When the day finally arrived that we could take our babies home, Day 59!!, we felt ready. Terrified but ready. The hospital staff prepared us well. One of the main things we had to do once home was to begin a tummy time routine in order to help Esther and William’s physical development.

Tummy time is important for all babies but is especially vital for prems. There are some great ideas for tummy time and detailed reasons for doing it with all babies here at Therapy for Babies.

And this is what we were told when we left NICU.

Shelly (Dr Chalmers) came to talk to me in the room about tummy time.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5128144.stm

https://pathways.org/pathways_topic/tummy-time/

We are to do it every day, twice a day, for 5 minutes to start with. Babies need to be on their tummies with their elbows gently pushed in to stop them from having retracted shoulders. Retracted shoulders can lead to problems with sitting in the future. Tummy time also helps to develop the muscles in the neck meaning that babies are able to lift their heads and hold them up for sustained periods of time. We also have to practice having the babies head in the midline and tracking, we do this using Elizabeth’s towel roll to support their head and shoulders and lying on their sides. For side lying the doctor suggested lying the twins facing each other and so encouraging them to interact with one another.

We tried really hard with Esther and William to get them into a good tummy time routine. We found it helped having two babies as they could amuse and distract each other. I spent a lot of time with them on the bed and me crouched on the floor to bring my face to their level. We did lots with rolled up towels and scoured the Internet for ideas to make tummy time different and fun.

Sometimes they would watch television on their tummies and they loved this.

One product that we have now that I wish had been available then was the Tummy Time Activity Station from Tummy with Mummy. We have been using this with Matilda Mae and she adores it. So do I! My Tummy with Mummy review is here.

Tummy with Mummy has been designed to make tummy time easier for babies and parents. It has many exciting features and benefits for young babies as explained here.

Why do babies need tummy time?

Physical Development

The early months in a baby’s life are vital for development. Babies who are not exposed to physical, social and emotional stimulation will not progress as fully as those who are. It is widely documented that without tummy time, some babies will experience delayed motor responses.

Tummy time helps develop and strengthen babies’ neck, shoulder and upper arm muscles, and gentle kicking against the back surface strengthens and increases the bone density in babies’ feet. Tummy time is known to prevent positional plagiocephaly (flat head) which can result from too much time on the back, or from pressure on the head from hard surfaces like the floor or car seats.

Emotional and Social Development

Babies who feel loved, safe and secure grow into happy children and adults. Tummy With Mummy® helps babies and parents get to know each other through easy eye contact. Babies love when parents and carers talk and play with them. They love to listen to songs and stories. This interaction is vital for their social and emotional development.

Sensory Development

Tummy time in babies’ first months helps with ‘midline crossing’: the ability to use the right hand in the left body space, and the left hand in the right body space. This crossing affects how children cope with reading and writing in their early school years.

Motor Responses

There is extensive evidence showing that many babies who have no tummy time have delayed motor responses. In the early months, tummy time helps babies gain control over their movements, lifting their heads and looking around, stretching and kicking their legs.

Tummy time is essential for development and for baby/parent bonding. Using the Tummy with Mummy has made it great for sibling bonding in our house too!

The Tummy With Mummy Activity Centre would make a great gift for a new mummy. It is an essential development aid but also helps to provide a family bonding experience. Used alongside games, books and toys it is also great fun for baby as she strengthens those core muscles she desperately needs for sitting, crawling and walking.

Tummy with Mummy are great ambassadors for tummy time with young babies. They write a wonderful blog to support their product and show families how to get the best out of it. They share key information about the importance of tummy time for all babies including those born too sick, small and soon. They believe in their product and the benefits it provides. I do too as I have seen with my own eyes how it has helped Matilda. I only wish it had been around for Esther and William’s time too.

The lovely, kind and generous team at Tummy with Mummy are giving one lucky Edspire reader the chance to win one of their Tummy with Mummy centres whilst helping to raise awareness of World Prematurity Day. All you have to do is this:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Competition is open to UK Entrants only.

Good Luck!