You can start tummy time the day your baby comes home from the hospital. Many parents assume they need to wait weeks or even months, but pediatric guidelines recommend beginning within the first few days of life. The earlier you introduce it, the more naturally your baby will accept being on their stomach.
Why Start So Early
Because babies now sleep on their backs (the safest position for reducing SIDS risk), they spend a lot of time with the back of their head against a flat surface. Tummy time is the counterbalance. It strengthens the neck, shoulders, and upper back while also helping prevent positional flattening of the skull, a condition called plagiocephaly that has become more common since back-sleeping became standard practice.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants eventually work up to at least 30 to 60 minutes of tummy time per day, spread across multiple short sessions. That total sounds like a lot for a newborn, and it is. You’re not aiming for an hour on day one. In the first weeks, sessions lasting just one to two minutes at a time are perfectly appropriate. The goal is consistency, not duration.
How to Start With a Newborn
For the very first sessions, you don’t even need to use the floor. Before the umbilical cord stump falls off, the easiest approach is tummy-to-tummy: recline on a bed, chair, or the floor with a pillow behind your head, and lay your baby stomach-down on your chest. This counts as tummy time, and it doubles as bonding time. Talk to your baby in animated tones, make exaggerated facial expressions, and encourage eye contact. Your newborn gets the physical benefits of the position while feeling secure against your body.
Another early option is lap time. Place your baby face-down across your lap lengthwise, keeping their head aligned with their body and supported. You can gently raise and lower your legs or sway them side to side for a little extra stimulation. If your baby falls asleep in this position, move them to their crib on their back.
Building Up Over the First Three Months
Think of tummy time as a skill that builds gradually. In the first few weeks, two or three sessions of one to two minutes each is a reasonable starting point. As your baby tolerates it better, you can add a minute here and there, or squeeze in an extra session after a diaper change. Many parents find it helpful to tie tummy time to a routine they’re already doing, like placing baby on their tummy for a minute or two after every diaper change throughout the day.
By around three months, most babies who have been practicing regularly can spend a total of about one hour per day in tummy time, broken into shorter spurts. At this stage, you’ll notice real physical progress: your baby will start putting weight on their arms (elbows still behind the shoulders at roughly a 45-degree angle), lifting their head between 45 and 90 degrees without tilting to one side, and visually tracking toys or rattles you move in front of them. These are signs that the neck and shoulder muscles are developing on schedule.
Research shows that routine tummy time enhances motor development scores during the first 15 months of life. The strength babies build in their upper body during these sessions is directly tied to later milestones like rolling over, sitting up, crawling, and eventually pulling to stand.
What to Do if Your Baby Hates It
A lot of babies protest tummy time, especially if it’s introduced later rather than in the first few days. This is normal and not a reason to skip it. Starting earlier helps because your baby hasn’t yet developed a strong preference for being on their back, but even babies who fuss can be eased into it with the right approach.
If your baby cries on the floor, try one of the gentler positions first. Tummy-to-tummy on your chest or face-down across your lap are both less intense than a flat surface. Get down on the floor at your baby’s eye level so they can see your face. Place a brightly colored toy or a small mirror just within their line of sight. Keep sessions short enough that they end before a full meltdown, then try again later in the day. Three calm minutes are more productive than five miserable ones.
Side-lying is another alternative for babies who genuinely won’t tolerate being on their stomachs. Place your baby on a blanket on their side, propping their back with a rolled-up towel if needed. A small folded washcloth can support their head. Position both arms in front of them and bring their legs forward at the hips with knees bent. This isn’t a perfect substitute for prone time, but it still works muscles that back-lying doesn’t, and it can serve as a bridge while your baby gets more comfortable.
Safety During Tummy Time
Tummy time is an awake, supervised activity only. Your baby should never be left on their stomach while sleeping or unattended. Use a firm, flat surface like a play mat or blanket on the floor. Avoid soft surfaces like couches, beds, or pillows, which can create a suffocation risk. If your baby falls asleep during tummy time, roll them onto their back right away.
Timing matters too. Tummy time works best when your baby is alert and content, not hungry, overtired, or right after a feeding (which can cause spit-up and make the experience unpleasant for everyone). Right after a nap or midway through a wake window tends to be the sweet spot.
Signs of Progress to Watch For
In the first month, success looks modest: your baby may briefly lift their head or simply tolerate the position for a minute without crying. That’s enough. By two months, you’ll likely see short head lifts and some attempts to push up. By three months, the gains become more visible, with steadier head control and weight-bearing on the forearms.
Between four and six months, babies who have been doing regular tummy time typically start pushing up on extended arms, pivoting in a circle on their bellies, and eventually rolling from stomach to back. These milestones build on each other, and the strength foundation from those early one-minute sessions adds up significantly over time.
If your baby isn’t showing any head control by three months or seems unable to tolerate tummy time at all despite consistent practice, it’s worth bringing up with your pediatrician. Some babies with tight neck muscles or other issues benefit from a little extra support, and early intervention makes a big difference.