You know your baby needs tummy time but you’ve also got a lot of follow-up questions.
How often and for how long should my baby be having tummy time? What if my baby hates tummy time?
It’s completely normal for you to have questions!
Tummy time is your baby’s first introduction to exercise and is crucial for their growth.
In this guide, we’ll discuss…
- What tummy time is
- The important of tummy time
- The appropriate tummy time age
- What to do if your baby doesn’t like tummy time
…so you can feel confident helping your baby grow.
What Is Tummy Time?
“Tummy time” refers to the time a child spends lying and playing on their tummies.
It will help develop your child’s core muscles so they can:
- Push up
- Roll over
- Sit up
- Crawl; and
- Stand up.
Keep in mind that your baby had been in quite a confined space before delivery.
Dedicating time each day to place them on their tummy while they’re awake allows them to experience a new stretch and new gravitational position and develop muscular strength.
You’ll want to do tummy time often as it also assists with their…
- Visual
- Motor; and
- Sensory
…development.
Importance Of Newborn Tummy Time
Tummy time helps a child learn to lift his/her head, which makes the neck and upper back stronger.
The abilities to…
- Support his/her own head
- Turn it side to side; and
- Hold it steady
…are skills that need to be practiced by a child.
Flat head syndrome usually occurs when a baby sleeps with the head turned to the same side during the first months of life.
Since children should sleep on their backs (to decrease the risk of SIDS), tummy time is an important piece of a child’s development.
Tummy time will help a child’s head keep from developing a flat spot (flat head syndrome aka positional plagiocephaly) and instead become round.
How Does Tummy Time Help With Meeting Milestones?
You already know that tummy time helps with your baby’s visual, motor, and sensory development.
Time on the tummy helps build a foundation for babies to meet motor milestones including:
- Rolling.
- Sitting.
- Crawling.
Tummy time is essential for their sensory development as well.
Feeling different textures from the mat, blanket or carpet, on their…
- Arms
- Hands
- Legs’ and
- Cheeks
can help develop your baby’s sense of touch.
As your baby moves and their weight shifts, they gain a sense of body awareness.
Readjusting and repositioning your baby helps to develop their movement and balance.
Lastly, tummy time helps to develop your baby’s sense of hand-eye coordination. By spending time being so close to their hands, they see how they move and function.
When To Start Tummy Time With Your Baby
Tummy time can begin as soon as a child is comfortable lying on his/her tummy, but should definitely begin by 1 month of age.
A child should have tummy time at least once a day.
The time a child spends on his/her tummy can start as long as 15 seconds to 15 minutes.
It is really about how long the child is comfortable in that position. The more time the child spends on his/her tummy, the more comfortable it will become.
Start with short amounts of tummy time (think two-three minutes) and gradually increase it to allow the child time to adapt.
Aim to achieve at least an hour of Tummy Time total per day by the time your baby is three months old.
Know that that one hour can be broken up into smaller increments to keep tummy time fun for your baby.
Your Baby’s Tummy Time Routine
So now that you know when to start tummy time, your next question might be, “When do you do tummy time?”
Pick a time when the child is happy, alert and calm to do tummy time.
It’s important to know that tummy time is for when the child is awake, not sleeping.
The next step in tummy time success is to make sure that the area where the child will be doing tummy time is very comfortable.
Finding the right tummy time mat or blanket is important for the child’s comfort.
Be sure to never leave the child unattended during tummy time.
If the child falls asleep during tummy time, do not let him/her sleep on the tummy.
Instead, move the child into the crib.
Make tummy time part of the child’s daily routine to ensure that he/she is getting the exercise needed to reach their development milestones.
What To Do If Your Baby Doesn’t Like Tummy Time
Getting the hang of the tummy time method can be frustrating, especially since not all babies like tummy time.
You might even be thinking, “My baby doesn’t like tummy time!”
Keep trying! It is important for children.
Try waiting at least an hour after feeding to start tummy time to reduce the risk of spit up.
Make tummy time fun for the child by trying these tricks:
- If the child is very young, lie down or recline and hold the child on your chest on his/her tummy.
- When the child is lying on his/her tummy, lie down with your face in front of the child’s. Try talking, making funny faces, singing or just being silly.
- Try using an activity tummy time mat to engage your baby.
- Stand above the child while on his/her tummy and shake a rattle or sing a song to encourage the child to look up.
- Use a nursing pillow or a rolled up blanket under the child’s arms and chest to elevate the head and shoulders a bit.
- Place a mirror in front of the child’s face.
- Put bright toys or stuffed animals within reach of the child.
- Boppy pillow tummy time could also help make your baby more comfortable.
- Give the child a gentle massage.
