Tummy Time

The Babble Staff

In 1994, when the AAP changed their directives to recommended back-sleeping for infants, it literally changed the way most American babies viewed the world. After decades, maybe centuries, on their stomachs, babies were now spending most of their time face-up. Leave it to child care experts to start worrying over how this might adversely affect early childhood development. Sudden, urgent concerns surfaced that if babies didn't spend some time each day on their stomachs they might be slow in crawling, perhaps even walking. BabyCenter® and Dr. Greene are adamant that tummy time is vital for proper muscle development. The more laissez-faire Dr. Cohen feels that infants don't need a workout regimen. The experts at iVillage agree with Cohen here, contending that as long as a child has plenty of parental love and attention — as well as the opportunity to experiment with new movements on a regular basis — you needn't worry that your baby will remain immobile for very long; necessary motor skills will develop, with or without tummy time.

Offer your baby the most unrestricted motion possible. If you watch a baby on its back, it is really quite amazing to see all of the muscles she uses, bringing her feet up, twisting, raising her head off the ground, reaching across herself with her arm, arching her back. Gerber's philosophy teaches that babies don't need to be put on their tummies until they learn to turn over from their backs themselves. Obviously, putting babies on tummies some during waking isn't going to hinder them, but it is interesting to watch how much more freely they can move on their backs.

While putting babies on the floor is contrary to many of our previous customs, it is one of the best ways to support both physical skills and the development of a baby's sense of competence. Babies who spend time on open, clean, safe, flat surfaces, free of infant seats or other restrictive carriers, have the opportunity to learn about their bodies in space. They get to learn what positions they can get themselves into and out of. They develop the muscles they need for their next developmental challenge. Babies who are playing on the floor are strengthening all of the muscles they will later need to roll over, sit up and crawl. Babies who are crawling on their own are exercising the muscles they will later need for walking. Limiting the amount of time babies spend in car seats, infant carriers, swings, chairs and other restrictive containers allows babies to have lots of time to develop their muscles, skills and body awareness.

Every parent wants to do the best job they can supporting their baby's growth. Rather than buying lots of expensive equipment, what babies really need is our attention, observation and our responsiveness. […] Our job is not to "teach" them these things so much as to get to know them, to enjoy them, to provide safe and interesting learning spaces, to learn their unique communication systems and to be responsive to them.

Since it is safest for babies to sleep on their backs, provide baby with some daily tummy time and tummy talk to help strengthen his head-lifting muscles. Place your baby tummy down on a padded surface on the table or the floor. Get down to his level. Lock in the eye-to-eye fix and begin talking. Baby may raise his head forty-five degrees or more and carry on a head-to-head visual conversation. Instead of quickly plopping his head down as he did last month, baby may hold his head up for a while and begin searching by rotating his head from side to side.

The latest recommendations are for kids to get at least 30 minutes of age-appropriate physical activity per day throughout childhood, and for babies this means tummy time. Episodes of 10 minutes each would be fine.
There are ways to make it more fun. For example, rolling up a small towel and placing it under her chest can get her head up higher so she can see and do more. Also, try getting on your tummy in front of her. Music often helps, as well, and tummy time on a bed is sometimes more fun than on the floor, assuming you are careful. Once she is strong enough to roll over, this will not be an issue.

During waking hours, tummy time is essential. Experts find that babies who don't spend time face-down often have some delays in their development of motor skills. "The experience of being on their tummy helps babies learn to push up, roll over, sit up, crawl, and pull to a stand."

Until 1994, when the AAP started urging parents to put babies to sleep on their back, most babies slept on their tummy and were used to being in that position. But today, most babies are much more comfy on their back. […] So if your baby seems miserable [on his tummy], it's no wonder. Not only is it unfamiliar, it's physically uncomfortable. It's hard work for your baby to keep his head up when he's on his tummy, and he can't see much of anything down there. He may even feel abandoned.

One mom-tested strategy is to distract your baby from the unfamiliar feeling of being face-down until he gets used to it. The best thing you can do, says Glassy, is join your baby on the floor. Encourage him, talk with him, shake his rattle, make funny faces, play peekaboo. He might even enjoy watching you do your leg lifts or crunches (he's working hard after all). Another option is to lay your baby tummy-down on your tummy, either on the floor, in a recliner, or even in the bath.

Once your baby has sufficient head control — around age 4 months — you can play airplane: Lie on the floor and bend your legs. Put your baby's tummy against your legs, his head at your knees. Then bend your legs while holding on to him firmly. He'll probably love the new view. You might also put him on the bed, near the edge, and sit on the floor with your face next to his. He might appreciate the softer surface, and you can easily interact with him in this position.

Prop a board book open in front of your baby, or place a favorite toy within reach. Invest in a tummy-time toy or gym, designed especially for babies to play with while on their belly. Some have lights, mirrors, moving pictures, music and/or squeaky toys attached. Or place him on a colorful quilt or an activity mat designed just for babies. Some mats have prop-up toys or mirrors, and others are filled with water, for added fun. Take your baby's socks off so he can get good traction on the mat.

Some parents find that giving their baby a new perspective — by propping him on a rolled towel or nursing pillow, for example — makes all the difference. If your child has some neck strength and head control (by age 3 or 4 months) but can't get up on his forearms, simply place the towel or pillow under his chest and armpits, with his arms in front of it. (If he tends to roll forward, keep your hand on his bottom.) When he can get up on his forearms independently, remove the pillow and let him work on his motor skills without it.

Try to figure out if there's anything in particular about tummy time that your baby finds distressing. Maybe his blankie gets too scrunched under him for comfort (and that shag carpet is downright scary). Maybe it's too cold on the floor, or too slippery. One mom found that her baby liked tummy time as long as his fists were out from under him so he could suck on them. Another discovered that her baby was just fine on his tummy — as long as he was bare-butt!