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Bonding From the Beginning
Use Baby's Senses to Create That Special Connection
By Kelly Burgess
If you're following the current recommendation of putting your baby on his or her back to sleep, then you need to begin to balance that in the third week of life by offering some tummy time.
Tummy time is merely a catchphrase for putting Baby on his stomach for a period of time to even out his development. It's important because babies who are always on their backs can develop a condition known as "occipital plagiocephaly of positional origin," which means that Baby's head is flatter on one side than the other from always lying in the same position.
Because they spend much of their first few weeks on their backs, babies will often fuss or cry when placed on their stomachs. It's important not to give up, though, because besides preventing a misshapen head, tummy time is important for your baby's overall physical development. As Baby pushes herself up on her arms and lifts her head, she strengthens her arm, neck and back muscles.
The best way to encourage Baby to stay on her stomach is to get down on yours. Rub her back, talk to her, show her how to push up on her arms – it may firm you up as well! As Baby gets older and more secure on his or her stomach, offer brightly-colored toys for him to look at and reach for. This will help motivate Baby to creep and crawl, which is the next important step in physical development.
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