If you are a new parent like me, you might be wondering about a baby’s development and the various milestones a baby achieves and keenly waiting for your baby to achieve the same. When do babies start crawling? It is the most common thought. Crawling is a developmental milestone and an important motor skill because, in this, a baby makes use of both sides of his brain together. Crawling gives your baby a sense of independence, i.e., moving from one place to another on her own.
Crawling is a combination of muscle strength and coordination which every baby develop at their own pace.
Till now, the only mode for moving from one place to another for your baby is a stroller, baby carrier, or your lap, but with each passing day, your baby is getting close to starting crawling. And for you as a parent, it is overwhelming to think, when do babies start crawling? And to see that little human moving to any corner of the house on her own is more overwhelming. When you see your baby crawl, you are happy, but your baby is even happier, and why wouldn’t it gives them a sense of freedom and independence as they can move from one place or corner to another on their own?
1. Time Frame of When do Babies Start Crawling?
You might be searching on the internet now and then; when do babies start crawling? Some babies begin to crawl sooner, and others later.
When Someone asks when do babies start crawling, the answer for that, typically, babies begin crawling from seven to ten months of age. And some babies skip the crawling stage altogether, and the transition happens from sitting position to standing, holding objects such as beds, chairs, coffee tables, etc., so you need not worry about that. Refrain from comparing your baby with other babies; babies don’t need to learn to crawl simultaneously.
Parents often wonder that, so the answer is all babies are going to grow, develop and learn new things at their own pace and have their timeline for doing that. So try not to focus on the tricky question of when do babies start crawling as a few babies are early crawlers, too, so they crawl earlier than six months also.
2. Various Styles of Crawling
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And what are the various styles of crawling? According to the when do babies start crawling now there are different crawling styles that a baby might opt for crawling. Here are some of the crawling styles in which your baby is going to crawl.
2.1 Classic Crawl
This is the one common style of crawling in most babies. In classic crawling, the baby crawls using both her hands and knees and while crawling, they move their opposite hand and knee simultaneously to move forward.
2.2 Belly Crawl / Commando Crawl
In belly crawling or also known as commando crawling, the baby will creep on his belly while moving forward, and with the support of an arm, they push the body in the upper direction. In belly crawling, they remain in direct contact with the floor and thus do not lose balance. Belly crawling is also one of the common styles which you will notice in many babies after the classic crawl.
2.3 Rolling Crawl
Baby, while crawling like this, will move from one place to another by rolling from back to their tummy. When babies crawl with this style, they use rolling as a technique to get to their desired destination.
2.4 Bear Crawl
This style is like classic crawling, and the difference between classic crawl and bear crawl is that in this, babies keep their hands and feet on the floor instead of hands and knees; its posture is just like doing push-ups. All the weight is on the hands and feet.
2.5 Crab Crawl
In crab crawl, babies move to the side or reverse, just like crabs will do.
2.6 Bottom Scoot
When a baby scoot around using his bottom is known as bottom scoot; a crawling baby in this style uses his arms to move forward while being in a seated position; they might crawl in the backward or upward direction, and sometimes they prefer sideway scooting.
As every baby is different, so is their crawling style, and with each passing month, the crawling styles can also change. Now, remember one thing babies start crawling backward first because they find it easy to move backward. Gradually they develop, and they begin to crawl in an upward direction. And once they start to crawl, they are soon going to develop other motor skills, such as walking.
Every baby uses different crawling styles; stay calm if your baby does not crawl like other babies or does not crawl at all, it is perfectly normal for babies with developmental delays to start crawling later, and some babies skip crawling altogether. Do not panic if your baby is not crawling the traditional way. Some babies crawl the traditional way, but most babies crawl with a mixture of techniques.
The pattern that a baby is going to follow while crawling might be similar, but they all are not going to crawl at the same time; time will always vary.
Various questions come to parents’ minds, such as when do babies start crawling or why my baby has not started crawling yet? You should only worry when babies start crawling if your baby is not crawling at one year of age and is not showing any sign of mobility or rolling in one direction; in that case, you contact a pediatrician, and early intervention can help your baby in proper growth.
3. Tips to Help Baby Crawl
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A lot of a baby’s development depends upon the exposure they are getting. When do babies start crawling? Stop thinking that; try to help them in doing so. If you want to help your baby start crawling, then you can help them in various manners.
3.1 Tummy Time
You can also encourage your baby to crawl by giving her tummy time. The very first step towards crawling is tummy time, and it helps in building strength in the arms, back, and trunk. Motor skills develop as they try to move their head, arms, shoulders, and neck. You can also make tummy time interesting by using water mats for babies.
If you can then give baby tummy time while she basks in the sun, it will help her have sunlight and fresh air as well. This will help the baby enjoy the natural environment and is also good for the baby’s health.
The World Health Organization advises that infants under one year of age should get at least 30 minutes of tummy time per day, and the best time for doing it is when the baby is not sleeping.
WHO also advises that the baby should be kept physically active throughout the day. Keeping the baby physically active will also help in brain development.
As a part of physical activity, you can introduce them to playing gym which is a super fun activity for them. Take your little ones to the park, where these little minds get to see and explore nature.
3.2 Toys
Putting objects or her favorite toy out of reach will encourage the baby to move toward her favorite toy out of curiosity. Put a toy in front of them but a little out of their reach, which will help them to get into a crawling position. During this, they also develop control of the neck while playing with the toys.
3.3 Hold Baby’s Hands and Knees
Hold the baby gently in a crawling position. Just hold most of the baby’s weight in such a manner that their hands and knees are touching the floor. It will help the baby to get familiar with the feeling, movement, and posture of crawling. While doing this, babies develop strong muscles, which will eventually help baby to crawl. Try to put them on a soft and non-slippery surface. It will help them to crawl easily without getting slipped, and there won’t be any problem.
3.4 Plenty Space
For smooth crawling, a baby needs plenty of space, so make sure that there is a good amount of space for your child to roll and crawl. The space should be safe, too, i.e., there should not be any object that could harm the baby.
3.5 Baby Massage
Giving the baby a massage helps in strengthening their muscles, and this is an easy way in which you can help your baby to develop. It not only strengthens muscles and bones but also helps with the colic issue in infants.
3.6 Crawl Along
Babies follow what they see, so what’s better than doing it yourself and letting the baby examine closely how it is done? Once they see you crawling, they will also want to do the same by copying you.
4. Signs to Know When do Babies Start Crawling?
Some infant actions show that the baby is ready to crawl. When do babies start crawling? There are four amazing signs to know that.
4.1 Start Pulling Themselves
Once a baby pulls is a sign that crawling is on the way for your baby.
4.2 Acts Like a Swimmer
When a baby is ready to crawl, they sometimes take the swimmer’s posture and try to move their limbs like they are swimming.
4.3 Significantly Stronger
Baby’s head, arms, neck, and feet become strong enough to hold themselves is also a sign that they are going to crawl soon.
4.4 Move a Little
Your baby starts moving or rolling a little on the mat, and you see that they have moved from the place where they were lying.
5. Babyproofing
When the wait for the question, when do babies start crawling is over, and as babies start crawling, they crawling babies need to be supervised all the time. So as your baby is mobile now and is moving back and forth every time using his hands and knees, you need to be assured that the baby is safe, and for this, babyproofing the house is the wise decision.
Baby-proof every corner of the house that you can. Your coffee table might be beautiful, but not its corners. For this, you can baby-proof the corner with edge and corner guards. You can also use electrical guards, door and stair gates, safety locks, etc.
When do babies start crawling? You have spent a lot of your time thinking about this, but once your baby starts crawling, never leave her alone on the bed or changing table, even for a few seconds, because you never know when she is going to turn around and harm herself. For beds, you can use bed rails for their safety so that there is no chance of rolling down from the bed to the floor. While changing diapers or getting her ready, be sure that you get all the necessary supplies beforehand and never leave the baby alone.
Always keep the floor clean as babies tend to put their hands in their mouths, so always try to clean the floor using floor disinfectant cleaner. Also, keep sharp objects like knives and scissor out of the baby’s reach as the baby can harm themselves.
Always remember to keep an eye on the baby once she starts crawling because, in a minute, this curious little mind will be at another spot of the room exploring new things. Enjoy every milestone that your baby achieves because it is only a matter of time before she will be standing on her feet, dancing, and twirling around.
Conclusion
So to conclude, all babies start crawling at different times; not every baby will start crawling at the same time. Some will start sooner than others. And every baby will opt for the same or different style of crawling; classic crawl is not always the one. When do babies start crawling? It is that thought which should not make you tense. When do babies start crawling? Divert your mind from this question. Just be patient and enjoy the little moments with your baby.
Last Updated on by Sathi
