If you still have questions book a free 20 minute phone call or paid 60 minute online consultation with me here: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service
This video is so helpful! As a nanny, I've been looking for a resource to send to parents of the babies I care for who are showing signs of physical delays. Supportive exercise is the first intervention I suggest to parents.
Erin, this is so nice! Thank you so much. Definitely check out the playlists because I tried to organize things to make it easier for amazing humans like you who share resources with super lucky families! Shoot me an email info@drlaurenbaker.com if you have areas where I dont have videos yet or if parents have specific questions - I’ve been doing a few lives recently just to answer more in depth viewer questions and would love to help out.
He can get big rolls spontaneously onto his tummy at7 months but he was ill for his first four. I think hes doing very well considering.. thank you for posting I really want to help with building his core as his midwife thinks he has weak core muscles. Every week his rolls are more frequent trying to put the nappy on,doesn't like changing now.❤
hi dear Lauren, so nice to watching you, ı am also a pediatric physiotherapist and ı want to ask a question; does the pilates ball can increase the muscle tone for those have hypertonia? ı have concerns about that. thank you from now!
You are so welcome! Make sure to check out the free online courses if you are working on a specific milestone tummy time-walking (0-16 months): drlaurenbaker.com/courses -- so glad this video was helpful for you
Hi! Do you have an exercise recommendation for a baby (11 months) that can get in and out of independent sitting but then leans forward or goes back on all 4 as soon as getting a little tired? Also he does an army crawl mostly. Spent most of the time on his belly so he didn't train his abs or grab his feet at all, he just learned that...
Hi Katharina! I apologize for the late comment, so hopefully you don't need this anymore but if you do here's a few ideas: Depending on how long a baby stays in all fours they might be really close and just working on their endurance. When a baby is able to maintain 2-3 minutes of all fours, typically we're really close to crawling, less than that we have to keep practicing to build up our core strength. The other thing that you hopefully have been doing (this video exercise) is increasing the strength of their side body core muscles and arms (which this exercise does). We need babes to be able to do about 10 of these in a row on a ball or the floor before I can be confident we have the strength and endurance we need to start adding movement. If crawling is still a concern, here is my crawling checklist: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist to see if there are any gaps in skills. I would definitely look at the upper trunk / lower trunk rotation. Since your little is about 12 months by now, if they are not crawling yet a pediatric PT session might be necessary to help you figure out what is blocking it. If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service I hope this helps! Lauren
@@DrLaurenBaker Dear Lauren, thank you so much for your answer. I have been checking your lists, did the lessons and we have visited a PT several times because of a neurological issue influencing the vision as well. He got so much stronger thanks to you and also the PT and is able to crawl, just doesn't want to all the time and still prefers army crawling but can stay on all fours very long (he shifts from belly to sitting to crawling all the time) and does tall kneeling and pulls himself up on the sofa. We are practising the squatting now. Neurologist was very satisfied and not concerned at all. Thank you very much!!
Hi 9 month baby doesn't sit on her own but when we put her in sitting position she is sitting well for long time well balanced & she didn't not crawling yet plz give me a suggestion & when we put her in standing position she stand well and little walk with rope
Hi Sujata! Thank you for the comment. This exercise is a great start and I would highly recommend doing it daily with your baby so that it can build side core strength muscles and teach her to get into sitting on her own (what we would call a transition, which is more difficult than being placed in a position). Its definitely ideal to start working on crawling, which occurs between 9-11 months but if she struggled with rolling at all crawling can be harder because the milestones are linked. I would recommend starting my free crawling course here: drlaurenbaker.com/courses Go through the checklists and start in the mobility sections to make sure she is able to attain her full range which she will need and then start working on all the transitions getting in and out of crawling and playing in all fours! Hope this helps
Hi, thanks for sharing the tips. My son is 2.5 years old and has had multiple surgeries on his head (for hydrocephaleus) which made his head quite heavy and leans on one side. He started to do these exercices quite well last year but now we are seeing he finds it really difficult and resists a lot when we try to do any of these exercices. We are really struggling now to get him to sit from lying down or pull up to stand. Any tips on what we can do?
Hi Vipul, thank you so much for your comment and sending so much love to your family and son for your ongoing journey with hydrocephalus. It is a really tough diagnosis and experience for kids and their families. Because hydrocephalus involves pressure on the brain due to the increased fluid, which can fluctuate with interventions such as shunts or surgeries it can be an evolving condition (of which I am sure you know). This can change motor ability as well making things that were easy or mastered suddenly more difficult. That being said, other factors can also impact movement including as children get older they typically get bigger and then they need even more muscle to do the things they did before. This is especially common in children who have low tone or low average tone. The brain is a really powerful thing and new neuropathways can develop which means that I always tell my families to focus on the next small step and not on any giant leaps because giant leaps can often feel SO overwhelming. The other concept that could be impacting the movement is tightness in the body. We need both strength AND flexibility to do challenging things like pull to stand or get from our back to sitting. My recommendation would be a few things: if your son is not seeing a physiotherapy or pediatric physical therapist in an ongoing manner (with or without breaks in services) I would highly recommend having one on your childs team. If you are looking for things to do at home, try out my free online courses (learning to sit or learning to crawl are likely the most appropriate right now): drlaurenbaker.com/courses These will give you checklists you can start using to focus on the building blocks to help your child, especially if you do not have access to a peds PT (although hopefully you do!!). Sometimes littles with diagnoses such as hydrocephalus can have splinter skills, so it is okay to pick and choose exercises based on what seems most appropriate for your child. I would definitely look into tall kneeling if your son is able to sit independently. If they still need help sitting start with learning to sit first. Good luck and I hope this was helpful!
@@DrLaurenBaker - thank you so much for your detailed response. That makes a lot of sense. He really gained a lot of weight in the past few months but i guess the muscle strength is still what it used to be. I would focus on the small steps and definitely try out the course :)
My baby is 1yr old and still cant sit independently. Dr said he doesn't have core strength for situps and it would take 3 months of physiotherapy. But i am little concerned here since he doesn't keep is back straight while sitting and it is little bended from outer side (curve comes from outer angle). But otherwise his back looks straight while holding up and sleeping on stomach..
Hi Mansitambe, thank you so much for your comment. If a child is not sitting independently by 9 months, pediatric PT is recommended for that child, so I would absolutely take your Dr up on the referral to physiotherapy. Each child develops at their own pace so while estimations of time in PT are helpful, it may take more or less than anticipated based on each child's response and any underlying conditions/experiences. If this exercise is too difficult, this is the one I would begin with: th-cam.com/video/PGz60Z93f8w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=vl4K5orDAPhwA3rm There is a lot to consider with sitting, so honestly the best addition to physio would be to check out my free online course "learning to sit," which you can find here: drlaurenbaker.com/courses The "lower trunk mobility" section would be helpful in determining if the curve you notice is due to tightness or weakness (if it is equal side to side then likely weakness). Additionally, it will walk you through all the components and give you checklists to see if your child has mastered all the skills that they need in order to be ready to sit independently. I hope this is helpful!
Hi Shikha! Thanks so much for being patient with me, it took me longer to get to comments this month than usual. For babies who roll out of tummy time, it is normal to a point - on one hand its awesome they are rolling on their own 🙌 and on the other we want to make sure that they can tolerate 5-10 min on their belly so they have enough strength that they move onto crawling on hands and knees without issue. If baby is not yet rolling back to belly my recommendation would be to grab my book 📚 Tummy Time & Learning to Roll - amzn.to/3u2NKqk (affiliate) because it has all the exercises within there to master all the directions of rolling and make sure that the building blocks are all being checked off to avoid any issues at the next milestone. If rolling back to belly is good and they can roll in all four directions (back to belly to right and left, belly to back right and left), can push into extended elbows (5 months+), and can reach with either hand extending their arm while putting weight into one elbow without collapsing then rolling out of tummy time isnt a problem. You just want to make sure they are able to pivot on their belly clockwise or counterclockwise by 7-8 months and lift their head in a straight line (90 degree angle) by 3 months while on tummy. If any of those things are a struggle besides the book here are two tips (both are in the book): Put your baby on an elevated surface facing you like a couch or bed and block their elbows with your hands. See if baby can tolerate this position for five minutes. Place towel under armpits to blocks elbows from going backwards (pictured in book) and see if baby can tolerate for five minutes. If you live in an area where amazon does not sell books please email me info@drlaurenbaker.com and let me know ❤️ Hope this helps! Lauren
So question the position that you put that baby into is called a w position and I was told by a physical therapist to never let my baby sit like that because if they sit like that later on in life they can have hip problems later on in life opinions??
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for the comment. The position the baby is in, is a side sit or z sit which is entirely safe and in fact an amazing position for babies above 7 months, kids and adults to sit in. W sitting is with both feet behind and both hips in internal rotation and you are correct, w sitting is not ideal and not recommended as a static position for sitting. Here is an example of w sitting (which is different than side sitting/z sitting shown in this video): th-cam.com/video/sQpMqooNwZo/w-d-xo.html
Also I want to mention that I sat in a w position my entire life and now have issues with pain in my hips as well from it and my sister was also told for herself to never sit in a w position because it can put your legs out of place a w position one leg in front and one leg behind not safe to my understanding
Yes w sitting, where both hips are in internal rotation is not ideal. I talk alot about that in this video which may help: th-cam.com/video/sQpMqooNwZo/w-d-xo.html Most individuals who sit in w sitting, do so because its a very stable position. The children are using their hip joints to stabilize their pelvis instead of their core. This does not occur with side sitting (shown in video with one leg in external rotation and one in internal rotation in a z like pattern not w pattern). Most children who w sit have increased laxity or flexibility in their joints making w sitting comfortable and also usually weakness in their core. If it is the childs primary position of sitting it is not ideal and usually indicative of areas we can address with proactive play or exercises. Hope this helps clear up any confusion between side sitting and w sitting!
Hi Melgo09, this exercise is safe to do on babies who can sit independently without support, typically within the 7-9 months range or older. If not yet at that level, please view the pull to sit exercise here: th-cam.com/video/PGz60Z93f8w/w-d-xo.html I hope this is helpful! Thank you for your comment. Lauren
If you still have questions book a free 20 minute phone call or paid 60 minute online consultation with me here: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service
This video is so helpful! As a nanny, I've been looking for a resource to send to parents of the babies I care for who are showing signs of physical delays. Supportive exercise is the first intervention I suggest to parents.
Erin, this is so nice! Thank you so much. Definitely check out the playlists because I tried to organize things to make it easier for amazing humans like you who share resources with super lucky families! Shoot me an email info@drlaurenbaker.com if you have areas where I dont have videos yet or if parents have specific questions - I’ve been doing a few lives recently just to answer more in depth viewer questions and would love to help out.
He can get big rolls spontaneously onto his tummy at7 months but he was ill for his first four. I think hes doing very well considering.. thank you for posting I really want to help with building his core as his midwife thinks he has weak core muscles. Every week his rolls are more frequent trying to put the nappy on,doesn't like changing now.❤
hi dear Lauren, so nice to watching you, ı am also a pediatric physiotherapist and ı want to ask a question; does the pilates ball can increase the muscle tone for those have hypertonia? ı have concerns about that. thank you from now!
Thank You. You are amazing Lauren
You are so welcome! Make sure to check out the free online courses if you are working on a specific milestone tummy time-walking (0-16 months): drlaurenbaker.com/courses -- so glad this video was helpful for you
Hi! Do you have an exercise recommendation for a baby (11 months) that can get in and out of independent sitting but then leans forward or goes back on all 4 as soon as getting a little tired? Also he does an army crawl mostly. Spent most of the time on his belly so he didn't train his abs or grab his feet at all, he just learned that...
Hi Katharina! I apologize for the late comment, so hopefully you don't need this anymore but if you do here's a few ideas: Depending on how long a baby stays in all fours they might be really close and just working on their endurance. When a baby is able to maintain 2-3 minutes of all fours, typically we're really close to crawling, less than that we have to keep practicing to build up our core strength. The other thing that you hopefully have been doing (this video exercise) is increasing the strength of their side body core muscles and arms (which this exercise does). We need babes to be able to do about 10 of these in a row on a ball or the floor before I can be confident we have the strength and endurance we need to start adding movement. If crawling is still a concern, here is my crawling checklist: drlaurenbaker.com/blog/learning-to-crawl-checklist to see if there are any gaps in skills. I would definitely look at the upper trunk / lower trunk rotation. Since your little is about 12 months by now, if they are not crawling yet a pediatric PT session might be necessary to help you figure out what is blocking it.
If you have additional questions, you can schedule an online parent consultation, all consultations are 60 minutes 1:1 via video on a secure platform and can be scheduled here at anytime: drlaurenbaker.clientsecure.me/request/service
I hope this helps! Lauren
@@DrLaurenBaker Dear Lauren, thank you so much for your answer. I have been checking your lists, did the lessons and we have visited a PT several times because of a neurological issue influencing the vision as well. He got so much stronger thanks to you and also the PT and is able to crawl, just doesn't want to all the time and still prefers army crawling but can stay on all fours very long (he shifts from belly to sitting to crawling all the time) and does tall kneeling and pulls himself up on the sofa. We are practising the squatting now. Neurologist was very satisfied and not concerned at all. Thank you very much!!
Hi 9 month baby doesn't sit on her own but when we put her in sitting position she is sitting well for long time well balanced & she didn't not crawling yet plz give me a suggestion & when we put her in standing position she stand well and little walk with rope
Hi Sujata! Thank you for the comment. This exercise is a great start and I would highly recommend doing it daily with your baby so that it can build side core strength muscles and teach her to get into sitting on her own (what we would call a transition, which is more difficult than being placed in a position). Its definitely ideal to start working on crawling, which occurs between 9-11 months but if she struggled with rolling at all crawling can be harder because the milestones are linked. I would recommend starting my free crawling course here: drlaurenbaker.com/courses
Go through the checklists and start in the mobility sections to make sure she is able to attain her full range which she will need and then start working on all the transitions getting in and out of crawling and playing in all fours! Hope this helps
Hi, thanks for sharing the tips. My son is 2.5 years old and has had multiple surgeries on his head (for hydrocephaleus) which made his head quite heavy and leans on one side. He started to do these exercices quite well last year but now we are seeing he finds it really difficult and resists a lot when we try to do any of these exercices. We are really struggling now to get him to sit from lying down or pull up to stand. Any tips on what we can do?
Hi Vipul, thank you so much for your comment and sending so much love to your family and son for your ongoing journey with hydrocephalus. It is a really tough diagnosis and experience for kids and their families.
Because hydrocephalus involves pressure on the brain due to the increased fluid, which can fluctuate with interventions such as shunts or surgeries it can be an evolving condition (of which I am sure you know). This can change motor ability as well making things that were easy or mastered suddenly more difficult.
That being said, other factors can also impact movement including as children get older they typically get bigger and then they need even more muscle to do the things they did before. This is especially common in children who have low tone or low average tone.
The brain is a really powerful thing and new neuropathways can develop which means that I always tell my families to focus on the next small step and not on any giant leaps because giant leaps can often feel SO overwhelming.
The other concept that could be impacting the movement is tightness in the body. We need both strength AND flexibility to do challenging things like pull to stand or get from our back to sitting.
My recommendation would be a few things: if your son is not seeing a physiotherapy or pediatric physical therapist in an ongoing manner (with or without breaks in services) I would highly recommend having one on your childs team.
If you are looking for things to do at home, try out my free online courses (learning to sit or learning to crawl are likely the most appropriate right now): drlaurenbaker.com/courses
These will give you checklists you can start using to focus on the building blocks to help your child, especially if you do not have access to a peds PT (although hopefully you do!!).
Sometimes littles with diagnoses such as hydrocephalus can have splinter skills, so it is okay to pick and choose exercises based on what seems most appropriate for your child. I would definitely look into tall kneeling if your son is able to sit independently. If they still need help sitting start with learning to sit first.
Good luck and I hope this was helpful!
@@DrLaurenBaker - thank you so much for your detailed response. That makes a lot of sense. He really gained a lot of weight in the past few months but i guess the muscle strength is still what it used to be.
I would focus on the small steps and definitely try out the course :)
My baby is 1yr old and still cant sit independently. Dr said he doesn't have core strength for situps and it would take 3 months of physiotherapy. But i am little concerned here since he doesn't keep is back straight while sitting and it is little bended from outer side (curve comes from outer angle). But otherwise his back looks straight while holding up and sleeping on stomach..
Hi Mansitambe, thank you so much for your comment. If a child is not sitting independently by 9 months, pediatric PT is recommended for that child, so I would absolutely take your Dr up on the referral to physiotherapy. Each child develops at their own pace so while estimations of time in PT are helpful, it may take more or less than anticipated based on each child's response and any underlying conditions/experiences.
If this exercise is too difficult, this is the one I would begin with: th-cam.com/video/PGz60Z93f8w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=vl4K5orDAPhwA3rm
There is a lot to consider with sitting, so honestly the best addition to physio would be to check out my free online course "learning to sit," which you can find here: drlaurenbaker.com/courses
The "lower trunk mobility" section would be helpful in determining if the curve you notice is due to tightness or weakness (if it is equal side to side then likely weakness). Additionally, it will walk you through all the components and give you checklists to see if your child has mastered all the skills that they need in order to be ready to sit independently. I hope this is helpful!
Hi baby quickly goes out of tummy time by rolling not taking tummy time how to help?
Hi Shikha! Thanks so much for being patient with me, it took me longer to get to comments this month than usual.
For babies who roll out of tummy time, it is normal to a point - on one hand its awesome they are rolling on their own 🙌 and on the other we want to make sure that they can tolerate 5-10 min on their belly so they have enough strength that they move onto crawling on hands and knees without issue. If baby is not yet rolling back to belly my recommendation would be to grab my book 📚 Tummy Time & Learning to Roll - amzn.to/3u2NKqk (affiliate) because it has all the exercises within there to master all the directions of rolling and make sure that the building blocks are all being checked off to avoid any issues at the next milestone.
If rolling back to belly is good and they can roll in all four directions (back to belly to right and left, belly to back right and left), can push into extended elbows (5 months+), and can reach with either hand extending their arm while putting weight into one elbow without collapsing then rolling out of tummy time isnt a problem. You just want to make sure they are able to pivot on their belly clockwise or counterclockwise by 7-8 months and lift their head in a straight line (90 degree angle) by 3 months while on tummy.
If any of those things are a struggle besides the book here are two tips (both are in the book):
Put your baby on an elevated surface facing you like a couch or bed and block their elbows with your hands. See if baby can tolerate this position for five minutes.
Place towel under armpits to blocks elbows from going backwards (pictured in book) and see if baby can tolerate for five minutes.
If you live in an area where amazon does not sell books please email me info@drlaurenbaker.com and let me know ❤️
Hope this helps! Lauren
So question the position that you put that baby into is called a w position and I was told by a physical therapist to never let my baby sit like that because if they sit like that later on in life they can have hip problems later on in life opinions??
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for the comment. The position the baby is in, is a side sit or z sit which is entirely safe and in fact an amazing position for babies above 7 months, kids and adults to sit in. W sitting is with both feet behind and both hips in internal rotation and you are correct, w sitting is not ideal and not recommended as a static position for sitting. Here is an example of w sitting (which is different than side sitting/z sitting shown in this video): th-cam.com/video/sQpMqooNwZo/w-d-xo.html
Also I want to mention that I sat in a w position my entire life and now have issues with pain in my hips as well from it and my sister was also told for herself to never sit in a w position because it can put your legs out of place a w position one leg in front and one leg behind not safe to my understanding
It can put your hips out of place
Yes w sitting, where both hips are in internal rotation is not ideal. I talk alot about that in this video which may help: th-cam.com/video/sQpMqooNwZo/w-d-xo.html
Most individuals who sit in w sitting, do so because its a very stable position. The children are using their hip joints to stabilize their pelvis instead of their core. This does not occur with side sitting (shown in video with one leg in external rotation and one in internal rotation in a z like pattern not w pattern). Most children who w sit have increased laxity or flexibility in their joints making w sitting comfortable and also usually weakness in their core. If it is the childs primary position of sitting it is not ideal and usually indicative of areas we can address with proactive play or exercises. Hope this helps clear up any confusion between side sitting and w sitting!
How old is this baby?
Hi Melgo09, this exercise is safe to do on babies who can sit independently without support, typically within the 7-9 months range or older. If not yet at that level, please view the pull to sit exercise here: th-cam.com/video/PGz60Z93f8w/w-d-xo.html
I hope this is helpful! Thank you for your comment. Lauren