Tummy Time: the milestone, the myth, the legend

Jul 5

Does your baby hate tummy Time? You are not alone.

Over the years I have heard this statement many, many times, and trust me– as a mom, I see you! Tummy time has been deemed as something so “simple”, yet it truly can be a big challenge. Whether you are trying to find time to “fit it in” throughout your busy days, or if older children or pets may be moving quickly throughout your home, or your baby has reflux challenges, or you’re trying to brainstorm ways to try tummy time at home– it can be an ongoing challenge. If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone! Trust me!

As a pediatric physical therapist, I will share that tummy time truly sets a foundation of strength and mobility with your little one. It’s so important! However, as both a PT and a mom who has been through it, I am all about finding ways to make tummy time more comfortable and enjoyable– for not only your baby, but for you, too!

Tummy time, by my very “unofficial” definition, is when your baby spends time playing on their belly to encourage lifting their head while learning to explore their world and develop their milestones! It can be started as early as day one, and must always be supervised.

Tummy time helps develop:

Neck strength
Shoulder stability
Upper body strength
Core & back strength
Visual tracking and engaging with the environment
Weight shifting
Gross motor development
Fine motor development
Rolling
Crawling readiness
Helps treat torticollis (head turn preference)
Helps if your baby has a flat head

“If tummy time is so great for my baby, then why do they hate it??” –-you may be asking yourself. I am all about diving into the “why”, and since every little one is unique, it can be different for every baby!

Why can tummy time be so hard?!

Neck tightness
Head turning preference
Body tension
Movement patterns, or how they move
Reflux symptoms
Feeding difficulties, and much more!

Okay, let’s dive in! How can you help?!

Where and how you do it:

The positioning can make a difference! With your sweet itty bitty babe, chest to chest while you’re reclined on the couch or bed is great, or even over the Boppy/nursing pillow or a rolled up towel. I recommend placing their forearms under their chest area, as this helps introduce your baby to tummy time and gives them a little “boost” when trying to lift their heads!

As your baby gets older over the first couple months, going back and forth between tummy time over a Boppy/towel roll or a flat play mat is great—they have created a strong foundation of tummy time over a little incline, which continues to encourage them to lift their heads even while flat on their belly! Eventually, they’ll thrive doing tummy time over a flat surface!

Small moments count!

There are days where your baby may feel great trying tummy time for bursts of 5-10 minutes at a time while engaging with you and playing! But sometimes reality can look much different! You may be thinking, “Emily, my baby only tolerates 2-3 minutes at a time.” No sweat, it’s progress! Taking short breaks can help, and I’m happy if you try to do short, small bursts of tummy time frequently throughout the day! Gradually, work up to 30-45 minutes added up throughout the day– and eventually up to 60 minutes or more. All of these longer chunks (ex: 30-60 minutes) are just all the daily tummy time chunks added up throughout the day! You and your baby got this!

Quality is better than quantity

I hope this phrase helps bring some peace of mind! When talking about tummy time, I want your baby awake so they can actively work on lifting their sweet little heads. Your baby must be awake and engaged, looking at the environment around them, or interacting with you and toys/mirrors— this can be fun and educational for them! If your baby tolerates only a 5 minute burst of lifting their head and turning to look in either direction, I’m happy with that— quality tummy time matters versus 15 minutes of being really upset and fighting being on their belly. Take breaks, try again if you can. The quality of lifting their head, engaging with you/toys, and embracing tummy time matters, and that will help develop your baby’s tolerance for longer bursts of time!

Feeding and Tummy Time are connected!

One of my personal favorite points about tummy time is how connected it is to feeding. The act of your baby lifting their head in tummy time can help with feeding at breast, bottle, and gradually tolerating solids as it becomes age/medically appropriate and their head control shines!

Breastfeeding and tummy time both involve:

Neck extension (head tilting back)
Cervical rotation
Neck and trunk flexibility
Trunk stability
Shoulder positioning
Coordination

Chest to chest and “skin to skin” time can also be an amazing moment to prepare your infant to feed, as being close to you and on their belly this way can help them become alert, start to root, or “work up an appetite” to begin feeding! So many benefits to tummy time, here!

(Disclaimer: always check with your child’s medical provider for when your baby is ready to start solids, or if you have feeding concerns, as every child is different. This section is to point out how head control really develops with the help of tummy time!)

In conclusion:

At Be Still Wellness LLC, I am very passionate about addressing any questions or providing tips/tricks to help your little one succeed. Together, we can find ways to work on tummy time, and make adjustments however we need them! It’s so true how every little one is different, so the process of working on tummy time may look different for everyone, and it’s okay! I’m happy to help guide you and find the best solution to help make tummy time more enjoyable for your little one! There are many ways we can make adjustments. Please reach out with any questions, or if you’re ready to book a session with me.

Also remember– mirrors are so underrated, and can be your baby’s best friend during tummy time! (...and yours, too, as you watch their sweet face! :) )

Warmly,

Emily Colatruglio PT, DPT, CBS, NTMTC