- There are a handful of tummy time myths
that never seem to go away
and they continue to confuse parents
and can also delay a baby's development.
So let's see if we can squash them
once and for all in this video,
starting with the belief
that tummy time is simply not necessary.
The fact is, infants who spend too much time on their backs
are at increased risk
of developing positional plagiocephaly,
which is commonly known as flat head syndrome,
as well as positional torticollis,
which is where they have tightening of the neck muscle
on one side of their neck
and that can result in them favoring one side of their body.
Ensuring a baby is exposed to a variety of positions,
including tummy time
helps to reduce the risk of a baby
developing these positional conditions.
In addition to these benefits,
there are also studies which suggest
babies who spend time on their tummies while awake
achieve certain motor milestones
faster than babies who spend no time on their tummies.
One such study was completed in 1999
and in this study,
they found that the babies who slept on their stomach
achieved the gross motor milestones
of rolling from their tummy onto their back,
sitting, creeping, crawling, and pulling to stand
earlier than babies who slept on their back.
And it's thought that the babies who slept on their tummies
achieved their gross motor milestones
earlier than the back sleepers
because they would've spent some awake time
in that tummy time position when they were going to sleep,
when they were waking up between sleep cycles,
and then again after they had woken up.
Now, I'm definitely not saying
you should start sleeping your baby on their tummy.
SIDS guidelines clearly state
that babies should sleep on their back
and that's always my recommendation.
And it's because it's no longer recommended
for babies to sleep on their tummy
due to the increased risk of SIDS
that tummy time is so important today.
Because they sleep on their back,
it's really important to give them the opportunity to play
while lying on their tummy during their awake times.
The next thing I commonly hear
is that tummy time starts at two or three months of age,
but this is not correct.
Doing tummy time with an infant actually starts much earlier
than two or three months of age.
In fact, if your little one was born full term
with no medical complications,
it's safe to start doing tummy time on day one.
And it's been found
that babies who start regular tummy time early
actually like this position more
and can manage it for longer periods of time.
Before we cover the next myth around tummy time,
which can delay your little one's development,
if you haven't already,
make sure you click on the link in the description box below
to get the free developmental milestone chart
so you'll know what to expect with your little one
in their first year of life and when to be concerned.
There is also the belief that babies shouldn't cry or whinge
when they're doing tummy time
and if they do, they must hate tummy time.
Now, as new parents,
we are taught that babies should never cry or whinge,
and if they do, they must be in pain.
So of course, when we place our babies on their tummies
and they start to protest by grunting, squirming, or crying,
we immediately think something is wrong
and they simply hate tummy time.
But your baby does not hate tummy time.
Your baby is just trying to communicate to you
that tummy time feels odd
because they're predominantly
spending most of their awake and sleep time
lying on their back, either on the floor, on the cot,
on your legs or in your arms,
and most importantly, they're trying to tell you
that tummy time is challenging for them
because when they are lying on their tummy,
your baby is stretching
and lengthening the muscles on the front of their body,
which are usually in a bent or flexed position
and they're needing to activate their neck, back,
and arm muscles to lift their head,
and this in itself is challenging and tiring.
And given that they cannot lift their head,
their ability to see the world is very limited.
And these factors will result in a newborn
expressing their frustration by winging
when they're in that tummy time position.
But the good news is, tummy time
isn't something your baby needs to struggle through.
In fact, you can make tummy time significantly easier
for your little one.
So make sure you watch this video next
to find out exactly how you can make tummy time easier
for your little one
and most importantly, more pleasant for you.
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