Tummy Time: Why It Matters and 15 Ways to Make It Easier

Tummy time is one of the simplest ways to support your baby’s early physical development.

It does not require an expensive activity mat, a special pillow or a strict training schedule. It simply means giving your baby short, supervised periods on their front while they are awake and alert.

Some babies lift their head and look around almost immediately. Others protest after a few seconds as though you have made a deeply unreasonable request. For many families, tummy time becomes easier only after several short, calm attempts.

Both responses can be normal.

This guide explains when to begin, why this activity matters, how much to aim for, what to do when your baby dislikes the position and which signs deserve advice from a health visitor, GP or physiotherapist.

The quick answer: You can begin tummy time from birth using your chest or lap while your baby is awake and you are fully alert. Start with very short sessions, repeat them throughout the day and build up gradually. If your baby cries, change the position, shorten the session or try again later. Always place your baby on their back for sleep.

This article provides general UK guidance and cannot assess your baby’s individual development.

What Is Tummy Time?

It is supervised awake time spent with your baby positioned on their stomach.

It can happen:

• On your chest
• Across your lap
• On a firm floor mat
• Over a small rolled towel with close supervision
• In a supported carrying position
• During brief play after a nappy change

The purpose is to give your baby opportunities to lift, turn and control their head while strengthening the muscles used for later movement. Good tummy time is less about reaching a perfect number and more about offering regular, comfortable practice.

The NHS explains that tummy time helps build strength through the back, neck and shoulders and can begin from birth. Its Baby Moves guide suggests beginning on your chest and gradually moving towards floor-based play as your baby becomes ready.

It is never a sleep position.

Your baby should be awake, alert and watched throughout the session. For every sleep, place your baby on their back in a clear, flat sleep space.

Why Tummy Time Matters

Babies spend a great deal of time on their backs because back sleeping is the safest sleep position.

Awake floor play gives them a different kind of movement experience. The benefits of tummy time come from repeated opportunities to work against gravity while fully supervised.

Regular supervised floor play can help your baby practise:

• Lifting and controlling the head
• Turning the head in both directions
• Bearing weight through the forearms
• Strengthening the shoulders, arms and upper back
• Developing trunk and core control
• Reaching towards objects
• Rolling
• Preparing for sitting and other forms of mobility
• Exploring the environment from a different position

It also gives the back of the head a break from constant pressure.

That does not mean every baby who dislikes this position will develop a flat head or delayed movement. Development is influenced by many factors, and babies reach skills at different rates.

The goal is to offer regular opportunities—not to turn your baby’s development into a daily exam.

Continue on MyBoo: Baby Milestones Month by Month: What to Expect in the First Year

When to Start Tummy Time

You can usually begin from birth when your baby is medically well and awake.

The gentlest early position is often chest-to-chest:

1. Sit in a supported, slightly reclined position.
2. Place your baby on your chest.
3. Keep their face visible and airway clear.
4. Talk or sing so they have a reason to lift or turn their head.
5. Stop if either of you becomes sleepy.

Only use chest-based practice while you are wide awake and unlikely to fall asleep.

Babies born prematurely, babies with medical conditions and babies recovering from surgery may need individual positioning advice. Ask the neonatal team, paediatrician, health visitor or physiotherapist what is appropriate.

How Much Tummy Time Does a Baby Need?

There is no need to begin with a long session. Tummy time can be divided into many brief attempts across the day.

For a newborn, even one or two comfortable minutes may be enough at first. Repeat short attempts throughout the day and gradually increase the total as your baby becomes stronger and more tolerant.

Some NHS-linked guidance suggests building from one or two minutes in the early weeks towards longer sessions several times a day. The Healthier Together tummy-time guide recommends beginning soon after birth and increasing gradually.

Use your baby’s response rather than treating one number as a pass-or-fail target.

A baby who manages six short sessions may gain more useful practice than a baby who becomes exhausted during one long session.

A practical progression may look like this:

• Newborn: very short chest, lap or floor sessions
• Around 1–2 months: several short attempts across the day
• Around 3 months: longer periods as head control improves
• Later months: floor play with reaching, turning and rolling opportunities

These are flexible stages, not deadlines.

When Is the Best Time for This Activity?

Choose a moment when your baby is:

• Awake
• Calm
• Not extremely hungry
• Not immediately after a full feed
• Not already overtired
• Comfortable in their clothing
• On a safe, firm surface

Useful moments include:

• After a nappy change
• After waking from a nap
• During a calm play period
• Before a feed when the baby is not yet distressed
• Some time after a feed once they appear comfortable

Avoid placing your baby flat on their stomach immediately after feeding because pressure on the tummy may feel uncomfortable or increase spit-up.

If your baby has reflux, you can still practise using more upright chest or lap positions and shorter sessions. Ask your health visitor or GP for advice when feeding discomfort is persistent.

Continue on MyBoo: Colic, Reflux or Just Wind? How to Tell the Difference

15 Gentle Ways to Make Tummy Time Easier

The following tummy time ideas help you adjust the position, timing and level of support without forcing your baby through prolonged distress.

1. Start on Your Chest

For many newborns, the floor feels unfamiliar and difficult.

Your chest provides:

• Warmth
• Your smell
• Your voice
• Eye contact
• A gentle incline
• A familiar heartbeat

Recline slightly, place your baby on your chest and talk to them.

This position still encourages head lifting and turning.

Never use it when you are sleepy, lying flat or at risk of falling asleep.

2. Keep the First Sessions Extremely Short

A baby who dislikes the position does not need to remain there until they “get used to it”.

Begin with a few seconds or one minute, then stop before they become extremely upset.

Several positive attempts are often more helpful than one prolonged struggle.

When learning how to use this position, think in repetitions rather than duration.

3. Get Down to Your Baby’s Eye Level

Lie on the floor facing your baby.

Use:

• Your face
• A quiet voice
• A smile
• Singing
• Slow facial expressions
• A simple rhyme

Young babies are often more interested in a familiar face than in a toy.

Your presence also helps them feel that the position is play rather than abandonment.

4. Try It Across Your Lap

Sit securely and place your baby across your thighs with their head supported and slightly raised.

Keep one hand on them throughout.

This can feel gentler than the floor and may be useful after a feed when a completely flat position is uncomfortable.

Make sure your baby’s nose and mouth remain clear.

5. Use a Small Rolled Towel for Support

Place a small rolled towel underneath your baby’s upper chest, with their arms brought gently forward.

The towel should support the chest rather than push against the neck or face.

Stay beside your baby and remove the towel when the session ends.

A towel used during supervised awake play must never be left in the cot or used to position a sleeping baby.

6. Position the Elbows Under the Shoulders

When the arms are stretched behind the body, lifting the head can be much harder.

Gently bring your baby’s elbows underneath or slightly in front of the shoulders.

This gives them a more stable base for pushing against the floor.

Do not force the arms into position or hold your baby there when they resist strongly.

7. Use a Baby-Safe Mirror

Place an unbreakable baby mirror on the floor in front of your baby.

Faces are highly interesting, including their own reflection.

Keep the mirror close enough to see without requiring your baby to lift their head too high.

Inspect it regularly for damage and use it only during supervised play.

8. Place One Simple Toy Within View

Use one lightweight, age-appropriate object rather than surrounding your baby with several noisy toys.

Move it slowly:

• From side to side
• Slightly upwards
• Towards the baby’s less-preferred side
• Just within reaching distance as they grow

This can encourage visual tracking, head turning and eventually reaching.

Do not place small items or loose toys near a young baby’s face.

9. Use Your Voice From Both Sides

Talk or sing from one side, then the other.

This encourages your baby to turn their head in both directions.

If your baby consistently looks only one way, gently encourage the other side during play, feeding and carrying.

Persistent one-sided preference, head flattening or difficulty turning should be discussed with your health visitor or GP.

10. Add It to an Existing Routine

A new habit is easier to remember when attached to something you already do.

Try a short session:

• After the first daytime nappy change
• After each daytime nap
• Before one regular feed
• While another caregiver prepares the bath
• During morning floor play

You do not need an elaborate tracker.

The aim is to make this a normal part of the day rather than another task that must be completed perfectly.

11. Change the Surface

A firm floor mat usually gives the best surface for pushing and moving, but variety can help your baby tolerate the position.

Try:

• Your chest
• Your lap
• A firm play mat
• A clean blanket on a firm floor
• A supportive carry position

Avoid soft beds, sofas, pillows, beanbags or thick padded surfaces. They can make movement harder and may create breathing or fall risks.

12. Try Side-Lying as a Short Alternative

Side-lying is not identical to lying on the stomach, but it gives your baby another position for play and can help when floor-based play feels overwhelming.

Place your baby on their side on a firm floor surface and stay close.

You may use your hand to support their back while offering a toy or your face in front.

Continue returning to short tummy sessions rather than replacing them completely unless a professional advises otherwise.

13. Stop Before Tiredness Turns Into a Battle

Signs your baby may need a break include:

• Burying the face
• Repeatedly dropping the head
• Frantic movements
• Strong arching
• Escalating crying
• Turning away
• Becoming unusually quiet
• Falling asleep

Pick your baby up, offer comfort and try again later.

This activity should involve effort, but it does not need to become prolonged distress.

14. Let Another Caregiver Try

Babies sometimes respond differently to another parent, grandparent or caregiver.

One adult may find a more comfortable chest angle, song or carrying position.

Give the person clear safety instructions:

• Baby stays awake
• Adult stays awake
• Face remains visible
• Airway remains clear
• Session ends when the baby becomes distressed or sleepy

Sharing these small routines also reduces the pressure on one parent to manage every developmental activity.

15. Build Floor Play Around Your Baby’s Progress

As your baby becomes stronger, make floor play more interactive.

You can:

• Place toys slightly to the side
• Encourage reaching
• Help them shift weight from one forearm to the other
• Create space for rolling
• Place yourself just beyond easy reach
• Use a book with bold pictures
• Give plenty of room for free movement

Avoid pulling your baby into advanced positions before they are ready.

Development grows through repeated opportunities, not through forcing the next milestone.

What to Do When Your Baby Hates Tummy Time

A baby may cry because the position is difficult, unfamiliar, tiring or uncomfortable.

First, check the basics:

• Are they hungry?
• Are they tired?
• Is the nappy wet?
• Have they just fed?
• Is the room too hot or cold?
• Is clothing restricting movement?
• Is the surface too soft?
• Are the arms trapped behind them?

Then reduce the challenge.

Try:

• Chest rather than floor
• Lap rather than flat play
• A rolled towel under the chest
• Ten seconds instead of two minutes
• Your face instead of a toy
• Another time of day
• Several attempts rather than one long session

When a baby strongly dislikes the position, the answer is usually to make it easier—not to hold them there while they cry intensely.

Some fussing may happen because the work is hard. Persistent distress, pain, marked stiffness or floppiness needs professional advice.

Does Tummy Time Help Prevent a Flat Head?

Changing your baby’s awake position can reduce continuous pressure on the same area of the head.

Helpful habits include:

• Supervised floor play on the stomach
• Holding your baby in different positions
• Alternating the direction they face in the cot
• Encouraging head turning towards both sides
• Reducing unnecessary time in car seats, bouncers and similar equipment
• Using floor play while awake

Your baby should still sleep on their back.

The Lullaby Trust states that back sleeping is the safest position for every sleep. Its sleeping-position guidance explains that tummy play is for awake, supervised periods only.

Speak to your health visitor or GP if:

• The head looks noticeably flattened
• Your baby consistently faces one direction
• Turning the head appears difficult
• The neck feels tight
• The shape is becoming more uneven

Early advice may include positioning guidance or a physiotherapy assessment.

Helping a Baby With Reflux

Some babies with reflux find a flat stomach position uncomfortable, especially immediately after feeding.

Try:

• Waiting until the feed has settled
• Chest-based play
• A more upright angle
• Shorter sessions
• Lap positions
• Supporting the chest
• Practising before a feed when the baby is calm

Do not stop offering movement opportunities completely unless a healthcare professional advises it.

Seek advice when your baby repeatedly cries during or after feeds, refuses feeds, vomits forcefully or is not gaining weight as expected.

Before and After the Umbilical Cord Falls Off

You do not necessarily need to wait for the cord stump to fall off before beginning.

Chest or lap positions may prevent pressure on the area during the earliest days.

When using the floor, make sure clothing and the surface do not rub the stump.

Ask your midwife or health visitor if the area is bleeding repeatedly, smells unpleasant, becomes red or swollen, or produces discharge.

Guidance for Premature Babies

A premature baby may be considered according to corrected age and may need more individual support with positioning.

Begin only according to advice from the neonatal or community team.

They may recommend:

• Chest-based positioning
• Extra support around the shoulders
• Shorter sessions
• Adjusted expectations
• Physiotherapy follow-up

Do not compare a premature baby’s tolerance or head control directly with a full-term baby of the same birth age.

Balancing Floor Play and Baby Containers

Car seats, bouncers, swings and reclining seats can be useful for specific purposes, but they restrict the range of movement available to your baby.

The NHS guide to keeping babies active recommends supervised floor play and advises limiting long periods in equipment that restricts movement.

Use a car seat for travel.

Use bouncers and seats for brief, supervised periods according to their instructions.

Give your baby regular time on a firm floor surface where they can kick, reach, turn and move freely.

Continue on MyBoo: The Only Newborn Essentials List You Actually Need

Tummy Time Safety Rules

Tummy time is safe only when your baby is awake, supervised and positioned on a firm, stable surface.

Baby Must Be Awake and Supervised

Stay beside your baby throughout.

Do not leave the room, answer the door or assume they cannot move.

Use a Firm, Stable Surface

The floor is generally safer than a bed, sofa or changing table because there is no fall from height.

Keep the Face and Airway Clear

Move fabric, toys and support rolls away from the nose and mouth.

Stop if Your Baby Falls Asleep

Move them onto their back in their own clear sleep space.

Do not leave a sleeping baby on your chest, lap or a play surface.

Do Not Use This as a Sleep Position

Always place your baby on their back for every sleep unless a medical professional has given different individual instructions.

Keep Small Objects Away

As reaching and grasping improve, anything nearby may enter the mouth.

Avoid Immediately After a Full Feed

Wait until your baby appears comfortable.

Follow Medical Advice

Babies with specific health, breathing, muscle, joint or feeding conditions may need adapted positions.

When to Ask for Advice

Speak to your health visitor, GP or physiotherapist when:

• Your baby consistently turns their head only one way
• They appear unable to turn the head in both directions
• The head shape is becoming noticeably uneven
• They seem unusually stiff or floppy
• They use one side much more than the other
• This position appears painful
• They repeatedly struggle to lift or turn the head as they grow
• They lose a movement skill they previously had
• You are concerned about vision or hearing
• Feeding or breathing affects positioning
• Your baby was premature and you need individual guidance
• Your instincts tell you something is different

You do not need to wait until you are certain there is a developmental problem.

Early advice may provide reassurance, a positioning adjustment or a referral when needed.

Tummy Time FAQs

When Should Tummy Time Start?

It can usually start from birth while your baby is awake and supervised.

A chest or lap position is often easiest during the first days.

How Long Should a Newborn Do Tummy Time?

Begin with very short sessions—sometimes only a few seconds or one to two minutes.

Repeat them across the day and build gradually as your baby becomes stronger.

How Often Should I Do Tummy Time?

Aim for several short opportunities throughout the day rather than one long session.

Attach them to routines such as nappy changes or waking from naps.

What if My Baby Cries Every Time?

Change the position, shorten the attempt, use your chest or lap, get face-to-face and try at another time.

Do not force a prolonged session while your baby is highly distressed.

Can Tummy Time Be Done on My Chest?

Yes, provided your baby is awake, you are fully awake, their face remains visible and their airway is clear.

Stop before you become sleepy.

Does Carrying My Baby Count?

Some supported carrying positions encourage neck and trunk activity, but they may not provide the same opportunity to push against a firm surface.

Use them as part of a varied movement routine.

Can I Use a Tummy-Time Pillow?

A special pillow is not essential.

A small rolled towel may provide temporary support during supervised play. Remove it afterwards and never use it for sleep.

Should I Do It After Feeding?

Avoid placing your baby flat on their stomach immediately after a full feed.

Wait until they appear comfortable or try a more upright chest or lap position.

Can It Help With Gas?

Some positions may help a baby pass wind, but this activity is not a treatment for persistent digestive discomfort.

Check feeding position, burping and other symptoms.

Does Tummy Time Prevent a Flat Head?

It can reduce time spent with pressure on the back of the head and forms part of a wider positioning approach.

Back sleeping must still continue for every sleep.

When Do Babies Stop Needing Tummy Time?

Once your baby can roll and move independently, they will choose varied positions during awake play.

Continue providing safe floor space rather than trying to hold them in one position.

What Surface Is Best?

Use a clean, firm and stable floor surface with a thin mat or blanket.

Avoid soft beds, deep cushions, sofas and other surfaces where the face may sink or the baby may fall.

Can This Activity Be Dangerous?

It can become unsafe when a baby is asleep, unsupervised, on a soft or raised surface, or has fabric blocking the face.

Follow awake, supervised and firm-surface rules every time.

What if My Baby Has Reflux?

Use shorter attempts, avoid immediately after feeds and try chest or lap positions.

Seek professional advice when reflux affects feeding, growth or comfort significantly.

What Milestones Does It Support?

It supports the strength and control used for head lifting, reaching, rolling, sitting and other movement skills.

It does not guarantee that milestones will arrive at a particular age.

A Final Word From MyBoo

This activity does not need to look impressive.

It may begin with your newborn lifting their head for two seconds on your chest.

It may involve several failed floor attempts, a rolled towel, one very interesting mirror and a baby who strongly prefers looking left.

The purpose of tummy time is not to make your baby perform.

It is to offer safe, repeated opportunities to move against gravity, strengthen their body and explore a different position.

Start early.

Keep it short.

Stay close.

Change the position when needed.

Build gradually.

And remember that a baby who dislikes this position is not being difficult. They are learning a demanding new physical skill.

Continue with MyBoo: Baby Milestones Month by Month: What to Expect in the First Year

Still unsure which position suits your baby’s age or reflux pattern? Ask Boo, MyBoo’s 24/7 parenting guide for general guidance, and speak to your health visitor about individual developmental concerns.