At What Age Does A Baby Start Lifting His Head?

Many parents wonder at what age a baby begins to raise their head, and may even be concerned about the child’s development. However, the natural course of physical development should not be accelerated, and the most important thing is to remain patient and temper to wait for the baby to develop naturally.

It must be remembered that babies are fragile and sensitive creatures whose muscles do not yet have enough strength at birth to make certain movements or hold their limbs up. Therefore, the child’s functions are also limited and unbalanced.

During their first years of life, children go through continuous, fundamental development, which also includes nervous and motor development. Within months, a baby will learn to control his body better as his muscles grow in mass, strength, and endurance.

At what age does a baby start raising its head?

A child’s motor development begins when his muscles allow him to hold his head up. This usually happens during the fourth month of life. Still, it’s a good idea to always keep in mind that growth curves can vary without any harm to the child.

The child may try to raise his head and hold it in place until he is 3 or 4 months old,  but is unable to do so for more than a few seconds. During these months, he begins to make this movement out of sheer instinct and then moves a little quietly into more conscious and permanent movements.

By the time a child masters these skills, the muscles in his shoulders and back will continue to develop. These muscles are responsible for his ability to stay in a sitting position. Later, the child gets more strength in his limbs. This is essential for learning to walk.

The sequence of movements the baby learns over time is as follows:

• First month: the  baby begins to control the direction of his head in order to watch different things.
• Second and third months: the  baby gets extra control over his body and limbs without being able to control them in a balanced way.
• From four to six months: the  baby learns to keep his head up usually at this time.
• From the sixth month onwards:  from now on, the baby’s movements will begin to become increasingly intentional, and as he gains more strength, he will learn to move by his own means. First he crawls and then walks.

Can I help my baby raise his head?

While parents may not be able to accelerate this process, they can still, to a certain extent, support their babies in  proper development by certain means. These means consist, for example, of gently carrying the baby and some careful gymnastic movements.

Over time, the baby’s muscles strengthen and gain enough strength to support different parts of the body.

When your baby is about 6-8 months old, the best thing you can do is leave him lying on his stomach. In this way, he will try to lift his head on his own to look at his surroundings,  while gradually strengthening his muscles.

Another little exercise consists of placing the baby face down so that you hold him out of his hands and then gently help him get up to his seat. But it’s important  to make sure you don’t use too much force to make this move or try to make it succeed by force.

What if the baby doesn’t raise his head himself?

The motor development of some babies is a little slower, and that still doesn’t mean anything bigger is wrong. But if you feel that your baby has not yet developed at the pace he or she should have by 3-4 months of age,  talk to your pediatrician.

Things to consider

You should remain aware of your baby’s movements until he or she is able to fully control them. Also, be sure to avoid sudden movements with your baby and be careful not to let your baby’s head hang if he or she is unable to support it himself or herself.

Also, be careful with jump swings, walkers, and all kinds of toys that allow you to make movements that your baby may not be ready for yet. Stay very careful and support your baby’s head until he or she has complete control over its movements – this way you avoid unnecessary damage and problems.

After the baby has learned to raise his head and hold it up, he will move on to other advances within a short time. His curiosity about moving and exploring the world around him is always growing.

In a few months, he will definitely start his crawl experiment. So be by his side and take care of him at this wonderful stage of life!