Tummy time is an important component of your baby’s development. From preventing flat spots on your little one’s head to promoting healthy growth, tummy time has a variety of benefits. Believe it or not, you can start newborn tummy time as soon as you bring your baby home from the hospital. Many parents are understandably nervous about putting their newborns on their stomachs as we read and hear about the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) so often. However, as long as your baby remains supervised the entire time, it is perfectly safe for newborns. Infants can have 2 - 3 sessions that last about 3 - 5 minutes each and every day.
If the umbilical cord stump is still firmly attached to your baby, you may want to wait to begin tummy time, although you don’t have to. If you want to get started right away, you can try some alternative positions like the lap soothe or the tummy-to-tummy position. Once the umbilical cord stump falls off, you can begin doing sessions with your little one on the floor.