Tummy Time with Your Baby
You may find yourself snuggling your sweet newborn and then suddenly realizing you have been holding him constantly and totally forgotten about tummy time. Maybe you didn’t even realize the importance of tummy time until your pediatrician brought it up. Give yourself grace as you learn all the new things that come along with being a mama. Keep enjoying the newborn snuggles but this is your gentle reminder of how important tummy time really is.
What is tummy time?
Tummy time is just laying your baby on their tummy for brief periods of time while they are awake. You may already be doing tummy time with your baby and not realize it. Snuggling your baby chest to chest is a great way to integrate tummy time when they are young. This allows them to look up at you and strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles as they develop fine motor skills.
What is the purpose of tummy time?
Consistently having tummy tummy time will help your baby meet their developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting up on their own, crawling and then walking.
Tummy times helps your baby avoid flat head syndrome. Spending too much time on their back can lead to flat spots on their head and can sometimes lead to having to wear a helmet to correct the issue.
A lot of babies tend to favor one side, this is known as torticollis. Tight neck muscles make it difficult for baby to turn their head. Tummy time encourages them to look up and turn their heads to observe their surroundings or toys you have laid out.
How do I do tummy time?
My personal favorite is chest to chest during the first few months. This just helps with bonding and comfort for the baby. Some babies can get pretty frustrated during tummy time. You can also lay them across your lap for a few minutes at a time. As they become stronger you can do longer periods of tummy time.
As baby gets older you can lay them on the floor and encourage them by placing toys around them or laying on the opposite side of them and singing so they will turn their head to look at you. Right now my toddler loves helping baby brother with tummy time.
Place baby on an exercise ball is also a great way to have them practice tummy time while working on neck and back strength.
Holding baby in a football hold is a super easy way to calm a fussy baby but also make sure that they spend some time on their stomach.
Tummy time may seem like such a simple activity but trust us this will set your baby up for success as they develop. If you need more guidance please feel free to bring it up at your next appointment!
Source: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/tummy-time.html
