Check these abilities to ensure baby is continuing to develop. Watch baby do Tummy Time at 2 weeks! This allows you to be face-to-face with baby and enjoy lots of baby cuddles! Watch baby do Tummy Time at 1 month! Baby loves your face and voice! Watch baby do Tummy Time at 2 months! Expert Tummy Time tip: Face baby different directions in their crib each night to help develop neck muscles by turning a different direction to look at you each morning. Watch baby do Tummy Time at 3 months!
Expert Tummy Time tip: Place baby tummy down on an exercise ball, holding their sides for support. Slowly move the ball toward and away from you, allowing baby to lift and hold their head more easily. Watch baby do Tummy Time at 4 months! Expert Tummy Time tip: Babies love faces—even their own! Use mirrors during Tummy Time to help keep them engaged and having fun.
Watch baby do Tummy Time at 5 months! Expert Tummy Time tip: Do baby push-ups. Watch baby do Tummy Time at 6 months! Expert Tummy Time tip: Encourage baby to practice rolling and moving while on their tummy.
Use toys to keep them motivated! We know that it's safest for babies to always sleep on their backs, thanks to guidelines established by the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP in , but that means infants spend up to 15 hours a day facing the ceiling.
As a result, today's babies have fewer chances to practice using their arms, back, neck, and head to lift themselves up. Read on to learn more about the benefits of tummy time, with tips for starting the important practice.
Leaving your baby on her belly for a few minutes while she's awake helps her work all the muscles in her upper body, promoting trunk stability and head control. Tummy time also encourages your little one to practice reaching and pivoting, skills that are often precursors to crawling.
And research shows that a lack of tummy time can delay your baby from meeting physical development milestones like lifting her head, rolling over, sitting up, and more. Regularly spending time on his stomach also helps your baby avoid developing a flat spot on the back of his head , which became more common after the AAP's aforementioned "Back to Sleep" campaign to help prevent sudden infant death syndrome SIDS. In severe cases, head flattening, or plagiocephaly, can distort facial features.
Tummy time is also helpful for babies with the condition torticollis , which causes the head to tilt unnaturally because the neck muscle is stiff and tight.
Finally, according to research published in Pediatrics in May , tummy time is associated with improved cardiovascular health and body mass index BMI. Begin at 2 weeks old with short sessions of 30 seconds to one minute.
Try placing your newborn belly-down on your chest or across your lap so he gets accustomed to the position. To make it part of your routine, put your baby on his tummy after each daytime diaper change. It also helps your child to maintain a round head shape. It is important to remember that tummy time should only be done when your child is awake.
Tummy Time Tips So how do you go about helping your child learn to love tummy time? Here are some tips:. For more tummy time tips, check out our Helping Hand! Many of them are parents and bring a special understanding to what our patients and families experience.
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