Tummy Time: An Odyssey

P.B.’s pediatrician recommended that he get lots of tummy time to strengthen his neck and back. The newborn’s head is heavy, and it takes time to build the muscles needed to hold it aloft.

We started the little guy with supervised sessions several times each day. But he was slow to embrace the program. At first, he didn’t do much other than lay on his belly and gaze at his surroundings. He was like the wannabe gym rat who spends his entire workout scrolling his phone.

We tried surrounding P.B. with patterned prints. But he’d either stare impassively if the objects were in his field of vision or ignore them if they weren’t. Lifting his head to find a favorite picture was out of the question.

Inactivity eventually begat boredom, which led inevitably to meltdowns. Tummy time wasn’t really his thing.

Fortunately, he didn’t stay stuck in neutral forever. As the weeks passed, P.B. got stronger and more interested in his surroundings. Around the one-month mark, he decided that tummy time wasn’t so bad. He especially liked when Mom or Dad sweetened the deal by joining him on the floor.

Working out and bonding at the same time? What a great time!

P.B. is now a little over two months old and enjoying tummy time more than ever.

As he continues to grow, he’s able to lift his head ever higher and hold it in the air. He’s even starting to kick his legs and rock forward on his arms in a sort of proto-crawl. I can see that I’ll need to start baby proofing our home sooner than I was expecting.

For now, though, I’m just happy that P.B. is enjoying this classic newborn activity.

Written by Trevor