When Should I Expect My Baby to Crawl?

When do babies start crawling? It's one of those commonly asked questions on the mind of many moms and dads as they watch their little ones grow and develop, eagerly awaiting the next big milestone.

First, let's focus on the titular question: "When do babies start crawling?" There's no fixed or definitive age when a baby must be crawling by, but in general, a lot of babies will crawl between the ages of six months and one year. To narrow it down even further, most babies tend to start crawling at around nine months of age, on average.

Parents can often tell when their baby might be building up to crawling by looking for the following key signs:

• They roll over from side to side while lying down
• They lie on their belly and lift their head
• They try to do push-up-style movements during tummy time
• They can sit without much support
• They look around the room a lot during tummy time
• They get on all fours and rock back and forth

Some experts divide the crawling process into multiple smaller stages or milestones for parents to look and aim for. These stages include:

• Tummy time: This is when a baby lies on their tummy to start building the muscles needed for crawling. It's strongly recommended to aim for half an hour of tummy time a day for infants, possibly broken up into five-minute chunks throughout the day.
• Pivoting: This is when a baby is lying on its tummy and slowly starts to rotate around in circles.
• Planking: This is when babies lift into a plank pose, supporting themselves on their hands and knees or toes, like they're about to do a push-up.
• Rocking: Many babies will next progress to a rocking stage, where they get on all fours and then rock back and forth.

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There are various ways babies might try to crawl:

Classic: The classic method is the one you most likely imagine when you think of a baby crawling along on their hands and knees.

Commando: In the commando crawl, the baby's tummy and legs stay flat and they use their arms to pull themselves along.

Scoot: The scoot involves the baby getting into a sitting position and then using their legs to pull them along.

Crab Crawl: Baby moves sideways, often pushing off with one hand and leg.

Bear Crawl: Baby keeps arms and legs straight, moving on hands and feet.

All these styles are normal, and as long as your baby is making efforts to move, they are developing their muscles and coordination.

Crawling often tends to coincide with sleep challenges for families to overcome. This is because, when your baby starts crawling, they might become more active in the end, crawling around or lifting themselves up in their crib, which can mean it takes longer for them to get to sleep. Some babies go through a stage of sleep regression at this time, but it should resolve itself quite quickly.

The CDC does not classify crawling as a developmental milestone, so it is not featured on official milestone lists. This is because some babies actually skip crawling altogether, and the ages at which babies crawl can vary quite a lot. However, it can still feel like a "milestone" to you and your little one, even if it's not official.

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