The Benefits of Tummy Time & When to Start

Placing your baby on their stomach serves as a “workout” for your newborn, giving them practice using their muscles. Read on to learn more about tummy time.

Back to sleep, tummy to play

For sleeping, naps, and at night, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH) recommends that the most effective action parents and caregivers can take to reduce a baby’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other sleep-related death is to always place their baby on their back. This is the safest sleep position for all babies, including those born preterm and those with reflux, until they are 1 year old.

Although it does not directly reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), incorporating tummy time during the day is an important way to help your baby grow and develop.

What is tummy time?

Tummy time refers to placing your baby on their stomach while they are awake and someone is watching them. Babies should never do tummy time unsupervised.

Most babies can start tummy time sessions a day or two after they are born. Babies benefit from having two or three short (3- to 5-minute) tummy time sessions each day. This helps reduce the baby’s frustration as their muscles get stronger. As your baby gets older, you can have longer, more regular sessions throughout the day. Pediatricians recommend that by about 2 months of age, babies should be getting 15 to 30 minutes of total tummy time daily.

What are the benefits of tummy time?

Supervised tummy time is important because it helps to:

• Strengthen your baby’s neck, shoulder, and arm muscles so your baby can start to sit up, crawl, and eventually walk on their own;

• Improve your baby’s ability to move and control their muscles to complete various actions (also referred to as “motor skills”);

• Prevent flat spots on the back of your baby’s head.

The following ideas can help you and your baby enjoy tummy time:

• Spread out a blanket on a clear area of the floor.

• Place a rolled-up towel under your baby’s arms to help prop them up slightly.

• Try short sessions after a diaper change or nap.

• Put a toy within your baby’s reach to help your baby interact with their surroundings and learn to play.

• Have someone you trust sit in front of your baby to encourage interaction and bonding.

Other ways to reduce risk of a flat spot:

The NIH recognizes that giving your baby regular, frequent tummy time sessions is a great way to prevent flat spots on the back of your baby’s head. You can also do the following to help prevent flat spots from forming on the back of your baby’s head:

• Hold your baby upright when they are not sleeping.

• Limit the amount of time your baby spends in car seats, bouncers, swings, and carriers where their head is against a surface.

• Change the direction your baby lies in the crib from one week to the next. For example, have your baby’s feet point toward one end of the crib one week, then have the feet point toward the other end of the crib the next week.

• Change the location of your baby’s crib in the room every few weeks. A new spot in the room encourages your baby to move their head to look around and see new things.

Becoming a new parent can be stressful and scary. At Options Mankato, we place a heavy emphasis on education and equipping new and expectant parents to be their best, while reducing the anxiety that can come with having a baby. We utilize various curricula and resources to teach participants in the IMPACT parenting education program about SIDS, providing a safe sleep environment, tummy time, child development/developmental milestones, home safety, and other topics such as infant massage and learning through play. We are also partnered with Cradle of Hope and can help new and expectant mothers in Minnesota apply for a free pack-n-play so they can provide their baby with a safe sleep environment. Knowing the facts and having the necessary resources not only reduces anxiety, it can increase the joy that comes with parenthood.

Visit healthychildren.org for more information on tummy time and raising a healthy baby.

Sources: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, American Academy of Pediatrics