Ah, the infamous tummy time! Don’t you feel like the whole world is talking about it? I remember those crazy few weeks (months?) after giving birth were just a blur of doing my best to keep my baby alive and trying to make it to the shower every day. Tummy time was really the last thing on my mind! Then of course everyone mentioned it and I felt stressed and guilty for not doing it. And when I finally put my baby on his tummy he kicked up such a fuss that I decided I didn’t want to force him through something he obviously does not like doing. Then more stress and guild came and… you get the rest.
The big surprise came later when I learned that we had been doing tummy time all along! I just hadn’t been aware that that’s what we were doing. All my worries disappeared and (at least at that part of my life) I did not feel the mum guilt any more. Allow me to share what I learned so that you don’t have to go through this emotional ordeal.
WHY IS TUMMY TIME SO IMPORTANT?
I don’t claim to be a professional in this field but let me share with you all I gathered through my research. It actually has many benefits that health professionals all around the world advocate for.
Firstly, it prevents the forming of flathead syndrome. This is when babies’ head is not round but flatten out. This is due to them always lying on their back and having the weight of the head always on the same spot. This can be easily prevented by keeping your baby on … drum roll … their tummy, or in a side-lying position.
Secondly, in this position babies are basically face planting the floor. This is obviously not a comfortable feeling so they have to make a huge effort trying to lift that great head of theirs. The result of this is that their neck muscles, their shoulders, chest and arms strengthen. This physically prepares them for reaching all the following developmental milestones such as crawling, sitting up, cruising etc.
TUMMY TIME ALTERNATIVES
There are many other positions that will achieve the same effect, without all the crying and trying to calm an upset baby. Let’s look at them by age.
0-2 months
In the first couple of months tummy time does not have to be on the floor at all! You can do it, of course, but if your baby REALLY doesn’t like it, then try these ideas instead.
On your chest
This is when you’re holding your baby in your arms in a vertical position. (Yes, this counts as tummy time! Mind blown, right?) This is the easiest for your baby as the weight of the head, which is quite substantial, is held by the whole body.
You can give a little bit of extra challenge by lying on a sofa at an angle. This means that your baby has to lift their head a bit in order to see you. And that’s the best motivator ever, because you know what? YOU are what your baby loves to see the most! Your face, your eyes, your facial expressions… That’s what will make them lift that head up!
The last and most challenging position is when you’re lying on the sofa, fully horizontal.
The Helicopter
This basically means holding your tiny human in a horizontal position, belly down. This position is often suggested when that little tummy hurts, to ease the pressure on the stomach. But nobody mentions that this counts as tummy time, too!
2 months+
From here on, it’s ok to put your baby on the floor as by then the upper body muscles should have strengthened enough to hold up the head, even to turn them from one side to another. Still, many babies might not find this comfortable for a long time. What you can do is to help them giving a reason to stay like that by offering them different things to look at.
Looking in the mirror
Babies LOVE looking at human faces so your little one will enjoy looking at ‘another baby’, too. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing some cute baby bubbling as they chat to their reflection!
You can also lie down and look at the mirror. This way, you can look at each other, have a little ‘conversation’, maybe imitate each other’s facial expression. This will surely keep your baby’s mind off the position they are in!
Put something in front of them to look at
The thing your child likes to look at the most is YOU! Lie right in front of your baby and talk to them, sing or make funny faces, stick your tongue out… be creative.
You can also place some interesting, visually appealing toys in front of them. These Sensory Bean Bags were so tempting for this baby boy that the right hand was actually slowly inching towards them. Give him a few weeks and he’ll getting up on all fours!
You can use any toy that is suitable for visual observation. Many sensory toys will fit the bill and if you are willing to make them then you’ll have the pleasure of seeing your baby playing with a handmade toy.
Take a look at the Montessori Puzzle Ball, the Fabric Sensory Ball or the sensory toys, these are all great tummy time toys! You’ll find the DIY version of all of them in my Shop.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF
The benefits of tummy time only can be reaped when your child is awake, alert and content. A hungry or a grouchy baby will not be happy to lie on the floor for sure! It also means that if your baby falls asleep on your chest, that’s not an ‘active’ time for them.
For a few days old baby the length of tummy time might only mean about 30 seconds or a couple of minutes. It’s ok as it’s a very demanding position to be in. As their muscles strengthen and develop, they’ll be able to stay on their tummy longer and longer.
Make sure that a newborn’s arms are tucked under the body.
When you put your baby on the floor, the surface has to be semi-hard. It has to support pushing the head up but if that drops it shouldn’t hurt it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Tummy time should not be a cause of stress or guilt for anyone, especially not for a new mummy who’s just arrived home from the hospital. As you can see from this blog, we don’t have to take ‘tummy’ time literally. It has many alternatives that we can use to practice it that might be more suitable for those babies who don’t like lying on the floor. You have probably been already using some of them from the list above. Practice it as many times as you can during the day, but remember that quality counts more than quantity.
Click here to read more about how the Montessori Visual Mobiles, the Montessori Tactile Mobiles or the Sensory Baby Toys help your baby’s development.
Have you tried any of these tummy time alternatives? Please share your experiences in the comments and your photos on my Instagram site. #montessoriedited, @montessoriedited
Reference: nextsmallstep