WHY IS TUMMY TIME SO IMPORTANT? TUMMY TIME TRICKS AND TIPS
Something that is heard all the time with young babies is TUMMY TIME! TUMMY TIME! TUMMY TIME!
But why do we talk about it so much?
FOR DEVELOPMENT! For physical development, for structural development, for brain development.
Tummy time plays a major role in a baby’s development and assisting babies to reach their milestones such as rolling, crawling and sitting. Tummy Time is important for younger children as it helps develop their spinal curves and muscle strength.
Tummy time is classified as any time spent by a newborn or baby or child on their belly.
We do tummy time a lot of the time without even noticing, for example when your baby is placed on your chest after birth is most likely the first experience with tummy time and it can continue through their early lives.
To encourage tummy time make things fun and engaging, have stimuli around for the baby to play with or talk and sing to them in a tummy time position.
If your child isn’t a big fan of tummy time that's ok, it’s a lot of work so don’t worry about how long they are on their tummy, break up the time and give them breaks. It is better to think about the frequency of tummy time and not the length.
In the early stages using a folded towel or wedge pillow can make it a bit easier for your baby to stay in tummy time position for a bit longer. But remember to supervise your baby during this time.
Other positions for tummy time can be carrying them around on your arm so your forearm is supporting them. You can also rest them on your chest or lap. If your baby is no longer a newborn, do they like zooming around like an aeroplane supported by your arms - keep playing that game because that’s tummy time.
It’s important to set yourself and your baby up for the best success - so do tummy time when things are a bit calmer, if they’ve got a full belly, are hangry or overtired, don't push tummy time. Mix up the activities to make them interesting for both you and your baby.
Is your baby still unhappy in tummy time?
Many things can affect how comfortable a baby feels in the tummy time position. A baby may naturally feel more comfortable in a curled up position due to tight muscles in their body. This makes lying flat for tummy time hard. This is where an Osteopath can come in to help identify and address these restrictions and help make your baby more comfortable in tummy time so it is not as difficult for the both of you.