One of the most important activities your baby should be doing from week 1 until crawling is tummy time. It doesn’t take long to do, but it helps with neck and chest strength and can help resolve minor cases of torticollis.
There are a lot of parents, however who are not given instruction on how to help their baby get their needed exercise. I break it down here for you.
- Tummy time should be done several times a day for a few minutes at a time to start.
- An (awake) adult’s chest is the best place to start. Often babies tolerate this better than laying on a mat on the floor.
- Stop once baby gets fussy. We want this to be fun, not unpleasant.
- Starting about middle of the first week is ideal.
We hope you’ve found this information helpful and you are able to guide your new baby through tummy time in a way that works for both you and your baby.