Background
Tummy time helps your baby develop head and neck control. It also helps your child progress through their milestones. Once your baby can lift their head and neck, they can move on to rolling, sitting and crawling.
Not only does tummy time help babies achieve milestones, but it also keeps their head nice and round. Babies spend a lot of time on their back, especially since the ’Back to Sleep’ campaign that began in the 90s1. As some of you parents may know, when babies lie on their backs, it can cause flat spots on the back of their heads. These flat spots are common due to the soft nature of baby’s heads. Most cases flat spots will resolve themselves over time2.So tummy time makes your baby spend less time on their back, which can help your child’s head grow nice and symmetrically. But what if your child doesn’t like tummy time?
What if my Child Doesn’t Enjoy Tummy Time?
“My baby hates being on her belly. I’d be lucky to get a minute of tummy time before she starts crying”. That was from my friend Darren. He and his wife have the cutest little 4-month-old girl, Isla. Isla’s tantrums in tummy time might sound familiar to some of you parents out there. But Isla’s mum found other ways to do tummy time.
“When I’m breastfeeding Isla, she can lay on me for ages”. Jade (Isla’s mum) has just highlighted that there is more than one way to do tummy time with your baby. Lying your child on your chest is a great way to do tummy time. Whether you’re lying on the couch watching the latest Netflix series revealing royal family drama (The Crown, Harry and Megan, take your pic), face-timing your friends and family afar, or just chilling out with your baby. But you may still be wondering, am I doing enough tummy time with my baby?
What Does the Research Say About Tummy Time?
Well, there are guidelines about how much tummy time you should aim to achieve with your baby3. However, there no research that proves it is harmful to your child’s long-term development if they do less tummy time than what is recommended 4. And lets face it, not all kids enjoy tummy time.
One child who did not have a problem meeting the tummy time recommendations is my friend’s 2-year-old daughter, Lilli (also extremely cute). “When she was a baby, I would hold her tummy-first in my arms to settle her”. That was from Hannah, Lilli’s mum. Does that count as tummy time? Most definitely. Both Hannah and Darren (and their partners) have managed to incorporate tummy time into their daily routines. This is key to keeping tummy time manageable and consistent.
Ways to Incorporate Tummy Time into my Daily Routine
One thing that no parent can avoid is the nappy change. My sister-in-law has three beautiful kids, ages seven, five and three. Thankfully, all three of her children are potty-trained, but she still has her change table (victim to thousands of dirty nappies). Once those bottoms were clean and a fresh nappy was on, she would place her kids on their front for a minute or two of supervised tummy time5. This is just one example of the many ways tummy time can be incorporated into daily life. We all have busy lifestyles and throwing a baby into the mix makes it even more hectic. Finding different ways to do tummy time that work for you and your baby is really important.
After reading this, I hope that you feel more reassured about tummy time. It’s a great thing to help your child’s physical development, However, there’s no evidence that it’s harmful to deprive your child from being on their tummy in the long term. If your child is a Lilli, great. If your child is an Isla, the chances are they will be absolutely fine6.
Footnotes:
- Scheeler, L. N. (2022). Abnormal Head Shapes: Best Treatment Options for Plagiocephaly/Brachycephaly. Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science, 4(4), 87.
- If your child’s flat spots are concerning you, please see a healthcare provider for further investigation.
- American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to put ‘Parents are encouraged to place the infant in tummy time while awake and supervised for short periods of time beginning soon after hospital discharge, increasing incrementally to at least 15 to 30 minutes total daily by 7 weeks of age.’ Note, this can be done multiple times in a day (e.g. 3x 5 minutes, or 5x 3 minutes a day to get 15 minutes of tummy time).
- Dewey, C., Fleming, P., Golding, J., & ALSPAC Study Team. (1998). Does the supine sleeping position have any adverse effects on the child? II. Development in the first 18 months. Pediatrics, 101(1), e5-e5.
- Please ensure that your child is always supervised whilst on their front.
- This is not medical or professional advice. Any concerns regarding your child’s development should be discussed with your child’s healthcare professional.
