At what months can a girl be nursed: expert recommendations

Updated: 06/29/2021 13:51:33

The baby, no matter if it is a girl or a boy, will begin to sit up after the back muscles are strengthened. But don’t rush things and help your child sit down. We will try to figure out whether it is possible to sit the girl down, what the risk is for the baby to sit down earlier, and how to help her if she is in no hurry to sit down on her own.

At what months do girls begin to sit?

According to the norms, girls, like boys, begin to sit up at the age of 6-7 months. But these are conditional figures. In modern pediatrics they are sometimes not taken into account. Evgeny Komarovsky says that each child is individual, develops according to his own pattern, and has his own standards. And if he starts to sit down later or earlier than his friend’s child, then there is nothing to worry about.

Often children are ready to sit 2 months later than generally accepted norms, at 8-10 months. Komarovsky says such correct words that the baby is at such a wonderful age that he doesn’t owe anyone anything. He will sit down when his back muscles and spine are ready for this new type of load.

Stages of baby development during the first 12 months

In the first months of life, the human spine is not yet strong enough, and it is just beginning to form. Every day it changes, the necessary bends and muscles begin to appear, which should strengthen the baby’s vertebrae.

1. For the first three months, the baby is still too weak, so he is constantly lying down and does not even try to roll over, much less sit up. At this time, there is no need to try to change it somehow.
2. After the third month, the neck muscles are already strong enough for the child to try to hold his head up on his own.
3. Already in the sixth month, the child makes attempts to sit up independently. By this time, the thoracic region has already managed to form and strengthen.
4. At the ninth month, the child’s body may already be strong enough for him to begin to take his first independent steps.
5. However, these stages summarize statistics; the development of each baby is individual, so you should carefully monitor all the baby’s movements.

Each boy sits individually

Many parents ask the question of what month they should start boarding boys, but there is no specific answer. The child himself will give the first signs when he is ready for this, and you will understand from what period he needs it.

When the girl sits down

Before the girl is ready to sit down, several stages of spinal changes must go through. After birth, the spine has an arched shape, it does not have the usual bends for us. It is only suitable for lying down. The girl’s back is not yet strong, her muscles are not developed. Therefore, her musculoskeletal system is not able to withstand a new load for her, in the form of sitting down.

The formation of the spine occurs in several stages:

1. Formation of the cervical spine. The girl learns to hold her head up.
2. Formation of the thoracic region. The baby begins to roll over, crawls, and tries to sit up.
3. Strengthening the lower back. The child gets the opportunity to stand on his feet.

Despite the individuality of development, the sequence of these stages is the same for everyone. If you do not follow the steps or start sitting down or getting up earlier, there is a high risk of harm to the child’s health. Therefore, it is important for young parents to know the recommendations of pediatricians on this issue.

The muscles of the back and abdominal muscles begin to strengthen at the age of 6 months. Therefore, if a baby begins to sit up on her own at this age, then this is normal. If she tries to sit down, again on her own, before six months, then it is better not to rush things, leave her in her usual position for up to 6 months, in order to prevent a large load on the fragile spine ahead of time.

When a girl begins to sit, the duration of sitting should not exceed 1 hour a day. Once she has mastered a new skill, it will no longer be possible to keep her in a lying position. The baby quickly realizes the benefits of a new position for her. If a child is excessively active, it is better to distract her with play and carry her in her arms to eliminate the negative impact of sitting on the still fragile back muscles.

At first, the child, regardless of gender, sits unsteadily and falls over on his side. This situation is not dangerous and is not a cause for concern. The only thing parents need to do is to prevent the baby from falling and getting injured. Once the back muscles are strengthened, the posture becomes more confident, and he will be able to sit for longer periods of time. Often a sitting child is covered with pillows. This is not worth doing. If he gets tired, he will not have the opportunity to change position or lie down. If parents use pillows as safety, then it is better to place them a little further away just to protect the baby from falling.

How to answer him?

The simplest and most natural answer is, of course, to satisfy the baby’s wishes . But for some parents this is not enough and they invent their own communication system. One of my friends “sang” very touchingly with her one-month-old baby in the landing position. She told him: “Ahhh...” (while exhaling, accompanied by a slight pressing in the lower abdomen). He said to her: “A-ah...” (with similar breathing). All this for about 5-10 minutes while they waited for all the charges of his poop. It was very gentle. During peeing, parents usually say: “Psst, psst...” or “Pshh...” Sometimes they lightly touch the corresponding place so that the child understands what is expected of him. But often it is enough to take the child in your arms in the usual position for planting and he gratefully does his business. By the way, if we are talking about poop, it is very good for the mother at this moment, while exhaling, to tense her abdominal muscles and push up, giving a signal to the baby what needs to be done. He, pressed close to his mother, catches this signal perfectly. And learns to poop voluntarily. And when trust has been established, then it is already possible to “start” this arbitrariness: if the mother sits the baby down before a walk and says “Pss-pss” to him, then he tries to pee, even if he didn’t want to. And out of politeness, he pees a little, even if there is almost nothing. And this touching message: “I understand you, but I still have nothing to write with now, Mom.” In general, it’s very cool to feel that we understand each other. As my friend, who was dropping off her 1-month-old baby, said: “In my opinion, we can already come to an agreement with our son,” and this is amazing, considering his age.

Why is early planting dangerous for a girl?

Young parents often hear from the older generation that a girl should not be placed before 6 months, otherwise the uterus will bend. Of course, neither boys nor girls should be placed before the period when they are ready for this new skill for them. As Benjamin Spock says in his acclaimed book “The Child and His Care,” you should not help your child sit down, stand up, or walk. He must be ripe for these actions.

As a result of premature disembarkation, sometimes seven or eight months, deformation of the spine occurs, which subsequently causes curvature of posture. In addition, deformation of the pelvic bones may occur, which can lead to future pregnancy failure and difficulties during childbirth. Sometimes there is a complication that makes natural childbirth impossible.

Forced sitting down causes discomfort in the baby and unpleasant emotions. After which the girl may continue to feel uncertainty and fear for a long time about this new body position, which disrupts the child’s general psycho-emotional state. If parents have a question about when a girl will sit up, it is better to ask the doctor who is observing her. He will evaluate the baby’s physical characteristics, how ready she is for sitting, and give his suggestions.

Contraindications for use

You should not put your child in a walker if:

• The baby has increased or decreased tone of the legs
• The device is not suitable for the child’s height: he is forced to either walk on his toes or, on the contrary, bend his knees
• The child has diaper rash or skin damage where the walker comes into contact
• The baby has signs of rickets or impaired function of the musculoskeletal system.

There are special walkers for children with cerebral palsy, which should be purchased only after consultation with a specialist. And for other children, doctors recommend adhering to the following recommendations:

• Be sure to put your baby's shoes on before putting him in the walker.
• Make sure your child is positioned in the seat
• Limit your baby's time to 40–60 minutes

The most common misconceptions of parents

Among parents and relatives of the older generation, the following are the most common misconceptions:

1. You can start sitting down a girl if she is already six months old

   . It is not right. Neither boys nor girls should be seated; this will harm them in the future in the form of retarded physical development and poor posture.

2. Early sitting down of a girl leads to bending of the uterus

   . Of course, it is impossible to place a girl early, but this has nothing to do with gynecology. Bend of the uterus occurs as a result of a hereditary predisposition or against the background of an inflammatory process.

3. Jumpers are safe for the child and do not put any load on his spine.

   Evgeny Komarovsky classifies jumpers not only as useless, but also harmful acquisitions. While on this device, the child's spine experiences a lot of stress. Jumpers make mom’s life easier and allow her to go about her business. But it’s better not to use them until the baby sits down, or even better, starts to stand. But the most correct thing is to remove this device away.

4. The child walked in a walker, which means he will walk faster.

   When walking independently, the baby uses a different group of muscles. It has been noticed that children who use walkers begin to walk on their toes. In addition, this device leads to the fact that the back is strengthened in an incorrect, unnatural way. A child does not fall while wearing a walker. Therefore, even when he tries to stand up or walk on his own, he does not realize that he may fall. Walkers, like jumpers, are classified as devices that are harmful to a baby.

Why shouldn't parents rush?

Boys and girls develop differently. Males are physically stronger and more active. But this does not mean that their back can be given a vertical position as early as 3 months.

The curves of the spine that shape posture appear in boys and girls at approximately the same time - at 4-8 months. Many parents are in a hurry to get their child to sit down. In this position, the baby can explore the environment from a new angle.

This has a beneficial effect on his intellectual development. But sitting down too early can cause serious harm to health: lead to injury, curvature of the spine, and stoop. The fact is that the muscle corset is still weak, not fully formed, and therefore is not able to support the back.

Problems with the spine often cause disorders in the functioning of internal organs.

How to understand that a girl will sit down soon

Before a girl sits down, her muscles must prepare for the upcoming load. Observing the baby will help you understand that she is ready to learn a new skill.

1. The baby holds her head and shoulders for more than 2 minutes.
2. Relies on outstretched arms while lying on the stomach.
3. Raises shoulders and head while lying on back.
4. Spins on different sides, turns over, is able to lean on the elbow.

Advice from pediatricians

In order for a girl to sit down within the time limits established by the norm, she needs to be prepared in advance. It should remain in a horizontal position for more time. When one is a month old, it is useful to place it on the tummy. In order for the child to be interested and for tactile development, you can purchase a special play mat, put bright toys on it, start with red, then add green, blue and yellow. The baby, lying on her tummy, will try to reach them. This strengthens the muscles of the back and neck, develops the sensory system and motor skills. Then she will be ready to roll over by 3 months and will begin to make attempts to crawl. If consistency is observed in new movements, the child will most likely sit down in a timely manner.

From 5 months, it is recommended to stimulate crawling by any means, with support on the arm, on the leg, on the stomach. This opens up new opportunities for the child to make further leaps in development. Evgeny Komarovsky encourages parents to teach their baby to crawl. This is what strengthens the back muscles. Pediatricians believe that crawling is much healthier for a baby than sitting.

If a girl does not sit down on time, her parents can help her with this. An evening massage and bathing are considered an excellent workout. Early swimming, whether in the pool or at home in an adult bath, strengthens the muscles of the child’s back and neck. Daily gymnastics is useful, which it is advisable to do immediately after arriving home from the maternity hospital.

When the girl starts to sit down, Komarovsky recommends watching how she does it. If the baby folds her legs in the form of an inverted letter “w” when sitting, this will negatively affect the hip joint. It’s better to correct her right away, teach her to sit correctly. Observing your child will help determine which muscles need training.

1. if the baby is sitting and has a round back, then this indicates weak muscles of the neck and back;
2. if it falls back - weak press;
3. falls on the side - weak lateral muscles.

Then you need to train the child’s “weak points” with massage and exercises.

Advantages

Well-known pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky considers walkers to be a device needed by parents, not their child. It is enough just to put the child in the walker and do household or work chores. The baby from them will not go anywhere, will not fall, will not run into a sharp corner and, of course, will not cause unnecessary trouble*. At the same time, modern walkers are a thing that can really attract a child’s attention. They are made bright, often complemented with a play area, even musical devices. A child in a walker is much more interesting than in a crib or playpen. And some supporters of this device claim that walkers are beneficial because they have a developmental function.

How to help a girl learn to sit

Elena Isaeva, a children's massage therapist, in her book “Children's Massage, a Complete Guide” says that massage has a mild therapeutic and preventive effect. It promotes earlier mental and physical development of the child. That massage is called “children’s”, which is performed for children from birth to one year.

But children's massage is inseparable from gymnastics, which children need no less than massage. It strengthens the muscles of the back, neck, and spine, which allows children to sit down in a timely manner, and subsequently to walk. Different types of massage have different effects on muscles. Relaxation occurs through stroking, rubbing, kneading, but effleurage and pinching lead to muscle contraction.

For normal development of a child, movement is necessary. For these purposes, Elena Isaeva recommends doing gymnastics from birth. After all, muscles that work receive 3 times more nutrients and 7 times more oxygen. Thanks to regular training, they become more resilient, strong, and elastic. In addition, do not forget about the emotional side. After all, a good mood is the key to physical health.

Massage complex

The massage complex proposed by Elena Isaeva allows you to strengthen the child’s back and neck, which contributes to the mastery of a new skill, sitting:

1. Hand massage.

   The child is lying on his back, the thumb of his left hand is inserted into his palm. With the other hand, the mother makes light strokes from the hand to the armpit.

2. Lifting.

   Let your baby grasp your fingers and lift her shoulders, carefully observing her reaction. If you notice that your grip is weakening, your face takes on a concerned expression, carefully lower it onto the table.

3. Foot massage.

   The child lies on his back. Stroking his legs from foot to thigh.

4. Transferring to the stomach.

   Place the baby on her stomach, her hips should be apart. She will first begin to turn the head, then lift it. This is a great workout for the neck muscles.

5. Back massage.

   The child lies on his stomach. Mom makes stroking movements with her palm from the buttocks to the head.

6. Spinal extension.

   The baby is lying on her side. Mom fixes her legs with one hand and gently runs two fingers of the other hand along the spine, from the butt to the neck. In response, the child arches his spine. Then repeat the same exercise on the other side. This promotes the development of the spinal muscles.

7. Crawl

   . The baby is lying on his stomach. Legs bent, knees apart, feet together. The mother carefully runs her hands under the back of the baby’s feet and touches his soles. The response to the stimulus will be an energetic push-off with straightening of the legs and moving forward.

Rocking a child on a fitball has a good effect on strengthening the back muscles. Place your baby on the ball with his tummy; he will reflexively raise his neck. Then turn him over onto his tummy, rocking him from side to side. The child will try to arch his spine.

A girl, just like a boy, should not be seated. The child will sit down after his muscles are ready for the new skill. If he lags behind the norm, then you can help him with daily massage and gymnastics.