Have you heard of tummy time? If you haven’t, maybe you know what it is but you may refer to it as something else. Tummy time refers to the time your baby spends on their tummy while they are awake. It is a really big stepping stone in aiding with overall development so here is some more information about it.
Many people ask when they should start tummy time, and this is simple, as soon as you can! For the beginning, try short periods of time where your baby lays on their tummy. Even 30 seconds is enough, to begin with, and try to increase the amount of time they lay on their tummies slowly. Also, do it several times a day to incorporate this into your baby’s daily routine. By the time your baby is around 3 months of age they should be having an hour of tummy time per day. It can be done either on the floor or on a bed. It can also help for this exercise to be performed in front of a mirror as they will be interested in their reflection and this will keep them on their tummies longer. Try also getting on their level by laying down in front of them to keep them engaged and entertained.
So you may be thinking what are the benefits of your baby laying on their belly? Well, that’s a good question and there are many so let’s go over a few. Firstly, this position aids your baby with strengthening their neck muscles and also aids in controlling head movement. Remember your baby’s head is the heaviest when they are born so they will need a lot of help strengthening those muscles. It also helps strengthen arm and leg muscles which will be useful once your baby starts crawling and also aids in building up arm muscle for reaching out to grab hold of things. It can also be beneficial for tummy troubles as it can alleviate constipation and gas.
There are many tips for tummy time online so be sure to research into it, also it is very important NOT to do tummy time while your baby is asleep.
We are also on Facebook! Join our online community:
https://www.facebook.com/gigiandfriendschildcarecentres/