Babies at this age are developing some head and neck control, can actually lift their heads briefly, and haven't learned that they don't like tummy time yet.
Why is tummy time a good thing?
Since your baby should be sleeping on her back to reduce her risk of SIDS, she may get used to this position and not like to be on her tummy. Unfortunately, babies who spend too much time on their backs, especially if they are usually in the same position, can develop positional plagiocephaly, or a flat head.
Tummy time can also prevent some minor development delays in picking up milestones, including rolling over, sitting up, and crawling, that can affect some babies who are always on their back.
And tummy time is fun, for both babies and parents!
Some tips to help your baby enjoy tummy time:
- Start with short periods of tummy time, maybe even just two or three minutes a day, and work towards 10 to 20 minutes of tummy time once or twice a day.
- Lay on your back and lay your baby down on your chest, tummy down.
- Lay her on a tummy time play mat with some age appropriate toys to play with, especially once she has enough upper body strength to actually reach for and play with them.
- Prop her chest up with a pillow.
- Get down on the floor with your baby and talk or sing to her.
