Every mom’s sincere desire is for her baby to grow up healthy and active. But how to contribute to this in the first months of life? Why lay the newborn on the stomach? How to determine that "it is already possible" and not let the baby get bored while he is on his belly?
Why put the baby on his stomach
- This develops motor activity and motor skills of the child. Lying on his stomach, the baby strains the muscles of the neck, shoulders, arms, back, legs, abdomen to view the world around him. It is lying on the tummy, the child learns to rely on the handles, raise and hold your headand then roll over and crawl;
- Babies have a very soft skull. In the first months of life, children sleep most of the time on the back, and this is correct, but if you do not put the baby on the stomach regularly, its head in the back can become deformed, become flattened, irregular in shape (flat head syndrome), which will entail a delay in development ;
- By spreading the newborn on the stomach, you prevent the baby from having an umbilical hernia (About umbilical hernia) Also, this exercise can reduce pain due to colic in the baby’s tummy, it also contributes to the release of gases, the prevention of constipation. That is why it is recommended to lay the baby on the tummy immediately before feeding;
- Lying on his tummy, the kid studies the world from a new angle, and this has a good effect on the intellectual development of the child. Using special techniques (changing the surface on which the baby lies, showing him a mirror, etc.), you can turn the exercise into a game, and the baby will quickly get used to the new position and fall in love with it;
- On the tummy, the child learns to focus his eyes.
If the baby begins to cry when you put it on his stomach, it is important to know that this does not happen because he is hurt or unpleasant. It's just that it’s unusual for a child to be in this position.
When to start spreading
Young mothers often ask the question: when can a child be laid out on the tummy so as not to harm - from birth, from the week, from the month ..?
This age is individual for each baby, as a rule, at least one week must pass after when you return from the hospital. The sooner you start spreading on your tummy, the better! So that the baby and you are not so scared, put it on your stomach, as the baby was put on you in the hospital for the first time. But before that, it is better to make sure that the umbilical cord of the newborn has healed, so you will make this process painless and as effective as possible. (Many pediatricians advise spreading it on the stomach from birth, even in the hospital. In order not to harm, it is better to consult your doctor!)
While the baby sleeps during the day, you can put it on your chest or on your knees to stroke the back. These simple steps will help strengthen the bond between parent and child.
How much can a child be laid on his stomach
For children under 3 months, 30 to 60 minutes per day. By three months, time can be increased to 90 minutes during the day (it is best to do it fractionally). Continue to increase the time on the stomach as the child grows and develops.
Tips
- You need to teach your baby to lie on his tummy gradually, start literally with a few seconds. You will understand when it will be possible to increase the time, just watch the baby and his emotions. The optimal time you should come to is 10 minutes;
- No need to spread the crumbs on the tummy if the child is tired, hungry, or vice versa, just ate. It is especially not recommended to do this on a full stomach, the baby can burp, choke, get scared and scare you. After that, he may be capricious when in the future you try to put him on his tummy;
- It is best if you combine the laying out with something else, and tie this procedure to a specific time. For example, you can do this every time after swaddling, after taking an air bath, you can combine this process with massage.
One of the main principles of any undertakings and innovations is regularity. Therefore, make it a rule to put the baby on the tummy every time before feeding!
How to spread
Room preparation:
- Ventilate the room 10-20 minutes before exercise.
- Make sure that the room is at a normal temperature, the baby should not be cold or hot.
- Set aside a meter or more of all large, soft objects: pillows, blankets, or toys. A baby can get into them and get scared.
Where to do it
The most important rule is to turn this process into a game for both of you. Lying on his tummy, the child is training his muscles, but you can develop other skills at the same time.
- It’s certainly more interesting for a baby to lie on a sofa or changing table than on the floor: this is a wider view. But it is worth considering that on a hard surface it is easier for children to learn to raise the head, so the load on the muscles decreases. Never leave your baby unattended, especially if he is high!
- It is very useful to change the surface on which the baby lies: hard, soft, warm and slightly cool, fluffy and rough. Use different fabrics: silk, velor, velvet, chintz, burlap, try to choose different colors, try to diversify its tactile sensations!
- Children really like fabrics with small patterns, with variegated colors, you can create your own system of alternating patterns, observe what the baby likes more.
Distract the baby, sit in front of him, talk to him, make him laugh. You can pour beads, ribbons, winter “rain”, tinsel into a plastic bottle and shake it in front of the baby, show how the details are mixed. And kids often like to look in the mirror, so during the exercise, move the mirror in front of it, or put it close.
How to entertain a baby while he is lying on his tummy: 6 exercises that a child will like
Toys and talk
When the baby does not sleep and spends time lying on his stomach, lay bright toys in front of him. Everything bright, ringing and plush will help to ensure that the child reaches forward.Can you step back and let your child explore the world around him? Not! If you start to move away, tears and the desire to be on handles will come into force.
Parents should sit down on the floor with the child and help him reach and take toys that lie in front. In addition, you need to talk with the baby in order to cheer and calm, and also slowly develop speech skills along with expressive and receptive communication skills.
Exercise Superman
To do this, the parent needs to lie on his back and raise the child above his head. We put the baby on the chest, and then push it up like a superman. It looks like push-ups, just lying down. Repeat as much as the child likes. Talk to him while he is flying, and kiss when he lands.
Children usually laugh, giggle and mumble something during this exercise, which helps to develop speech. It also strengthens the muscles of the neck and improves the perception of depth by the child, which is necessary for visual tracking (reading) and other visual-motor skills. And for the parent, this is a good workout.
Exercise airplane
If your arms are tired, modify the Superman exercise a bit. Remain on your back and raise your bent legs up to form a 90 degree angle. Put the child on his feet (between the knees and ankles), and hold his hands or torso with your hands, rolling him on his feet.
Gymnastic ball
Ball exercises should be started as early as possible (read fitball for the little ones) This ball perfectly helps toddlers and older children to strengthen the muscles of the neck, head, shoulders, body and legs. In addition, the exercise helps to adjust the child’s vestibular apparatus for future concentration in the classroom.
Put the child on the ball on his stomach. Here you may need the help of a partner. Holding the child, roll him back and forth on the ball. You can do without help, but if there is a brother / sister or husband / wife nearby, ask them to sit in front of the child so that the baby can see a familiar face in front of him and flirt with him instead of crying.
Children's developmental mat
As the baby grows, such children's developmental mats become more important. There should be several places in the house with toys and various objects that facilitate games on the stomach.
When the child gets a little older, such rugs serve not only for a change, but also for the child to crawl. He knows where to crawl to find toys, reach for them, grab and quickly crawl to another station. Of course, there are children who missed the crawl stage and this did not affect them in any way. But there are other cases when without crawling the child experiences developmental delays or learning disabilities.
Backup
If the child is still very small and still cannot raise his neck, head or body, fold a towel and place it under his chest and arms for support. Thus, the child sees everything that happens around, which reduces the risk of tears and tantrums.
Alternatively, use rubber rings or tires. You may have to hold the child by the waist, but he will be interested, because there is something to grab, squeeze (fine motor skills) and chew (oral sensory development). In addition, you can also use a pillow or blanket to provide support for the child, but do not leave him unattended.
Pediatrician Galina Ignatieva showed how to lay crumbs on the tummy
Video from Mamalara: how often to lay a baby on his stomach
Do not let the baby get bored when he is lying on his stomach. If the newborn is naughty, does not want to lie on his stomach now, do not try to force him. Better play with him, shake your hands or sing a song, and when he calms down, try again.
Spreading the newborn on the stomach, of course, is necessary, and try to do it yourself with the right mood, because the baby feels like no one else! Make these minutes fun, bright and memorable for the baby, try so that he, while lying on his stomach, does not feel discomfort,Distract and make him happy! The more the crumbs will like to lie on his tummy, the faster he will be able to control his body, and very soon will begin to delight you with new achievements!
Read about all the achievements of the child from birth to year
We also read: Can a newborn sleep on his stomach? Baby Sleep on Stomach - Pros and Cons
Video instruction: towel method
Nothing is written in the article HOW to lay it on the stomach, how to correctly position the limbs. Airing a room is a process related to anything, in this case you could write that you need to turn on the light in the room if the baby is dark or shave his father so as not to frighten him.
Two idiotic videos, on one mother shakes a rattle although it is clear that the child is hard and not interested. On the second, an indifferent aunt, the robot plays a doctor and, incidentally, puts the child on his stomach.
There are very few truly knowledgeable, loving children and specialists who understand them in the medical field.
And to offer these two videos as an example! This is not the height of AFTOR's competence.
for 1 minute the child is not immediately laid down, they start with a few seconds and gradually increase the time ...
Falling as good that I never watch a video. Now everyone, who is not lazy, are streaming in YouTube. Inert speaking, with parasitic words, with illiterate speech. It’s easier to make sketchy pictures.
But in general, everyone interested, but didn’t they show you in the hospital and then, on patronage, how to put it on your tummy? As easy as pie.