The Reasons Why You Should Lay Your Baby Face Down

The importance of placing your baby on his back or in the supine position at bedtime has been pointed out for many years. This is done to avoid Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which translated into Danish is called cot death. However, there are several reasons why you should lay your baby face down, also known as the supine position, during the day.

We show you three compelling reasons to lay your baby face down. In addition, we will add some practical tips to make it easier for your little one.

The reasons why you should lay your baby face down during the day

Development of engine functions

Spending enough time on the baby’s tummy will help your baby develop balance as well as visual and auditory abilities.

It also helps strengthen the head, neck, shoulder and back muscles. All of this will be necessary for everyday actions, such as sitting, standing up and crawling.

During the first months of life, babies need to learn about the movement of their body and how to master it. Thus, your baby will develop the necessary physical skills to roll over, sit and crawl.

This is not sufficiently achieved if the baby spends a lot of time in baby seats or other places that restrict movement.

In addition, a baby who spends all his time on his back only sees the ceiling and the things on the side.

But when you choose to  lay your baby face down, they lift their heads and start looking at many more things around them.

2. Normal Head Development

As a result of advertising campaigns launched to prevent cot death, there has been an increase in children with plagiocephaly.

What is it? Because babies do not have fully fused cranial bones, a characteristic that helps them withstand minor trauma can become deformed if they remain in the same position for a long time.

Babies tend to spend too much time sleeping on their backs and in chairs or playpen. This practice causes the back of the head to become flat.

Therefore, it is crucial for a baby to spend adequate time on his or her tummy during the day while the baby is awake and playing.

3. Development of social skills

Another reason to lay your baby face down during the day has to do with social skills. It is also a way to improve social-emotional skills, problem solving, learning and adaptation.

When the baby is in one , the baby stays alert and perceives the world in a better way.

Thus, the baby remains in a state where the baby is constantly receiving stimuli while interacting with everything around him.

Methods to lay your baby face down during the day

If you do not know how to get your baby to spend more time on his stomach, or if the baby does not like being in that position, you can follow these practical tips:

From 0 to 2 months

Try placing the baby face down on a blanket. If you see that the baby cannot lift its head, place your hand on the baby’s loins and gently push its weight down. If the baby still cannot lift his head, place a rolled towel under his chest or over his legs.

Another great option is to lay your baby on your chest. This way, the baby will feel more secure and will be encouraged to lift his head to look at you.

With this activity, your little one will be able to develop the control of the head and also strengthen the upper body.

From 3 to 5 months

Once the baby’s back and neck are already strengthened, the baby can stand up with his forearms. You can spend time with your baby using toys and mirrors to further stimulate the movement of the baby’s weight and reach.

Now the baby can interact with his environment at eye level. The baby will receive many more and will learn to respond to them.

As your baby gains more strength, it will begin to push itself with outstretched arms to reach objects and play. This serves the purpose of preparing the baby to be able to sit and crawl.

From 6 to 9 months

Now that your baby has more strength, you can play like an “airplane”, lift the baby up and hold the baby. Another option is to keep your baby on bent legs and move up and down.

With this, the baby develops strength of the whole body. This will of course allow the baby to and more experienced.

Remember you need to perform these and other routines with your baby daily. This is the best way to support your baby’s development.