Tummy Time: Don’t miss this tummy time, there are many benefits for your baby to “play on his tummy”!

The biggest obstacle to a baby's gross motor development is being held too much or lying down too much. Both are not good for exercising the baby's neck, shoulders, back and arms. When you take your baby for a physical examination, the doctor will often recommend that you let your baby lie down more.

Well, today the Neonatal Department of Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine will talk to you in detail about why babies should lie down more.

1. First of all, what is Tummy Time?

Tummy Time is literally translated as "tummy time" in English. In simple terms, it is an exercise in which the baby, while awake and under supervision, lies on his or her stomach with his or her belly on the bed or crawling mat, and the baby is encouraged to raise his or her head and upper body.

2. What are the benefits of Tummy Time for babies?

1. It can prevent the baby from having a flat head or a tilted head, making the baby's head shape look more perfect.

2. Prone position is the starting point for the baby's gross motor development. It exercises the baby's neck and shoulder muscles, laying a good foundation for turning over, sitting alone, crawling and walking in the future.

3. Promote sensory development so that babies can see the world from a whole new perspective.

4. By squeezing the abdomen properly while lying prone, the baby can reduce intestinal bloating and promote digestion and absorption. In addition, proper abdominal pressure is beneficial to the development of internal organs.

3. When does the baby start lying on his stomach? How long does he lie on his stomach each time?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the earlier the Tummy Time starts, the better. A full-term healthy baby can start practicing on the first day after being discharged from the hospital.

Newborn babies don’t need to do Tummy Time for too long at the beginning. Just do it 2-3 times a day for 3-5 minutes each time. Practice small amounts and multiple times to gradually increase the Tummy Time.

It is best to choose a time when the baby is in a good mood and let the baby lie on his tummy every day until the baby learns to roll over and crawl at 6 or 7 months old.

4. What should I do if my baby doesn’t want to do Tummy Time?

For babies, doing Tummy Time while lying on their stomach is definitely not as comfortable as lying flat on their backs. Babies’ bodies are already accustomed to the lying position, and they will be very uncomfortable if they are suddenly asked to lie on their stomachs.

So the baby will start crying as soon as he lies on his stomach. This requires parents to master the correct method and choose the right time, such as one hour after the baby finishes feeding (don't do it right after feeding, it is easy to spit up milk), after taking a bath, or just after changing a clean diaper.

When you make your baby feel that doing tummy time is a very comfortable and interesting thing, the baby will naturally like doing tummy time!

If your baby cries during Tummy Time, rule out some possible causes of discomfort, such as wearing too much or too little, being hungry, having a wet diaper, etc. After ruling out these factors, try to coax the baby and use toys to attract and tease the baby. If the baby is still crying, comfort him or her and let him or her rest, then try again at another time.

5. How to guide your baby to do Tummy Time?

1. Parents should accompany you to do it

Mom and dad can lie prone on a crawling mat or bed with their baby, interact with the baby more, encourage the baby to raise his head and exercise, talk and sing to the baby, stroke the baby's back, and scratch the baby's hands, so that the baby knows that you are by his side.

2. Place a small blanket or pillow under your baby

Newborn babies may not be strong enough to support their bodies with their abdomen and arms. You can put pillows or blankets under their armpits and arms to help support them. Generally, when babies are about 3 or 4 months old, they can support their heads by themselves and gain a new vision.

When the baby can fully support his body with his arms, parents can remove the blanket and let the baby develop motor skills freely.

3. Use toys to interact

Use black, white and red plush toys and shaking rattles to divert your baby's attention, so that you can extend the time your baby spends lying on his or her tummy as much as possible.

6. Safety precautions

1. It must be done on a flat and clean surface, not soft or concave.

2. Parents must supervise the child throughout the entire process.

3. Before the baby can turn over on his own, he should sleep in a supine position and not on his stomach.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Yao Teng, Department of Neonatology, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine

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(Edited by YT)