Putting The Baby On His Stomach During The Day: That’s Why

Although it is often said that babies must lie on their backs, it is also helpful to put them in the prone position. Here are the 3 main reasons to put your baby on his tummy during the day.

For many years it has been emphasized the importance of putting the baby to sleep on his stomach, or in the supine position. This is done to avoid the syndrome of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome English).

However, there are several reasons for putting the baby on his tummy during the day. This position is also known as the prone position. We will show you the 3 main reasons for doing this. In addition, we will also offer you some practical tips to make things easier for your little one.

Why put the baby on his stomach during the day

1. Development of motor functions

Spending enough time on the tummy will help your baby develop a sense of balance as well as vision and hearing.

In addition, it will help strengthen the head, neck, shoulder and back muscles, making it easier and easier for the baby to do everyday tasks, such as pushing, turning to the side, sitting, standing and crawling.

In the first months of life, the newborn must find out what movements he is able to make with his body and how to manage it. This will develop the physical skills necessary to turn, sit and crawl. This does not happen adequately if the child spends a lot of time in the bouncer or in other places that limit his freedom of movement.

As if that weren’t enough, a newborn who stays on his back all the time sees only the ceiling and objects on both sides. Instead, placed on his stomach, he raises his head and begins to observe the numerous objects that surround him.

2. Normal development of the head

One consequence of the advertising campaigns launched to help prevent Instant Death Syndrome has been an increase in the number of children suffering from plagiocephaly.

What is it about? Since the bones of the skull are not yet completely welded together – a feature that helps to withstand small blows – the head of newborns can suffer deformations if it remains in the same position for a long time.

Babies tend to spend too much time sleeping on their backs and too much time in the bouncer or crib (always on their backs).  Due to this, the nape tends to flatten out. This is why it is vital that the baby spends enough time on his tummy during the day while awake and playing.

3. Development of social skills

Another reason for putting the baby on his stomach during the day has to do with sensory and perceptual abilities. It is also useful for improving socio-emotional, problem-solving, learning, and adaptation skills.

When in the prone position, the  child remains alert and better perceives the world around him. This position allows him to remain in a state in which he constantly receives external stimuli and which allows him to interact with everything he finds around him.

Ways to put the baby on his stomach during the day

If you don’t know exactly what is the correct way to put the baby on his stomach for a long enough time, or if he doesn’t seem to like this position very much, here are some practical tips for you.

0 to 2 months

Try to put the baby on his stomach on a blanket. If you see that he cannot lift his head, place your hand on his lower back and shift his weight down. If he still can’t lift his head, place a rolled-up towel under his chest and rest the baby on your lap.

Another great alternative is to lean the baby on your chest. This will make him feel more confident and will be prompted to raise his head to look at you. With this activity the child will be able to develop head control, also strengthening the upper body.

3 to 5 months

After strengthening his back and neck, he will be able to support himself with his forearms. You can spend time with your baby using toys and mirrors to further stimulate him to shift weight and extend his range.

Well, he  will be able to interact with his surroundings on a visual level. He will receive a lot more stimuli and learn to respond to them.

As your child gains more and more strength, he will begin to rise on his outstretched arms in order to reach objects and play with them. This will serve as a preparation for him to sit and crawl.

6 to 9 months

Once it is stronger, you can play games like “the airplane”, lifting and supporting it only by the hips. An alternative is to place it on your bent legs and move it up and down.

Doing so will help him strengthen his whole body. In this way it will develop a greater ability to crawl and explore.

Remember that it is advisable to do these activities with your child on a daily basis. This is the best way to help him and contribute to his development.