Infant Tummy Time Tips | Tips for newborns and beyond

Tummy time can be kind of a stressful topic as a new parent... I even find myself stressed at times around the topic of tummy time, even though I am a licensed therapist specializing in infant development. The truth is, although tummy time is SUPER important, it shouldn't be a stressor for parents.

Tummy time does have SO many benefits, which is the reason why it is important. These benefits include "flat head" prevention, supporting the development of neck and overall body strength, nurturing visual skill input, and encouraging future milestones like rolling, and crawling skills. 

So we know tummy time is important and beneficial, which is why I find many parents asking me questions like "how much tummy time is enough?", "my baby hates tummy time, what do I do?", and "when can we start tummy time with your babies?". All of these questions are so valid (and I have asked myself some of these same questions), so I want to provide you with some answers to these questions. This post is not just for newborn parents, but parents of babies any age throughout the first year. Let's dive in as we answer these questions and learn more about infant tummy time as a whole.

So, really, how much tummy time is enough?

This is a great question. And honestly one I get A LOT. My response to parents when asked this question is, "it's not about how much time is spent in tummy time, but how productive the tummy time is!"

If your baby is in tummy time and they are engaging in play (peering at toys, turning their head, lifting and looking around, maybe grasping for older babies), then this is WONDERFUL. Because this is PRODUCTIVE. You see? If this describes your baby, then they are excited and learning is happening in this play position.

But, on the contrary, if your baby is upset, kicking, crying, and looks very uncomfortable - this is the opposite productive. Plus, this doesn't sound fun for you or your baby...

So, instead of getting your timer out and asking yourself how much tummy time is enough for my baby, I suggest introducing your baby to tummy time in developmentally appropriate ways. These ways will help make these belly down positions (and sometimes rather difficult) more tolerable for baby. Happy baby = happy parent 😃

💡Extra tip - you can also encourage a lot of the same skills required in tummy time in other positions. For example, holding baby over your shoulder, sitting baby up on your lap with support and encouraging them to lift their head, or having baby on their belly on your chest. These positions may be more tolerable for baby to begin with, and once they are stronger, you can introduce more floor based positioning. This will likely lead to a happier baby on their tummy because they are stronger! 

This topic is actually perfect for our next question, which is:

What should tummy time look like with my newborn?

Newborn tummy time, for starters, is going to be VERY SHORT amounts of time... I am talking like 1-5 minutes max probably.

You can begin tummy time on your chest from day one, which will start to introduce your baby to this position. This will also begin to encourage some of the strength that will be required in tummy time as your baby gets older.

Once the umbilical cord has fallen off, around 1-3 weeks, you can being to introduce baby to floor-based, and inclined tummy time on a wedge, rolled towel, and/or boppy pillow. 

In these tummy time positions, you will likely see baby lift head VERY periodically for only a second or two, with LOTS of bobbling. Don't be alarmed, this is totally normal. 

You can alternate inclined tummy time (like the photo below), with tummy time directly on the floor.

You can also alternate these two options, with tummy time on your chest and before long your baby will become more and more tolerant of tummy time.

But, then your baby may start to hate tummy time... and you may find yourself asking this question...

My baby loved tummy time, but now they hate it! Can someone help!?

At the early stages of tummy time, it is recommended that you place your baby's elbows underneath their chest to create leverage and encourage baby to lift head more easily. Here is an example of what that may look like:

Once your baby is past the age of 3-4 months and exhibits significantly stronger head control than before, you may find your baby HATING tummy time. This is due to your baby's desire to use their hands, and there is no way they can use their hands with their arms underneath their body!

This is when I would strongly suggest placing your baby's arms out STRAIGHT in front of their body in tummy time. This will help your baby begin to engage in their environment more, and will continue to encourage milestones like rolling and crawling. This new position may take some getting used to by your baby, but this is a great way to change things up as your baby develops higher level skills. Having your baby's arm out straight in front may look like this ⬇️

Once your baby is older, you may then find yourself wondering if you should even prioritize tummy time.

You may ask yourself:

My baby is rolling and sitting, do I even need to put them on their tummy anymore?

And the answer is yes. Because, tummy time positioning (or prone play if you want to get technical) is a great place for your baby to assume crawling positions. 

Before your baby is crawling on both hands and knees, you may find your baby pivots in a circle, or army crawls. Both of these movements occur in the prone (tummy time) position.

So, yes, you should continue to prioritize belly play with your baby until they are crawling, and moving and grooving. Sooner or later your baby will understand how to get in and out of tummy time themselves. From there, gone are the days when you have to put them in those positions yourself 🥲 

Our babies grow so fast, so I hope this post helps you understand tummy time with your baby a little more so you can enjoy every developmental stage with little to no worries!

Thanks for reading!

Brooke, OTR/L

PS: If your baby struggles with tummy time and you want more tips, consider my Tummy Time and Head Control Course. This course is filled with thorough information, demonstrations, and tummy time tips throughout the first year. Learn more about this course here 🫶