When we were in special care with Esther and William

After our time in NICU

As we were beginning to finally

Make plans for going home

Our lovely consultant spent some time with us

Talking about the importance of tummy time

And taking us through some tips and techniques

When the day finally arrived that we could take our babies home

Day 59!!

We felt ready

Terrified but ready

The hospital staff prepared us well

One of the main things we had to do once home was to begin a tummy time routine

In order to help Esther and William’s physical development

Tummy time is important for all babies but is especially vital for preemies

There are some great ideas for tummy time and detailed reasons for doing it with all babies

Here at Therapy for Babies.

And this is what we were told when we left NICU.

Shelly (Dr Chalmers) came to talk to me in the room about tummy time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5128144.stm

https://pathways.org/pathways_topic/tummy-time/

We are to do it every day, twice a day, for 5 minutes to start with. Babies need to be on their tummies with their elbows gently pushed in to stop them from having retracted shoulders. Retracted shoulders can lead to problems with sitting in the future. Tummy time also helps to develop the muscles in the neck meaning that babies are able to lift their heads and hold them up for sustained periods of time. We also have to practice having the babies head in the midline and tracking, we do this using Elizabeth’s towel roll to support their head and shoulders and lying on their sides. For side lying the doctor suggested lying the twins facing each other and so encouraging them to interact with one another.

We tried really hard with Esther and William to get them into a good tummy time routine

We found it helped having two babies as they could amuse and distract each other

I spent a lot of time with them on the bed and me crouched on the floor to bring my face to their level

We did lots with rolled up towels and scoured the Internet for ideas to make tummy time different and fun

Sometimes they would watch television on their tummies and they loved this

One product that we have now that I wish had been available then was the Tummy Time Activity Station from Tummy with Mummy

We have used this with Matilda Mae, Bea and now Edie

They all adore it

So do I!

My Tummy with Mummy review is here

With Bea and Tilda we also used a ToddlePod and a PoddlePod for tummy time

With Edie we use her Purflo nest for comfort, lift and support

And a gorgeous Nanuk Bear nursing cushion

Tummy with Mummy has been designed to make tummy time easier for babies and parents. It has many exciting features and benefits for young babies as explained here.

Why do babies need tummy time?

Physical Development

The early months in a baby’s life are vital for development. Babies who are not exposed to physical, social and emotional stimulation will not progress as fully as those who are. It is widely documented that without tummy time, some babies will experience delayed motor responses.

Tummy time helps develop and strengthen babies’ neck, shoulder and upper arm muscles, and gentle kicking against the back surface strengthens and increases the bone density in babies’ feet. Tummy time is known to prevent positional plagiocephaly (flat head) which can result from too much time on the back, or from pressure on the head from hard surfaces like the floor or car seats.

Emotional and Social Development

Babies who feel loved, safe and secure grow into happy children and adults. Tummy With Mummy® helps babies and parents get to know each other through easy eye contact. Babies love when parents and carers talk and play with them. They love to listen to songs and stories. This interaction is vital for their social and emotional development.

Sensory Development

Tummy time in babies’ first months helps with ‘midline crossing’: the ability to use the right hand in the left body space, and the left hand in the right body space. This crossing affects how children cope with reading and writing in their early school years.

Motor Responses

There is extensive evidence showing that many babies who have no tummy time have delayed motor responses. In the early months, tummy time helps babies gain control over their movements, lifting their heads and looking around, stretching and kicking their legs.

Tummy time is essential for development and for baby/parent bonding. Using the Tummy with Mummy has made it great for sibling bonding in our house too!

So we know that tummy time is important

We have learned why

But we still face the fact that some babies

Just do not like being on their tummy

Here are my tips for tummy time with reluctant babies

1. THINK ABOUT WHERE
Tummy time can be on you, on your lap or on your chest. Babywearing counts as tummy time. It does not have to be on the floor, the bed or other surface. Babies like to feel safe and secure, they like to be warm and comfortable. Use blankets and cushions to create a soft space for tummy time with cushions or rolled up towels as supports. Be creative with where and on who you do tummy playtime.

2. THINK ABOUT WHEN
Make sure baby is awake and ready to play. Edie is most responsive when she is clean and dry and has had a small feed. If she has a full feed she mostly falls asleep so a little feed to warm her tummy and then we play. Think about short sharp bursts of focused play so that baby is not on their tummy for too long. At 3 months Edie does 30 minutes of tummy time a day but in short blocks of activity often with a longer session first thing in the morning which is her happiest time.

3. THINK ABOUT WHAT
Have some toys, books and tricks up your sleeve to keep baby happy. We love these from Rebecca Michi
Play the airplane game- Lie on your back with your legs bent, and put baby’s tummy against your legs with her head at your knees. Gently lift baby on your legs and allow her to see the world from a new perspective.

Use board books to stimulate baby during tummy time. Place them in front of her and turn the pages slowly, talking about the book and encouraging her at all times.

Use plastic mirrors on the floor so that baby can see her reflection- and yours!

When baby is older, fill a shallow baking tray with water and a few plastic toys, and let her splash away as she lies on her tummy. Most babies will love this!

Use lots of different coloured scarves or blankets for baby to look at, and add different textures too. Give baby some extra sensory stimulation to distract her from being on her tummy!

Place toys just slightly out of baby’s reach, so that she strives to reach for them when she is able to. Give her an incentive to work on her tummy time!

http://childrenssleepconsultant.com/2015/09/20/tummy-time-tips/

4. THINK ABOUT WHO
Your baby should be supervised at all times during tummy time but more than that baby will want to be played with. A baby’s best toy will always be a parent, carer or sibling. Edie loves her older siblings playing with her and she will stay happily on her tummy much longer when we all join in.

5. THINK ABOUT WHY
When it is tough, when baby is sad, remember why it is important to persevere and remember all the ways we can make this important way to play easier for our reluctant babies