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How come babies can somersalt in the womb but don't learn to roll over until months after birth?

I was just wondering this.

Babies do all kinds of acrobatics in the womb, but how come they're basically motionless for the first few months of their life?

Is it simply because its easier to do it all in fluid?

Public Comments

1. I cant do a flip but i can do one under water i would imagine its the same way.

2. when you are swimming, you can do flips and all kinds of things... but outside of the water, most cannot.

it's the fluid. its much different outside of it... and they have to learn.

3. It's easy to do a handstand in water, but can you do it outside of water? It's alot harder.

4. Gravity really slows em down. Much easier for them to do it in a water, weightless environment.

5. They aren't actually flipping over completely. Since they are packed so tightly in the fluid and against your body, you feel every arm extension as a major movement (understandably!)

Remember: a baby that's trying to roll over is in air, with the effects of gravity and mass and all that. It takes a huge amount of strength and muscle coordination to flip over completely. Floating in water, it's easy to poke around and the major movement is just the turning downward so the head can approach the birth canal.

6. Yes. You have answer in your question. Read the Last sentence.
It is the fluid.
Outside the womb, the gravity holds them down. No buoyancy.

7. Yes, it's because it takes much more muscle control and balance (things they are obviously lacking in the beginning :)) to do something like that in full gravity.

8. because they are in a sac of water