Guide to TUMMY TIME!

Introduction:

Tummy time, a simple yet crucial activity, plays a pivotal role in your baby’s development. Despite its straightforward nature, many parents may underestimate its significance. In this guide, we’ll delve into the importance of tummy time, its benefits, how to incorporate it into your baby’s routine, and tips for making it enjoyable for both you and your little one.

Why Tummy Time Matters:

Tummy time refers to the period during which your baby spends awake time lying on their stomach while supervised. This position encourages crucial muscle development and helps prevent the development of flat spots on the side or back of the head, known as plagiocephaly/brachycephaly/scaphocephaly. It also aids in the development of motor skills leading to the next developmental stage.

Benefits of Tummy Time:

Muscle Development: Tummy time helps strengthen your baby’s neck, shoulder, and arm muscles, laying the foundation for important motor skills. Engaging neck muscles and moving the neck in all directions (up/down/rotation/tilting) against the gravitational force is a very important developmental milestone. Lifting the chest up also teaches the child to shift weight of their body and manage it. 

Prevention of Flat Head Syndrome: By varying your baby’s positions and encouraging them to spend time on their tummy, you can reduce the risk of developing flat spots on their head.

Sensory Stimulation: Being on their tummy allows babies to explore their environment from a different perspective than laying on back and staring upwards. Babies can see people walking around them, look farther than they have seen before, can suck their hands and floor, and feeling pressure on their tummy/chest and pressure on back and buttocks is relieved.

Incorporating Tummy Time Into Your Routine:

Start early: Begin tummy time sessions as soon as your baby is a few days old, starting with short periods of a 1-2 minutes, gradually increasing as they grow. You can begin with tummy time on an incline with support, and slowly reduce the incline to get the baby flat on floor.

Make it enjoyable: Use colorful toys, mirrors, or play mats to keep your baby engaged and entertained during tummy time.

Be consistent: Aim for several short sessions of tummy time throughout the day, gradually increasing the duration as your baby becomes more comfortable.

Supervise closely: Always supervise your baby during tummy time to ensure their safety and comfort.

Tips for Success:

Use a Rolled Towel: Place a rolled towel under your baby’s chest during tummy time to provide extra support and make it more comfortable. Use parent’s legs, thighs, chest, arms to do different versions/durations of tummy time.

Join In: Get down on the floor with your baby during tummy time to encourage interaction and bonding.

Stay Patient: Some babies may initially resist tummy time, but with patience and consistency, they will grow to enjoy and benefit from it.

Be Flexible: If your baby becomes fussy or uncomfortable during tummy time, try again later or experiment with different positions and surfaces.

If your child does not enjoy tummy time at all, if you are concerned about reflux issues or your child vomits whenever put on tummy, or you notice a head tilt to one side during tummy time, or you notice asymmetrical use of hands or legs, then do contact your physiotherapist to have an assessment and determine the support needed to help your child succeed. At First Step Therapy Services, we have Physiotherapists with over 15 years of experience working with babies who hated tummy time at one point and then would not want to get out of this position as they worked with our lovely Physios! If you have any concerns, don't hesitate to contact us—we’re here to help!

Keywords: Tummy time benefits, Baby development activities, How to do tummy time, Tummy time for infants, Importance of tummy time, Tummy time tips, Newborn tummy time, Tummy time for motor skills, Plagiocephaly prevention, Tummy time toys for babies

#TummyTime #BabyDevelopment #ParentingTips #InfantCare #MotorSkills #ChildDevelopment #EarlyChildhood #ParentingAdvice #NewParents #BondingTime #pt #ot #ndis #ndia #physio #physiotherapy #physicaltherapy #Physiotherapist #paediatric #peadiatricphysio #paedsphysio #speechtherapist