Basic Baby Positioning to Improve Strength!

Nina Berault PT, DPT 

In the modern world, our babies tend to move from container to container (carriers to car seats to backpacks, etc) with little independent movement in between. This certainly has implications for development of gross motor skills in the future. Check out the strategies below to  ensure that your baby develops a strong core to take on the world!

TUMMY TIME !!! (begins at birth) 

1. Gradually increase with the goal of tolerating AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! 
2. Even starting with 30” at a time can make a big difference- set an alarm on your phone and try to do that once or twice per hour
3. It’s OK if there is crying during tummy time (this is hard but try to bear with it if you can) 
4. Use  a Boppy pillow or hold child in superman position in your arms for “faux” tummy time
5. Use toys/sounds to draw attention upward, encourages lifting the head/head control 
   

Let's get ROLLING!!! (start at 3 months)

1. Use toys in child’s line of vision, leading him/her to the opposite side
   • At the same time you can start the rolling process by bringing one hip over the other and hold there until child finishes the motion
   • Use a toy that makes noise or has flashing lights- something that will draw his/her attention, or a toy that he/she likes a lot!
2. While child is lying on his/her back, have him/her reach for toy placed on or just hovering above the belly
   • Bring both hands to the toy- babies don’t roll over unless they are comfortable with their limbs crossing midline 
3. Bring the feet to the hands, and once she’s mastered that, bring feet to mouth

General Core Strength and Sitting Balance (> or = 5 months)

1. Sit the child over your knee, move your knee side to side so that he/she feels a bit unsteady and has to use postural strategies to keep body upright
2. Similarly, sit child on a swiss ball and move him/her around 
3. Short sitting position- sitting upright with legs dangling over kitchen counter/bed/table etc. encourages upright posture and and core strength
   1. ​Be sure to stabilize the legs!