Tummy time is an essential activity for infants that involves placing them on their stomachs while supervised, but there is also so much more to tummy time than just placing them on their tummy. It is developmental play in action.
As a new parent, you may have heard the phrase “tummy time” thrown around quite a bit. But what exactly is tummy time, and why is it so important for your baby’s development?
In short, tummy time refers to the practice of placing your baby on their tummy while they’re awake and supervised. This simple activity can have a huge impact on your little one’s physical and cognitive development, and it’s recommended by peadiatricians and child development experts alike.
Here are just a few of the many benefits of tummy time for babies:
- Strengthens neck and core muscles
When your baby spends time on their tummy, they’re forced to lift their head and engage their neck and core muscles. This helps to build strength in these areas, which is important for later milestones like sitting up, crawling, and walking.
- Develops gross motor skills
Tummy time is also great for developing your baby’s gross motor skills. As they push up on their arms and legs, they’re practicing coordination and balance, which will serve them well as they learn to move around on their own.
- Improves visual development
During tummy time, your baby has a chance to look around and take in their surroundings from a new perspective. This can help to stimulate their visual development, as they learn to focus on objects and track movements with their eyes.
- Prevents flat head syndrome
Spending too much time on their back can lead to a flat spot on your baby’s head, known as flat head syndrome. Tummy time helps to prevent this by giving your baby a chance to rest on their stomach and take pressure off the back of their head.
- Boosts cognitive development
Believe it or not, tummy time can even help to boost your baby’s cognitive development. By giving them a new perspective on the world around them, tummy time can help to stimulate their brain and promote the development of new neural connections.
So, now that you know all the benefits of tummy time, how can you incorporate it into your baby’s daily routine? Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Start early: You can begin tummy time with your baby as soon as they’re born. Just be sure to start with short periods of time and gradually build up as your baby gets stronger.
- Make it fun: Try to make tummy time a fun and enjoyable experience for your baby. Use toys and other objects to keep them entertained and engaged.
- Supervise closely: It’s important to always supervise your baby during tummy time to ensure their safety.
- Incorporate into daily routine: Try to incorporate tummy time into your baby’s daily routine, so they get used to the activity and come to enjoy it.
But HOW can I do tummy time?
Is it just placing them on their tummy……..
NO….Here are THREE ways you can do active tummy time
Tummy can be so much more, and can make you feel extremely reassured that you are doing way more tummy time than you think, yes…..we have what we think as traditional tummy time by placing baby face down on the floor, maybe with a cushion or tummy time pillow to raise them off the floor slightly but, we can do so much more (and…its fun!)
Indian Bouncing
Sitting on the floor take your legs out long in front of you, and place baby over your thighs (facing left to right), you can bounce gently. This gives baby the start of ‘active tummy time’ (psssttt…this is also a great position to give baby a back massge)
Swinging
Get up off the floor and have some fun with swings! Placing baby facing forward in your arms, take a lunge and swing baby gently back and forth, this is a sure fire way to get some giggles! Not only is this fun, it is also very settling for baby and they may relax too. Don’t forget to sing a few songs too, or face a mirror to see babies face!
A walk with baby in a carrier or sling
Surprisingly, it is tummy time for baby when they are in a sling (making sure their knees are above their hips…creating an M shape). As you move babies body moves with you activating thos core muscles and movement in their neck and shoulders, building strength in those areas. So, garb your sling/carrier and head out for a walk!
So, there you have it – the many benefits of tummy time for your baby’s development. It may seem like a small thing, but this simple activity can have a big impact on your little one’s physical and cognitive growth. So go ahead, give your baby some tummy time today, it is developmental play in action – and maybe even sneak in a little Scottish humour to make them smile!
Rose Wellbeing Therapies®️ 