alternate hand/leg coordination for reading and writing, and primitive reflex integration (SNTR specifically) which is important in copying words down from the board.
I find, as a Physical Therapist, it is essential to ensure that my babies are able to progress to this stage without complications as well as educate my mamas on what to look for if there is any gaps in service (due to no current concerns, scheduling conflicts, or budget concerns).
What should I look out for?
Asymmetrical Crawling
Army Crawling
After 4-6 weeks, army crawling should naturally progress to rocking back and forth on all fours. If a child is still army crawling (belly crawling) after 4-6 weeks, there could be some tightness or limitations in the upper or lower trunk or pelvis (or all three).
Army crawling is an example of sagittal plane movement, which is the same as moving the right and left sides of your body. It is an easier movement pattern than the front plane (moving side to side) or the transverse plane (rotating your trunk to the right or left).
Army crawling is a great precursor to hands and knees crawling, but it is not ideal for long term strengthening for hands, shoulders, elbows, hips, or progressing toward academic skills such as reading, writing, or copying down from the board.
Whenever possible, it is ideal to encourage hands and knees crawling with both hands on the ground, extended elbows, and both knees on the ground. If a child is not crawling on hands and knees by 11 months, direct Pediatric Physical Therapy services are recommended.
Hitch Crawl
A hitch crawl is a combination of all fours (hands and knees) but instead of both knees on the ground, one knee is off the ground and the foot is on the ground instead.
This position is more similiar and closer to hands and knees crawling, but is not quite there. What it typically means is that one hip or trunk is tighter, which is resulting in a compensation mechanism. When one foot is on the ground, that same side of the trunk is in a side bend (their shoulder is closer to their hip on that side), which could indicate that side of the trunk is tighter.
Additionally, the side of the foot that is on the ground is pulling both with the arm on that side, as well as the foot on that side. The mechanics of this movement are far different from pushing through the knees into the ground and shifting weight from side to side. It also uses the same side body parts (the arm of the foot on the ground pulls as does the foot on the ground) instead of the right arm and left leg working in conjunction and vice versa for the left arm and right leg.
A hitch crawl is often indicative of a combination of trunk/pelvis tightness and/or core/upper trunk weakness. The hitch crawl as the sole way of crawling is not ideal, and Pediatric Physical Therapy is recommended to enhance progress toward full hands and knees crawling as well as to decrease any future complications due to not having the gross motor experience of contralateral body movements (right hand/left leg), both knees on the ground for hip strengthening (decreases risk of falls or difficulty with stairs), and improved coordination (due to weight shifting instead of one sided pulling common with hitch crawl).
Booty Scooting
If I’m being honest, the booty scoot is my least favorite of the bunch. I will take a stubborn army crawler or a hitch crawl over a booty scoot any day of the week. That being said, if your child’s only form of movement is a booty scoot, don’t be scared — just know that it will likely take longer to transition to all fours crawling than the other asymmetrical crawling types.
The biggest reason that kiddos choose to booty scoot over other forms of crawling is that they do not like to be in tummy time or in supported all fours. If the kiddo hates tummy time and has not been able to learn how to tolerate being on their belly for up to 60 minutes per day, they have a higher risk of learning the booty scoot.A child who did not like rolling from belly to back or back to belly may also progress to booty scooting because rolling requires trunk rotation and moving the upper half of the trunk on a stabilized lower half of the trunk.
Booty scooting is also typical of kiddos with significant trunk rotation limitations in both the upper and lower trunks. Booty scooting is another sagittal plane movement (like walking or moving the right and left sides of your body, which is the easier plane). The difficulty with booty scooting is that you need trunk rotation in order to transition in/out of sitting, from lying on your back to sitting, and in order to have good hip strength.Booty scooting is a pulling motion, where a child uses both hands on the floor to pull their bottom forward. They often like this motion because they can do it fast, they are upright and can see their surroundings, and they simply prefer sitting to all other positions.
Booty scooting is not ideal because it does not allow a child to increase their core strength (being on all fours is a much better core strengthening position), push through the palms of their hand into the ground (strengthening their inner hand muscles for hand writing), coordinate their alternating sides of the body together (which is the same motor plan as reading and writing), and does not all for hip strengthening (which is needed for progression to walking and decreasing difficulty with stairs, running, or jumping).
If a child is showing signs of consistent asymmetrical crawling in hitch crawling or booty scooting and/or has been army crawling for greater than 6 weeks without progression to hands/knees rocking on all fours, please call your Pediatric Physical Therapist for exercises or additional appointments. If your child has not yet seen a Pediatric Physical Therapist, it is ideal to be proactive and call on your child’s behalf in order to obtain optimal movement strategies for your child.
Difficulty with one direction of side sit
Side Sitting is one of the best types of sitting for children 7 months and older. It is a great core-strengthening position, functional to progress to getting from sitting to crawling, and helps improve both trunk rotation and crossing midline while playing.
Sometimes, one hip is tighter than the other or one side of the trunk is tighter or weaker than the other, which can influence which side sit is more comfortable for a child. Ideally, while a child may prefer one direction to use for transfers, a parent will want to make sure the child practices both directions equally during strategic play times (at least 20 minutes/day).
If a child with a history of torticollis, shows significant preference to only one side of side sit and/or they do not tolerate one direction when placed in a side sitting position, that is a sign of hip, pelvic, or trunk tightness that if not resolved with previously taught stretches, would benefit from a consultation from the child’s previous Pediatric Physical Therapist or consultation with a new Peds PT.
For examples of side sitting and modifications, please watch this video.
Pulling to Stand with only one leg
When pulling to stand, a child will lead with one leg in a half kneel “will you marry. me,” pose. At the beginning, this pose will look quite messy and they may need some assistance bringing their knee closer to the surface they are pulling up on. Sometimes, babies will even try to pull themselves up solely by their arms and use the tops of their feet, which is normal at first, but looks quite icky to most of us!
As a baby continues to pull to stand, they should progress to using the half kneeling “will you marry me” pose, with assistance or independently. A child will likely have a preferred side, but a torticollis recurrence warning sign would be if a child only used one leg forward and when prompted (you put the opposite leg forward) they collapse or aren’t able to push through it to stand.
This would be indicative of weakness in the hip, pelvis, or lateral trunk (or all three). A family can choose to practice this position by holding it statically while playing on a higher surface, by going to both knees on the ground in tall kneeling (which strengthens both hips at the same time and is less strenuous on the trunk), or by encouraging the child to pull to stand with the non-preferred leg leading.
If a family notices that progress is slow, or a child refuses to push through the non-preferred limb, or collapses when being placed in the half-kneeling “will you marry me” pose, a Pediatric Physical Therapy consultation or evaluation may be beneficial.
Cruising only to one side
If a child is only cruising to one side after practicing cruising for 4 weeks, then there may be core, pelvic, or hip strength difficulties that are limiting that child. Cruising requires more lateral trunk and hip muscular strength than sitting does, so a child with an asymmetrical crawl or a history of torticollis may be experiencing a recurrence of symptoms that are limiting their progress in this skill.
Core strength to keep a child upright, while then shifting their weight to one hip/side in order to lift the other leg off the ground and then place it, followed by shifting the weight onto that new limb, and then doing it all over again, is actually a fairly complex process! For kiddos who have hip or core tightness, they may try to avoid any unnecessary effort by simply avoiding the difficult side (this isn’t ideal, of course!).
A family who practices cruising to the non-preferred side but is struggling to motivate the child or they just plop to their bottom instead of attempting to cruise to that side, may benefit from a Pediatric Physical Therapy consultation or evaluation.
Increased falls while walking after walking independently for 6 months
Kiddos fall a lot as they learn to walk. Falling in itself is not a bad thing, in fact, families can help their kiddos learn to walk simply by cheering when they fall down instead of showing fear. Kiddos naturally fall to their bottom and get back up and try again often falling over 17 times per hour, which is normal.
After six months, though, a child should be able to walk independently with much less falling. If you feel as though your child is falling more frequently than their peers, it may be due to a core/hip strength or mobility concern that is popping back up. Falling frequently does increase the risk of accidental self-injury but alone is a little bit of a tough area to differentiate between what is any okay number of falls (ages 1-4 years, frequent falls after age four is always a concern) and what is an age appropriate amount when “we’re learning about this gravity thing?”
The rule of thumb I give parents is that if your intuition tells you that your child is falling more than their peers, they likely are and could benefit from Physical Therapy. If your child is both falling more than their peers AND has one or more of the other signs and symptoms of asymmetrical movement or recurrence of torticollis, then you can confidently reach out for additional Physical Therapy support. The biggest one I’d see combined with falling is difficulty ascending/descending stairs. If a child is struggling with two areas, seeing a Pediatric Physical Therapist is recommended.
Difficulty with Climbing or Descending stairs
Stairs are super difficult. Let us first talk about at what ages should children be able to do stairs, because there is a systematic way of progressing to walking up/down stairs on your own.
18-22 months: walk up/down stairs while holding your hand and/or a railing/wall
24 months: walk up/down two steps independently while holding onto a wall/railing (not your hand)
30 months: walk up stairs using one foot on each step (R foot then L foot then R foot, with one foot on each step) with/without holding onto the wall/railing
Typically, if a child has difficulty (weakness or difficulty with balance) with one limb they are going to go up the stairs with the opposite limb with two feet at a time (R is stronger, R goes up the stair then L meets it on the stair, R goes up the next stair). If a child struggles with either balance or strength or both, they may insist on holding a parents hand, which after 24 months of age is not ideal. To help a child progress to independent stair climbing, a parent can support the child at the hips instead of holding their hand, walk behind them as the child goes up the stairs, and walk facing them but below them when going down the stairs.
When descending stairs, if a child has weakness or difficulty with balance, we often see them ask to be carried down the stairs, scoot on their bottom down the stairs, or refuse to walk down the stairs by becoming upset because it is too difficult. Walking down the stairs, children typically lead with the leg that is weakest. For example, if the R leg is strong and the L leg is weak, the child with go up the stairs with the R, but go down the stairs leading with the L (in both directions, the R leg does all the work).
If a child refuses to switch limbs or uses only one limb when prompted by an adult when descending stairs, even when the adult switches sides (uses the railing going down and uses the wall on the opposite side going down), there is likely an imbalance in one limb/side of the trunk, which could benefit from PT.
How can I have my baby or child work with Dr. Lauren?
If you would like Dr. Baker to come to your home to evaluate your baby (2 weeks+) or toddler you can schedule an evaluation online. Evaluations are 60 minutes in person in the Treasure Valley and Boise area. For pricing considerations please visit our pricing page. If your baby/toddler is not in Idaho, you may schedule an online parent consultation, where Dr. Baker, DPT, will answer any questions you may have and/or screen your child if appropriate.
10+ Pediatric Physical Therapy Intake Form Examples and Templates
10+ Pediatric Physical Therapy Intake Forms and Examples including: Online Parent Consultation Consent Form, Online Parent Consultation Intake Form Template, Online Parent Consultation Documentation Template, Pediatric PT Covid-19 Waiver Example, Good Faith Estimate Example, Informed Consent for Pediatric PT Example, Example Medicaid Release Form, Pediatric PT Intake Form Template, Pediatric PT Practice Policies Example, Pediatric PT Privacy Policies (HIPPA) Example, Release of Information Form Template, Youtube Video Release Template, Pediatric PT Evaluation Template, Pediatric PT Progress Report Template, and SOAP Note Template
Hi, I’m Dr. Lauren Baker, PT, DPT, ATC, MTC, and I run a cash based mobile pediatric physical therapy business. I’m literally obsessed with this style of therapy, having a flexible schedule, and all the things that come along with not having the barriers that a traditional insurance based clinic has.
That being said, starting out was kind of hard at first, mostly because I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing — but also because there was SO MUCH to create: intake forms, consent forms, and documentation templates.
After a year+ in business, I feel like I have it mostly under control from an administration standpoint and thought I would share my intake, consent, and documentation forms with other Pediatric PTs who want to move into the cash based mobile peds PT business too.
You see, some people might think that by sharing these forms I’d be creating more competition for myself — but I see the opposite. I see a world where babes are treated in the comfort of their own home with therapists who are able to treat them compassionately and with a high level of energy and support because they’re not burnt out.
So to me, that means we’ve got to convince more peds PTs to take the plunge (& the risk) — which results in making the whole process less scary.
This is my goal in sharing these forms. I hope they help.
Disclaimer: I created these forms myself as well as from some standard language provided by Simple Practice. As of 2022 they have not been reviewed by a lawyer. Use them at your own risk and I highly recommend consulting with a lawyer prior to using them.
Here are all of the forms you can download and use for free:
Online Parent Consultation Consent Form
Online Parent Consultation Intake Form
Online Parent Consultation Documentation Template
Covid-19 Waiver
Good Faith Estimate
Informed Consent for Pediatric PT
Medicaid Release Form
Pediatric PT Intake Form
Pediatric PT Practice Policies
Pediatric PT Privacy Policies (HIPPA)
Release of Information
Youtube Video Release
Pediatric PT Evaluation Template
Pediatric PT Progress Report Template
SOAP Note Template
Using Pediatric PT Intake and Documentation Forms
For full disclosure, these pdf forms are in the format directly downloaded from my all in one system (EMR + online scheduler + credit card payment). I use Simple Practice, which I absolutely love because it is an all in one system that makes sending, e-signing, scheduling, and getting paid something I honestly barely even spend brainpower on.
You can use these forms to create your own in Simple Practice and if you are looking for an all in one system you can sign up for Simple Practice here. You’ll receive $100 off & I will also receive $100 if you sign up using that link.
I currently utilize the $99/month option but you could get started using the $69/month option. The one thing I do dislike about Simple Practice is that they included the google calendar sync in their 99$/mo pricing tier, which I absolutely need. Otherwise, I would still be in the 69/mo category. I would recommend others start with 69/month unless they absolutely need google sync.
Simple Practice does have its own app so if you have fewer patients or are okay with carrying over your appointments to your google calendar manually, it might be worth it to save $30/mo. You can do everything I do with the $69/mo plan.
are you a pediatric PT with a mobile peds business?
If you are a pediatric PT who operates a cash based or mobile business and are interested in being interviewed on my youtube channel, please reach out here. I love sharing mobile and cash based peds PT businesses.