Pushes up with straight arms
Typical Timing & Development Window
Visual Timeline & Milestone Benchmarks
What these numbers mean
The average age babies first begin showing early signs of this skill. Before this, it's simply too early — there's nothing to worry about.
The midpoint age: half of babies have reached this milestone by here, half a little later. It's a typical target, not a deadline.
How spread out the timing is. About two-thirds of babies achieve it within one standard deviation of the median (the shaded band, wk 23–29). Wide bands mean a normal range of variation.
A gentle check-in point. If your baby hasn't shown this by around here, it can be worth mentioning to your pediatrician — most often it's still perfectly fine, just later.
About this milestone
When lying on their stomach, the infant extends their elbows fully to lift their chest and upper abdomen off the floor. This movement builds critical strength in the triceps, shoulders, and lower back. It is a vital developmental bridge toward crawling and independent sitting.
- 1. Place a toy upward and forward from the infant's head to encourage them to look up and extend their arms fully.
- 2. Hold a bubble wand and blow bubbles slightly above the infant during tummy time, prompting them to push upward to watch.
- 3. Sit on the floor with your legs spread, placing the infant's tummy over one thigh so their hands rest on the floor, encouraging arm extension.
- 4. Gently stroke the infant's spinal muscles while they are on their tummy to stimulate the spinal extension reflex.
- 1. Avoid placing toys too low or flat on the floor, which encourages elbow flexion rather than full arm extension.
- 2. Do not use restrictive infant seats that prevent the infant from extending their trunk and limbs naturally.
- 3. Avoid long tummy time sessions if the infant is visibly fatigued; separate into brief, high-quality attempts.