Tummy Time involves holding or placing infants on their tummies while they are awake and supervised. This activity is sometimes shied away from by parents and carers, for fear that it might be bad for baby’s spine- however the opposite is true: Tummy Time plays a crucial role in your baby’s development.
Tummy Time
It offers a multitude of benefits that contribute to the physical, cognitive, and emotional growth of your little one:
1. Tummy Time provides an excellent opportunity for babies to work on their core muscles and motor skills. When placed on their stomachs, babies have to lift and control their heads, which strengthens their neck, back, and shoulder muscles. This newfound strength and control are essential milestones for later developments, such as rolling over, crawling, and eventually walking. Regular tummy time sessions help lay the foundation for these important motor skills, setting your baby up for a lifetime of physical milestones.
2. With the implementation of back-sleeping guidelines to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), babies spend more time on their backs during sleep. Whilst this is vital to their sleep safety, it has led to an increase in cases of positional plagiocephaly (flat spots on the head). Tummy time can help mitigate this by giving your baby’s head a chance to rest on a different surface, reducing the risk of developing flat spots. Additionally, tummy time encourages natural head movement and helps shape the head symmetrically, promoting a more rounded and even appearance.
3. During tummy time, babies experience a different perspective of the world. This helps stimulate their senses and enhance their cognitive development. As they engage with their environment from a new angle, babies learn to focus their vision and track objects, improving their visual and spatial skills. Additionally, exploring their surroundings during tummy time helps babies develop a sense of curiosity and fosters problem-solving abilities from a young age.
Tips for Successful Tummy Time:
As a parent or caregiver, incorporating regular tummy time into your baby’s daily routine can be one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences for both you and your little one. However, we often hear the comment “My baby hates Tummy Time!”. This may be because you are expecting too much initially from your baby’s Tummy Time.
Tummy Time can be started immediately as a newborn, but you may find at this age it is in held positions:
Then when baby is awake you can start to place them on a playmat or a firm mattress on the floor, aiming for at least three times a day. Initially, they may only last for a minute or two but keep it fun and playful and the time will slowly increase. If baby is upset, stop the activity before a negative association is formed.
A rolled hand towel under their armpits and chest will give them more support, and they can lift their heads more easily if they are propped on their arms.
Do not walk away from your baby or leave your baby alone in Tummy Time!
Babies love to watch your face, so you get down on the same level with baby to talk and sing, or play with a toy.
Other places where your baby can enjoy Tummy Time are draped over your arm in the bath, on a yoga ball, or on their change mat after changing their diaper/nappy- always held/supervised of course!
When to seek professional help:
If you remain concerned or are worried about any of the following, please seek medical advice from pediatricians:
• Your baby isn’t improving at tummy time after six to eight weeks of age
• You baby feels very stiff or floppy
• If your baby is six weeks old and not making eye contact or focusing on toys
• If your baby is developing a misshapen head or a strong preference to have their head on one side
• If your baby is not moving both sides of their body similarly