Crawling: Everything You Need to Know

When Does It Happen?
Most babies begin to crawl between 7 and 10 months. Requiring strength and coordination, crawling is your baby’s first step toward physical independence—a feeling that will undoubtedly give her a sense of power and freedom. Crawling typically comes after a child learns to sit without support and can raise her head. (This usually happens around month 6 or 7.) As your baby’s upper-body strength increases, she’ll also start leaning over to pick up toys. Eventually she will learn to roll down onto her stomach and get back up to a sitting position.

When she’s lying on her stomach, you may start to notice an array of motions. First she’ll arch her neck and scan her surroundings. Next she’ll prop herself up on her hands and knees, rocking herself back and forth gently as her trunk hovers parallel to the floor. Though she’s in the starting blocks, she may not take off crawling for a couple of weeks. This is because babies must first learn to push off with their knees, a process that takes time considering their top heavy—meaning a baby’s upper-body is stronger than her lower-body. Because of this uneven strength, some babies may first crawl backwards instead of forward. Don’t let this bother you, though. What’s important is that your baby is mobile—she’ll switch gears from reverse to drive soon enough.      

How Can I Encourage Crawling?