Tummy time by age

Tummy time in one minute

Tummy time is any time your baby is awake on their tummy while you watch. It builds the neck, shoulder and core strength behind rolling, sitting and crawling, and it takes pressure off the back of the head.

Back to sleep, tummy to play. Tummy time is only for when your baby is awake and a grown-up is right there. Sleep is always on the back, on a firm, flat surface, with nothing else in the crib.

How much, by age

Newborn to 1 month

• How much: 2 to 3 sessions a day, 1 to 5 minutes each. Lots of short tries is perfect.
• What you’ll see: cheek down, quick head lifts and bobbing. That’s normal.

1 to 2 months

• How much: build up to about 15 to 30 minutes a day by around 7 weeks, in short sessions.
• What you’ll see: holds head up on tummy by about 2 months.

2 to 4 months

• How much: at least 30 minutes a day total, spread out while awake.
• What you’ll see: pushes up onto elbows or forearms by about 4 months.

4 to 6 months and up

• How much: as much floor play as your baby enjoys.
• What you’ll see: pushes up on straight arms, reaches, pivots and rolls tummy to back by about 6 months.

Start the day you come home from the hospital. Babies born early go by their adjusted age.

Five easy positions

• Chest to chest: recline, lay your baby on your chest and talk so they lift their head to see you. Recline flatter as they get stronger.
• Across your lap: tummy down over your legs, one hand on their back.
• Tummy-down carry: one hand under the tummy and chest, one supporting the head, and walk around the house.
• Face to face on the floor: lie down nose to nose. Your face is the best toy you own.
• Rolled towel: a small towel roll under the chest, arms forward over it, while you watch.

When your baby hates it

1. Go shorter and more often. Ten 1-minute tries count.
2. Start on your chest, then your lap, then the floor.
3. Pick a happy time, like after a diaper change or a nap.
4. Tuck their elbows under their shoulders so the arms help.
5. Stop before the tears and try again later. Most babies come around within a few weeks.

Ask your pediatrician if your baby

• Always turns or tilts their head to one side
• Has a flat spot on the head that isn’t getting better
• Isn’t lifting their head on their tummy by about 2 months, or pushing up on forearms by about 4 months
• Isn’t rolling by about 6 months
• Cries every time on their tummy after weeks of short, gentle practice

A pediatric physical therapist can help, and early help for tight neck muscles (torticollis) usually means a shorter road.

Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (Back to Sleep, Tummy to Play; 2022 safe sleep recommendations), the World Health Organization’s 2019 guidelines for children under 5 and the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” milestone checklists (2022). This guide is for education, not a diagnosis.