belly down toes out

Babies are miraculous and watching them develop and change so quickly month to month is unreal. When we were expecting our baby boys my wife and I definitely felt overwhelmed by all the baby “stuff” out there. Different cribs, swings, bouncers, activity centers, chairs, strollers, diaper brands—- you name it. The baby industry is full of so many things that are marketed as being important to have. Luckily we came across two occupational therapists (who are also moms) who reminded my wife and I that less is more. 


When babies are born they have nine major primitive reflexes. Six of them are more commonly talked about like the moro, sucking, rooting, babinski, startle, and grasp reflexes. Stepping, tonic neck (fencer’s reflex), truncal incurvation, and parachute reflexes are far less talked about. Some of these reflexes integrate (go away) as early as two months. Others stick around for almost a year. Some reflexes that we’re born with never go away such as blinking, sneezing, coughing, and yawning. 


Over the past few years, I’ve learned that the more “free movement” babies can experience, the faster these reflexes integrate which leads to a happier baby who tends to crawl and walk earlier. The best advice is to spend as much time as possible on the floor with your baby until they’re off the floor aka tummy time and crawling and then walking. While sometimes a bouncy chair is necessary for mom and dad to take a shower or unload the dishwasher, babies who spend too much time inside “containers” can develop what’s being called “container baby syndrome”. Containers such as strollers, bouncy chairs, car seats, swings, high chairs, bumbos, activity centers, and walkers limit a baby’s free movement. On average, babies spend about 6 hours a day in containers. The actual goal is for baby to spend 15-20 minutes in a “container” only twice a day when you need to keep baby safe and be productive with two hands. Container baby syndrome actually can lead to movement problems as well as cognitive, speech, and social/emotional delays. 


But instead of focusing on the negatives of container baby syndrome, I’m going to focus on the “what can I do” aspect. My number one advice is to focus on tummy time. Some babies really do not enjoy tummy time. What a lot of parents don’t realize is when an adult is laying in a reclined position on the couch and baby lays on their belly on our chest- this actually counts as tummy time. A lot of babies enjoy laying so close to mom and dad- breathing in their familiar smells and listening to their heartbeat. Bonus points for doing this skin to skin— this actually helps baby regulate their nervous system even more and helps with bonding. On the other hand, when trying to work on tummy time on the ground, getting down on the ground with your baby and talking with them eye to eye can also help. Again, being close to baby helps to calm them and regulate their nervous system. Instead of just laying baby directly onto their belly, I recommend laying your baby on their back and then slowly rolling them into (and out of) tummy time. At first this can literally just last a minute or two. The goal however is to build up sessions that are closer to 10-15 minutes at a time as baby gets older. While baby is working on tummy time, it’s best for their toes to be out— not in socks or a footy onesie. Remember: belly down, toes out. This helps give baby even more awareness of their body and helps with coordination and brain mapping. 
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