{"id":18143,"date":"2024-04-03T10:00:14","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T15:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=18143"},"modified":"2024-04-02T21:59:06","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T02:59:06","slug":"why-tummy-time-is-important-for-newborns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/why-tummy-time-is-important-for-newborns\/","title":{"rendered":"What is tummy time for babies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tummy time for newborns may seem like all fun and games. But it\u2019s actually an important developmental step for infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends tummy time for all babies.<\/p>\n

\u201cTummy time promotes motor skills, sensory skills and bonding and engagement. It also prevents your baby from developing a flat spot on their head, sometimes called flat head syndrome,\u201d Luis Garcia, MD<\/a>, a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare, said.<\/p>\n

Benefits of tummy time<\/h2>\n

\u201cTo sit, run, walk or any skill we use for the rest of our life, we have to start by building the strength of our muscles. Tummy time strengthens a baby\u2019s neck and core muscles,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

Tummy time is hard work for babies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best gym of your life,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

Tummy time encourages infants to start lifting their heads and taking in new surroundings.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur babies are mostly head when they\u2019re born. They need to exercise other parts of their bodies. By laying on their stomachs, they\u2019re working their neck muscles and stimulating the nerves in their hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s easy to forget that babies are real little people. Just like us, they don\u2019t want to see the same thing all day long.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of looking at the ceiling all day, you flip them over, and it\u2019s a whole new world to look at. You literally turn their world upside down,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

How long should your baby do tummy time?<\/h2>\n

\u201cInitially start with a few short periods of time a day, and then increase progressively,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut them down three to five minutes three times a day.\u201d<\/p>\n

As they get a little bit older, you can start to let them have more and more time.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo matter how you do tummy time, you want to do it in a supervised way,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

How often should your baby do tummy time?<\/h2>\n

When your baby is a newborn<\/a>, they can only handle tummy time for a few minutes at a time before they get too fussy. It\u2019s OK if they fuss a little while on their belly. But it is a workout for them to be on their belly, so don\u2019t make them stay uncomfortable for too long.<\/p>\n

As your baby gets older, they can handle longer periods of time \u2013 30 minutes to two hours at a time.<\/p>\n

You should do tummy time at least three times a day in the beginning \u2013 more if you can.<\/p>\n

As your baby can handle longer stretches of time on their tummy, they can have fewer tummy time sessions.<\/p>\n

When should I start tummy time?<\/h2>\n

\u201cYou should start tummy time with your baby as soon as possible,\u201d Dr. Garcia said.<\/p>\n

You can even start tummy time the day you come home from the hospital.<\/p>\n

Put your baby on your lap or chest on their tummy. Older babies can do tummy time on the floor.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also never too late to start tummy time. If you haven\u2019t set a tummy time schedule yet or haven\u2019t given your baby much tummy time, that\u2019s OK. Just go ahead and start now. Your baby can still develop critical skills and hit milestones.<\/p>\n

Tummy time age<\/h2>\n