Tummy Time Tips for Your Baby

If you haven’t introduced tummy time to your baby yet, now is the perfect moment to start. This practice is essential for your baby’s development and offers a wide array of benefits, supporting not just physical growth but also cognitive and emotional development.

What is Tummy Time?

Tummy time involves placing your baby on their stomach while they are awake and supervised. This activity is vital for developing the strength and coordination needed for future milestones like rolling over, crawling, and sitting up.

How to Do Tummy Time:

1. On a Flat Surface: Lay your baby on a soft play mat or blanket. Ensure the area is safe and comfortable for exploration.
2. On You: Place your baby on your chest or tummy while you’re lying down. This close contact is comforting and helps them associate tummy time with positive experiences.
3. Across Your Arms or Legs: Hold your baby tummy-down across your arms or legs. This position provides a different perspective and helps engage their curiosity.
4. Using Props: Support your baby with an exercise ball, large pillow, or rolled-up towel. These props can make tummy time more engaging and varied.

Making Tummy Time Enjoyable:

To make tummy time fun, get down to your baby’s level and interact with him/her. Use colorful toys, make playful faces, or sing to keep their attention. Position toys just out of reach to encourage stretching, reaching, and movement.

When to Start:

Introduce tummy time in the early weeks of infancy to help your baby adjust to the position and support their muscle development from the start.

Benefits of Tummy Time:

1. Strengthens Muscles: Tummy time helps build essential neck, shoulder, and upper body muscles. These muscles are crucial for future developmental milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and sitting up. Strengthening these muscles early on lays the foundation for your baby’s physical abilities.
2. Enhances Motor Skills: By encouraging your baby to move and explore during tummy time, they develop key motor skills such as reaching, grasping, and coordination. This movement helps them gain control over their body and improve their ability to interact with their environment.
3. Promotes Developmental Milestones: Tummy time supports the achievement of important milestones like lifting the head, pushing up with the arms, and eventually crawling. Working against gravity helps your baby develop the physical strength and coordination needed for these skills.
4. Boosts Sensory Development:The prone position exposes your baby to new visual and tactile experiences. As they explore their environment from a different angle, they develop sensory and perceptual skills. This includes better visual tracking, increased awareness of textures, and enhanced spatial awareness.
5. Improves Posture and Alignment: Regular tummy time helps prevent flat spots on the back of the head (positional plagiocephaly) and promotes better posture and alignment. It supports the development of a strong, balanced musculoskeletal system, which is important for overall physical health.
6. Encourages Interaction: Tummy time provides opportunities for meaningful interaction with caregivers. This interaction helps your baby learn about social cues, strengthens emotional bonds, and supports their social and emotional development. Engaging with your baby during tummy time builds their confidence and helps them feel secure.
7. Facilitates Cognitive Growth: As your baby explores during tummy time, they engage in problem-solving and spatial awareness. This exploration fosters curiosity and cognitive development by helping them understand cause and effect, improve memory, and develop critical thinking skills. The sensory stimulation and interactions during tummy time also support cognitive processes such as attention and learning.
8. Supports Emotional Development: By providing a safe space for exploration and interaction, tummy time helps your baby develop a sense of security and confidence. Positive experiences during tummy time can reduce anxiety and promote emotional well-being.

Tips for Success:

• Start Small: Begin with short tummy time sessions, just a few minutes at a time, and gradually increase as your baby becomes more comfortable.
• Be Patient: If your baby gets frustrated or upset, take a break and try again later. Keeping tummy time a positive experience is key.
• Stay Engaged: Always supervise your baby and make tummy time enjoyable. Use encouraging words and playful interaction to keep them motivated.

Additional Tips:

• Consistency is Key: Incorporate tummy time into your daily routine. Multiple short sessions throughout the day are more effective than one long stretch.
• Use Different Settings: Vary the locations and surfaces for tummy time to keep it interesting. This variety stimulates different sensory experiences and keeps your baby engaged.

Both the American Pediatric Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association strongly advocate for tummy time. They emphasize that tummy time is crucial for the development of motor, perceptual, cognitive, and sensory systems. By integrating tummy time into your baby’s daily routine, you are supporting their physical, cognitive, and emotional growth, laying the groundwork for a healthy, active, and curious child.