27 May Been told that your newborn baby needs to do Tummy Time,
Been told that your newborn baby needs to do Tummy Time, but baby cries every time you place them on their tummy
Tummy time is important for babies because lying on their tummy will help babies to develop the neck, shoulder and back muscle strength they need to control their head, learn to reach out and roll and move around. Tummy time also prevents the flattening of baby’s head, which will occur if baby spends all the time lying on their backs. Often new parents will report is that baby is upset with doing tummy time, and baby does not last being on their tummy for more than 30 seconds before they cry.
So here are 3 top tips on how to establish successful tummy time with your baby.
1. Check that baby is not hungry or tired before you try placing baby on tummy time. A good time to do tummy time with your baby is when they have just awoken and before they feed. After feeding, rest for 30-40 minutes before placing baby on their tummy, to avoid causing baby to regurgitate their milk.
2. Tummy time can begin early while on Mummy or Daddy’s chest during cuddles. These may initially be short periods of time where baby will hold their head up for 1 to 2 minutes. These moments should be enjoyable moments for baby and you.
3. Look out for signs of fatigue and remove baby from tummy time before they start to cry. Signs of fatigue include baby bopping their head and struggling to hold their head up, baby rubbing their eyes or yawning and starting to become unsettled. If baby starts to cry, it is best to try to settle them by patting them or singing to them before picking them up off their tummy. This would prevent baby associating crying with being picked up, which will help next time when you place baby on their tummy again.
If you are having trouble with establishing tummy time with your baby, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapist today. Let us help you and your baby enjoy tummy time.
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