Tummy Time

Babies will spend most of their first few months on their back.  When they sleep, we put them on their back for safety.  When they are hanging out on your lap while you play patty cake, they are on their back.  While they are staring up at their cool baby jungle gym trying to reach for that hanging baby enrichment toy, they are on their back.  So, we gotta put some variety into their day.  We do this by promoting tummy time while the baby is awake.  If we have a kiddo on their back all the time we can get worsening flat spots, we can get delays in torso strength and control, etc… 

So as soon as baby’s umbilical stump falls off, and as long as they are awake and you watching them, let’s get to tummy time!  Doing tummy time regularly will pay off in dividends when it comes to avoiding weird-shaped heads and hitting milestones.  I try to time the start of tummy time with diaper changing time.  After a diaper change is when a baby is usually rather awake, so let’s put them on their tummy on a comfortable surface on the floor and see what they can do.  For bonus points, tummy time without a diaper on can prevent fungal diaper rashes from occurring due to the drying effect of being sans diaper- diaper rash fungus hates when it is dry and arid. 

Tummy time does not have to be for a long time, ie if baby is screaming their head off, it is ok to pick them up and call that session finished.  But, even if your kiddo hates tummy time, try to keep offering it throughout the day to help build strength and tone. It’s not meant to torture the baby if they really hate doing it.  Eventually as they gain more strength, are able to push up, lift their head, and move while on their tummy they will realize the benefits and be happy to work out that core just like their parents do at CrossFit.