Tummy Time With Your Baby
by Caitlin Lipscomb,
PT, DPT
Adapted from the blog post 10 Fun Ways To Practice Sitting With Your Baby
Photo cred Victoria Borodinova
In only their first few months of life, you have witnessed your child transform from a sleepy, snuggly newborn to a wiggly, wild baby who is ready to explore the world around them. Encouraging tummy time in the first few months of life is extremely important in helping your baby learn almost all necessary developmental skills as they grow.
So before you even think about working on sitting, put that baby on their belly!
Signs that your baby is beginning to master tummy:
easily holding their head off the ground for longer intervals ( > 2-3 minutes)
easily maintaining weight on forearms
pushing up onto hands
reaching for toys
rolling in/out of tummy time independently
“Watching your baby gain more independence with sitting is an exciting milestone for many parents, but it is important to remember not to rush your baby into learning a new skill if they don’t seem ready.”
Sitting requires a baby to have good head control, appropriate trunk strength, and adequate balance, and these are skills that can’t be learned overnight. Once your baby has started rolling, reaching, and enjoying play on their tummy, they are ready for their next challenge--sitting!
Read KTL’s blog post 10 Fun Ways To Practice Sitting With Your Baby to learn the proper sequence of activities to gradually introduce sitting skills to your baby.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Caitlin Lipscomb, PT, DPT Physical Therapist
Caitlin has been practicing as a physical therapist for five years and her entire career has been spent in pediatrics. She has a special interest in the use of adaptive sports and community recreation to enhance gross motor skills in children of all ages.
Have questions or concerns? Get in touch with one of our therapists!
