Baby Not Pulling to Stand Yet? Try Advanced Sitting Balance Reactions 👶🏻⚖️ | Pediatric PT #41

Advanced Sitting Balance Reactions 👶🏻⚖️ | Preparing for Pulling to Stand | Pediatric Physical Therapy #41 Meet Ilya! 👶🏻 Ilya is almost 11 months old and was born one month premature, so his development is best compared to that of an almost 10-month-old baby. In his early months, Ilya experienced several medical and feeding challenges. His history includes: Torticollis and plagiocephaly Projectile vomiting and difficulty gaining weight Failure to thrive / infant malnutrition GERD Lip tie and tongue tie Feeding difficulties, including poor suction and latch 🍼 As Ilya became able to eat and keep food down, his overall strength and motor development began to progress more consistently — highlighting how closely nutrition, growth, and movement are connected 🧠💪🏽. Currently, Ilya is: Crawling independently Getting into sitting on his own Getting up onto his knees at furniture He is not yet pulling to stand, and one of the key missing pieces is higher-level trunk control and balance reactions. In this video, pediatric physical therapist Amy Sturkey works with Ilya on advanced side-to-side balance reactions in sitting — an important foundation for pulling to stand and cruising. Amy supports Ilya low at the thighs while he sits on her knees, which increases the challenge by requiring his trunk to work harder. Gentle side-to-side weight shifting and light bouncing are added to help Ilya practice smoother, more controlled balance responses ⚖️. These balance reactions matter because: Pulling to stand requires shifting weight onto one side Cruising requires alternating single-leg weight bearing Smooth trunk control supports safer, more efficient movement Motivating toys (like Ilya’s beads 🎨) help encourage engagement and natural balance responses. This activity can be practiced: From a chair 🪑 From the floor With varying levels of support depending on the child 🎯 This practice helps babies work on: Side-to-side sitting balance ⚖️ Trunk control with lower support Smoother, less jerky movement patterns Weight shifting needed for pulling to stand Early balance skills for cruising and standing 🚶🏽‍♀️🚶🏻‍♂️ 💡 In this video, you’ll learn: Why advanced sitting balance matters before standing How lowering support increases trunk activation How weight shifting prepares babies for pull-to-stand Ways to safely challenge balance in sitting 👐🏿👐🏽👐🏻 Which babies benefit from practicing higher-level sitting balance 👶🏿👶🏽👶🏻 ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Wordless intro 0:04 – Welcome + Ilya’s background 0:20 – Current developmental skills 0:28 – Not yet pulling to stand 0:41 – Why higher-level trunk balance is needed 0:50 – Low thigh support for sitting balance 0:58 – Side-to-side weight shifting 1:15 – Why balance matters for standing & cruising 1:30 – Using toys for engagement 1:43 – Chair vs floor setup 1:54 – Why this method works 1:59 – Wrap-up 🔔 Be sure to subscribe for more expert pediatric physical therapy tips, and click the bell to get notified when new videos are posted! 📺 Watch all of Ilya’s videos here (playlist): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjOe_0TzQ-5tHANgHjeBzjui ⚠️ Safety Note These videos are educational and are not a substitute for in-person physical therapy. Please do not try these techniques if your child’s skills or medical history differ significantly from Ilya’s. For individualized guidance, contact a licensed pediatric physical therapist near you. 📧 Contact: amysturkey@gmail.com 🌐 Website: www.pediatricPTexercises.com 🪶 Accessibility Closed captions have been reviewed and corrected. To turn on captions: Click “CC.” To change languages: ⚙️ Settings → Subtitles/CC → select a language or Auto-translate. If captions block details, toggle them off in the bottom corner of the player. 📚 Books by Amy Sturkey (Amazon) “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 “A is for Anxiety” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “C is for Cerebral Palsy” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “D is for Down Syndrome” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “A is for Autism” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB Professional Pediatric Physical Therapy Books Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD