When Do You Start Tummy Time with A Newborn?

We’ve all heard the discourse about how important tummy time is for our little ones. It’s the first milestone that builds the foundation for all other movements!

Now, before you start asking any questions, our newborn care experts are here to help you understand it all. This blog outlines the benefits of tummy time, when to initiate it, and how to make it as effective as possible. Keep reading to learn more. 

What Does Tummy Time Do For Our Little Ones?

As self-explanatory as it is, here’s a little refresher! Tummy time is supervised time during the day when a baby lies on their stomach. This strengthens their young neck, shoulders, and core muscles. Essentially, it’s the first step toward developing all the motor skills needed for sitting, crawling, and walking later on. (You’ll thank yourself for prioritizing it now!)

The primary benefits of tummy time are that it:

• Strengthens muscles. Just a little time spent on their stomachs each day builds newborns' neck, back, arm, and hip muscles. These muscles are critical for lifting their heads, rolling over, sitting up, and crawling later on. 

• Prevents flat head syndrome. By reducing the pressure on the back of the head, your baby is less likely to experience positional plagiocephaly. This is also known as “flat head syndrome.” 

• Boosts motor skills. Tummy time promotes coordination and physical development, which helps little ones move on their own as they continue growing. 

• Improves visual-motor coordination. Muscle growth helps our kiddos have more neck mobility. This helps babies look around, visually track movement, and develop a sense of balance.  

• Prevents neck tightness. As our newborns look around on their stomachs, they’re less likely to develop torticollis, or tightened neck muscles. 

• Aids in digestion. You will hear lots of burps and toots during tummy time as you keep things moving along in the GI tract. 

Doctors and newborn professionals emphasize the importance of tummy time for good reason. But knowing when to start initiating it is the key to unlocking all of the associated benefits. 

Tummy Time Tips From Newborn Care Experts

It’s completely natural to want to hold and comfort your little one as much as possible after giving birth. Still, it’s important to take breaks and start newborn tummy time as soon as you head home from the hospital. It might seem soon, but your baby’s development depends on starting within the first few days of their life. 

Ideally, you’ll want to aim for short sessions throughout the day to help your little one get acclimated! Start with just 3 to 5 minutes at a time, twice per day. These short periods of time are enough to help them start building muscle strength. After a few weeks, you’ll want to aim for 30 to 45 minutes per day, 5 5-10min sessions. And after 2 months, plan to work up to 60 to 90 minutes daily. 

The best way to start newborn tummy time? Lie flat on your back and place your little one on your chest. Keeping them close to you will help them adjust to this new position more easily. 

Professional Support for New Texas Parents

If you’ve already brought your baby home from the hospital and haven’t even thought about tummy time yet… don’t worry, Mama. It’s not too late to start working on those early skills for your newborn. 

If you’re having a hard time keeping track of all of these newborn tips and requirements, our team wants to support you. We created our daytime doula, night nurse care, and postpartum consultation services to aid new moms as they transition to parenthood. Message our founder, Melissa, to learn more about how we can help your family.