BabyJam: Get creative with Tummy Time.

Tummy time is Fun time!

Many new parents struggle with tummy time.  The importance of tummy time is reported by doctors, baby blogs and media, however, putting baby on his tummy while he cries for 5 or more minutes is more than most new mommies can handle.

Prior generations put new born babies on their tummies to sleep, providing 8 or more daily hours of time on the stomach.  After the American Academy of Pediatrics began the Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, which decreased the incidence of SIDS by 50%, pediatricians noticed delays in American babies’ development. 

About the same time the Back to Sleep campaign began, products became widely available to the consumer such as the car seat travel system and portable baby swing.  These products are now common place in the American house hold because of their convenience .  Due to these new products and the Back to Sleep campaign, babies spent more and more time, not only on their backs, but also in a contoured position, restricting muscle movement.

Consequently, many babies experienced delays in reaching major milestones such as holding up her head, and pushing up with arms.  These milestones are so important because they are prerequisites to crawling, tracking and other brain and motor developing experiences.  It is vital that babies experience time on their tummies where they can explore and practice using their muscles and coordination.  

The term “tummy time” was created to encourage parents to provide free movement playtime on the stomach for baby.  Tummy time is meant to be fun exploration time, but for many babies, tummy time feels like torture time.  You can make tummy time more fun for baby by adding some creative changes your baby might like.

Lying on your back and cuddling with baby tummy to tummy, especially during the new born stages, provides the same opportunities for muscular exploration that it would if baby were on a mat on the floor.  Add baby message as a part of your daily routine to add extra time on babies tummy.  As baby grows, add tummy time games like airplane, sing songs or make silly faces while baby is on your knees or in your arms, making tummy time bonding time for your and baby.