The “Back to Sleep” or “Safe to Sleep” campaign was introduced in the 1990s to help combat Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – which was significantly reduced in the years that followed. Unfortunately, the second part of the message was often left out, being “tummy to play.” This brings us to our topic: TUMMY TIME
What is it?
Tummy time is time spent awake and aware in the prone, or “tummy down” position. As mammals, we were designed to move in many ways, and this requires a certain level of neuromuscular control. Tummy time helps babies achieve this. There is a misconception that tummy time is only required to boost neck strength – but this is a major myth. It is imperative to enhance the neuromuscular tone of the whole body.
Why should we do tummy time?
Leaving out tummy time is kind of like starting a new course and not attending the first few lectures – you lose out on the basics and become lost from day dot. Babies are born in the flexed position – similar to a ball. We want to start working on their extensor tone, in other words – opening them up.
Tummy time is crucial for development, and helps ensure that milestones are reached at the appropriate stages. Leaving out tummy time can result in important developmental steps being skipped or missed. This can lead to compensation by using other muscles, and later – you may notice that some core strength is absent. We are stimulating your babies’ proprioceptors, or sensory input centres – as if we are directly feeding their brain information.
Other benefits from tummy time include:
Reduced BMI
Prevents brachycephaly
Strengthens the neck, back, and shoulders
Allows for movement and perception recognition
Helps build toward sitting, crawling, and eventually walking
Allows for free movement as opposed to the restriction of car seats
When to do tummy time?
“My baby is too young to start tummy time”, “my baby already has a lot of neck strength”, “my baby doesn’t need tummy time” – all of these are not true!
You can begin tummy time from the day your child is born - consider starting on mom or dad’s chest. As a minimum, you want to achieve 30 minutes spread over 3 sessions throughout the day. Ultimately, you want to work towards 80 minutes per day at 4 months old. Much like everything in life – it doesn’t come immediately. It’s a working progress to build up towards these times. The earlier you start with tummy time, the more tolerance your baby will achieve.
“It's not about perfect. It's about effort. And when you bring that effort every single day, that's where transformation happens” – Jillian Michaels.
Is carrying the same as tummy time?
Well, carrying does provide some stimulation to the muscles however – nothing beats being tummy time.
Okay, but how do I do it?
Place your baby on their tummy on a firm surface when they are awake. Hard flooring is not ideal, so consider a matt or a firm mattress. It is important to use a toy/ mirror/ yourself or any kind of distraction (older siblings included) as babies generally do not enjoy the tummy time position. As we said, babies are born in the flexed, or “balled up” position – and tummy time is vastly different from this.
Using a lot of toys can cause your baby to overthink the situation, which can lead to an unpleasant experience so try to stick to one toy. Mirrors work amazingly to get them moving. If you think your baby is cute – imagine how cute your baby thinks they are. Alternatively, you can (and should) be present with your baby. Being present doesn’t mean watching TV while your baby is in tummy time. Get down to their level and get involved! There will be less crying and help build toward your baby’s tummy time tolerance.
Is tummy time always meant to be on the floor?
No! Consider other surfaces such as chest to chest, baby resting on your forearm, or even across both your thighs – just make sure their arms are free to move.
Try avoiding doing tummy time in the same place every day. Babies are smart and will come to learn that when you go to that certain area – they know what is coming. Different environments also help increase the sensory input.
What to remember?
Tummy time is kind of like a direct line to your baby’s brain. We use this position to provide sensory input and start building neuromuscular tone throughout the whole body – not just the neck. Begin as early as possible, get your baby (and yourself) into tummy time and start building up their tolerance. Use distractions, such as toys, mirrors, siblings, or yourself to help your baby enjoy this experience.
“Little by little, a little becomes a lot” – African Proverb
This blog was inspired by Dr Mike Marinus (Doctor of Chiropractic). Find his video via this link:
Another helpful link: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/sids
Comments