Babies in their tummies

Tummy Time (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

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What Is Tummy Time?

Tummy time is laying babies on their stomachs for brief periods while they're awake. It's an important way to help babies strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles, and improve motor skills.

Be sure to stay with your baby and watch closely during tummy time.

What Can Tummy Time Help With?

Tummy time is good for:

Newborns and infants 1–3 months old who are just developing neck control. Tummy time helps develop the muscles they'll need to roll over, sit up, crawl, and walk. Always stay with your baby during tummy time.
Older babies, 4–7 months old. They should still spend some supervised time on their bellies, even if they can roll over and sit with some help. Tummy time helps them practice lifting their head and chest further by straightening their arms. This strengthens arm, chest, and back muscles.
Newborns who have a neck condition called torticollis (tor-ti-KOLL-iss). Tight neck muscles keep the baby from turning their head. Tummy time encourages babies to look around, and along with exercises your doctor will show you, can help your baby's neck muscles relax.
Babies with flat head syndrome (positional plagiocephaly). This happens when babies spend too much time on their backs in the first few months of life. This can cause a flat spot, either on one side or the back of the head.

How Do I Do Tummy Time?

Newborns

Start newborns on tummy time by placing them belly-down on your chest or across your lap for a few minutes at a time, two or three times a day. While lying on their belly, they can practice lifting their head and strengthening the neck and shoulder muscles. As your baby gets used to it, you can go for a little longer.

Older Babies

Place a blanket down in a clear area on the floor. Place your baby on their stomach on the blanket for 3–5 minutes to start, several times each day. Your baby may get fussy and frustrated in this position. Keep the first sessions of tummy time brief and gradually lengthen them. It's also a good idea to do tummy time when your baby is fed, changed, and happy.

As your baby gets used to it, place your little one belly-down more often or for longer periods of time. Experts recommend that babies work up to about 1 hour of tummy time a day by the time they're 3 months old.

Make some noises or shake a rattle to get your child to look up and push up. Place a favorite toy in front of your baby to encourage reaching and forward movement.

Babies With Torticollis or a Flat Spot

This exercise is good for babies with torticollis and/or a flat spot, and can help treat both problems:

Lay your baby on your lap for tummy time. Position your baby with their head turned away from you. Then, talk or sing to your baby. Encourage your little one to turn and face you. Do this exercise for 10–15 minutes.

What Else Should I Know?

Always stay with your baby during tummy time.
Always place babies on their backs (never on their bellies) to sleep to help prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).
Do tummy time on a low, safe surface. Don't put your baby on a sofa or bed, where they could roll off or suffocate on pillows or a soft surface.

If your baby doesn't seem to enjoy tummy time, add some variety. Sing songs, keep colorful toys nearby, get down on the floor and eye-to-eye with your baby, and have others join you. Don't give up! Tummy time is important, and some babies just need a little extra time to get used to it.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: October 2019

When To Start and 4 Benefits – Cleveland Clinic

Babies spend a lot of time on their backs looking up at the ceiling — in their crib, in their car seat and in your arms. Flipping them over onto their stomachs not only gives them a different perspective, but also plays an important role in their development.

Pediatrician Matthew Badgett, MD, explains the main benefits of “tummy time” and how to do it safely.

What is tummy time?

Think of tummy time as your baby’s first exercise. “Tummy time is as simple as putting a baby or infant on their tummy for short periods of time every day to help train them,” Dr. Badgett says.

Tummy time seems (and is) simple, but it has big benefits for your baby. There are four important reasons to prioritize it.

1. Helps motor skill development

When they spend time on their bellies, little ones use and develop the muscles that allow them to lift their heads up, roll and, eventually, crawl.

“Having them on the floor helps develop core muscle strength as well as their back, neck and arms,” Dr. Badgett says. “Tummy time leads to milestones like crawling and rolling a little bit earlier.”

Studies have shown that infants who don’t spend time in this position are more likely to experience a delay in motor development.

2. Reduces chances of skull deformity

Babies should sleep on their backs, which can help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But babies who spend too much time on their backs can develop flat head syndrome, or positional plagiocephaly — which tummy time can help prevent.

Plagiocephaly is fairly common and usually not dangerous or permanent. Some types of plagiocephaly, though, can be caused by a serious condition called craniosynostosis, so if you notice a flat area on your baby’s head, have your pediatrician take a look.

3. Promotes sensory development

Being on their bellies allows babies to experience different body positions and movements, and they start learning how their arms and legs move. It also shows them a completely different view of the world — literally.

“In the beginning, babies spend almost all their time on their backs, so this forces them to flip their world upside down for a bit,” Dr. Badgett notes.

4.

Opportunities to bond

In the beginning, there aren’t a lot of opportunities to have fun with your newborn. And even though tummy time isn’t initially all that interactive, your baby will become more engaged as their skills develop,

“Importantly, tummy time is an early chance for interaction and play with your baby, which is a really crucial bonding activity,” Dr. Badgett explains.

When should babies start tummy time?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says you can start right away — as soon as your baby is home from the hospital.

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But bear in mind that babies of any age should never be left alone face down, even if they’re propped up. Tummy time needs to be supervised.

“You can’t just put your baby on their tummy and set a timer and a walk away,” Dr. Badgett cautions. “You need to keep an eye on them because if they slip, or their face is down and they lack the ability to lift their head up, they might not be able to breathe. ”

How to do tummy time

Tummy time is simple, but you may have lots of questions. What is the best way to do tummy time? How long should tummy time be? What should you do if your baby can’t stand tummy time?!

But, really: Keep it simple.

Begin with short sessions where you lay your baby on their belly on a firm surface (avoid beds or other furniture they could fall off of) for just a few minutes at a time, a few times each day. And you don’t need an expensive blanket or fancy pad; carpet or even a clean hardwood floor is fine.

Tummy time at 0-2 months

“Newborns can’t lift their heads very much, if at all, so when you put them on their stomach, you want to make sure their face isn’t in the ground,” Dr. Badgett advises. “You can roll up a small towel to prop up their chest.”

You can even lie on your back and put your newborn on your own stomach, tummy to tummy. “It’s a chance for physical bonding, and it still counts as tummy time,” Dr. Badgett says.

Your goal should be to do tummy time two or three times a day for three to five minutes apiece, working up to 20 or more minutes a day. To start, your baby won’t be able to do much, and they may hate tummy time. It’s OK if you can only make it a couple of minutes before they start fussing. (More on this in a moment!)

Tummy time at 2-4 months

As your baby begins getting stronger, they’ll become more aware of what’s around them. They’ll start tolerating longer stretches of tummy time, and they may even come to enjoy it.

“As they get older, they’re going to develop better head control, and they can keep their head up longer,” Dr. Badgett says. “They might not need that towel to prop them up anymore.”

This is also when babies’ vision starts improving, so you may notice them beginning to fixate on you and interacting a little bit more while they’re on their tummies.

Tummy time at 4-6 months

Now tummy time is getting fun! At this point, your baby will have better core strength, and they might start rolling over, from stomach to back and back to stomach.

“That’s when they can start playing more,” Dr. Badgett says. “They’ll start to get the ability to push up more with their arms and be a lot more independent.” At this point, you can start introducing toys for them to grab and other interactive elements.

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Tummy time after 6 months

Work up to a full hour of tummy time each day until your baby starts crawling. In fact, they may even start to crawl during tummy time itself.

“Eventually, they’ll use it as a kind of practice, trying to push themselves up to see what happens,” Dr. Badgett adds. “As babies develop, tummy time slowly transitions into crawling, walking and playtime.”

What to do if your baby hates tummy time

If your newborn resists being on their belly, Dr. Badgett suggests choosing a time of day when you know they’re not too fussy — like after a diaper change or when they wake up from a nap. “You have to figure out your baby’s personality and when in the cycle of their day they’re going to be most open to it,” he says.

But sometimes, babies still just can’t stand it. After all, the tiniest of people have big opinions.

“To some degree, you want them to tough it out and challenge them to push through because it’s going to help them learn some skills earlier,” Dr. Badgett says. “But if your baby despises tummy time, you don’t want to torture them.”

Do what you can, and cut yourself a parenting break if you’re not hitting tummy time guidelines. Every baby is different, and Dr. Badgett says yours will be fine regardless of whether they get exactly the recommended amount of tummy time.

“Maybe your baby doesn’t crawl until 10 months instead of eight,” he says, “but that’s OK. Don’t grade yourself on these report cards and check boxes, because although they’re helpful, sometimes they can shame parents a little bit too much.”

A final reminder: No stomach sleeping

Remember: Although tummy time is great for development and exploration, babies should always sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

If your baby falls asleep during tummy time, gently roll them onto their back — and feel free to let them sleep right there on the floor, so long as you keep an eye on them. After all, a sleeping baby is a blessing!

“Definitely get them off their stomach,” Dr. Badgett says, “but then, if the baby’s sleeping, just take that as a victory.”

To learn more from Dr. Badgett about the importance of tummy time, listen to our Health Essentials podcast episode, “Tummy Time: What You Need To Know.” New episodes of our Health Essentials podcast publish every Wednesday.

What does a child do while it is in the mother’s stomach

August 17, 2018

In 9 months, a child goes a long way from a tiny embryo to a chubby baby and already in the womb acquires some features that will remain with him for life: for example, you can understand whether he will become right-handed or left-handed and what kind of food he will prefer. In a fairly short period of time, a lot of interesting things happen to a child, and today we invite you to go through the path from birth to birth with your baby.

1st trimester of pregnancy
1st–2nd week

So the long journey began. For the first 4 days, the future person is smaller than a grain of salt - its size is only 0.14 mm. However, starting from the 5th day, it begins to grow and by the 6th it almost doubles - up to as much as 0.2 mm. On the 4th day, the embryo "comes" to where it will spend the next 9 months - into the uterus, and on the 8th day it is implanted in its wall.

3rd–4th week

Embryo at the 4th week of pregnancy.

Around the 20th day of pregnancy, a very important event occurs: the neural tube appears, which will then turn into the spinal cord and brain of the child. Already on the 21st day, his heart begins to beat and all important organs, such as the kidneys and liver, begin to form. The eyes have not yet taken their usual position - the bubbles from which they will then take shape are located on the sides of the head. By the end of the 1st month, the embryo has a circulatory system, and the spine and muscles begin to develop.

5th–6th week

At the 5th week, the hands appear in the embryo, however, the fingers are still very difficult to distinguish, but in the joints the arms and legs are already bent. It was at this time that the external genitalia begin to form, but it is not yet possible to see on an ultrasound whether it is a boy or a girl. By the way, since its appearance, the embryo has grown a lot - it has increased by as much as 10 thousand times. Already now, the baby's face is beginning to form, and the eyes, which will be closed for a very long time, darken, becoming more human-like.

7th–8th week

The 7th week of pregnancy is the time when the baby begins to move, however, so far completely unnoticed by the mother, and the fingers and toes become almost the same as in adults. At this stage, the rudiments of milk teeth appear in the embryo and the reproductive system develops, and the kidneys begin to produce urine. Despite the fact that the growth of the fetus is only 2.5 cm, it acquires its own facial expressions, it has eyelids, and the tip of the nose becomes more defined.

9th–10th week

© lunarcaustic/wikimedia

Baby at 9-10 weeks of gestation.

By this time, the baby has already grown well - its weight is 4 grams, and its height is 2-3 cm. Despite its tiny size, the brain is already divided into two hemispheres, and milk teeth and taste buds are beginning to form. The baby's tail and membranes between the fingers on the hands disappear, he begins to swim in the amniotic fluid and move even more actively, although still unnoticed by the mother. It was at this time that the child's individual facial features appear, and hair begins to grow on the head.

11–12 weeks

At this time, the genital organs are formed in the child, so it is already possible to find out his sex on an ultrasound scan, although the probability of an error is still high. The child still looks a little alien: he has a big head and a small body, but his face is more and more like an adult. The ears are almost in the right position, eyebrows and eyelashes appear. The cartilage that makes up the skeleton gradually ossifies, new blood vessels appear, and hormone production begins. By the way, the baby has already grown up to 6 cm and weighs about 20 grams.

13th-14th week

Baby at 14 weeks pregnant.

Despite the fact that the child's head is half the length of the entire body, the face is more and more reminiscent of an adult, and the rudiments of all 20 milk teeth have already been formed in the oral cavity. The child is already able to put his finger in his mouth, but he will learn to suck a little later. Due to the active formation of blood vessels, the baby's skin is red and very thin, so vellus hair appears on the body - lanugo, which is necessary to maintain a special lubricant that protects against hypothermia.

2nd trimester of pregnancy
15th–16th week

By the 15th week, the baby has grown to 10 cm and is gaining weight - now he weighs about 70 grams. Despite the fact that the eyes are still quite low, the face is already quite recognizable, moreover, the child begins to “make faces”, since the facial muscles are well developed. By this time, he already knows how to suck his thumb, and the sebaceous and sweat glands begin their work.

17th–18th week

And finally, the child's auditory canals are formed, so he begins to distinguish sounds well and hears the mother's voice, moreover, he is able to recognize it. In addition to the milk teeth, the embryos of the molars also appear, the bones are finally formed and begin to harden. By the way, the bones of the skull will remain mobile until birth - when passing through the birth canal, they will overlap each other to make it easier for the baby to be born. But the mother is finally beginning to feel the movements of the child, who has grown to 14 cm and 190 grams.

19th-20th week

Baby at 20 weeks pregnant.

Despite the fact that the child's eyes are still closed, he is already well oriented in the surrounding space. Moreover, now you can understand whether the child will be right-handed or left-handed, because right now he begins to use his dominant hand more actively. Fingerprints appear on the baby's fingers - another unique sign of each of us. By the way, the child is already beginning to gradually distinguish day from night and is active at a certain time.

21–22 weeks

The 21st week is the time when the baby begins to gain weight due to the formation of subcutaneous fat. Soon, the folds that newborns have will appear on his arms and legs. On the 22nd week, those neurons are formed in the brain that will be with a person all his life. Very soon the child will open his eyes, he is already trying to do this, and the eyeballs move almost like an adult.

23–24 weeks

At 23 weeks, the baby may begin to dream, and his face is so formed that an ultrasound can determine whose facial features he has inherited. His skin becomes opaque, his eyes open, and the child can already react to light, moreover, bright flashes can scare him. By the 24th week, the baby grows to almost 30 cm, and its weight reaches 0.5 kg.

25th–26th week

At this time, the taste buds of the child are finally formed and, tasting the amniotic fluid, he can frown if he does not like it. By the way, this is how eating habits are formed - already in the womb we have our favorite and unloved foods. Very soon the child will learn to blink and can already see a little, however, so far it is very, very vague.

3rd trimester of pregnancy
27th–28th week

Baby at 27–28 weeks of gestation.

If you do an ultrasound at this time, you can see how the baby smiles and intensively sucks his thumb. At this time, the baby has the first "toy" - his own umbilical cord, and he actively studies his body. At the end of the 7th month of pregnancy, the child develops an individual metabolism, which he will have all his life. The baby is already quite large - his weight reaches 1.2 kg, and his height is 35 cm.

Baby at 30 weeks pregnant.

The layer of subcutaneous fat is increasing, and the baby is becoming more and more plump and well-fed. In addition, he already knows how to cry, cough, and even sometimes hiccups - this happens, most likely, when he swallows too much amniotic fluid. By the 30th week, the baby's brain is already so developed that it is quite capable of remembering and even analyzing information.

31–32 weeks

At this time, a person has all 5 senses, and his daily routine is more and more reminiscent of the one he will follow after birth. The child hears the work of all the organs of the mother, knows her voice perfectly, thanks to which, immediately after birth, he is able to distinguish her from all other people. The baby's immune system begins to produce antibodies that will protect him from all kinds of infections that may lie in wait in the first days and months after birth.

33–34th week

And finally, subcutaneous fat is already formed, and lanugo disappears from the body of the fetus. By this time, the baby has grown a lot - the length of his body reaches 40 cm, and the weight is very close to or even exceeds 2 kg. The baby's nervous system is already fully formed, but the lungs are still developing.

The child yawns. 3D ultrasound at 36 weeks pregnant.

At this time, the child looks almost exactly the same as when he was born. He is still quite thin, but the layer of subcutaneous fat is increasing more and more intensively. However, his hair and nails are already fully developed, and he himself becomes so big that he has almost no room to maneuver, so he can move less than in earlier stages.

37–38th week

And finally, the process of forming a person has finally ended - now he is completely ready for birth, and obstetricians consider the pregnancy to be full-term. Lanugo completely disappears from his body and can only sometimes remain on his arms and legs. Since there is almost no space left in the uterus, it may seem to the mother that the child has begun to move more intensively, but in fact the force of the blows has increased, because the child's muscles have already completely formed and strengthened.

The first minutes after birth.

The lungs of a child continue to form until the very birth, and only at the time of birth they release the right amount of surfactant - a substance that prevents the alveoli from sticking together after the first independent breath. Very soon, the baby will announce its birth with the first cry and begin its long journey through a large and interesting world.

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How to communicate with a baby during pregnancy

When expecting a baby, expectant parents often wonder if it is necessary to communicate with a child while he is still in the tummy, does it make any sense at all? Our perinatal psychologist Oksana Brezhneva explains why it is necessary and how best to do it.

Why should I communicate with my baby during pregnancy?

From about 8-10 weeks, the baby's senses are actively developing, and he is able to respond to your touch, warmth, pain, vibration.
By 18-20 weeks, he already has character traits, and facial expressions are able to convey emotions. Brain activity develops quite actively, the baby hears and perceives what is happening in the outside world.
By the 24th week, the vestibular apparatus is well developed and the baby is able to control his movements, take a comfortable position, express dissatisfaction and experience positive emotions.

There is no doubt! The kid, developing, feels everything and is waiting for your communication with him!

With regular communication with the child throughout the pregnancy (which proceeded as comfortably as possible for the mother, without stress and worries), emotionally healthy, calm, balanced children are born. Sometimes children themselves can ask for attention from their parents, wanting to be talked to and caressed, while becoming more active and mobile. Studies confirm that children with whom their parents talked in the womb, after birth, react more actively to the voices of their parents, cry less, calm down faster, and begin to develop earlier.

How to communicate with the baby?

To establish contact with the baby in the mother's tummy - observe his activity, remembering at what time of the day he is more mobile. At such moments, talk with the baby, tell him about what you like, about what beauty awaits him in this World. Mom can tell what kind of dad the baby has and how he loves him and takes care of him, and dad can tell about mom, because the child hears the voices of his parents in different ways (mother's vibrations from the inside, and dad's vibrations from the outside).