# Day 122: Rocking, kicking, swimming

> The tummy rocking and arm 'swimming' that lead to rolling, which way most babies roll first, and what a baby who rolls changes about where they sleep.

- Series: Your fifth month, day by day (https://chorevia.com/learn/fifth-month), day 122 of 365, week 17
- Canonical URL: https://chorevia.com/learn/fifth-month/day-122
- Last reviewed: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: Chorevia (https://chorevia.com)
- Cite as: Chorevia. "Day 122: Rocking, kicking, swimming." Last reviewed October 21, 2026. https://chorevia.com/learn/fifth-month/day-122

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

If your baby looks like they're swimming on the mat, that's the warm-up for rolling.

## Heart

Rocking on the tummy, kicking, and "swimming" with the arms usually appear at about 5 months and lead to rolling. Most babies roll tummy to back first (the reverse is normal too), and many roll both ways by 7 months ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)). Rolling often begins around 3 to 4 months and can start earlier ([Moon, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx)), so some of you have seen it already and most of you haven't. Both are on time.

## Head

Tummy time is the practice. A systematic review of 16 mostly observational studies linked it to better gross motor development and to rolling and crawling ([Hewitt et al., 2020](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371428/)), and WHO recommends at least 30 minutes a day, spread out ([WHO](https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more)). A toy placed just out of reach gives the rock a direction; the AAP suggests toys in a circle so reaching builds the muscles for rolling and crawling ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/back-to-sleep-tummy-to-play.aspx)). Nothing shows that practice makes the roll come sooner. The point is the strength, and the roll comes when it comes.

## Body

A baby who rolls changes sleep. Lay them on their back for every sleep, on a firm, flat surface with only a fitted sheet. Once they roll both ways on their own, you don't need to keep turning them back, as long as the crib is bare ([Moon, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx)). Stop swaddling at the first signs of rolling; a sleep sack that lets them move freely is fine ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Swaddling-Is-it-Safe.aspx)). Never weighted sleep sacks, swaddles, or blankets ([Moon, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx)).

## Try today

### The swim-and-rock watch

- **Time:** 5 minutes of tummy time, once or twice today
- **From the guide:** [Rolling and pushing up](https://chorevia.com/learn/4-months#rolling-and-pushing-up)

1. Tummy-down on a firm mat on the floor; you flat on the floor too, at eye level.
2. Watch for the rock, the kicks, and arms sweeping back like a swimmer; those are the moves that lead to rolling ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).
3. Cheer each one by name: "Big kick! You're swimming!"
4. Set one toy just out of reach to one side, so the rock has somewhere to go ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/back-to-sleep-tummy-to-play.aspx)).
5. If they tip over, say what happened and roll them back for another go. If they don't, nothing is late; many babies roll both ways by 7 months ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx)).

**Make it work:** Floor only, never a bed or couch. Stop when they fuss or arch.

## Watch for

- **Normal:** a baby who rolls onto their tummy in their sleep once they can. Lay them down on their back every time; if they roll both ways on their own, leave them ([Moon, AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx)). **Call your pediatrician right away** for any head injury, including a fall from a bed, couch, or changing table ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Head+Injury)).
- **Normal:** hating tummy time some days; short sessions count. **Bring it up** if your baby doesn't push up on their forearms on their tummy ([CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html)).
- **Normal:** a swaddled baby who works an arm free. That's the sign to stop swaddling ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Swaddling-Is-it-Safe.aspx)). **Go to the ER now** for any trouble breathing, or ribs pulling in with each breath ([AAP](https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Breathing+Trouble)).

## For you

Your back and knees on the floor. WHO wants your baby playing on the floor several times a day ([WHO](https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more)), and nobody mentions that you're down there too. Make it kinder: a folded blanket under your knees, down on one knee rather than both, up with a hand on the sofa, and flat on your stomach for the watching part instead of hunched on your elbows. The mat is the baby's gym. Let it be yours for a minute too: lie back, breathe, and let them look at you.

If you're the partner: take two of today's floor sessions. Your knees are newer to this.

## Sources

- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Movement Milestones: Babies 4 to 7 Months." HealthyChildren.org, 2021. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/Movement-4-to-7-Months.aspx
- Moon RY. "How to Keep Your Sleeping Baby Safe: AAP Policy Explained." HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/a-parents-guide-to-safe-sleep.aspx
- Hewitt L, Kerr E, Stanley RM, Okely AD. "Tummy Time and Infant Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review." Pediatrics, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371428/
- World Health Organization. "To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more." 2019. https://www.who.int/news/item/24-04-2019-to-grow-up-healthy-children-need-to-sit-less-and-play-more
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play: Give Your Baby a Safe, Strong Start." HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/sleep/Pages/back-to-sleep-tummy-to-play.aspx
- Moon RY, Glassy D. "Swaddling: Is it Safe for Your Baby?" HealthyChildren.org, 2022. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/diapers-clothing/Pages/Swaddling-Is-it-Safe.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Head Injury" (symptom checker). HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Head+Injury
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Milestones by 4 Months." Learn the Signs. Act Early., 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/act-early/milestones/4-months.html
- American Academy of Pediatrics. "Breathing Trouble" (symptom checker). HealthyChildren.org, 2026. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/symptom-checker/Pages/symptomviewer.aspx?symptom=Breathing+Trouble