Lying on the tummy and additionally lifting the head by the baby – which necessarily generates this position – is a way to develop the baby’s motor skills. Why is this so important?
How to place a newborn baby: on the tummy, side or back? This is an eternal dilemma, with which struggle especially new parents. There are different schools of thought and the experts themselves, including midwives and doctors, do not always agree on this matter. So what is it actually like lying on the tummy?
From birth it is worth taking special care of the motor development of our baby. The earlier he begins to do some “exercises” – the better. Lying on the tummy forces him to activity, including significant raising of the head, which is easier than when lying on the back. The tummy itself is a very important part of the body. Many organs are located there, thanks to which the body as a whole is able to function properly.
Young mothers often take an active part in discussions on forums, where they exchange experiences and observations on the safest position in which the baby should spend most of its time
There is a common misconception that the baby should be placed on its back as often as possible. Unfortunately it is a myth. At the beginning, right after the birth, in fact we put the toddler on his back, because of the fact that the umbilical stump has not fallen off, but when this happens we can safely place our child on its tummy. What are the advantages of lying in this position?
Midwives try to make mothers aware of the benefits for the development of the newborn carries the position on the tummy. In this position the baby learns to lift up the head, and also tenses the muscles, so that they develop. It is also confirmed by the fact, that if we put our little one on the tummy, it will begin to crawl faster, what will be due to the fact, that it will learn faster to keep balance and coordinate its own body.
What other advantages can we mention when it comes to placing the baby on her stomach? This position by exercising the neck muscles greatly facilitates and improves the psychomotor development of the baby. But thanks to the fact that also the muscles of the whole back and shoulders are exercised, the position favors the general development of motor coordination of the child and maintaining balance at a later stage of its development.
The pronation position (as the position of lying on the tummy is called) is also a generator for later crawling and, importantly, further motor development. Among the advantages of lying on the baby’s tummy specialists also emphasize the fact that this position is important for the good formation of the baby’s hip joints. Lying on the tummy, or rather pressure that the weight of the trunk causes, helps in moving food in the digestive tract of the toddler, which is responsible for the removal of gas and helps prevent colic
However, most toddlers don’t like lying on their tummies at first. Why? Because they are not able to freely observe what is going on around them, they get tired while lifting their heads – so they may get nervous and cry. The best thing to do is to encourage your baby to lie on his tummy and raise his head. You can put a toy in front of him, then he will try to follow it with his eyes
Massaging your baby’s arms and legs will also have a soothing effect on him. And once he starts to coordinate his movements, he will like the position on his tummy, which is good for his development.
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