I have been told to place my newborn baby on her tummy on a daily basis. Why do I need to do this, as she does not seem to enjoy it?
I keep being told I should give my 6 week old son some time on his tummy each day. Why is this and how will it help him? When I tried this with him he looked really uncomfortable. I thought babies were always supposed to be on their backs.
With the current recommendations to let babies sleep on their backs, doctors and health professionals have begun to notice slight developmental delays in rolling, sitting and crawling in a lot of babies.
In order to reach these milestones your baby needs to have plenty of awake time on the floor on his stomach, giving him the opportunity to push himself up on his arms and develop his neck muscles. Being on his stomach also helps strengthen the oesophagus which helps babies who have a tendency to posset after feeds.
Many babies spend a lot of time strapped into baby chairs and car seats which does not allow free kicking and a chance to be on their tummies.
We encourage parents to place their baby on his tummy from early days. Choose a time when he is awake and contented. Top and tail time often works well as the firm surface of his changing mat is an ideal place to try him at first. If done on a daily basis he will become used to being on his front and begin to lift his head for a few seconds. Try putting him on his tummy for a few minutes at a time from the first week and gradually build up the time as the days go by.
By six weeks your baby can spend some playtime on his tummy. When he spends kicking time on the floor or under a gym, turn him onto his front and encourage him to look up by placing a brightly coloured toy, picture or mirror in front of him.
Once your baby is about twelve weeks old and used to being on his tummy he will be happy to spend plenty of time on his front during his waking hours. He will find rolling easier as front to back is an easier movement than back to front. Encourage him to move as much as you can by rolling him from side to side, whilst on his back and on his front. He will probably attempt rolling whilst on his front from quite early on.
There are several activity/play mats on the market which encourage exploration with colours, textures and sounds. Some incorporate a mirror but it is often small and not always at an optimal angle for your baby. Look for a separate mirror which is angled or set into a wedge, encouraging your baby to push up on his arms.
Having plenty of awake time on the floor should be part of every baby’s day. You will see how much enjoyment they get, once up on their forearms and looking around.