Tummy time
Tummy time is so important in the early days for your baby as this can help to develop neck, upper back and shoulder muscle strength. Skip to the bottom is you need at home exercises stat! Or book online here for help!
Tummy time can further help to promote motor skills and help babies to reach certain milestones. Some of these milestones require babies to lift and support their own neck against gravity, which can happen between 3-6 months. Along with crawling, which happens around 6-13 months and it’s known that good neck, upper back, shoulder and abdominal strength is achieved by adequate tummy time. Further milestones which require tummy time to help integrate include sitting up, rolling, weight shifting and walking.
Tummy time can also assist in limiting time spent on their back which can aid in preventing your baby from developing flat spots on their head, also known as plagiocephaly. If the baby's head is in the same position for long periods of time (not including sleep times), the soft skull bones may move in a way that it causes a flatness on the skull and can also limit neck movement of your little one. Limited neck movement may be likely to lead to neck restrictions or feeding difficulties.
At FORM Chiropractic we suggested the best time to try implement tummy time is after a nappy change or after a nap.
Easy tips on how to do tummy time include:
Lay baby across your lap.
Tiger hold, on your arm.
Laying them your chest whilst you are laying down.
Laying bub over a fitball.
Progressing to;
Re arrange toys so bub has to reach them.
Holding a mirror in front of them so they can see their reflection.
Physio ball progressions, watch our video on this
How long do our Chiropractors recommend?
This number is variable as every baby is different but starting at about 1-5 minutes, and doing this 2-3 times per day. And as your baby gets used to this, tummy time can be more frequent or for longer periods of time, even go up to 10-15 minutes.
If your baby hates tummy time or you struggle with these tips, try changing the area you are doing tummy time in or the toys/environment around them.
If you have any further questions about how we can help or you would like to book in an assessment with our Chiropractors click here to book your little one a consult online or contact us via formchiro@gmail.com or call / text us on 0497 358 214
See you in Edgewater!
*Please ensure the baby is awake and supervised when doing tummy time.
