FAQ
Why is tummy time important?
Tummy time is a process that requires time, nurturing, consistency and daily practice to allow for the baby and caregiver’s joyful experience.
Tummy Time is an everyday activity during early infancy that naturally promotes the development of healthy, balanced movement. Tummy Time allows your baby’s body to elongate after being curled up inside the womb and facilitates optimal posture and physical development needed for feeding, rolling, sitting, crawling, and walking. Imagine if you went to the gym and only did bicep curls, but did not also do tricep extension exercises. You would not have created a balance between those two muscle groups which would lead to your arms not functioning optimally. When babies are on their backs most of the time, they do not have the opportunity to develop balanced strength and organization through their core. Imbalances in the core at the early infancy stage can impact motor development, head shape, sensory regulation, visual development, and attention.
Tummy time also provides a wonderful opportunity for parents and infants to bond and develop healthy co-regulation. Tummy Time is one of the baby’s first experiences with a physical challenge, and parents and caregivers can help babies learn to navigate the challenge in a positive and gentle way, promoting safety, trust, connection and resilience.
Why Tummy Time Development?
Our team has a combined 75 years of experience in the pediatric occupational and physical therapy fields. We are able to provide gentle hands-on intervention to correct any imbalances the baby exhibits in real time. We also place an emphasis on parent coaching to guide parents through the first year with their baby and beyond. Parent coaching is a vital component of Tummy Time Development both during individual as well as group sessions.
What age babies do you work with?
It is never too early, and it is never too late for us to meet your infant! In fact, we even work with you during pregnancy to prepare for the first hours and weeks following birth. We provide one-on-one sessions as early as a few days old. Beginning at 2 weeks, we provide classes to educate parents and caregivers on the importance of tummy time by providing families with a hands-on approach that demonstrates how to take your baby in and out of tummy time with ease.
Would my baby benefit from one-on-one sessions?
If your baby exhibits any of the following, we recommend scheduling a one-on-one session with Tummy Time Development:
Feeding challenges
Colic
Constipation or reflux
General fussiness/baby seems uncomfortable
Baby not tolerating tummy time
Strong head turn preference
Plagiocephaly or flattening of the skull
Feels too floppy
Feels too rigid or stiff
Challenging or traumatic birth
You want to connect with developmental experts to make sure your baby is on track!
What can I expect during an individual session?
Individual sessions last for one hour. During this time, we observe your baby’s movement patterns and provide gentle, individualized hands-on assessment and treatment. We teach caregivers how to take their infant through tummy time in a safe, co-regulated way. We share strategies specific to your baby through parent coaching and education to promote healthy, ongoing development at home.
What can I expect during a group session?
Group classes meet once per week for four weeks, and each class is one hour long. Classes include a combination of informative sharing by our team, demonstration, hands-on support for those who are interested, and take home recommendations to support babies and their families between scheduled classes.