Why is Tummy Time Important?
Tummy time:
- Prevents the development of flat spots on the back of your baby’s head
- Makes your baby’s neck and shoulder muscles stronger, and helps your baby to sit up, crawl and walk
- Improves your baby’s motor skills
Your baby might not like tummy time at first. To encourage it, try getting down on the floor with your baby. Make your baby feel your presence by singing, talking, stroking her back, etc.
When should you Start Tummy Time?
You can start tummy time right from birth for about 3–5 minutes each day. This can be repeated for about 2–3 sessions. Gradually, you can increase the
duration of the sessions and can have them more often throughout the day as long as your baby is comfortable.
Till 2 months, your baby might struggle to raise his or her head to look around.
Encouraging Tummy Time
Some babies might not like whenever you try to put him or her on tummy and might need a little more encouragement to play on his or her tummy.
To encourage tummy time, you can try following tips when your baby is awake.
- Place your baby on his or her stomach on a blanket spread over in a clear area. See how much your baby can move around on his or her own.
- Sit in front of your baby or ask someone to sit during each tummy time session. Never leave your baby unattended.
- To motivate your baby, you can place a toy within your baby’s reach. This will also help your baby to learn to play and interact with the surroundings.
- Make sure you place your baby on a surface that is not too soft or too hard. Too soft pillows/mattress can increase the risk of choking, and too hard surfaces may cause mouth and chin injury, as small babies wiggle a lot and may hit the hard surface.
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