When your long-awaited baby arrives (and you get some rest after giving birth) you might be fooled into thinking that you are over the hump.
It seems the future promises a blissful life with an adorable, snuggly baby who just eats and sleeps the whole time. (Right! A shout out to all moms who actually have babies like that. Oh, how I envy you! 😀)
Confronting postpartum reality usually looks like less of a fairytale. And I don’t say this to scare anyone: I just believe what the media often portrays can drive a new mom into feeling guilty and thinking that she’s not good enough.
Today, however, I won’t talk about all the aspects of the postpartum period. What I want to discuss is something that causes some parents to worry, while others wonder what the fuss is about.
I am talking about: LYING ON THE TUMMY.
- When should I put my baby on the tummy?
- How long should babies stay on the tummy?
- Is it normal for a one-month-old to already hold his or her head up?
- Why doesn’t my baby like lying on the tummy?
- How do I help my baby to like tummy time?
These are just some of the questions that parents ask themselves, knowing that babies develop a host of important motor skills from the tummy position.
Today, I’ll try to answer them. But before I do, let’s look at how tummy time changes during the first six months of life. I think this information will explain quite a lot.
Let’s get started!
THE NEWBORN
When you take a look at a newborn who is lying on the tummy, you will notice that the child doesn’t yet hold up his or her head. The baby’s head usually rests on one cheek.
The baby’s legs are bent and the hips are raised. That’s why the body’s center of gravity is shifted high — toward the shoulders and the head.
The baby can turn his or her head from side to side — but holding it up is not yet possible. The eventual rotation of the head is accompanied by a strong push with the hands into the floor.
The child kicks his or her legs quite vigorously. Sometimes newborn babies can scooch themselves forward with their legs and even… crawl.
BY THE END OF THE 1ST MONTH OF LIFE the baby’s bodily positioning while lying on the tummy is quite similar to that of the newborn. However, you’ll also notice that the arms are gradually moving away from the torso, and the hips are more and more straightened.
The baby simultaneously bends the hips when working to hold the head up; which, in turn, causes the the body’s center of gravity to remain quite high. This makes it difficult for the child to hold his or her head up.
THE 2ND MONTH OF LIFE
In the 2nd month of life, the child can hold his or her head up for a while — freely rotating it in one direction or the other. The baby can also keep the head raised straight.
The weight of the body shifts lower, the legs are slightly more straightened, and the arms gradually slide away from the torso.
The extensor muscles of the hips (including the gluteal muscles) become more active. This causes the hips to stabilize when your little one lifts his or her head.
Even though 2-month-old babies can lift their heads up, a child often puts it back down again in order to place his or her fists into the mouth.
THE 3RD MONTH OF LIFE
By the end of the 3rd month of life, most babies can prop themselves up symmetrically on their forearms. The legs are straightened with the knees spaced only slightly wider than the hips. The elbows are located directly under the shoulders, and the upper part of the chest is raised above the floor.
The baby is able to hold the head up for extended periods of time, and the child’s line of sight runs parallel to the base of support.
You might now notice that the child, who initially didn’t like tummy time, is beginning to accept it.
This is follows from straightening of the hip joint along with the growing stability of the shoulders. Finally, the weight of the body has shifted towards the hips. As a result, keeping the head up requires less and less effort on the part of the baby.
When lifting the head up at this stage, the hips shouldn’t be bent anymore. The buttock muscles which are holding the hips against the mat are very active at this time. You can observe this by looking at a baby lying on a mat… without a diaper. The bum will be very tight.
The baby now notices the positive aspects of lying on the tummy. Most probably, this new position is far from being perfect and fully functional — but the baby realizes that observing the world from this perspective is really cool.
You may also notice your child making scratching movements with his or her fingers — especially when the youngster spots an interesting toy.
THE 4TH MONTH OF LIFE
In the 4th month of life, the elbows slide out in front of the shoulders — and the legs are relaxed and straight. The baby experiments with shifting body weight to the sides. Initially, the weight moves to the side to which the baby is looking. Because the baby’s weight follows his or her gaze, the baby is not yet able to move a hand towards an object of interest.
When looking at the child from above, we see full symmetry of the body:
- The torso is straight,
- the shoulders and the hips are parallel to each other, and
- the ears are located at an equal distance from both shoulders.
Thanks to increased shoulder control, your baby has acquired the new skill of bending his or her neck while lying on the tummy. Soon, your little one will be able to look even lower and “peek” beneath the tummy.
During the 4th month of life, tummy time brings nothing but pleasure to the baby…
THE 5TH MONTH OF LIFE
During the 5th month of life, babies can prop up on their forearms. Sometimes they straighten their arms and push up with them. The child is relaxed, looks around, alternates the weight of the body between both sides, and rocks back and forth — which also serves to stimulate the vestibular (inner ear) system.
The way these babies shift their body weight is now more advanced. Now, the side which the baby looks towards is the one relieved of weight, which enables the baby to reach for a toy.
At this point, you may see your baby doing something that is called “swimming.” During this movement, the baby lifts the arms up and straightens the legs. After finishing each “swimming” activity, the baby should prop up symmetrically on the arms.
At this time, one of the most important skills is looking down. This helps to stabilize the shoulders, and facilitates cooperation amongst various muscle groups.
The side tilting of the head and torso is also significant. This capability helps to maintain balance when the baby shifts body weight to one side or the other.
The side tilting of the torso and the corresponding reaction of the head is of great importance, especially when it comes to separation of leg work and alternating bodily movements. This will be very important during creeping, getting up on all fours, standing up, and walking.
THE 6TH MONTH OF LIFE
During the 6th month of life, babies spend a lot of time on their tummies. They push against the floor harder and harder until they can finally push themselves up on fully straightened arms.
At first, the palms of the hands are slightly closed; but they will gradually open up.
The weight of the body rests on the heel of the palm and the little finger. The chest and the tummy are raised above the floor.
The child begins to experiment with rotations at the waist. He or she might slide backwards and could sometimes even get up on all fours.
The child moves the weight of his or her body more and more confidently to the sides, and gradually masters playing while lying on either side.
The bending of the torso and head is still very significant, as is the independent movement of each leg.
A child can (though not always willingly) roll over from belly to back. Head control is now fully developed, so there’s nothing left for your little one to do but continue to hone these skills and… move on to conquer the world!
After reading this post, there is one simple conclusion:
Over time, positioning on the tummy changes in such a way that the weight of the baby’s body “descends” toward the hips, the arms move out from under the torso, the legs straighten, and the child acquires better muscle control. As a result, lifting and keeping the head up requires less effort with each passing day.
Besides, the idea of exploring the world from this perspective is way more interesting than observing a boring ceiling. Who wouldn’t sign up for that?
Alright, let’s now get to those questions I promised to answer at the beginning of this post…
When should I put my baby on his or her tummy?
If there is no need for special precautions in your child’s case, you can put your little one on his or her tummy from the very first days of life. However, please know this is not a recommended position for sleeping — especially when the baby is not within your sight.
How long should my baby stay in this position?
No strict rules apply: I think you should just use common sense. Personally, I do not recommend putting children on their tummies when they clearly don’t like it. In my opinion, it is more advantageous for your little one to gradually “befriend” this position. Isn’t it true that we take up certain activities more willingly when we have positive associations with them?
Studies show that 2-month-old babies who spend at least 15 minutes a day on their tummies show better head control than their peers who are not accustomed to tummy time…
Is it normal for a 1-month-old baby to hold his or her head up?
In typical child development, a baby at this age should not lift the head up when lying on the tummy. In the first month of life, the child merely turns the head from one side to the other. Babies begin to lift and hold their heads up around the 2nd month of life. Make sure, however, that your baby isn’t raising the head too high (as if trying looking back).
Why do some children initially dislike tummy time?
I have already briefly answered this question, but let me sum it up:
Because the weight of the baby’s body is located high, staying on the tummy and lifting a heavy head requires quite a lot of effort from your baby (and who likes to get tired?). Besides, in the first months of life lying on the tummy is not a functional position for an infant. Simply put, the baby is unable to take advantage of the full potential of this position. Over time, when a little one gains better control, tummy time definitely becomes more attractive than lying on the back.
NOTE: It is worth remembering that, in some cases, aversion to this position can have its cause(s) somewhere else — the problem could be, for example, reflux.
How can you help your child enjoy tummy time?
Gradually. If the child is frustrated, crying, or angry when put on the tummy, there is no need to force your baby to stay in this position. In such cases this position can do more harm than good.
To introduce your baby to lying on the tummy, you can put him or her on your chest, across your lap, or on a wedge pillow. In these positions the baby’s chest is slightly raised — and the body’s weight shifts towards the hips. You can try other approaches as well.
Interesting Facts:
- The arrangement of the hips while lying on the tummy indicates the state of the newborn’s muscle tension. Typically, the hips of a newborn are slightly raised. In children with low muscle tension, the hips may lie flat.
- At three months of age, the baby’s legs should be relaxed and straightened with knees set apart only slightly wider than the hips. If your baby is in a “frog legs” position for too long, it can cause lifting his or her head and pushing up with the arms to be much more difficult.
- Studies show that playing on the tummy speeds up the process of achieving new skills such as sitting up independently, getting up on all fours, or learning to stand. Hmmm, that’s not surprising when one considers how many muscles (including the torso muscles) are involved when a baby lies on his or her tummy.
You may also be interested in:
For more fun ideas about playing with your baby on the tummy — and for developing other important skills — be sure to check out my e-book!
Sources:
- Dudek-Shriber, Linda EdD, OTR/L; Zelazny, Susan MS, OTR/L (2007). “The Effects of Prone Positioning on the Quality and Acquisition of Developmental Milestones in Four-Month-Old Infants:” Pediatric Physical Therapy. April 2007, Volume 19, Issue 1. pgs. 48-55.
- Bly, Lois (1995). “Motor Skills Acquisition in the First Year:” Therapy Skill Builders.
