Parentpedia

What Experts Say

One telltale sign that your baby will soon be on the move? "He gets up on his arms and legs, rocks himself back and forth like he's revving up a motor," says Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D., F.A.A.P., and editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Pediatrics' "The Wonder Years: Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones."

This typically happens anywhere between 7 and 10 months. Many babies crawl by supporting their body weight on their hands and knees, and then move by alternating the left hand with the right knee, and then the left knee with the right hand.

However, some babies never crawl in the traditional sense, opting instead to scoot across the floor, moving backward and forward on their tushies; inch along on their stomachs; roll; do a combat crawl; or even bear-walk by fully extending their legs and using their arms at the same time.

No matter how they choose to get around, these methods are all considered perfectly normal, says Dr. Altman. Moving shows a motivation to get somewhere (anywhere!). And any type of crawling will help your child to develop the leg and trunk muscles that will enable her to eventually walk.

What if your infant shows no interest in crawling, even after 10 months?

"Some babies never bother to crawl at all before walking," says Dr. Altmann. "This is rare, and in most cases doesn't signal a physical or mental delay. But it should still be addressed with your pediatrician to rule either one of these things out."