Nicole Wendler holds a doctorate in biology from the field of oncology and immunology. As a medical editor, author and editor, she works for various publishers, for whom she presents complex and extensive medical issues in a simple, concise and logical manner.
When babies can start sitting varies from child to child. Many of the curious little ones are already trying to sit up, even though they are not physically able to do so. In fact, the baby must have previously strengthened its muscles while crawling so that it can sit alone. Read here whether you should practice sitting with the baby and when children can safely sit alone.
When can babies start sitting??
When babies start sitting cannot be predicted exactly. Mache develop faster, others more slowly. Monthly data always correspond to the average. Before your baby can sit, it goes through the following development steps:
At around three to four months, most babies can hold their heads alone. You become more curious every day. Soon, looking up will no longer be enough, they want to see more of their surroundings – and of course this is best done while sitting.
At around four or five months, sitting on your lap may work with some support, but when do babies sit alone? It takes a while from sitting in mom’s arms to sitting freely.
At the age of seven to ten months, babies begin to seal, push their buttocks up and crawl on all fours. Only at the end of this phase, at around ten months, can most children sit alone.
Basically, the question can be answered "How many months can a baby sit??" so do not answer generally. Every child has its own rhythm and preferences. Be patient. Every development step takes time. If your baby crawls safely and quickly, it will not take long for it to sit stable.
How does the baby learn to sit?
To learn to sit, the baby has to move diligently. Why movement is so important becomes clear when we consider how tightly the fetus is curled up in the mother’s womb. At birth, the spine is still curved like a "C". Together with the weak back muscles, these are not good conditions for sitting.
The whole It takes the first year of life for the spine to assume its double S-shaped bend, which is so important for upright walking. Until then, your baby has to train quite a bit. The first thing to do is to strengthen the shoulder and neck muscles so that they lift the head and the cervical vertebrae stretch forward.
At this point, your baby still lacks strong back muscles so that your baby can sit. That’s why it has to crawl diligently. If the muscles on the abdomen and back are well trained, the twelve thoracic vertebrae stretch. The spine is still quite round. But it can already be enough to sit. It is only when children start to pull themselves up and stand that the six lumbar vertebrae curve and the final double-S shape of the spine forms.
In order for babies to learn to sit, they don’t just need strong muscles and a largely S-shaped spine. It is also crucial that certain neural structures develop and connect brain structures in the cerebellum. External stimuli, i.e. seeing and hearing, provide important impulses for this.
When can babies start sitting??
An hour in the seesaw, a ride in the car seat or a walk with the backrest upright child seat – most babies enjoy the new perspective. But what do orthopedic surgeons say when babies are allowed to sit? It is important to distinguish between active and passive sitting.
Passive sitting
In passive sitting, for example, a baby can sit on the lap with outside help. Or it holds on with both hands so as not to lose balance. Most babies enjoy this new view.
However, babies should not remain in such a position for a long time. Do not support it with pillows and do not put it in the high chair for a long time. Otherwise, it can damage the spine. For babies to learn to sit, they have to move and train their muscles. Then they will soon be able to straighten themselves up from lying down to sitting.
Active sitting
Active sitting means that the child can sit freely alone and does not have to support or hold on with his hands. It has them available for other things, such as eating. If your baby can sit freely, you can feed it in the baby chair. Make sure that there is space for the feet and a table to support the arms, only then can it straighten and align in the trunk and relieve its spine.
Don’t sit too long!
Even if the spine and muscles provide the baby with relatively good stability when sitting actively: Sitting for long is not good! If the baby remains in an upright position for several hours, it is harmful to a baby. To plan Therefore, if you sit for a long time, such as driving a car, take breaks in which your child can let off steam and move around.
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