Did you know rolling tummy to back occurs around 3-4 months?

Many steps are needed to allow infants to roll. These 4 steps are important in helping our little ones reach their rolling milestone. Let’s break down each step.

✨TUCK: Placing weight through the forearms and shoulders with arms tucked under the body is the first step to rolling. Shoulders should be higher than hips. Practice this during tummy time and try putting baby on an exercise ball, inclined couch cushion or parents legs.
✨TRANSFER: Baby should be able to shift weight from side to side on elbows. Incorporate this into your routine by holding out a toy to one side for baby to reach for. Side lying play can also help with transferring of weight.
✨TURN: Baby must be able to rotate their head side to side while lying on their tummy. Practice this by getting baby to track toys side to side.
✨TRUNK STRENGTH: Good core control when baby is seated will help with the transition from tummy to back. Weight bearing on hands is also imperative. Use techniques like plank over legs or plank over towel to develop the proper strength needed in this last step to rolling.

There are many different ways to make these exercises fun. Try to incorporate them into play time with your little one!

Did you know rolling back to tummy occurs around 5-6 months?

Many steps are needed to allow infants to roll. These 4 steps are important in helping our little ones reach their rolling milestone. Let’s break down each step.

✨REAR UP: First step in rolling back to tummy is engaging the lower abdominal muscles. Practice getting baby to bring feet up into a curled position toward the face. A towel can be rolled under the low back to bring feet into the visual field.
✨REACH: Once feet are in the visual field get your little one to start reaching for their feet. Use a dangle toy or light up toy to encourage reaching across the midline.
✨ROCK: Strong neck and core muscles are needed to sustain a flexed up posture. You can perform a pull up and if legs remain up with chin tucked they will be able to roll soon.
✨RAISE UP: While chin tucking is important, extending neck up to ceiling is as equally important in our final step of rolling back to tummy. In order to encourage this final step try moving a toy to the top of the head so baby looks up and completes the roll.

There are many different ways to make these exercises fun. Try to incorporate them into play time with your little one!

Dr. Stav 💖~ Chiropractor with a special interest in pediatrics

✨Your pelvic floor is very important and it’s a big deal! But why?✨

Deep inside the pelvis is where the a group of muscles called the pelvic floor lie. The pelvic floor serves the following functions including supporting the organs, sphincter control, sexual function and pelvic stability.

Supporting your organs:
- The pelvic floor, which can also be described as a hammock, runs from the front of the pubic bone to the back of the tail bone. The bladder, rectum and uterus to sit inside the hammock.

Sphincter control:
- The pelvic floor muscles wrap around the urethra, vagina and rectum to maintain continence. The muscles contract to keep bodily secretions in and relax during urination, bowel movements and during birth. Other times the muscles maintain a resting tone, which is why we should be able to run and jump without bowel/bladder leakage or heaviness in the pelvis.

Sexual function
- The pelvic floor muscles provide tone for vaginal and rectal canals and play a role in orgasms.

Pelvic stability
- The pelvic floor muscles offer stability and control to the spine and pelvis. Abdominal, low back and hip issues are connected to pelvic floor dysfunction because the core four muscles for stability are the diaphragm, transverse abdominis, multifidus and the pelvic floor.

Pelvic floor muscles, the diaphragm, multifidus (spinal stabilizers) and the transverse abdominis (deepest layer of abdominals) work synergistically in anticipation of movements during physical activity and activities of daily living. Pelvic floor dysfunction is a loss of that synergetic pattern and can lead to loss of bowel/bladder, heaviness in the pelvis or low back pain. Other signs of pelvic floor/core dysfunction include diastasis recti, feeling of “core”weakness, hip or pelvic pain.

How can your health team at Dalhousie Health and Wellness help?
Chiropractors are an integral part of treatment for pelvic floor dysfunction. Your pelvic floor muscles attach to the pelvis and sacrum, so treatment with adjustments and external muscle work can assist with rehabilitation and restoration of the pelvic floor.

If you have any questions about your pelvic floor, we are here to help!

✨Dr. Stav