How to do Tummy Time with a Newborn (Tummy Time for New Parents): 4 Tummy Time Tips!

0:00 Hi Mums and Dads. My name's Emma. I'm a paediatric occupational therapist and mum to two children. Today I'm going to share with you the tummy time essentials that I think all new parents need to know when starting tummy time with a newborn baby. Before we do, I just want to let you know that there's a free PDF document in the description box below, which covers your baby's developmental milestones from zero to 12 months of age. Which you can print out and refer to in your baby's first year of life. Also, if you're interested in getting information on baby development and parenting tips and tricks, which will make your life as parents easier and give your baby the best, start to life, subscribe to my channel and hit that bell button to be notified when I release new video every week and make sure you give me a thumbs up if you like this video. So what are the tummy time essentials? Well, first one is which I know is going to blow your mind.

0:49 There is actually four different tummy time positions. Yep. You heard me four different ones. We all know that traditional tummy time where your baby's lying on the floor and looking at toys or mirrors. This is a really, really hard tummy time position. There's three others that your baby can use, particularly when they're newborn, which I think are more beneficial and easier for your baby. So the first one that I really like to use with the newborn baby is the chest to chest tummy time, where your baby's lying on your chest while you're reclined in a chair and your baby's able to look up at your face.

1:23 The next tummy time position you can do is where your baby's lying across your lap. The fourth time, any time position is called the football hall, where your baby's lying in your arms. There's two ways to do this position. The first one is where you're holding your baby in your arms and their head is resting in your elbow crease. So you providing a lot of support. The second way is where you provide, support by putting your arm underneath the length of your baby's body.

1:47 And then you have one arm at the front to give them additional support. I prefer the first football hold where your baby's resting in your arm. So not only are there four different tummy time positions, we can actually make these tummy time positions significantly easier for your newborn by shifting their body weight, which is at their head and their shoulders initially to their hips and their bottom, by providing them with additional support. So you can do that in that traditional tummy time position by placing a rolled up towel underneath their body.

2:19 So it goes underneath their armpit and it just props the top half of their body up. So it's easier for them to lift their head because the weight is shifted to their bottom. The other thing you can do is place your hand on their bottom. And again, that will help shift the weight to their bottom and their legs. And the last thing you can do in this position is provide support at their elbows. So you hold their elbows in, and that helps them prop on their arms.

2:46 Now the chest to chest position, which is really my favourite with newborns, particularly in their first few weeks I would be using this one all the time. And it's where your baby's on your chest and doing tummy time. But what you can do is provide additional support by putting your hand on their bottom, to shift that weight again. And you can also provide support at their elbows if needed. Also remember if you're lying flat is going to be significantly harder for your baby than if you're in a reclined position.

3:17 So if your back was resting reclined by resting on a pillow, that's going to be a lot easier for your baby because you've eliminated some of that gravity that they have to work against. The next position with your baby line, across your legs. You can make that significantly easier for your baby. Again, placing your hand on their hip to shift that body weight back. But what you can also do at this age is raise the leg that's directly underneath their chest.

3:44 And that again helps shift the weight and it will make it easier for your baby to lift their head. And the last position, which is the football hold. Again, I actually really, really like this position when your baby's a newborn and for the first few weeks, particularly in that whiny period in the afternoons and evenings,.You can just put your baby in your arms. They're working on tummy time, but they're actually more settled in this position because they're really fussy at that time in the afternoon. So the football hold is great. Um, so you can give your baby be more support in this position by again, putting your hand on their hips to shift the weight.

4:18 And also by angling your arm means that if you tilt it, then you're again, shifting the weight to their legs, um, and their bottom, which makes it easier for them to lift their head. The next thing I think is important to know as new parents with a newborn baby, is that all babies will fuss and cry in the tummy time position. And that is because it is so damn hard. So don't think you're doing anything wrong. Your baby is working really hard.

4:44 So they are going to fuss and cry. What we need to do is persist with it. So you do short bursts regularly throughout the day. You're only aiming for one to two minutes when they're a newborn and you try and do that a few times throughout the day. I would generally do it after a nappy change, so it becomes part of the routine. But they are going to cry and fuss, I can promise you that. Hopefully they'll cry and fuss less when we make the tummy time position easier by using those other three tummy time and grading them.

5:14 So providing that extra support for the baby. The last thing I want you to know is that you can actually do tummy time the first day, if your baby was born full term and with no medical complications. And we really want you to encourage that. And that's because it becomes part of your baby's routine. Remember, you're only aiming for one to two minutes initially, and by three months, you're wanting an hour total of tummy time over the day. And again, that's in short periods. So you might do 10 minutes of tummy time, and then do that six times a day at three months of age.

5:45 But Initially only one to two minutes and you start on the very first day. So that's it Mums and Dads. Those are the tummy time essentials, I think are really important to know when you're doing tummy time for the very first with a newborn. I hope you have lots and lots of fun doing tummy time and remember to persist because I know it is trying at times. Remember there's that free PDF document in the description box below, which you can print out and refer to in your baby's first year of life. Also, if you've liked this video, make sure you give me a thumbs up, subscribe to my channel and hit that bell button to be notified when I release a new video every week. Hopefully I'll see you next week.

6:23 When I share more parenting tips and tricks, which will make your life as parents easier and give your baby the best, start to life, make sure you subscribe to my channel and hit that Bell button to also, if you're interested in getting Nope. Also if you're interested in getting baby development in, so not only, so hopefully I'll see you next week. As I share more parenting tips and tricks.