How old is the baby before he can lift his head while lying on his stomach? New parents should pay attention to the growth rules

A baby's body will undergo different changes every day after birth. At first, the baby will crawl, and finally turn over, and then after a certain period of time, he will start to lift his head. When a baby lifts his head, it means that he can lift his head very high when lying on his stomach. Generally, a normal baby will be able to lift his head in about three months. If it is a little slower, they will also be able to lift their head after about four or five months of training. However, it should be noted that the baby's head lifting still needs frequent training.

How old is the baby?

Generally speaking, babies can lie on their stomachs a few days after birth, but babies within one month old cannot lift their heads on their own when lying on their stomachs. They can only struggle instinctively to turn their faces to one side. At two months old, they can slightly lift their heads and chests, and at three months old, their heads can be lifted steadily.

Usually, the baby's head lifting movement will start from 45 degrees to the bed surface and will be able to be lifted stably to 90 degrees by 3 months. During this process, the baby's motor development is continuous, and the strength of the neck muscles and arms are increasing. To achieve this, mom and dad need to train the baby to lift his head.

How to train your baby to lift his head

1. Prone head lift training

Let the baby lie prone on the bed, being careful not to let the quilt or other small objects block the baby's nose and affect his breathing. The baby puts his hands on both sides of the head, and the parents use toys in front to tease the baby and encourage the baby to look up at the parents or toys.

Parents can use brightly colored and noisy toys and gentle and pleasant words, such as "Baby, Mommy has some beautiful toys here" to attract the baby. At the same time, parents can also change the direction of the toy and let the baby's head rotate with it. This can not only exercise the baby's endurance in raising his head while lying on his stomach, but also exercise the flexibility of the baby's neck rotation.

2. Vertical holding and head raising training

When the baby is 3 months old, let the baby lie on the parent's shoulder, hold the baby upright, with the chest and abdomen close to the parent's chest. The parent puts one arm around the baby's back and grabs the baby's upper limbs. If the baby's head cannot stand upright, the parent can support the baby's head and neck with the palm of the hand, and the other hand support the baby's hips and legs, support the baby's whole body weight, and hold the baby tightly. In this way, the baby's head rests on the parent's shoulder and can see the surrounding scenery by looking back. At the same time, the head and neck muscles are also exercised, and the baby's head can be raised when held upright.

Things to note when your baby lifts his head

1. Choose a time when the baby is in a good mood to do it, and avoid doing it immediately after the baby finishes feeding to prevent spitting up milk.

2. The baby’s training time does not need to be too long each time, just a few minutes will be enough. When your baby is in a good mood, you can exercise several times at intervals, and stop immediately when your baby doesn't want to exercise.

What to do if your baby won't lift his head

Babies around 4 months old can lift their heads 45 to 90 degrees off the bed when lying prone. Using both arms to support yourself, you can lift your chest off the bed.

If your baby still cannot lift his head by 4 months, you should see a health care provider. The development of motor function is closely related to the degree of maturity of the central nervous system. At the same time, the maturity of bones and muscles is also an important factor in the development of motor function. If there are abnormalities in the baby's central nervous system, or in the peripheral nerves, muscles, ligaments, and subcutaneous tissues, it will affect the development of motor function.