Tummy Time
What are the benefits of giving my baby tummy time?
Improves motor development
Tummy time is a great way to build your baby’s neck, back, and core muscles. Building these muscles will help them reach developmental milestones such as rolling over, sitting up, and crawling.
Encourages play with hands
Giving your baby colorful toys during tummy time will encourage them to reach for and grab. This will help your baby develop their fine motor skills.
Prevents flatness on your baby’s head
Since your baby sleeps a lot and they are on their back a lot, it is important to keep changing the position your baby to prevent these flat spots from occurring.
Increases visual stimulation
Giving your baby a chance to be on their tummy will give them a new view on the world to see and a different perspective from being on their backs. When should I do tummy time with my baby?
You can start as soon as you get home! Starting out, your baby may become easily tired and upset by tummy time. This is completely normal!
How do we do tummy time?
You can begin your tummy time by placing your baby on your tummy while you lie on your back or sit reclined in a chair. If you are feeling sleepy, DO NOT do tummy time.
Begin with short time intervals such as 3 to 5 minutes, twice a day. As your baby gets stronger, tummy time can gradually increase to about 40 to 60 minutes, multiple times a day.
Pay attention to signs of tiredness. Some of these include irritability, resting head on surface, clenched fist or finger splaying, jerking arm/leg movements, and grunting.
Make it fun! Spread out toys, lay on your tummy facing the baby, storytelling, place a mirror in front of your baby, place baby on different types of surfaces to experience different sensations, or play music.
Can we do tummy time while my baby is in the NICU?
You may do tummy time with your NICU baby once your baby’s nurse, doctor or Physical Therapist says it is okay. You and the baby must be alert (awake)! Tummy time can be done while you are holding the baby or in the
baby’s crib.
Be sure to only do this when your baby is awake and alert. If your baby becomes drowsy, remember to place them on their back for sleeping.
Always supervise your baby when doing tummy time!
Muscle Development and Control
What activities can I do to help the normal development of muscle and muscle control in my preemie?
Listed below are things you can do with your baby at different ages. In all examples, age is determined by correcting for the weeks of prematurity. For example, if your baby was two months early, add two months to your baby’s age. Activities listed at two months would then be expected at four months. Another way is to use your baby’s due date, not the actual date of birth.
Age 0 to 2 Months
To help develop head control, hold your baby at your shoulder:
- Hold your baby high enough that he/she can look around.
- Let your baby raise his/her head, but keep a hand near to support it if necessary.
- Turn your back to a mirror so the baby can see him/herself.
- Walk around so there are new things to see.
- When baby is awake, have supervised tummy time. This helps strengthen neck and shoulder muscles.
- This should be done on a flat surface:
- Place baby on tummy with the arms forward and elbows in line with the shoulders.
- Place a toy 6-8 inches in front of your baby, or place your baby in front of a mirror.
- Gradually increase tummy time. At first your baby will tire easily.
- Hold your baby on his or her tummy while on your lap.
Age 1 to 4 Months
- Bring your baby’s hands together near the face and chest. This helps prepare your baby for reaching and exploring his/her hands:
- Position your baby with the arms forward when cradled, or when in an infant seat.
- Place your finger in each of his/her hands when playing.
- Play pat-a-cake.
- Encourage your baby to bring hands together to explore a toy, bottle or your face.
- Put a toy with texture on your baby’s chest.
- Provide some side-lying time with your baby’s hands together.
- Encourage your baby to grasp toys and other objects. At first, your baby will close a hand as a reflex. As this reflex goes away, your baby will reach to grab things. Hold things out to your baby to grasp like:
- Fingers, rattles, teething type toys
- Give your baby a toy during diaper changes.
- Help your baby practice holding on to things one hand at a time. At first, your baby will drop toys even if he/she is still interested in them.
- Help your baby learn to roll from tummy to back. With your baby lying on its stomach, get your baby’s attention by holding a toy in front of him/her. Then slowly move the toy toward the side and back. As your baby moves to see the toy, he/she will start to roll.
Age 4 to 6 Months
Help your baby explore his/her feet.
- Play with your baby’s feet, kiss them, move them and play games with them.
- Encourage your baby to find his/her feet with his hands.
- Help your baby explore his/her toes with his/her lips and mouth.
- What things should I avoid during early development?
- Walkers. They are unsafe and do not improve development.
- Doing activities too long or when your baby is tired. If your baby arches or fusses, it is time to stop.
- Standing on his/her legs before he/she is ready.
Adapted from University of Wisconsin Perinatal Program.
Mental Development
How can I help the mental development of my preemie at home?
Mental development is helped by:
- Providing an interesting environment and toys. Let your baby explore them safely.
- Talking to your baby often. Use a lot of facial expressions.
- Singing to your child.
- Reading to your child.
What do babies of different ages like to do?
A premature baby’s age should be corrected for the weeks of prematurity, so think of your baby’s age from his/her due date, not from the actual date of birth.
Due Date to 1 Month
Baby is able to:
- Respond to sounds by blinking, crying, or startling
- Lift head for a short time when on stomach
- Be comforted most of the time by being held or spoken to
- Follow with eyes and see best at a distance of 8-12 inches
- Move arms and legs
- Crying; it’s the only way of telling you what he/she wants
Offer your baby:
- Bright colors, contrast patterns and shiny objects
- Lots of cuddling and holding
- A change of position so he/she can look at different things
- Talking and singing in a soft voice
- Gentle motion, like rocking and swaying
- Time to play on his/her tummy when awake
2 to 3 Months
Baby is able to:
- Coo and make sounds
- Hold on to others’ fingers
- Smile when spoken to
- Show some head control when held upright
- Open hands most of the time now
- May begin to sleep 5-6 hours during the night and take 3 naps during the day
- Show interest in seeing different things and hearing different sounds
Offer your baby:
- A pacifier to help meet the need to suck
- A massage after bath; he/she likes your touch
- The feel of soft fabric and textures on his/her skin
- Repeated sounds that he/she makes
- Watching you open and close your mouth or eyes
- Musical toys
- Time to play on his/her tummy when awake
4, 5 and 6 Months
Baby is able to:
- Smile, laugh and squeal
- Roll over from stomach to back
- Reach for and bat at objects
- Pass toy from hand to hand
- Show signs of fear of strangers
- Recognize his/her own name
- Stand up if held under the arms
- Bring toys to mouth
- Make single sounds
- Hold head erect, raise body on hands, arch back and rock when on tummy
Offer your baby:
- A response when he/she “talks” to you; he/she will answer back and smile
- Safe squeaky toys and rattles to grab or kick
- A game of pat-a-cake
- A mirror to look at self
- Time to play on his/her tummy when awake to strengthen leg, back, and arm muscles
- Different places to play during the day; he/she likes to see new things
- Toys to teethe on
7, 8 and 9 Months
Baby is able to:
- Sit up alone
- “Babble” a lot
- Roll around
- Scoot around on his/her tummy or crawl
- Put toes in his/her mouth
- Learn to use fingers
- Solve simple problems, such as making a bell ring
- Look at and study things for a long time
Offer your baby:
- Toys that make different sounds
- A container to put things into
- The opportunity to explore; he/she is very curious
- Reading books and point out pictures that he/ she sees every day
- Hide a toy under a cup or clothe for him/her to find
Adapted from University of Wisconsin Perinatal Program.