Australian guidelines recommend that you aim for at least 30 minutes of tummy time each day, spread out in small chunks of time throughout the day (DHA 2021). Many babies don’t like being on their tummies for more than a few minutes at first. But persist with it as tummy time is crucial for muscle development.

RCH. 2020. Tummy time for your baby. Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne. www.rch.org.au [Accessed December 2022] Normally babies start learning to sit up around the age of 4-7 months. Your baby might not develop their balance at that point and will probably fall when reaching for something. At four months, your baby may have been able to prop himself up on his bent forearms for short periods of time, and at five months, he can probably push himself straight up with unbent arms and hold his chest off the ground, like a little pushup. Once he can do this, he probably also has the muscle strength to be able to practice a Tripod Sit.

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Try using toys such as mirrors and rattles to distract them. Propping your baby up on a cushion can also help them feel more comfortable. Sitting up on their own is one of the key developmental milestones for you and your baby. Learning to sit unsupported gives your baby a new view on their world – and a little more independence. Here are some tips, positions, and activities that you can perform to help your baby build the muscles and strength to sit independently. Tips to help babies sit up on their own Sitting is a great skill, as it allows the baby to explore his surroundings and body more freely and independently.

Sitting up is a significant milestone and skill for babies, as it helps them get stronger and achieve other milestones in the future. Once babies learn to sit independently, they will be able to entertain themselves and be content alone for much longer. Is my baby secure? It's worth being mindful of the quality of the bath surface attachments, so make sure they are sturdy and that the bath seat surface is non-slip — particularly for newborns and young babies. ‘Suction cups on the bottom of a bath chair can also become detached from the tub, so make sure the bath seat has good quality attachments,' says Hussain.

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Some babies never crawl, especially those who are bottom shufflers or ‘rollers’. It’s fine and normal for them to go straight to walking without feeling the need to crawl. How can I encourage my baby to sit up?You can help your baby learn to sit, by placing them to play lying on their tummy, often. Try to get them to look up by using bright and noisy toys, or by pulling funny faces and making sounds (DHA 2021, RCN 2022). Now chat away to your baby, pull faces or sing them a song. This is a great way to show them this new perspective when playing with you. 3. Prop baby up on a cushion This tends to happen between four and seven months. But some babies reach this milestone earlier, and some a bit later. Once they can sit up on their own and play, it's just a matter of time until they move on to crawling, standing and walking.