Did you know that putting baby on belly for a few minutes each day helps to improve head control, prepare baby for crawling and build overall coordination? Oh yes, it’s true! That’s what tummy time is all about!
But I gotta admit that when we first brought baby home from the hospital, I was a bit nervous to put him face down, on his tummy. How could I? Doctors are always stressing “back is best” to prevent SIDS, plus, the little one was simply so fragile those first few weeks…I couldn’t dare!
However according to my pediatrician, (and well, doctors everywhere) this is an important process in baby’s overall growth and development, so we made it a point to make time for this activity each day we could.
With lots of supervision (to ensure baby was still breathing!) we gently began placing baby on belly and watching him in action! Kicking, pushing, fussing…boy oh boy was he frustrated! But little by little, he began shifting and moving his head from left to right…drooling like crazy in the process!
By the first two months he was making significant progress, with mommy and daddy cheering him on in the background. But each tummy time session was a different experience, at times bringing forth lots of excitement and movement, while other times being uneventful with baby Chili deciding to relax in this comfy new position he was discovering :).
Now at month three, he is very close to having that full head control which will enable him to sit up in his booster infant seat and high chair. I am counting the days until he will finally be able to join us at the dinner table :)!!!
Ana, a mom to three rambunctious little boys, has supported hundreds of thousands of women throughout their pregnancy and motherhood journey since 2012 as a blogger and maternal health advocate at MommysBundle.com.
Having the neck become strong is a really big event! Looks like he’s enjoying himself!
Neck strength is key! Today was another milestone on this front — almost has full control!! 🙂
Hi,thanks so much for linking up the Mommy Brain mixer!
Its so true, and so many people focus more on putting them on their backs to ‘learn to roll over’. I love seeing my little boy lift his head up and give you a cheeky grin.
Don’t you just love it when they lift their head up from tummy time and are actually happy?! 🙂
Stopping over from Mommy Brain Mixer! My son HATED tummy time and would willingly turn onto his tummy and then cry (because he couldn’t roll back over!). I thought he would never crawl because of his dislike for tummy time, but he eventually did and now he is almost walking!
Awe, it’s so tough to see them struggle! But happy it worked out in the end!