Transform Baby’s Day with Tummy Time Fun! - Episode 39

What's Up Wednesdays!
Today we'll be diving into one of the most essential activities for your baby’s development: tummy time. In this episode, we'll explore how tummy time not only strengthens your baby's muscles but also supports their cognitive and sensory growth.

For more information on tummy time games and activities for your baby, head to Pregnancy Concepts.

• 0-3 Months: Gentle Introduction to Tummy Time
• 4-6 Months: Increased Strength and Curiosity
• 7-9 Months: Ready to Move
• 10-12 Months: Building Strength for Walking

Contact:
For The Love of Parenting Podcast - Sponsored by Pregnancy Concepts LLC

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Email us at askus@pregnancyconcepts.com

Remember, as parents, do your best—there are no perfect parents, but countless ways to be loving and supportive. Signing off from the For Love of Parenting podcast. Thanks for listening. Until next time.

Transcript

Intro Summary

Welcome to today's episode, where we'll be diving into one of the most essential activities for your baby’s development: tummy time. In this episode, we'll explore how tummy time not only strengthens your baby's muscles but also supports their cognitive and sensory growth. Whether you're just starting tummy time or looking for new ways to keep your baby active and engaged, this episode has all the tips you need to make it a fun and rewarding experience for both of you! So, come on!

Podcast

Well, hello for my love of parenting parents welcome back to Part 2 of the magic of playtime. In last week's episode we talked about how play time can boost your baby's growth and development. During that episode I asked three questions. What does play help your child to do? Are there different ways your child can play? and How can you as the parent encourage play with your child? So, if you didn't listen to last week's episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to it but before we move on to our topic for today around play, I do wanna redefine what play is.

As I mentioned in last week's episode, play is defined as a spontaneous or organized activity that allows your child to have fun be creative generate original ideas act on these ideas and concentrate. So, essentially your child is engaging in entertainment, enjoyment, amusement, or diversion through play. In addition to defining what play is I also discussed the different types of play or the different ways to play with your child. And the different types were defined as unstructured play and structured play.

 And it's really important that I am reviewing some of this information because if you didn't listen to last week's episode it will give you a little bit of a foundation to understand this week's episode. So, unstructured play allows your child to do whatever interests them without many directions or instructions. Structured play requires your child to follow directions or roles and is usually guided by an adult. Now that we have reviewed last week's episode let's move on to the topic of today.

So, in today's episode we are going to discuss tummy time. So, I'm going to start from the very beginning of when playtime should start. And Yes! This activity is a form of play, but it's so much more!

Tummy time is one of the most important activities you can introduce to your baby from the very start. It helps build essential muscle strength in the neck, shoulders, arms, and back, which is necessary for developmental milestones such as rolling, sitting, crawling, and eventually walking. Along with muscle development, tummy time plays a crucial role in preventing conditions like flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly). On today’s episode, I’ll discuss how parents can engage in tummy time through playful activities as their baby grows, and I’ll outline specific games that are fun and beneficial for each age stage.

 You may be asking why does tummy time matter and how is it done? Tummy time refers to placing your baby on their stomach while they are awake and supervised. This activity builds strength and coordination by working against gravity, encouraging babies to lift their heads, move their limbs, and strengthen their core. When you incorporate play into tummy time, it not only enhances physical development but also stimulates cognitive and sensory growth.

Now, parents you can incorporate structured and unstructured Play During Tummy Time. As I mentioned earlier, structured play involves specific activities or games directed by the parent or caregiver. Examples of structured tummy time include introducing a toy to reach for or guiding a baby through a mini obstacle course. Structured play during tummy time provides a targeted approach to developing your baby’s strength and coordination, while also keeping them engaged.

Remember, unstructured play, on the other hand, allows your baby to explore on their own. During tummy time, this could mean letting your baby observe their surroundings, reach for nearby objects, or wiggle freely. Both structured and unstructured play are important, as they help babies develop independence, creativity, and motor skills in different ways.

Again, tummy time is not only essential for your baby’s physical development but also provides opportunities for bonding and interactive play. Some parents may think that tummy time should start when their baby is much older, but in fact, tummy time games can be incorporated at each stage of your baby’s development and can help your baby build the strength and skills they need for their next milestones.

So, I am going to do something a little different than in my past episodes. Instead of me discussing all of the play time activities for each age during today’s episode, I have decided to put some of the information on my website. So, if you would like to discover fun tummy time play activities for your child – then head over to my website at www.pregnancyconcepts.com. This information will be available for the entire month of September.

But, since I am introducing tummy time on today’s episode, then I am going to start today with tummy time activities for 0-3 Months. Which I like to call Gentle Introduction to Tummy Time. At this stage, babies are still adjusting to their new world and have limited head and neck control. Tummy time should start slowly, perhaps 1-2 minutes at a time a few times a day. The goal is to get your baby comfortable on their stomach.

Games that you can play are:

- Face-to-Face Time: Lie down on the floor at eye level with your baby. Your face will be one of the most fascinating things for them to look at, and this close contact helps soothe any discomfort.

- Tummy Time on Your Chest: Place your baby on your chest while you recline, allowing them to use your body as a familiar and safe surface. This makes tummy time feel less intimidating for your baby.

- Mirror Play: Lay your baby on their tummy in front of an unbreakable mirror. Babies love looking at faces, and seeing their reflection can captivate their attention, helping them tolerate tummy time for longer.

As I mentioned earlier, you can read more about tummy time and learn more about games for each age group that you can incorporate into your baby’s playtime routine on my website. What you will find is more information about tummy time and activities for the following age groups: 4-6 Months: Increasing Your Baby’s Strength and Curiosity, 7-9 Months: Ready to Move with Your Baby, 10-12 Months: Building Strength for Walking, 

So, whether you choose to incorporate tummy time through structured or unstructured play, the goal is to make this activity a positive and enjoyable experience for both you and your baby. So, please check out the section on tummy time on my website at www.pregnancyconcepts.com and select the section “tummy time.” 

I hope that you learned some helpful information that you can incorporate into your baby’s daily playtime routine. And please listen in to next week’s episode as I provide more information on the importance of play for your child.

Thank you for joining me today. Until next time. Take care.

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