
These infant pushups help build upper body strength and balance, which your baby needs to stay stable and upright when sitting.

Arching the back may be part of this exciting process.įor example, at around 4 months or a little later, your baby may start trying to lift their chest, which involves pushing up on the arms and arching the back. Your little one is busy working on developing muscle strength and control-especially in the back and neck muscles-which they need to master motor skills and reach important development milestones, like sitting up. And because gas can lead to an upset stomach and discomfort, your child may move around, arching their back or pulling their legs up to find some relief.Īs your baby progresses beyond the newborn stage, you’ll start to see more and more movement. Gas and RefluxĪ gassy baby can also be a back-arching baby! When you’re feeding your little one, they may eat too fast or swallow air, which can cause gas. We’ve rounded up the most common reasons why babies arch their backs along with guidance on when you do and don’t need to contact your child’s healthcare provider. However, if back arching accompanies certain symptoms, it could indicate a health condition. It’s typically just an expressive movement, a way to communicate, or a reflexive motion in reaction to something. Babies and newborns most often arch their backs while they’re crying, and sometimes when nursing, eating, sleeping, or working on motor development. Why Do Babies Arch Their Backs?Ī baby who is arching their back may be doing so for a number of reasons, and very few are cause for concern. Or maybe there’s no pattern at all and your baby is simply a casual acrobat! Read on to learn more about this curious movement, including why it happens and when it could be cause for concern. Maybe you notice your baby arching their back when crying, or while sleeping. Does your little one keep arching their back? If so, you might be curious to know why babies do this.
