Tummy Time In Sickness & In Health
I think we can agree, we have ALL heard that Tummy Time is important in some capacity- but if we’re being realistic, there are SO many factors that play into actually accomplishing Tummy Time that sometimes make it feel just downright impossible. BUT - if sickness is one of those factors for you right now, I’ve got you covered with all you need to know to navigate it, let’s get into it!
Save Time & Jump to What You Need!
In this article we will cover:
HOW to Navigate Tummy Time during SICKNESS (& when it comes to other factors like Reflux, Torticollis, & Arching)
OR You can skip the read and register for my FREE Mastering Milestones Training Today!!
Why is Tummy Time Even a Thing?
Nerd out with me for a moment?! 🤓… Because I promise this is SUPER important in getting to the WHY behind Tummy Time - why it really matters and why it is such a huge NEED for our little ones.
First, a quick history lesson on why our parents & grandparents really didn’t have the recommendations to do formal tummy time like we do. In the 1980’s, tummy time really came on set as a formal recommendation from child development medical professionals. Driven primarily by the Back to Sleep (BTS) campaign, (which I'm NOT knocking, it was necessary!!)- BUT while necessary, it also ended up being the catalyst for massive societal shifts that would in turn, impact our baby's development for generations to come.
Prior to the BTS campaign, and the reason that many of our parents didn’t “do tummy time” was because before the campaign, most people laid their baby on their belly to sleep, as it is typically the most comfortable position for our littles and most closely allows their residual in utero positioning of being all curled up & cozy!
When asleep on our bellies, we were naturally lifting our heads and pressing up, even just to change positions - AND THEN, as soon as we woke, we immediately started actively pressing up- working our neck, back and arm muscles just like when on the floor doing tummy time.
Because of all of that immediate & frequent exposure to being belly down (which is the position our bodies are literally primed to excel in first from in utero positioning), in general, milestones emerged much sooner, especially compared to the shifts we’ve seen in development and gross motor milestone acquisition in recent years.
So, while societally things may be different in a way that sometimes stacks the odds against tummy time being easy for our littles, it DOES NOT mean that we CAN’T or SHOULDN’T do tummy time - it just means sometimes, we may need a little more support to be successful and get that quality time in.
FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU NEED
Take My FREE MASTERING MILESTONES TRAINING Today!
How to “Do” Tummy Time in Health (Successfully 🙌)
Now - let’s reframe OUR definition of Tummy Time! In my expert opinion, ANY belly down time, even with support or chest to chest with caregivers, absolutely counts as tummy time.
While it may not always be ‘formal’ tummy time where little one is working as hard as they would be flat on the floor, this supported belly down time still has IMMENSE benefits - everything from getting them used to pressure on their belly, keeping it a positive and successful experience, allows them to lift their head and fire those important muscles in smaller ranges of motion against gravity (ie: more success!), and improves tolerance, success and motivation when baby is ready to be flat on the floor and really exploring their world.
While we’re at it reframing our definition of tummy time, let’s also broaden it!
The truth is, as much as tummy time gets much of the attention, it’s NOT the only position that matters for development! Floortime including other positions like sidelying and back play, in general, are JUST as important as Tummy Time! Those positions not only help with things like redistributing pressure on the skull to reduce the development of flat spots OR even help improve them if present, but also as prep and practice of SO many ‘ministones’ that lay the foundation for upcoming milestones like rolling, sitting, crawling & beyond to occur!
The below video has those 4 positions (that have SO much benefit when it comes to development!) that I recommend building into wake windows for your 0-4 month old!
Grab a blanket or towel, roll it up, & give them a shot! (You can watch my video here to see how to do each position)
Here’s a breakdown of those 4 positions:
SUPPORTED BACK PLAY
Benefits: encourages hands to midline, helps activate the front muscles on the body (huge for the skills that start around 3 months!), aids in the development of body awareness, crossing midline, overall brain development and communication between both sides of the brain and SO much more!
SUPPORTED TUMMY TIME
Benefits: allows baby to work their neck, back & arm muscles (especially in a smaller range of motion for more success), improves tolerance to being belly down and aids in keeping it a positive experience (more success = more motivation!), aids in fine motor and arch development of the hands as baby presses, encourages visual development, aids in spinal curve development, and SO much more!
SIDELYING ON BOTH SIDES
Benefits: encourages hands to midline and mouth, aids in activating muscles along the front of the body that are crucial for upcoming milestones like rolling, redistributes pressure on the skull (which reduces risk of flattening developing AND can even help improve existing flattening!), and so much more!
Now I know that feels like a lot - if you’re already struggling to get in tummy time, how the HECK are you supposed to get in THREE MORE POSITIONS?! I hear you, but I promise I have a super simple way to do it that I’ll share with you RIGHT NOW - AND, I promise, rotating through more than just one position actually HELPS little’s tolerate being on the floor more and keeps them from feeling stuck and frustrated.
So, here’s how I incorporate those four positions into a day: focus on ONE position per wake window. Sounds too simple to be true right?…
What do I mean? Each time your baby is awake, fed, content and ready to play, aim to get a few minutes (or more!) in ONE of those positions (sidelying R, sidelying L, back play and tummy time). Remember, our focus is ALWAYS on quality over quantity - so please don’t stress if they’re only in the position for a few minutes! It will ALL build on each other in the coming weeks, I promise.
As they get older/stronger, remember to reduce the height of the towel or blanket roll during tummy time & supported back play slowly, aiming for them to be doing increasing periods flat on the floor by around 10 weeks. AND even at this stage, starting them out flat and adding back in the support if they start to fuss can be a great way to get a few extra minutes of frustration free floor time in!
If you’re looking for fun, engaging, AND developmentally friendly Tummy Time Toys, ALL of my favorites are HERE!
(BUT please know- you do not NEED any of these for your little to be successful during Tummy Time! A blanket on the floor and you are just fine if that’s what works for you!)
& For TONS more tips, tricks, play space sets ups and purposeful play activities to support you Navigating the 4th Trimester & Beyond,
Navigating Tummy Time in Sickness
(& when other contributing factors like Reflux, Torticollis, & Arching are present)
“Should my baby do Tummy Time when congested?”
“How do I do Tummy Time when my baby is sick?”
These are two BIG questions that I often get, and as a mom of 3 littles myself, I get it!
So, how do you get your baby back on track after an illness?
First - give yourself and them grace, you're not alone and it's NOT easy! I think of it like getting back into the gym after we don't feel great, it takes time!
During times like this (and just in general), one of the BIGGEST things I find helpful in improving tolerance to being on the floor, is rather than just placing baby down and/or picking them right up if they get frustrated, try gently rolling them into and/or out of the position, talking them through it and following their lead, allowing them to help as much as they’re able/willing. I find that moving them THROUGH the motion they’re not yet doing (and instead are feeling stuck and frustrated) not only helps them feel less STUCK, it also helps them learn what muscles they need to engage to be successful on their own, is much less jarring than just being picked up, AND brings in important sensory systems that aid in body awareness and understanding of where we are in space.
Here’s a story for you - my son (my third) LOVED the floor. He typically did so well playing & was easy to occupy during tummy time, as long as his sister’s were around for entertainment, LOL - AND THEN, he got his first big sickness 🥲. He was sick for almost two weeks, in which time floor time was pretty non existent, and most of our days were spent with me wearing or carrying him (which by the way- is *perfectly* okay!). BUT, when it came time to start building floor time back in, he was NOT happy.
I would lay him down for tummy time and he would almost immediately resist, get frustrated, and then cry. Even though I *know* better and that this was just part of the process of navigating illness, I couldn’t help feeling frustrated with myself and like we were starting back at square one. But the truth was - when I went back to square one, it all got SO much easier for us!
So, instead of being bummed he only did 30 seconds of tummy time, I reminded myself to focus on how awesome those 30 seconds were (quality over quantity, ALWAYS, remember?!). We started building back in really frequent (but short!) periods of floor time, and I stayed within whatever he showed me he could tolerate….
AND then… two weeks later, just like that, he was back to loving the floor and then some! I promise - it is possible!
If I can drive anything home for you from this entire conversation, remember QUALITY OVER QUANTITY, always.
Trusting ourselves to know what our littles need, trusting them to lead when possible, and focusing on the QUALITY of the floor time you’re getting, rather than the QUANTITY to check off will always be my motto, and know that you can ALWAYS build off where you started. You got this, and so does your little one!
For a complete List of My Top Sick Day Essentials, as a mom of 3 kiddos under 6 - I got you, right HERE.
Looking for More Information on Tummy Time And Reflux, Torticollis, Or Arching?
Looking for More Milestone Support?
For All The Support You Need To Confidently Tackle Every Roll, Crawl & Step Of The Way On Your Little One’s Unique Journey Through Milestones, Take My Free Mastering Milestones Training Today!
Was this helpful? Save it for later!
