Tummy Time - It really is as important as the doctor says!

Let's talk tummy time!  Everyone says you should do it, my doctor even recommended more tummy time when Charlie had really bad gas, but when and how?

Tummy time is possibly the single most important thing to practice when your baby is awake!  Tummy time helps trunk muscles strengthen, hands strengthen and even is the first time a baby scans the environment with their eyes (the same way we read) without rotating their head side to side.  But many small babies don't like it, even older ones often don't like it, so what to do?

The first step in my book for successful tummy time is to find a good place on the floor (RIGHT NOW!  Go find a place on the floor) that is in a room where you are a lot but out of the way so you could leave a blanket on the floor all the time.  If you have to get out and put down a blanket every time you go to do tummy time you are likely to give up on it or forget, but if a blanket is already on the floor just waiting for a tummy to land on it you are likely to remember and follow through.  If you don't have a space you can designate for tummy time then try to leave a blanket somewhere close so that it's always there and accessible.

A lot of people will tell you with tiny babies you can do tummy time on your chest, but I would tell you instead of your chest or the couch or your bed the floor is the best place to get used to doing tummy time.  If you start doing it on the floor you will know that your baby is safe there, once they start rolling if they are on the floor they are safe from rolling off a bed or a couch.

The second step in my book for successful tummy time is to make a habit of putting your baby down on their tummy every time they are awake, even if it's for 30 seconds.  When they are really small you can lay down on the floor with them and sing or talk to them.  When they get a little bit older you can lay down and play and show them how to play with toys.  Once they are old enough you can "play and walk away" - meaning play for a couple of minutes and then walk away and let them play on their own. 

If after a couple of weeks your baby is really unhappy every time you put them on their tummy and just cries even if you are down talking, singing or playing I would advise you call your doctor and get a referral for Early Intervention services.  Having a PT support tummy time early on can save a lot of headaches and delayed development later.  

When a baby just cries during tummy time parents are likely to give up and then you end up with a baby with a.) a flat head in back b.) delayed  rolling and crawling and sometimes even walking c.) can have other difficulties further down the road with reading and writing.  Early Intervention is a great resource to help address issues early so that they don't compound into other issues.

The third step in my book for successful tummy time is to leave them on their tummies until they are ready to change positions.  You will know they are ready to change positions when they start fussing or getting cranky.  But until they do start fussing there is no reason to move them from their tummy (when they are awake) until they need a position change.  They will hopefully build up in time starting with 30 or so seconds when they are really little to by the time they are 6 months or so to 10-15 minutes at a time or more.

Happy Tummying!!!