Experts say that the optimal age for starting a baby sitting down, regardless of gender, is six months. However, there are cases when a small child begins to show initiative much earlier than generally accepted norms and tries to sit down on his own. That is why many newly minted mothers and fathers are interested in whether it is necessary to sound the alarm and run for help to a specialist in a children's medical institution in such situations or whether it is worthwhile to fully encourage the baby’s desire and help him learn a new skill.
In addition, newly-minted parents need to know and understand how to help the baby learn a new skill and make the process as simple and easy as possible.
What to do if a baby at 3 months old is trying to sit down
Doctors do not deny that some babies develop somewhat faster. As a result, such children begin to master a new skill a little earlier. If a baby is trying to sit at 3 months old, do not bother him. It is necessary to monitor the behavior of the baby and carefully monitor its actions. If he does not feel discomfort and his behavior does not change significantly, most likely, the child’s body is ready for the development of new skills, and his spine is strong enough for new achievements. Parents need to do their best to help the baby, taking care to reduce the risk of unpleasant consequences and injuries, to ensure that the crumbs do not remain upright for a long time.
The opinion of pediatricians
According to experts, the optimal age for starting to sit down the baby is six months. You should not start planting a baby earlier, since the spine of the crumbs is not yet fully grown and is not ready for a change in body position. For a three-month-old baby, the horizontal and normal position of the body in space is normal and most optimal. However, if after all a child of 3 months trying to sit down, a girl or a boy, you need to carefully monitor the baby. Fitball exercises and massage will be useful.
Specialists in the field of child development up to three months do not recommend using the design "kangaroo" beloved by many parents to carry a small child.
What time can kids sit
To answer this question, you need to have an idea about the development of the spine of a small child.
At the age of two to three months in babies, a significant strengthening of the cervical vertebrae occurs. That is why at this age the baby knows how not only to hold the head, but also to perform simple movements with it. These actions form the bend, which is necessary for the proper development of the musculoskeletal system.
At 5-6 months with normal development, without deviations, the baby begins to make the first attempts to sit down. Thus, the vertebral muscles are strengthened and a bend is formed in the thoracic spine. That is why before six months, pediatricians do not recommend starting to sit down a baby.
How to help a child sit down
Parents can not only watch the baby’s attempts to learn a new skill from the outside, but also help the baby. Facilitate the process will help in the pool or exercise on the fitball. These types of leisure activities will have a beneficial effect on the baby’s body as a whole, and will improve the functioning of the vestibular apparatus. You can engage in the pool, starting from the second month of life, when the umbilical wound heals completely. Fitball for classes with the baby must be chosen taking into account its age characteristics: height and weight. You can purchase the necessary equipment in almost any children's goods store at a very affordable price.
Massage will help strengthen the muscles of the baby. If it is carried out at home, it is recommended to do with light strokes of the skin and in no case go on to more complex manipulations. It is best to contact a professional massage therapist who has all the necessary certificates for working with a baby.
The consequences of an early baby sitting
Early attempts to sit carry serious consequences, which the baby's parents must certainly know about. Sitting too early can result in:
- spinal deformity, the occurrence and development of scoliosis and, as a result, problems with the musculoskeletal system;
- due to early attempts to plant a child, deformation of the pelvic bones and, as a result, improper arrangement of internal organs is possible.
But the popular opinion that early sitting of girls can lead to bending of the uterus is just a myth. The peculiarity of the structure of the female organ is due to genetic characteristics or infectious diseases that a female representative suffered. If a baby at the age of 3.5 months tries to sit down (girl), this will not lead to uterine deformity.
Parents should understand that unpleasant consequences can occur only if the baby’s body is not ready to master the sitting skill, and all the initiative comes exclusively from the parents.
Conclusion
Optimum for the start of sitting down the baby is considered the age of six months. Before this period, to begin the development of a new skill, according to experts, is not worth it. Otherwise, serious consequences, problems with the spine and musculoskeletal system, as well as deformations of the pelvic bones, may occur.
If the child is 3 months trying to sit, boy or girl, parents should not put the baby back. It is necessary to secure the space around the baby and carefully monitor its behavior and general condition. It is possible that the baby’s body is strong enough to learn a new sitting skill, and this does not harm the crumbs. That is why the child sits at 3 months. Specialists in the field of child development do not deny this option. In this case, the baby's parents need to be helped by regular massage and water procedures. It will be useful to do fitball exercises, which not only strengthen the baby’s body, but also have a beneficial effect on the vestibular apparatus of a small child. Massage can be done at home or with a professional massage therapist.