Tummy time is a very important part of an infant’s development. It helps infants strengthen their neck, back, and shoulder muscles. It also helps them develop head control that will be useful in learning to sit up on their own. Much as I dislike the name, “tummy time” is the correct term for it. Infants cannot have tummy time if they are not on their tummies and they cannot learn to roll from tummy to back by practicing the wrong name.
Babies who are allowed to spend much of their day on their backs may be weak and have poor head control when it is time for them to start learning how to sit up. Some babies may have a flat spot on their head from spending so much time lying on it. While these things are not always the case, they do provide another reason to encourage tummy time. You can read: Black bullet season 2
The name of “tummy time” is deceiving and gives new parents the impression that babies spend much of their day with their tummies down while awake. When this would be easy for an infant to achieve if he were able to keep his head up while awake, it is far from correct. Yet most parents expect this as soon as they start working on it at two months and when it doesn’t happen, they begin worrying about positional plagiocephaly. Read more about Kengan ashura season 3
Alternatives to tummy time
There are many ways to give an infant time on his tummy without calling it “tummy time.”
The first best alternative is anything that allows the baby to be on his belly. This could include playing under a mobile, in a play pen or pack and play with lots of pillows and soft toys, or on a blanket with block and tackle. The key here is that he is on his belly for at least some of what amounts to “time” for him while awake. He doesn’t have to spend hours lying facedown every day for months. Just being allowed to lie face down during one play session each day would encourage more liking for this position than most babies are currently experiencing in their supposedly regular schedule of daily tummy time.
Tummy-to-tummy
When an infant is held face-to-face with his parent, he can be on his stomach and still get the benefit of tummy time. He needs strong neck muscles to support his head while being carried, but that does not take away from the fact that he is also getting tummy time. This should also help him develop stronger shoulder muscles because it requires more effort from his arms to hold himself up when he is being carried like this.
Tummy-down carry
This is a carry that most parents use when they have their infants on their backs. If the baby is carried with her head turned to one side, this also allows for tummy time. Infants who are strong enough to hold up their heads while awake may not seem like “tummy-down” infants because they can keep their heads up while they are being carried this way, but this still gives them tummy time.
Drowsy baby on back
Another form of tummy-down carry is when a drowsy infant is put down to sleep on her back. This routine is usually started at the end of a busy day or after an exciting event so that she will fall asleep as soon as she is put down. This give her tummy time while she sleeps.
A baby who has had lots of tummy time while awake and drowsy at the end of a busy day may not have attachments that are strong enough to cause any flat spot on her head from sleeping with her face on a soft surface for hours on end. This is a perfect time of day to give an infant tummy time without calling it tummy time.
Side laying position
Babies tend to fall asleep on their sides much more often than on their bellies or backs, so spending time in this position gives them tummy time while they sleep. Babies who are usually only allowed tummy-down positions for naps may have weak neck muscles because of it. This is another way babies can get tummy time on their sides.
Lap laying
When an infant is lying on his back with his head supported by one of the parent’s arm or in a baby carrier, he is getting tummy time. When they are leaned back over their parent’s legs while sitting, also leaning to one side allows them to be on their stomach. This position requires some strength behind the neck and many infants can use some time in this position to get stronger in that area.
One way or another, tummy time is done while awake every day by most babies when they have the freedom to move around and play safely on their own schedule. These tummy time alternatives give them a chance to work on getting those strong neck muscles and for strength development behind the shoulder blades.
