Many childcare experts believe that babies should sleep on their backs. It may surprise you that your baby also needs to spend time on its tummy. Tummy time is basically time spent resting on the tummy while the baby is awake and it helps reduce the chances of a child developing flat head from its normal sleeping posture.
Tummy time also makes babies smarter when it comes to sitting up, rolling over and crawling.
How long should tummy time last?
Babies may not like this process at all, but you can try to make them lay on their tummies for at least ten minutes at a time. You can do it twice daily. You don’t need to force it if your baby hates it; start slow and increase tummy time to twenty minutes twice daily.
Tips for tummy time
- Start with short periods that last up to three minutes daily.
- Place the baby on your chest while you’re laying down on your back.
- When the baby is strong enough to raise her neck and upper body, you can use a play mat with toys for this purpose.
- Support the baby’s chest with a small pillow or blanket. Ensure that the object doesn’t block the baby’s breathing.
- Massage the baby with safflower or coconut oil.
- Stay on the floor with the toddler and sing or talk to her. If you have other kids, they can join you.
- Be extremely careful when you have pets or other kids around to prevent injuries.