What’s So Great About Tummy Time?
If you’re like most parents, you would do anything to keep your baby comfortable and happy. So if your baby cries during tummy time, it’s tempting to skip this practice altogether – but doing that could hamper your child’s development. We talked to Christine Egan MPH, PT, C/NDT, a pediatric physical therapist working in the Bay Area, about why tummy time matters.
Tummy Talk
It’s now standard for pediatricians to recommend parents give babies tummy time daily, but it wasn’t always. “In 1994, the American Academy of Pediatrics instituted a policy called ‘Back to Sleep’, that correlated a decrease in SIDS with children sleeping on their backs,” Egan says. These new guidelines scared parents away from wanting to put their babies on their bellies at all. So the AAP coined a new rule: “back to sleep, tummy to play.”
Tummy time affects the flexor muscles used to bend joints and the extensor muscles used to straighten them. “Muscles are activated by weight bearing on them,” Egan explains. “In order to activate even the muscles of the face and especially the front of the body, which are flexor muscles, [these muscles] must have weight put on them. When babies lie on their stomachs, they automatically lift their head to change the position of the head. This activates the extensor muscles of the body.”
As babies strengthen these muscles, they develop greater posture and motor control, and build the strength they will eventually need to crawl, stand and walk. Babies who don’t get adequate tummy time move stiffly and struggle to meet milestones in motor development, Egan says.
And because babies now spend so many hours on their backs, tummy time helps prevent the development of flat spots on the back of the head.
When Do I Start?
Unless your pediatrician tells you otherwise, you can start tummy time as soon as your baby comes home. “The sooner you put the baby on their stomach in tummy time, the easier it will be for your child to accommodate to that position,” Egan says.
The AAP recommends parents start with two to three sessions of tummy time each day, with each session lasting about three to five minutes. Gradually increase the length of each session as your baby gets older and (hopefully) more tolerant of the practice.
Help! My Baby Hates Tummy Time
It’s normal for babies to cry during tummy time. To make the practice more enjoyable, Egan suggests propping up a mirror on the floor where the baby can see it. “We all know babies love looking at themselves,” she says, “so that is a great motivation to lift the head and see themselves in the mirror while they are prone.” You can also use musical toys to keep your baby stimulated.
Look for other opportunities for your baby to spend time in a prone position, Egan suggests. For instance, while you’re sitting down, try holding your baby across your lap, over your shoulder and over the arm of the chair.
Always supervise your baby closely during tummy time, both for baby’s safety and enjoyment. Getting down on the floor yourself allows you to bond with and comfort your child. “The most important thing they would love to see when they are in tummy time is you,” Egan says.
Kathryn Walsh is a freelance writer specializing in parenting and travel topics. Her work has appeared on mom.me, TheBump.com, and USAToday.com. You can follow her tweets about cool dogs on Twitter.
