Tummy Time: When to start and why it’s so important

Tummy time has become quite the buzz phrase over the last two decades, and almost all pediatricians are asking parents if they are engaging their child in tummy time at their well visits. So what is all the hype about?

Tummy time is important for a few reasons. Number one, it helps babies' necks and backs get stronger, which leads to their ability to be able to hold their heads up, sit up, and eventually crawl. Number two, it helps decrease the chances of flat spots on the head and possible helmet use.

And you may wonder, why was this never a thing when I was a baby? The answer - you were allowed to sleep on your stomach and we know now that the safest position for babies to sleep is on their back. But, lying on your back for extended periods of time can have negative effects on development, thus why tummy time is so important!

Tummy time is just that - positioning the baby on their tummy. So really, you could start tummy time from the day your baby is born, by simply allowing the baby to lay on your chest tummy down.

Realistically, you should start being intentional about opportunities for tummy time around two weeks old. Practice multiple times a day for short periods of time and increase the time as your baby becomes stronger and/or more tolerant.

And, If you’re finding your baby is not enjoying tummy time, you're not alone. Many babies resist tummy time. Here are 3 tips to help your baby enjoy tummy time.

Make sure your baby has had time to digest after eating, otherwise you will be scrubbing baby puke out of your carpet, and moms do not need one more thing to clean.

Get down on the floor with your baby. You are their favorite person, and just being able to smell you close by may be enough to help the baby tolerate this position better.

Use mirrors, toys with lights and sounds, and even other family members to help keep the baby engaged. Think about it like this - if you’re an adult and you don’t like working out, you listen to music or watch tv while exercising to distract yourself from the activity. Stop at nothing to distract your baby from remembering how hard they are working.

Once your baby has mastered tummy time, meaning they are staying there on their own for longer than 10 minutes, it’s important to keep having them play on their tummy. After they can hold themselves there, babies will then start to move their arms and legs in this position, most often first in a circle to grasp the toys they want.

To change up the play environment, try placing toys on a vertical surface using the Busy Baby Mat to encourage your child to reach up and in front of them while lying on their tummy. Reaching during tummy time is a great way to strengthen arms, neck, and upper back, all of which are needed for crawling!

The same concept applies once your baby is able to hold themselves on all fours. Before they make any crawling movements, it’s important they are able to reach and keep the all fours position. Here are 3 tips on how to help babies get to and stay in the crawling position.

1. Place babies all fours with the busy baby mat placed vertically either on a sliding glass door, dishwasher or refrigerator. Hang toys at different levels to work on reaching in different directions.

2. Put toys all around baby while they are in the crawling position to encourage them to reach for the toys and keep their balance.

3. Get down on all fours yourself and play with your baby while they are in the position too.

Tummy time is important and lays the foundation for upcoming motor milestones, so you want to try and start it as early as possible. Don’t give up, stick to the basics, and when all else fails, pause and try again later. 

Once your baby has mastered tummy time, keep encouraging playing in this position to facilitate crawling. And then … baby proof every inch of your home! You got this!