Tummy Time usually a LOT over the first weeks and months of life as babies grow and gain skills and strength.

In the beginning, typically a LOT of weight is shifted toward baby’s upper chest and head and not much weight is back in the belly and pelvis. Some babies are fine with this - they chill in cheek-down Tummy Time, briefly and occasionally lifting and turning the head to the other side but generally feeling content for a few minutes.

But then there are the babies who are…let’s just say less “at ease” when belly down.

One of many ways to modify Tummy Time to make it more tolerable for some babies is to shift some of that weight down baby’s body toward the belly and pelvis so that not so much weight is resting on the upper chest and head. You can do this by gently anchoring baby’s hips/pelvis.

This is also a great way to encourage babies older than 3-4 weeks old who don’t lift the head in Tummy Time.

Take a look:

Notice that I’m not just pushing down, I’m also gently guiding the hips in the direction of baby’s legs. If you’re not sure how gentle is gentle when it comes to handling a newborn…

USE A BAG OF RICE

Think about the weight of a 1lb. bag of rice on your baby’s rump. In fact, if you have one go get it from the pantry and put it on baby’s bottom. Sometimes this anchoring is enough to allow you a few minutes in a face-to-face position with your (happier in Tummy Time) babe!

But for many kiddos who struggle to find comfort in Tummy Time, your gentle, responsive hands work best. Just keep that bag of rice in mind to guide you in how much “anchoring” to provide.

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD I DO THIS ACTIVITY WITH MY BABY?

If you stick around CanDo Kiddo + Family long, you’ll notice I prefer to make recommendations based on developmental stages instead of chronological ages. So, this activity is for helpful for babies older than 3-4 weeks (be sure to adjust for prematurity) who aren’t yet lifting their heads regularly in Tummy Time OR are struggling to find ease and comfort in the belly-down position.

This activity is fine to continue until baby starts to roll and pivot in Tummy Time but the benefits are diminished as baby learns to press into his/her arms to lift the chest. Naturally at this point, weight shifts back to the pelvis so your help isn’t needed.

WANT MORE HELP WITH TUMMY TIME?

I teach parents Responsive, Respectful Tummy Time, which means that we declare TT a no-cry zone. I provide families and caregivers with tips and tools to help babies learn to find comfort in the belly-down position.

If you have questions about how much Tummy Time your baby should be doing or how to help your baby not cry in TT, check out the list of questions addressed in my online course, Baby’s Best Tummy Time!