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Tummy Time
A Physical Therapist Explains the Importance of Tummy Time Play
By Donna Smith
- Babies love faces. Place your baby on her tummy and get down on the floor with her!
- Voices are also great motivators. When your baby is on her tummy, talk or sing to her.
- Change your position to encourage head movement. Position yourself in front of your baby to encourage head lifting, and to the sides to encourage head turning. If you see your baby prefers to hold his head turned to one side, try to do more activities to encourage head turning to the opposite side. If this is not changing and becomes the position of preference, bring this up with your pediatrician or health professional.
- On the floor, roll up a small towel or receiving blanket and place it under your baby's chest and upper arms to prop him up. Get down on the floor and play with him, and scatter some toys near him to look at and reach for. Mirrors are particularly interesting, but Mom's or Dad's face is the most interesting of all.
- Play "airplane." Fly baby around the room, tummy down.
For 5 great tummy time moves, visit the Pathways Awareness Foundation site here.
How much tummy time should my baby get?
With newborns, aim for a couple of minutes a day, several times a day, in one of the tummy-down soothing or carrying positions. As your baby grows, slowly increase the amount of tummy time per day, aiming to get an hour total of tummy time by the end of three months. This shouldn't be all at once, but in short spurts throughout the day.
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