Tummy Time in the NICU

Expecting a baby involves a lot of preparation. From the moment you find out you’re pregnant, you begin to figure out everything you need for the first year of parenthood, and research everything from sleep tips to motor milestone timelines. It’s hard not to envision what parenting your little one will look like, but life has a way of throwing curveballs, and sometimes things don’t go as planned.

If your baby is born premature or has a condition that requires special care, they may need to spend time in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Having a baby in the NICU is a stressful experience that you can’t exactly prepare yourself for. Instead of taking your little one home and settling into life as a family, the first few days, weeks, or even months look very different from how you had previously envisioned. Although plans change with a NICU stay, you can still give your baby the best developmental start by implementing tummy time while you’re at the hospital.

What is tummy time?

Tummy time is the time that your infant spends on their tummy while awake and supervised. It is incredibly important for your baby, as it strengthens their head, neck, and trunk muscles, and lays the foundation for motor developmentt. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) found that tummy time:

• Strengthens head, neck, and trunk muscles

• Improves head control

• Improves ability to reach

• Prevents flat head syndrome (plagiocephaly)

• Improves ability to move arms

• Improves ability to move legs

• Prepares ability to roll

• Prepares ability to crawl

How can my baby do tummy time in the NICU?

Doing tummy time in the NICU looks different than doing tummy time at home. Instead of leaving your little one on a play mat on the floor, you’ll be modifying it to be safe and comfortable in the hospital. First, always ask your healthcare provider if an activity is safe to do in the NICU.

Skin-to-skin, also known as kangaroo care, is great for all babies, but is especially beneficial for little ones in the NICU. When you do skin-to-skin with your baby, there are great physiological benefits, such as:

• Stabilization of heart rate

• Stabilization of breathing patterns

• Stabilization of blood oxygen levels

• Gains in sleep time and weight

• Decreased crying

• Greater breastfeeding success

• Earlier hospital discharge

Skin-to-skin can also decrease parental stress—-something there’s no shortage of when your little one is in the NICU. Your baby’s healthcare providers will encourage kangaroo care, placing your little one, tummy down, on your chest. When your baby is on their tummy, whether on your chest, lap, or the surface of the bed, this counts as tummy time!

As you and your baby get all the benefits of skin-to-skin, they also build strength in their head, neck, and trunk just by being tummy-down. As they grow, and with the permission of your health care provider, try practicing tummy time on different surfaces. 

Tummy time on your chest:

• Take turns placing your baby on your right shoulder, then your left

• Switch their head position from time to time so they practice facing both directions

Tummy time on your lap:

• Alternate the direction your baby faces each time, so they practice looking both left and right.

Every baby develops at their own pace, but babies who stay in the NICU are at greater risk for developmental delays. Practicing tummy time in the NICU can help your baby ready themselves for tummy time once they come home, meet their expected milestones, and catch up to their peers!