Young parents may hear a lot about tummy time, but what exactly is it and how is it important? Well, tummy time is just that – it describes the times that your baby spends on his stomach while awake to balance out the long hours he spends on his back.
Infants either love or hate tummy time. Unless they have good control over their neck muscles to lift their little boppy heads, our guess is, babies are not fans of tummy time and they will let you know it loud and clear! But we must say, that awkward face-plant is so cute!
Why Is It Important?
Love it or hate it, tummy time is important to develop your baby’s core muscles for neck, shoulders, and arms and eventually pave way for crawling, sitting, walking, and other developmental milestones.
Babies can begin tummy time as soon as they are born and continue throughout their first year. However, to practice safe tummy time, a good guide to follow is “we play on tummy and sleep on back”. Whenever your little one is awake, encourage a few sessions of 3–5 minutes time on the tummy to give them a good workout throughout the day.
This is also to avoid them developing flat head syndrome (positional plagiocephaly) from lying on their backs for too long, although that shouldn’t be something to worry too much about, as flat spots will round out as babies grow.
Another condition to look out for is the positional torticollis, which is the stiffening and shortening of the neck muscles; causing baby’s head to tilt to one side and have difficulty turning their heads to another position.
Having said that, these conditions can be resolved through stretching exercises and that is why tummy time is super important for babies; it gives them a great whole body workout!
Grow & Bond Together
Be mindful to get down on the ground with them, too and not just watch them from a distance, tummy time is a great opportunity to bond with your child as they see and explore the world from a different perspective.
As your baby gets older and acquires better muscles control, you can then leave him on his belly for longer stretches to build up strength (but always under supervision!).
Mummy’s Tummy
For a start, mummy’s tummy is the best place to get tummy time going! Get on the bed or a couch, propped yourself with lots of cushions and pillows, and get comfortable. Make sure you are relaxed lying on a 45-degree angle. Lie your baby on top of you and get to bonding! He will be motivated to lift his head to coo at his favourite person!
Prop ‘Em Up!
Understandably, we get annoyed when we are unable to do something. Lend a little help by propping a rolled up towel or a small pillow under your baby’s chest if you see he is struggling and is frustrated. This will give him a boost in getting a better view and encourage him to keep trying.
Get The Ball Rolling!
Switch up tummy time a little once in a while for a different view and feel. A yoga ball is a great tool for this activity that helps develop proprioception in your child, or another word for kinesthesia, which is the awareness of the movement of our body. Only thing is, be very careful to hold on to your baby while atop the yoga ball and pace your movement so that you do not startle the little one or accidentally slip. Keep a firm hand on your baby, then gently roll forward, backward, and either sides-ward; keeping him calm by talking or singing to her. You may even bounce him softly to give him a little thrill!
Toys Galore
As your baby gets better at tummy time, it is time we up his level by putting out toys all around him to pique his interest. Squeaky and rattling toys make great props to get your baby’s attention! Leave his favourite toy just a teensy bit out of reach before him; the baby genius in him will get to working and start figuring out how to get hold of his toy. Be his biggest cheerleader and keep encouraging him!
Let’s Kick ‘n Roll, Baby!
As your baby grows to be more aware of his surroundings, you can start introducing more elements during tummy time. And we recommend to let the Fisher-Price® Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym (FGG45) to do the job for you as it is the perfect all-in-one tummy time pal for your growing baby. Not only can it help with encouraging tummy time, but it also has a series of amazing features to give you even more value.
So, what are these amazing features that we are referring to? Well, for starters, the large, colourful, machine-washable play mat makes tummy time truly comfortable and exciting for your baby. And the repositionable toy bar with 5 activity toys – namely self-discovery mirror, elephant teether, crinkle panda, lion rattle, and monkey cymbal clackers – will captivate the little one and keep him entertained while he is in a tummy time position. Up to 20 minutes of continuous music, the Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym will take the baby from laying and gurgling to sitting and interacting for some tummy time fun!
The Smart Stages™ technology lets you change the learning content to best fit your baby’s age and stage, while real piano notes encourage your little Mozart to create a tune of his own. You can even detach the keyboard for musical fun on the go! We are not kidding when we say, Play™ is serious work for babies! The Deluxe Kick & Play Piano Gym effectively helps babies develop their sensory, gross motor, and cognitive skills.
Wait, there is more… what makes this amazing play mat even more worth your while is the fact that mummies can bring it just about anywhere. It is always ever ready to entertain your baby anytime you like.
Only The Best For The Little One In Life
Fisher-Price® products are powered by PlayLab – an onsite R&D lab – that are dedicated to designing and creating the best and most practical solutions to meet the growing up needs of babies of all stages.
Every year, Fisher-Price® PlayLab has seen thousands of young families participating in its parent’s talks and toy-testing sessions – the very reason why parents are assured of getting premium quality for their babies from a trusted brand!
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