Today we start this post with a question - what's your little one's reaction when it's tummy time? A giggle? Excited and ready?
Well, we have that image of the baby with a smile from ear to ear, every time he's with his tummy down and his little legs reaching for something that's catching his interest. He's very sweet!
As you well know, when we find a topic that catches our interest, we try to explore it a little further. What we've realised is that tummy time is an excellent way to help babies develop their muscles and motor skills.
Tummy time isn't just about keeping the baby on its tummy for a while. On the contrary. There are lots of fun games that make this action crucial and therefore allow the baby to grow and develop in the best possible way.
Before we go into what kind of activities these are, let's see when tummy time comes into play and whether it's considered important.
To our amazement, tummy time can start from the moment we get home, so it can be a great daily activity. It will prove to be a very essential time for your little one, from birth onwards, strengthening their muscles (e.g. neck and shoulders) and being able to practise various movements that will be important for their future and proper development.
There are no specific rules for tummy time, just the willingness of our little one to share. If they don't like it, there's no point in forcing it, we can do it at another time when they're more receptive. In the case of newborns, there is still some difficulty in raising their heads even a little. Tummy time is a tiring exercise, so a few seconds at a time, little by little, will be a great start for your baby. The moments can gradually increase in time, as long as the baby feels comfortable and happy. One important thing to remember is never to leave your little one alone when they're in tummy time.
Now that we know what we can expect from tummy time and its importance, let's see what kind of activities our little one can do, including tummy time. What's more, we want to share with you ways in which baby activities can be fun for them and their parents.
1 . The tummy-to-belly moment - we'll lie down on the floor, on the bed or in a comfortable place and put the baby on our stomach or chest, holding him all the time. This way you'll have a tummy time full of cuddles, face to face and lots of laughter.
2. Eye to eye - let's put our baby on the carpet, blanket or floor and then we can lie down at their level. Now we can encourage our little one through eye contact. If he needs any help, we can put a rolled-up blanket or towel under his chest or arm to make it easier for him to lie down.
3. Lap time with the tummy down - very simple, you have to put the baby across your lap, always keeping a hand on its back or bum to keep it stable. It's practical and a method that helps calm or burp the baby.
4. Turning our baby into a superhero - now standing up, we can place one hand under the baby's chest and tummy and the other between the little legs. We should hold them face down close to our body, making sure that their head is secure and supported throughout the activity.
5. At changing time - when we're changing our little one's clothes, we can take a minute or two to put them on their tummy, without ever leaving them alone.
One thing we learnt from our research is that once your baby is two months old, there can be up to an hour of tummy time a day, divided up throughout the day. Naturally, we've found some exercise tips that we thought would be interesting to share with you:
- Tummy time can start at a young age - this exercise will help your newborn strengthen their muscles (e.g. head, neck and shoulders), which will allow them to develop certain motor skills, such as crawling;
- Although time on the tummy is extremely important, at bedtime it is crucial that the baby sleeps on its tummy to avoid situations such as the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome;
- We've already mentioned here that time is ticking away and so is our baby's development. From one moment to the next, your baby will be rolling over or crawling on its own. We realise that babies who stay on their tummies for longer tend to sit up, roll over or crawl faster;
- During tummy time we must always be close to our little one, to ensure their safety and to avoid any incidents (e.g. risk of choking);
- Tummy time plays a fundamental role in the development and growth of your baby's head shape. Spending too much time on their back can cause their head to flatten. Therefore, the more time your baby spends on their tummy, the greater the relief from pressure on the back of their soft, flexible skull.
We have to take advantage of any opportunity when the baby is ready for tummy time. Perhaps in the first few days it will be more difficult to have these periods. However, we have to choose certain occasions, such as when changing nappies or even after waking up from a nap. When you're tired and really sleepy, it's best not to push it and try a quieter time. The important thing is to arrange small daily moments for tummy time.
Most importantly, our little one must feel supported. After birth, babies find it very difficult to control their heads, so we need to help them learn this skill. In this way, we can place a rolled-up blanket under the baby's chest to provide more support. When you feel that your baby has grown up and is comfortable with tummy time, you can lay them on their tummy on a blanket and spend as long as it takes playing or making sure your little one is okay.
Well, tummy time has a lot going for it. It's more than just an exercise for babies. It will be a very life-changing practice for our little one's growth and development. Being able to encourage movement and strengthen certain muscles are crucial and fundamental aspects for babies from an early age. These tummy time moments are very important and a lot of fun for the little ones and their parents.
How about you? Do you regulate tummy time at home? Would you add any more tips to this short list we've shared with you? How do your little ones react? Have you felt any changes in the daily tummy time? We want to know your experience. We want to know your opinion.
