Helping babies eat, move and play! Pediatric occupational therapy for infants and toddlers in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Movement + Milestones
Expert occupational therapy to help your baby move with ease and master essential developmental milestones.
Developmental Milestones
Is your baby struggling with tummy time, not rolling yet, or falling behind on developmental milestones? These early skills matter more than you might think. At bwellbaby, we help babies build the foundation for healthy development through gentle, effective, play-based infant occupational therapy services in Raleigh, NC.
Why Developmental Milestones Matter
Infant developmental milestones—like tummy time, rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking—are key building blocks for your baby’s brain, body, and sensory systems. Each milestone contributes to long-term skills such as posture, balance, coordination, emotional regulation, speech, and even academic success.
Delayed milestones in babies can affect more than just movement. They may lead to muscle imbalances, limited exploration, sensory difficulties, and frustration for both baby and caregiver. That’s why recognizing and supporting these milestones early is critical.
The Power of Early Intervention
Research shows that the first year of life is a sensitive period for development. When parents notice their baby is not hitting motor milestones—or struggling with movement—it’s time to act. Early support through pediatric occupational therapy for babies leads to faster progress and helps prevent future developmental concerns.
At bwellbaby, we specialize in early intervention for babies from birth through toddlerhood. Whether your baby has a diagnosed condition or you simply have concerns, we’re here to help.
Movement and Milestones-
Support that Makes a Difference
Infant Tension
Often seen as stiffness, tightness, or difficulty relaxing—infant tension can significantly impact both feeding and movement, making everyday activities stressful for babies and their parents. Whether it be from positioning in utero, the birthing process or reflux, tense babies may struggle to latch or feed comfortably, arch during bottle or breast feeding, and resist tummy time or being held in certain positions. At bwellbaby, we use multiple approaches to relieve infant tension. We provide hands-on treatments such as massage and myofascial release to help your baby feel better.
Torticollis
Torticollis, or tightness in the neck muscles, often shows up as a consistent head tilt or turning preference. Left untreated, it can lead to more than just a flat spot—it can interfere with feeding, delay developmental milestones, and cause full-body imbalances. At bwellbaby, we specialize in whole-body, pain-free therapy for infants with torticollis. Learn more.
Tummy Time
Tummy time is essential for head control, core strength, and visual development. It also reduces the risk of flat head syndrome and helps your baby prepare for rolling, sitting and crawling. If your baby cries during tummy time, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to push through tears. At bwellbaby, we offer tummy time alternatives that are gentle, fun, and effective. Learn more.
Rolling
Rolling helps your baby develop balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. It’s often the first big movement toward independence. If your baby isn’t rolling or only rolls to one side, we can help with playful activities that encourage symmetrical movement and total body awareness.
Sitting
Independent sitting builds core strength and allows babies to explore their environment in a whole new way. It also supports hand use, visual tracking, and early feeding skills. If your baby struggles to sit up or slumps when seated, we’ll use supportive strategies that encourage success through interactive play.
Crawling
Crawling is a powerful milestone for brain and body. It promotes left-right brain coordination, motor planning, and shoulder stability—skills needed for future handwriting, sports, and attention. We guide babies through the crawling process, even if they’ve skipped it or prefer scooting or bottom-shuffling. Learn more.
Walking
Walking brings confidence and independence—but it needs a strong foundation. If your baby is late to walk or has an uncoordinated gait, our goal isn’t just steps, but safe, functional, and balanced movement. We provide fun, individualized strategies to support your child’s needs and celebrate every stride. Learn more.
Why Families Choose bwellbaby
bwellbaby offers specialized pediatric occupational therapy for infants in Raleigh, NC—and virtual consults across North Carolina. What makes us different?
Whole-body approach: We assess from nose to toes to uncover hidden factors affecting development.
Play-based strategies: We use toys, songs, and games to make therapy fun and effective.
Daily routine integration: No time-consuming homework—just real results in real-life moments.
Fun, low-pressure environment: We never force babies to do something they’re not ready for. We provide a “just-right challenge” by adapting the activity and/or environment to foster a sense of safety that leads to progress.
Parent collaboration: As your baby’s #1 fan and fiercest advocate, you are an integral part of the process. We collaborate to set goals, you follow our recommended strategies and together we celebrate progress!
Our mission is simple: help your baby master essential milestones while creating a joyful foundation for learning, movement, and play.
Ready to support your baby’s next milestone?
Whether you’re concerned your baby isn’t crawling, want to make tummy time less stressful, or simply need expert guidance on your child’s development—we’re here to help.
Conditions We Treat
Prematurity
NICU Stay
Shoulder Dystocia
Pre/Post Tongue Tie Revision (Frenotomy)
Colic / Frequent Crying
Reflux
Constipation
Failure to Thrive
Increased Body Tension
Low Tone
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)
Down Syndrome
Occupational therapy (OT) helps people of all ages build the skills they need to participate in everyday activities (occupations). An occupational therapist is a licensed healthcare professional who has earned a master’s or doctorate degree.
For infants and young children, OT focuses on helping them develop critical skills to support their growth and independence, such as feeding and early movement.
A pediatric occupational therapist works with infants to support their developmental milestones—these are the essential skills, like rolling over, sitting up, and reaching for objects, that lay the foundation for future skills like crawling, walking, and playing. An occupational therapist may also support feeding skills and work with infants who have difficulty latching, swallowing, or transitioning to solid foods.
By addressing these areas early, OT can help infants overcome challenges, build confidence, and establish the necessary skills for later life stages. For parents, OT offers guidance and support in understanding their child’s unique developmental needs, while providing techniques to nurture these skills at home.
What is occupational therapy?
Our Process
STEP 1
Get Started
Contact us today and sleep easier tonight. Click the “get started” button and complete our intake form. We will contact you soon!
STEP 2
Comprehensive Evaluation
We provide a “whole baby” approach and complete a full developmental evaluation to determine your baby’s strengths and challenges.
STEP 3
Tailored Treatment Plan
We partner with you to create an individualized treatment plan. We use a play-based approach to therapy and involve you every step of the way.
Pleased Parents
We can’t recommend bwellbaby and Nicole enough! Our little guy was slow to crawl and was not bearing weight on his legs by 11mo. We worked with Nicole 2x per week and over the summer he started crawling, pulling up, standing, climbing, and now he’s holding on to his walker moving his own legs to make steps. He’s now 13 months and he’s back on track to meet his walking milestone.
— Brittany
I cannot say enough about what an AMAZING resource bwellbaby has been to our family! My son was having difficulty crawling and Nicole provided helpful and practical activities that would prepare my baby for reaching this milestone. During our wellness visit, she was a source of great comfort by meeting my son at the developmental level he needed. She also gave my husband and I the confidence to take the information she provided us and incorporate it into our daily routine. Within two weeks of our wellness visit, my son crawled for the first time!!! I would recommend bwellbaby to anyone who has questions about their child’s development. She is such a great resource to have!
— Kendall
Nicole has been working with my daughter who had significant feeding challenges that impacted her gross and fine motor skills. In the past two months in working with Nicole in our home weekly , she is now eating wide variety of solid foods - before she refused and built aversion to foods. She has now met her initial set of goals to improve her mobility and get back on track with her milestones. So glad we have met Nicole to help support and work with our daughter. She customizes the care to the child and can tell she really cares about the children and their journey to improve the challenges they are facing. Nicole is dynamic in her wide ability and knowledge to provide care and support to babies. Highly recommend Nicole for any babies with feeding challenges, mobility or motor skills.
— Alex