Reasons To Put The Baby On His Stomach During The Day
The importance of placing the baby on his/her stomach or supine position at bedtime has been pointed out for many years . This is done to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
However, there are also several reasons for placing the baby on his stomach during the day, known as the prone position. We’ll show you 3 compelling reasons to do this. Plus, we’ll add some practical advice to make it easier for your little one.
Why put the baby on his stomach during the day
1.- Development of motor functions
Spending sufficient time on your stomach will help your baby develop balance and visual and auditory skills.
It will also help strengthen your head, neck, shoulder and back muscles. All of this will be necessary for everyday actions such as pushing, standing on one side, sitting, getting up and crawling.
During the first few months of his life, the baby must learn about the movement of his body and how to master it. Thus, he will develop the physical skills necessary to turn, sit and crawl. This is not adequately achieved if the child spends a lot of time in baby seats or other places that restrict movement.
Also, a baby who spends all of his time awake on his back only sees the ceiling and objects on either side. On the other hand, babies placed on their stomachs raise their heads and begin to look at many other things around them.
2.- Normal head development
As a result of advertising campaigns launched to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, there has been an increase in children with plagiocephaly.
What is that? As babies do not have fully closed cranial bones, a quality that helps them withstand light tapping, their head can deform if it remains in one position for a long period of time.
Babies tend to spend a lot of time sleeping on their backs and in strollers or portable cribs (also on their backs). This practice causes the back of the head to flatten out. So it’s imperative that your baby spends enough time on his stomach during the day, while he’s awake and playing.
3.- Development of social skills
Another reason to put the baby on his stomach during the day has to do with the development of sensory and perceptual abilities. It is also positive for improving socio-emotional skills, problem solving, learning and adapting to challenges.
When the baby is in a prone position, he is alert and perceives the world around him better. Thus, he remains in a state where he constantly receives stimuli while interacting with everything around him.
Ways to put the baby on his stomach during the day
If you don’t know exactly the right way to let your baby spend enough time upside down, or if, on the other hand, he doesn’t seem to like being in this position, you can follow these practical tips:
From 0 to 2 months
Try placing the baby face down on a blanket. If you find he can’t lift his head, place your hand on his lower back and move the weight down. If you still cannot lift your head, place a rolled towel under your chest or drape it over your legs.
Another excellent option is to place the baby on your chest. That way, he will feel more secure and you will encourage him to lift his head to look at you. With this activity, the little one will be able to develop control of their head, also strengthening their upper body.
From 3 to 5 months
As his back and neck have strengthened, he will be able to support himself with his forearms. You can spend time with your baby using toys and mirrors to further stimulate your body’s movement and reach.
Now, you can interact with your environment at eye level. The baby will receive many other stimuli and will learn to respond to them.
As the baby gains more strength, he will begin to push himself with his arms outstretched so that he can reach objects and play. This serves as a preparation for sitting and crawling.
From 6 to 9 months
Being stronger, they can play with things like “the plane”, lifting it and holding it only by the waist. Another option is to rest it on its bent legs and move it up and down.
With this, the strength of your entire body develops. Obviously, this will allow you to crawl and explore more skillfully.
Remember that you should perform these and other routines with your baby on a daily basis. This is the best way to encourage and collaborate with its development.
