Lying on his tummy, the baby has to lean on his arms and raise his head to see Mom’s face, and in doing so exercises the neck and back muscles.
In the crib, stroller or hammock, the baby spends a lot of time resting on his back. Lying on your back is the ideal sleeping position, because it protects you from sudden death syndrome, but from time to time it is important to spend some time on your stomach, especially for two reasons:
1. If the baby is always in the same position, his head rests on the same point and flattens.
2. Lying on the back, the baby does not have the opportunity to exercise the muscles of the neck, arms, legs and back, precisely those that he needs to strengthen to support the head, stay upright and take his first steps.
When to start?
You can put it in that position from the first days of life, at first only a few minutes, to prevent it from getting tired, little by little you can increase the time (yes, you have to change your position as soon as you show signs of tiredness). To get an idea, it is estimated that throughout the day you should be at least 90 minutes face down at time intervals.
On mom’s lap
In the first months it is a good idea to put it face down on the lap after the feedings (this posture calms you when you have gas) or on the chest when you rest on the sofa or bed or also on the floor.
Hard, flat surfaces are great for baby to exercise arm and neck muscles. You can lay him down on a play blanket, at first he will make real efforts to contemplate the toys it contains. Mom’s face, if it is close, or her words, are a powerful incentive to raise her head and look at her when she still has no strength in her neck. If, when it’s on the ground, you put a toy to its right and then to its left, it will turn its head to one side or the other to see them.
When you change your diaper or clothes, take the opportunity to turn it upside down, never leave it alone, even if it is very small because it can fall (babies move more than we think!).