How Tummy Time and Osteopathy could help your baby or toddler’s movement development
We see many newborns and toddlers for cranial osteopathy treatments after they have had a quick or longer arrival into the world. The labour or the position baby was in inside the womb can affect his or her head and spine movements. Any remaining birth tensions in the muscles and joints can make them unsettled or restrict the way they move as they develop over time.
Tummy Time
With the advice for babies to sleep on their back, it’s important they’re put on their tummies during their waking hours, for short periods of time, as early as possible from birth. This helps the nervous system develop on the front of their bodies as well as helping neck control, and back and shoulder strength, ready for when they start moving and exploring the world around them.
A useful tip to help with supporting their necks in the early weeks during Tummy Time, is to roll a muslin into a sausage shape and place under your baby’s chest and armpits, with their arms outstretched in front of them. Try and build up a few minutes at a time, at regular times during the day. You can then use rattles, music boxes or your voice to encourage them to turn their heads both ways.
How we can help
With cranial osteopathy and some gentle stretches and joint mobilisations, we can help release any muscle and joint tensions, and encourage your baby’s movement development at any stage – whether turning, crawling, cruising, learning to walk or swim.
