How old are babies when they start to crawl?
Most babies will start to crawl when they’re between 6 and 10 months old, but some babies skip the crawling stage altogether and go straight to standing and walking. All babies reach these milestones in their own time and, most importantly, when their bodies are ready to support it, so don’t compare your baby’s development to babies of friends and family members – encourage your baby in his or her own journey and don’t worry about reaching certain milestones in a set time.
Much of the general development of babies is powered by pure and joyful curiosity – babies want to be everywhere as well as see, touch and smell everything. Curiosity and the will to explore are some of the primary motivators for them to start crawling and ultimately walking; it’s simply the most efficient way to get from A to B faster.
Signs your baby is getting ready to crawl
At around 6 months old, your baby will start to rock back and forth on their hands and knees – this is a sign that your baby is getting ready to start crawling. There are several stages leading up to this moment, where your baby’s body has strengthened and prepared itself for crawling, such as flipping over from back to tummy as well as holding their own head; their muscles, joints and bones need to be strong enough to sustain the new movements that comes with crawling, standing and, ultimately, walking.
When your baby gets on their hands and knees, don’t be surprised if your baby actually pushes backwards at first, this is all just training – soon enough, you will have a little shadow following you everywhere you go!
How do you help your crawling baby?
While it’s a big and exciting step in your baby’s development, crawling will also bring some added worries for you. If you haven’t already, now is the time to go through your entire house and really think about babyproofing everything in your baby’s reach; don’t forget a gate in front of your staircase, if you have one! Before, you could contain them in a single area and watch them closely. Once they learn to crawl, they will become much more mobile and soon you won’t be able to watch them as closely as you once did. This is a scary thought, we know, but you’re doing the best you can, and you don’t have eyes at the back of your head (although you could definitely use them sometimes!).
If you want to motivate your baby to start crawling, try placing their favorite toy just out of their reach. You can also try to sit down just out of their reach and coax them towards you.
In addition to baby-proofing your surroundings, you can also make sure your baby has a soft and secure underlayer for crawling. If you don’t have a carpet, find some non-slip rugs or colorful floor mats to give those soft little knees a break.
And above all, make sure to find a soft, thin and flexible diaper that will allow your baby lots of freedom of movement and leakage protection. With our Bambo Nature diapers and pants you will get a breathable and super absorbent diaper with double leakage protectors for a snug and safe fit, as well as a convenient wetness indicator.