As a parent, do you dread tummy time? Does your baby cry every time you position her on her belly? Thankfully, with time and a few simple techniques, any infant can learn to tolerate tummy time.
Tummy time that is provided on a daily basis leads to the mastery of important motor milestones, such as rolling over, pulling up, and crawling. Also, infants who aren’t exposed to tummy time are at risk for motor skill delays and developing flat spots on the head.
In the beginning you should set up a regular schedule for tummy time. You can plan to carry it out after naps or after diaper changes, just be sure to have a plan in place. A general guideline should be that half of the time that baby spends for play should be on the tummy, and remember, it is important to vary your baby’s position every 15 to 20 minutes during playtime.It is important to be aware that tummy time is any combination of positions in which your infant is NOT on the back and encourages baby to use the back, shoulder and neck muscles. This includes time spent in your arms and on your lap. Most importantly, don’t look upon tummy time as a chore, keep in mind that this special time is an important part of baby’s daily routine, which provides an opportunity to bond and develop the close relationship with your infant that you’ve always dreamed of.
For additional fun tummy time activities, you can purchase my parenting book, “Retro Baby,” on Amazon!!
Also, for more information about tummy time as well as some wonderful brochures and handouts, visit http://www.pathwaysawareness.org/.
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