Photo: iStockphoto
Father-of-two, Graham Bignell, suspects he?s discovered the ideal surface for a baby to have a little tummy time?Dad?s chest. He started it with his son, Aidan, now five, and continues today with four-month-old Carina.
?There are very few things so rewarding for such little effort,? Bignell says. ?It gives her the exercise she needs, and it absolutely helps build your relationship with your baby?you are providing the comfort of your warmth and the security of being held, all while just lying on your back.?
Given the recommendation that babies sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS, it?s important that they spend time on their tummies too. Not only does this prevent a flattened head (which can happen when babies spend too much time on their backs or in car seats) but, as the Simcoe-Muskoka (Ont.) District Health Unit says on its website, ?your baby has to have time on her tummy so she can develop the strength and skills she will need for crawling, walking and using her hands.? Belly-down

The challenge is that many babies simply don?t enjoy being put belly-down on the floor. Kim Rechil says her five-month-old daughter, Kalixa, is not a fan of tummy time. ?We started doing it right from the day she was born, but she would start crying in less than a minute.?
Arie Brentnall-Compton, who leads support groups for mothers in Edmonton, says Rechil isn?t alone. ?I?ve had mothers burst into tears at the mere mention of tummy time because they find it so stressful.?
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