Ok, I admit. I totally “cheated” on tummy time with my first. I was 28. She was… well, 0. Not too long after giving birth, I went back to my PR agency job, and frankly, after those long days, I just wasn’t adult enough to bear through 2 hours of her crying on her tummy side. Today with my second, Otteroo has given me a fun and all around, developmentally beneficial way to do tummy time without all the tears.
How?
Tummy time is physically and mentally challenging for babies because they’re “stuck” facedown on the floor. Sure, you can entice them with their favorite toy, but if they can’t reach it, they get super frustrated very quickly. In the water, it’s different. This gravity-reduced zone makes tummy time so much easier and rewarding for my baby. He actually loves being on his belly, and gains confidence while trying new things like reaching, rolling and crawling around the tub!
Why do it?
- With just a bit of arm or leg movement, baby can propel around the tub
- Lets baby experience rolling over, reaching and crawling way before they can on land
- Stretches out their back and front side and strengthens their core muscles
How to do it:
- Place your baby on their belly while in Otteroo
- Encourage them to move with your voice or bath toys
- Pull them back or rotate them around to have them go in the other direction once they reach the other end of the tub
Tips:
- Make bathtub water lower so baby can easily touch the bottom of the tub with their hands*
- Use tub toys as incentive to reach and crawl towards things
- If your baby is older, you can try putting their hands under them so they can try pushing up against the tub floor to propel their body forward