The baby was born, and a million questions arise between mom and dad with his appearance in his head. All of them, of course, are very important, the answers to each of them have yet to be clarified in the process of growing up the child, and in today's article we will tell readers about when to put a newborn on his tummy, how to do it and why it is needed at all.
Charging for the smallest
The first months of their existence, children spend in the womb. At the initial stage of formation and in the next few months, the baby swims freely in amniotic waters, arbitrarily moving its arms and legs. The closer the time of his birth, the closer to him in the uterus, respectively, the baby’s posture is constrained, and his mobility is limited. Having been born, the child enters a new environment for himself. He will not soon learn to use his body harmoniously, but in order to speed up this process, it is necessary to help the baby.
To do this, you should begin to do the first physical exercises with him, a light massage as soon as possible. But when can you put a newborn on his tummy without harming him with this action? Neonatologists are unequivocal in their answer - immediately after birth, if there are no contraindications to this. For greater self-confidence, mothers can delay this moment until the day of healing of the umbilical wound.
When is it possible?
So, in general terms, we found out when you can put a newborn on the tummy. So that young and inexperienced parents can be guided by specific dates, you can start this when their child is two to three weeks old. On average, the umbilical cord in a newborn heals on the 7-10th day, the clothespin holding the nodule may fall off earlier, but the umbilical cord itself for some time secrets the sacrum, so it is better not to expose the baby to heavy loads.
More detailed recommendations in each specific case will be given by a patronage nurse or local pediatrician. Health workers are required by law to visit the child every week during the first month of his life. During the visits, they evaluate his health status and give parents recommendations on caring for the baby. They can also demonstrate how to lay a newborn on the tummy, and show other useful exercises.
If you do not start to deal with the baby on time, it threatens with delays in its statokinetic development, respectively, there will be a lag in mental, psychological, emotional maturity.
How to lay a newborn on the tummy correctly?
Now that the parents know when to turn the baby over, it’s worth figuring out how best to do it. Barely born, the child is not able to independently make such a somersault, a weak physical form simply will not allow him to turn around. Mom (or dad) should help the baby. At this moment, the child should be calm, full, dry. After eating, you need to wait at least half an hour, otherwise he will burp with a guarantee and can, without holding his head, inhale the withdrawn liquid with his nose.
Before turning the newborn on his tummy, it is better to undress him, the lack of clothing, fettering movement, will contribute to the mutual success of mother and baby. When deploying a child, you need to confidently and reliably support it. The initial position assumes that one mother’s hand raises the neck and head of the child, and the other is located diagonally, capturing part of his legs, butt and back. It is with this brush, on which almost the entire body of the baby is located, that it needs to be turned over onto the tummy, carefully supporting the head.
Having taken this position, a healthy baby at first reflexively, and then quite consciously begins to raise his head, training the muscles of the neck and shoulders.
What is better to lie on?
It is important to know not only when it is possible to lay a newborn on the tummy. It is necessary to properly arrange a place for his training. This is best done on a changing table or directly on the floor. However, the latter option requires more careful preparation. The surface should be warm, clean and reasonably hard. What does it mean?
It will be easier for the child to lift himself if he feels support under him. Starting from a soft sofa or mattress, a lush blanket can be problematic for him. It is also dangerous. The child, not holding his head in the upper position, may not turn it sideways and rest his nose against the tissue, restricting himself the access of oxygen.
Many mothers are also interested in when you can put a newborn on his tummy on a gym ball. In this case, there are no special requirements, if the baby's navel has healed, then it is quite allowed to practice on the fitball with him.
And if the baby does not want?
Lying on his stomach, the child solves several important tasks for himself at once. The first is the strengthening of one's own body, better coordination of movements, physical and mental development, which we have already mentioned. The second - help in the discharge of gazikov, improving the process of peristalsis. And it is this indicator that very often becomes the reason why a newborn does not like to lie on his tummy. This may cause him temporary discomfort in the form of colic and pain.
Nevertheless, when mom turns the baby from the back, she really helps him. Swinging the baby on the ball, while he is lying on his tummy, will be especially effective. The surface of the fitball will gently and gently massage the problem area. The baby will quickly escape the gases, it will be easier for him to poop.
I myself!
Do not get too carried away with a new situation for the child. Pediatricians talk not only about when you can lay a newborn on the tummy, but also how often it is worth doing. The first days of charging lasts no more than one or two minutes. Gradually, this time can be brought up to fifteen minutes in one go. The frequency of laying out depends on the sleep pattern and wakefulness of the child. If the intervals between his rest are about 1-1.5 hours, then in each of these long periods it is worth laying the newborn on his tummy.
It happens that the child himself tends to roll over, swaying on the back. He should not interfere with exercise, especially when it comes to trying to change the position of the body, but parents should understand that, normally, the process of a full-fledged revolution should not occur before 3-4 months. At an earlier age, this may indicate an increased muscle tone, which is a symptom of many neurological diseases.
When do you need to teach a child to roll on his stomach?
From about the second month of life, the baby becomes much stronger, from this age you can diversify activities aimed at improving its physical activity. During this period, you can begin to stimulate him to coups, performing the necessary exercises.
For this child, it is worth spreading it on the tummy, and putting it on the barrel, and, offering him a variety of toys, push him to independent movements. The next step will be to teach the baby to throw his leg in the direction of the proposed reversal. When the child learns to hold the head better, mom will be able to turn it on his stomach right from the back. To do this, she needs to hold the baby’s leg in one position with one hand, and bring the second leg to the first with the other. The child reflexively begins to roll over. To achieve the maximum effect from the exercise, it should be done 2-3 times in each direction. Recall that the age of the child must be more than one month.
Taboo
Well, the last question regarding this topic: "Can a newborn sleep on his tummy?" Doctors do not recommend this. Children sleeping in this position are at greater risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrome. This is information provided by the World Health Organization. To minimize this possibility is easier if you remove all soft toys, pillows from the baby’s crib, do not use soft bedding, feather beds and blankets as a mattress.