I wonder if you’ve ever heard that before. 😉 Well, I have – and more than once. And more so as a mother than a pediatric therapist. 😉
Oh gosh, can’t your baby sit up yet? Really, he’s not sitting up unassisted? My baby was practically walking at this age. 😉
Does that sound familiar?
It does to me, and, to be honest, when I had my first child comments like these did sometimes get to me… There were times when I tried to help my baby son sit up before he could do it by himself. Now it seems to me that I must have had TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS. By helping him to sit up before he was ready I was forcing something which cannot be forced, and I had to stay by his side at all times to make sure he didn’t hurt himself – not to mention the potential for long-term side effects… Luckily I came to my wits quite quickly.
I was a bit wiser with my other kids, and I did not help the girls with anything. And do you know what? Not fussing over them so much meant I had more time. More importantly, I felt confident knowing that I was letting nature take its course, and that the girls would learn all these skills once they were ready. Watching them, I realized that my girls were more cautious and more in tune with their bodies. They instinctively seemed to know what was and what wasn’t within their reach. As my confidence grew, I felt I no longer had to jump to the rescue every time a table corner was within reach of those first curious steps… When balance seemed to wander off in a different direction, my heart did skip a beat; but they always seemed to manage – and I probably wouldn’t have made it in time anyway. 😉
This meant they could develop at their own pace, without pressure. And, it saved me from a lot of fussing over them.
WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT SITTING???
Well, at first we have to separate independent sitting from functional sitting.
INDEPENDENT SITTING
This describes a scenario where a baby is still unable to get into and out of a sitting position on his or her own, but can sit independently if placed in the sitting position. There are usually lots of pillows around to make sure accidents are less painful. As babies are not ready for sitting, they try to maintain this position by leaning forward and arching their backs. Sometimes babies as young as 5 or 6 months are encouraged to sit independently!!! 😒
FUNCTIONAL SITTING
This is a scenario where babies are able to get into and out of a sitting position by themselves. Interestingly, at first this seems to happen by accident and only for a brief moment. A baby, while crawling, will transition to a side sit and then sit upright. At first, a baby who is more interested in crawling will not find this position appealing; and he or she will work get out of it quickly. 😉 Looking at a baby who has mastered functional sitting, we will see a straight back with controlled weight shifts, good balance, and confidence. The ability to get into a sitting position comes around the tenth month.
SO WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS?
The confusion which centers around sitting mostly comes from differences in development models.
According to one model which still seems to be in use, babies should be able to sit at six months old; and, if unable to do so by their ninth month, then therapy is required.
The other model maintains the ability to sit in itself is not that important, and will come much later. However, it places importance on the baby acquiring the skill to get into and out of a sitting position by himself. Furthermore, this model is based on the assumption that development is encoded within our genes – a code which each baby has and will follow as long as there are no external disruptions. Emmi Pikler (pediatrician) and Vaclav Vojta (pediatric neurologist) both promoted this model after independently arriving at almost identical conclusions.
They’ve identified the following stages in a baby’s motor development process:
– at approximately 4 1/2 months, a baby is able to roll from side to side,
– at approximately 6 1/2 months, a baby is able to roll from his back onto his tummy,
– at approximately 7 months, a baby is able to roll from his tummy onto his back,
– at approximately 8 months, a baby is able to belly crawl (also known as the commando crawl),
– at the end of month 9, a baby moves on all fours in a coordinated fashion,
– at 10 months old, babies can sit independently and get into and out of a sitting position by themselves,
– then babies transition to standing, walking sideways along furniture, and then begin to walk independently at between 12 and 18 months old.
Interestingly, Pediatrician Emmi Pikler noted that babies who were not put into a sitting position but were able to get into and out of that position on their own did not stay sitting for long – perhaps up to ten minutes or so. And this confirms that a sitting position is not attractive to babies who are allowed to develop at their own pace. Cupboards (and their contents), secrets hidden behind sofas, and the flexibility of flowers are so much more interesting… 😉
Emmi Pikler also noted that babies who were allowed to discover the sitting position by themselves did not “slide” on their bums – a behavior which is quite common for children who are caused to attain the sitting position by a helper. In return, these babies efficiently moved on all fours – a stage which babies who are caused to attain the sitting position sometimes missed out on entirely. This was because these children were not able to change from sitting to any other position, and were unwilling to return to a lower position like lying down or crawling. “You know, sitting up is so grown-up: you can see everything! And, when I get bored, mummy will help.” 🙂
SITTING IS LIKE BEING IMPRISONED
Plain and simple. That’s just how it is… Sitting means being immobile – and we are born to move. Be it at work or in a car, we all know how unhealthy it is to sit for long periods of time. Sitting is considered to be the bane of the 21st century. And, there are innumerable aids to support the spine. However, sooner or later your body will send you a clear message that sitting isn’t doing you any good. Knowing all that, we still encourage our babies to sit. Even worse, a baby acquiring this skill early may be a source of pride for the happy parents. Yes, the baby is sitting; but most probably only because he or she cannot get out of that position. 😉
WHY IS IT, THEN, THAT BOTH DOCTORS AND THERAPISTS WILL SIT A BABY UP DURING AN ASSESSMENT?
Sitting a baby up during an assessment may help determine coordination between front and back body muscles. An average six-month old baby should be able to stay in that position – AT LEAST FOR A SHORT WHILE. There is no need to stay sitting for long, just long enough to confirm the baby is able to take control of his or her body and has mastered coordination between the front and back body muscles.
DILEMMA – INTRODUCTING NEW FOODS
Looking at what I’ve written thus far, I can see a dilemma. What about introducing new foods into a baby’s diet? Is there no way around this? One should not sit a baby up at an early age – and eating in a horizontal position isn’t safe. Choking is a real risk. Some say that new foods should only be brought into a baby’s diet once they master supported sitting… WHO IS RIGHT?
To start off, every baby is different. There is no substitute for keeping a close eye on your baby. Some will be ready to sit sooner, some later. But there is no need to speed up this process.
- If you’re thinking of introducing new foods to your baby, I’d suggest starting off by sitting your baby on your lap in a semi-vertical or supported vertical position.
- I would also make sure to give your baby ample opportunity to play on the floor. This is needed to build up the strength to master the transition to sitting – and to sit confidently.
- With time, your baby will become better and better at functional sitting with a straight back without forward leaning. And, to be honest, I would not even think about using a baby feeding chair before that. If a baby is unable to get into the sitting position by him or herself, I would keep the time in a feeding chair down to a minimum. I would also avoid siting a baby up outside of feeding time altogether.
According to the latest guidelines, breastmilk or modified milk should be at the core of babies’ diets for the first year of their lives. Therefore, the appeal of adding new foods lies mostly in discovering different flavors, textures, and consistencies, rather than placating a hungry tummy. And this, in turn, means that there is no need to keep a baby in a feeding chair for long (remember Babies Like Choices BLC).
TO SUM UP:
- There is no need to try and speed up the sitting process or pay heed to the opinions and comments of others.
- Every baby has his or her own pace at which they develop; once ready, they will sit.
- For a baby that likes moving around, sitting is not that attractive.
- We are born to move!!!
- Babies who are caused to attain the sitting position need physiotherapy much more often, generally for no other reason beyond the fact that most of those babies cannot get out of this position by themselves (this also might make them more prone to posture disorders in the future).
- Babies who are caused to attain the sitting position may be less willing to crawl, and are more likely to slide on their bums.
- Remember that every baby is different, and a flexible approach is best – sometimes even 6-month old babies can sit perfectly well. Sitting a baby who is not able to get into this position by himself for a short while on your knees (or on a soft mat) will motivate him to be more active. Remember not to keep a baby sitting for too long – especially if they cannot get out of the position by themselves. If you notice that the sitting position is not as it should be, change it at once. 😉
- Parents know what’s best for their babies, but under normal circumstances I see no reason to try and teach a baby how to sit. There is no need to interfere. 😉
If you have any worries, then get in touch with a pediatrician or a physical therapist.
Would you believe that worried parents bring their 6-month-old babies to me for physical therapy because they are unable to sit by themselves?!?!?!
You may also be interested in:
There is so much fun you can have with your baby before he or she sits! Keeping your baby active is crucial for proper development – and also strengthens your bond. Check out my ideas for playtime from birth to first steps in the following e-book:
