The simplest way to encourage tummy time is to start early, keep sessions short, and make the experience comfortable rather than stressful. Babies can begin tummy time as newborns, starting with just 2 to 3 sessions of 3 to 5 minutes each day, then gradually working up to 15 to 30 minutes total per day by around 7 weeks of age. Most babies resist tummy time at first, but a few small adjustments to timing, positioning, and environment can make a real difference.
Why Tummy Time Matters
When babies spend time on their bellies, they build strength in their neck, back, core, and arms. This is the foundation for nearly every major movement milestone in the first year. Tummy time leads to earlier rolling and crawling, and it helps babies develop balanced muscle use on all sides of their body, including learning to turn their head in both directions.
The progression is surprisingly visible. A newborn placed on their tummy can barely lift their cheek off the surface. By 1 to 2 months, most babies can briefly raise their head to about 45 degrees and start pressing their hands down to push their shoulders up slightly. Between 2 and 4 months, they begin propping up on their forearms to lift their upper chest. By 4 to 6 months, many babies straighten their arms to push their whole chest off the floor and start pivoting in circles on their belly. Each of these skills builds directly on the strength gained in earlier tummy time sessions.
Start With Your Body, Not the Floor
You don’t need to place a newborn flat on the floor right away. For the first few weeks, the easiest approach is to lay your baby belly-down on your chest while you recline, or drape them across your lap. Both positions count as tummy time, and they feel more secure to a baby who’s used to being held. Chest-to-chest tummy time also lets your baby see your face up close, which keeps them engaged and calm.
When you use the lap position, turn your baby’s head away from you, then talk or sing so they’re motivated to rotate toward the sound of your voice. This gentle neck turning builds the same muscles as floor-based tummy time while adding a reason for your baby to move.
Making Floor Time Easier
Once your baby is ready for the floor, a simple prop can reduce frustration. Place a rolled-up towel or small blanket under your baby’s chest so their shoulders sit slightly higher than their hips. This angle makes it much easier for them to lift their head. If their hips end up level with or higher than their shoulders, head lifting becomes significantly harder, and they’ll tire out and fuss faster. You may need to keep one hand gently on their hips to maintain the right position.
The surface should be firm and flat. A play mat or clean blanket on the floor works well. Soft surfaces like beds, couches, or pillows create a suffocation risk and should be avoided. Always stay with your baby during tummy time and make sure they’re fully awake.
Timing and Routine
The single biggest factor in whether your baby tolerates tummy time is when you do it. A baby who is hungry, tired, or sitting in a wet diaper will cry almost immediately regardless of positioning. Set yourself up for success by choosing a moment right after a nap, when your baby is rested and alert, and after a diaper change. Avoid tummy time right after a feeding, since pressure on a full stomach can cause spit-up and discomfort.
Short, frequent sessions work better than long ones. Three 5-minute sessions spread throughout the day are more productive than one 15-minute stretch that ends in tears. As your baby builds tolerance and strength, individual sessions will naturally get longer.
What to Do When Your Baby Cries
Nearly every baby fusses during tummy time at some point. This is normal. The position is genuinely hard work for an infant, and they’re telling you so. A few strategies can help you extend sessions without distress.
- Get on their level. Lie on the floor face-to-face with your baby. Making eye contact from ground level is far more engaging for them than watching your feet from below.
- Use your voice. Talk, sing, or make exaggerated sounds. Babies will often hold their head up longer when they’re trying to look at something interesting.
- Touch their back. A gentle, steady rub on the back provides comfort and can buy an extra minute or two before they’re done.
- Place a toy just out of reach. A high-contrast toy or small mirror positioned at eye level gives your baby a reason to lift their head and eventually reach forward.
If your baby is genuinely upset and not calming down, pick them up. Forcing through sustained crying doesn’t build more muscle, and it creates a negative association that makes the next session harder. End on a calm moment when possible, even if that means stopping after two minutes.
Building Toward Milestones
Tummy time isn’t just one skill. It’s a sequence of progressively harder movements, each unlocking the next. In the first month, the goal is simply for your baby to briefly lift their head with their cheek off the surface. By two months, you’ll notice their hands starting to press down, pushing the tops of their shoulders up. Around three to four months, they’ll hold themselves up on their forearms for longer stretches, looking around with confidence.
The most dramatic shift happens between four and six months, when many babies start pushing up on straightened arms, lifting their entire chest off the floor. This position leads to backward scooting, pivoting in circles, and eventually getting onto hands and knees for crawling. Babies who get consistent tummy time tend to reach these prone-specific motor skills earlier than those who spend most of their awake time on their backs or in seats.
Flat Head Prevention
One reason tummy time is so widely recommended is its role in reducing flat spots on the back of the skull, a condition called positional plagiocephaly. When babies spend most of their time lying on their backs (which they should for safe sleep), the constant pressure on one area of the soft skull can create a flattened shape. Tummy time takes that pressure off during waking hours and encourages head turning in both directions.
That said, the research on whether tummy time alone prevents flat spots is less definitive than many parents assume. A 2023 review found limited evidence that tummy time is effective as a standalone prevention strategy for plagiocephaly. It likely helps as part of a broader approach that includes varying your baby’s head position during sleep (alternating which end of the crib their head faces) and limiting time in car seats, bouncers, and swings where the back of the head rests against a surface.
Fitting It Into Your Day
Tummy time doesn’t need to be a formal event. Any moment your baby spends on their belly while awake and supervised counts. Carrying your baby face-down along your forearm (the “football hold”) works their neck and core. Placing them belly-down on your thighs while you sit on the couch counts. Diaper changes are a natural transition point: after fastening the fresh diaper, flip your baby onto their tummy for a minute or two before picking them up.
The goal by about two months is to accumulate roughly 15 to 30 minutes across the whole day, not all at once. By three to four months, most babies who’ve been practicing regularly will tolerate longer stretches on their own and may even prefer being on their tummy to lying on their back, since it gives them a better view of the room.