What is tummy time?

Tummy time is time your babe spends lying on their tummy rather than their back. It'southward of import for your baby to be supervised and awake during tum time. They'll try to lift their head and shoulders, and strengthen their neck, arm, shoulder, tum, and back muscles while in a tummy-down position.

Lying on their breadbasket is a workout for your little one, and though your baby may non like information technology, stomach time is essential to help your baby grow stiff. Researchers take found that babies who spend time face-downward develop motor skills faster than those who don't.

Breadbasket time helps babies eventually larn to button upwards to all fours, roll over, sit upwardly, scoot on their belly, clamber, and pull to a stand. It also builds cerebral skills by giving your little i a dissimilar perspective.

More specifically, tummy time helps your baby:

  • Strengthen the muscles they'll need to sit, crawl, and walk
  • Avert getting apartment spots on the back of their head
  • Practice lifting their head and chest
  • Improve their motor skills (actions that involve using the muscles)
  • Improve their hand-centre coordination (when they achieve for toys during tummy fourth dimension)

When should babies start tummy time?

Experts say babies should kickoff tummy time right abroad. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends giving your infant some tummy time on their first day home from the infirmary. The sooner your infant starts practicing tum time, the sooner they'll get used to information technology.

Get-go with ii to three sessions of tummy time each day. Keep each session brusque – just a few minutes. Some newborns can only accept a minute on their tummy earlier they start to fuss. Information technology'due south an unfamiliar position, and your babe may start crying immediately after yous lay them down. If your infant starts to wail, pick them up and endeavour once again later.

As your baby gets older, give them longer sessions of three to five minutes each. Eventually work upwards to 30 minutes to an hour of tummy fourth dimension each 24-hour interval, broken into several sessions.

How to do stomach time

To get-go, notice a safety spot on the floor and put down a soft coating or breadbasket time mat.

Make certain your infant isn't hungry or tired when you set them tummy-down. It'southward also a expert idea non to place them on a full belly, which might be uncomfortable. (Wait near an hour subsequently feeding to avoid spit-ups or acid reflux.) A expert time to try stomach fourth dimension is when your infant wakes upwards from a nap, or after a diaper change.

Stay within arm'southward reach of your baby so you tin can keep them safe. You lot might lie down with them or sit nearby. Scatter a few toys nearby for your baby to wait at – when they're older, you can encourage your baby to reach for them.

If your baby starts to cry, attempt to coax them to go a fleck longer past talking, singing, or playing with them. When your baby has definitely had enough, pick them up and try again afterward.

Your baby'southward tolerance for tummy time volition increase gradually with feel and a flake of coaxing. Many babies become more content on their stomach as they go stronger and experience more in control. Retrieve of it similar your own workouts: They're a lot more enjoyable as you lot go accustomed to them.

To arrive a routine, some parents roll their babies over on their tum for a few minutes subsequently every diaper alter. It'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to recollect to do information technology, and your infant may come to expect information technology. Your baby may also enjoy the view if they're up on a irresolute table. Just be sure to keep a hand close then your picayune one can't roll off.

If your infant falls asleep during tummy time, gently roll them onto their back – the safest sleeping position for babies. As the AAP advises, "Back to sleep, stomach to play."

Tummy time by age

Stomach time may be a struggle at commencement, just soon your little i will master skills like lifting their head and chest and rolling over – and tummy time will be but part of their usual routine. Here's what to await by age.

Newborn tummy fourth dimension

In this early period, one to ii minutes at a fourth dimension, 4 to five times a solar day may be all your newborn can handle. Earlier they can turn or lift their caput, tummy time doesn't have much appeal. To make tummy time more enjoyable for your newborn, try going tummy to tummy: Lie down on your back and put your newborn on your chest.

1 calendar month old

Now that your baby is more used to tum time, attempt to increase the length of each session by a minute or ii. Aim for sessions of three to five minutes. At this age, your babe may start to lift their head briefly while on their tummy and turn it from side to side.

2 months old

At 2 months, your babe volition probably be more than used to tummy time and do it without fussing. Expect your baby to lift their head while on their stomach and movement it from side to side. To encourage them, put interesting toys in their sight line on both sides. Or, sit to one side and encourage your baby to move their head to expect at you.

3 months old

At 3 months, aim to accept your baby spend 30 minutes on their tummy each 24-hour interval, cleaved into shorter sessions. Your infant'due south probably much amend at decision-making their caput at present – they may be able to raise their caput up to 45 degrees while on their stomach and hold information technology steady. (Yous can encourage them past property a toy at eye level in front of your infant.) Some babies tin do a "mini-pushup" by lifting their caput and chest and using their forearms for back up.

4 months old

At this age, your baby may prefer being stomach-down on the floor, where there are so many opportunities to explore! Expect your baby to concord their head up high without any support, push up on their elbows, and raise their chest up off the flooring. They may reach for a toy dangling above them and beginning to roll over from breadbasket to back.

5 months old

Your baby may now be able to curlicue from back to tummy and stomach to back – significant that your little one could exist rolling around the room. At this indicate, you don't need to worry about how much tummy time your infant is doing, because they've nailed it. While stomach down, your baby may stone on their stomach, boot their legs, and make swimming moves with their arms. They may as well move their easily forrard to reach for toys.

6 months former

Many babies are masters of stomach fourth dimension at this age. They can whorl onto their belly and roll to their back when they've had plenty. Some babies may even starting time to button up from their breadbasket to a sitting position, or become onto all fours and stone back and forth.

What if my baby hates tummy time?

Many babies are more comfy on their dorsum, where they spend most of their time – including sleeping hours and time spent in auto seats, swings, and bouncers.

So if your babe seems miserable on their abdomen, it could because information technology'due south unfamiliar. Early, it'due south hard piece of work for babies to keep their caput upward when they're on their breadbasket. Plus, they can't see much of anything from down there.

Here are some ways to make tum fourth dimension more highly-seasoned:

Keep your baby company

Ane strategy is to distract your baby from the unfamiliar feeling of beingness face up-downwardly by joining them on the floor. Talk, sing, milkshake a rattle, make funny faces, or play peek-a-boo. Or y'all could grab a mat yourself and exercise. Your babe might savor watching you do yoga or crunches.

Another option is to lay your baby tummy-down on your tum. You can do this while you lie on the floor, in bed, or fifty-fifty in the bath. They'll lift their head to look at you – simply be aware that their head volition come crashing downwards somewhen!

ring stacking toy

One time your infant has enough head control – at around 4 months – you can play airplane: Lie on the floor and on your back and bend your legs. Put your babe'south tummy against your legs, with their head at your knees. And then bend your legs while property onto your infant firmly. They'll probably love the new view.

Tip: Brand sure your child'southward sitter or daycare provider knows about the importance of tum fourth dimension when your baby is awake, too as the importance of placing your baby on their back to sleep.

Provide entertainment

Prop open a board volume in front end of your baby or identify a favorite toy within achieve. Y'all tin purchase a tummy-time toy or gym designed for babies to play with while on their abdomen. Some gyms have lights, mirrors, moving pictures, music, and squeaky toys fastened.

Or place your niggling one on a colorful quilt or activity mat. Some mats have prop-up toys or mirrors. Others are filled with water for added fun. Accept your baby's socks off to provide more traction on the mat.

Tip: If y'all have older children, ask them to play nearby during tum time. Some older siblings dear this chore! And watching an older brother or sister – or even a family unit pet – tin can go along babies happily distracted.

Prop your baby upward

Some parents like to requite their infant a new perspective by propping them on a rolled towel or pillow placed nether their chest and armpits. When your infant is effectually iii to four months old, this can give them enough leverage to lift their head and chest. (If your baby tends to roll over unintentionally when propped like this, proceed your hand on their lesser.)

When your infant can go upward on their forearms independently, remove the props to aid them develop motor skills without them. And of grade, never leave your baby unattended while they're propped up on a rolled towel or pillow.

Tip: Some babies enjoy rolling on a big exercise brawl. Hold your infant on information technology, breadbasket-downwardly, while y'all gently stone the ball back and forth.

Tune in to your baby

If your baby still hates tummy time, try to figure out if in that location's something else about it that your baby finds sorry. Maybe the blankie underneath them gets likewise scrunched for comfort. Perhaps it's too cold on the floor, or perhaps they want y'all to come downwardly to their level. You tin likewise attempt playing their favorite music to see if that helps.

Tip: Run into if your baby likes to be massaged during tummy time. If then, a gentle massage might make them feel more than comfortable.