why do babies need tummy time?

Question

whats the point of tummy time?what does it help with my baby when shes in that position she hates it and she cant really put her head up so it seems like she cant breath she gets her face in the blanket where i lay her

Answer 1

to help build their muscle for when they start to crawl

Answer 2

She is probably to small for tummy time yet.

Infants are recomended to sleep on their back for just those reasons, They can't lift their head up and it can be hard for them to breath. Young infants can suffocate this way because they cannot lift their heads up out of blankets or off their mattress.

When they are a little older (4-6 months old depending on the baby), they should be able to lift their head up by themselves without a lot of trouble for short periods of time. Then you can start with tummy time. Most babies fuss in this postion for a little bit because it is a bit of work but they get used to it.

When a baby is laying on their back they don't use the same muscles as when they are on their stomach. For a baby to learn to crawl generally they need to be able to strengthen their neck, arm, and front muscles.
Starting with short periods of time (10-15 minutes) a day is generally best and won't get the child to upset. (Tummy time should be supervised.)
As they have tummy time more often they will slowly learn how to push themselves up and then scoot around on their bellies and roll over. After that crawling follows and you have your hands even more full. :)

Answer 3

It's to build her muscles so she can hold her head up. Eventually she'll gain muscle strength in her arms so she can pull herself up (like a half sit up). This helps with rolling over and crawling. She can't walk unless she learns those first...

Very important as muscle tone results in early motor delays. My sister didn't put her baby on her belly and she's at least two/three months behind. As in she just started sitting up at 7 months.

Also, don't put her on a blanket. Do you have a play mat? At our shower we got a Baby Einstein play mat with fun animal prints on the mat. My son would be entertained by the colors/pics for a while.

You can never be too young for tummy time. I started my son off when we came back from the hospital. The earlier and more consistant you are the more she'll like it and eventually they do. Start off maybe with 30 seconds of tummy time 4 times a day. Then increase it by 20 seconds every other day. Eventually she'll get used to it and will build her muscle tone.

Answer 4

Tummy time helps your baby grow stronger and help them get to the point of crawling. If you baby seems to be having problems with the blanket you are putting her on, put her on something a bit more substantial that won't scrunch or wrinkle up. She is going to fuss, but is really is a good thing for the baby.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, babies are spending less time on their tummies during waking hours. As a result, "flat head syndrome", weakened neck and arm muscles, and delays in rolling over, crawling, pulling to stand and walking, are more commonplace than every before. Tummy time allows babies to develop head control and the upper body strength needed in order to push up and eventually crawl.

Answer 6

It helps them develop muscles in the neck and back and stimulates their brain.. also if they lay on their backs all the time it can cause flat head.. where the back of the head is very flat and unshapely. This is common in little ones and tummy time helps alot. And also good for colic in babies as well. Good luck.

Answer 7

It helps build the neck muscles to support their head. My baby didn't like it either, so just do it in small bursts of a few minutes at a time.

Answer 8

I agree with what Suggir said. Give her brief moments of tummy time and work up to longer periods. You can also try tummy time on the Boppy pillow. And remember always supervise tummy time.

Answer 9

IT helps her build her muscles...which is particularly important since we all put our babies to sleep on their backs now...They don't build muscles like they used to when they were sleeping on their tummies...

if you want her to be able to crawl and hold her head up properly when she's supposed to ...give her tummy time...

Answer 10

It' so they can build the strength up in there arms and neck muscles. I never really gave my baby tummy time. He sleeps on his belly.

Answer 11

To help them build up their neck muscles...it also takes pressure off the back of their head to stop flat spots from happening