I recommend that parents don’t worry about tummy time until babies are 4 weeks old. The reason for this is because it’s hard enough in the first month to feed, bathe and get babies to sleep without worrying about head contr
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Once parents start tummy time, lots of questions come up. How long should it last? How many times a day should we do it? What should we do if our baby cries during tummy time?
No one has studied this scientifically, but I recommend doing tummy time 3 or 4 times a day for about 5 to 10 minutes per session. If your baby cries during tummy time, there are a few things that might help.
- Pull the baby’s elbows in towards the body. This stabilizes the shoulder area and may make it easier for the baby to lift her head.
- Lie on the floor with the baby so when she looks up, she sees your face.
- Put the baby on her dad’s chest while he’s leaning back at a 30 to 45 degree angle. This will make it easier for the baby to lift her head. This can also work on a mom’s chest unless the baby smells the breast and looks down instead of up.
- Babies may be more willing to do tummy time at certain points during the day. A good time to try it is shortly before a feeding when she’s alert, but not too hungry.