Infant Positioning
Using different positions with your infant throughout the day supports the development of your baby’s nervous system, sensory systems, and musculoskeletal system. By alternating your baby’s position, you are able to provide new strengthening opportunities, new sights to explore, new sensory experiences, and new ways to interact and bond with your baby! Try the following infant positioning strategies throughout your day.
Awake Positioning:
Prone (Tummy time!)
Tummy time is a play position that allows our babies to strengthen and develop their neck, back, and abdominal muscles as well as the muscles through the shoulders and arms. The strength built through the tummy time position lays the groundwork for a huge number of developmental skills (from gross motor skills like crawling, standing and walking, to fine motor skills like grasping, self-feeding, and writing). Tummy time also provides our babies with key sensory input and is a contributing factor to their visual development.
Research indicates that babies with frequent tummy time opportunities have higher outcomes in motor skills and overall development and are at a decreased risk for the development of flat head syndrome and torticollis (tight neck muscles). One specific study suggests that infants who can tolerate 90 minutes of tummy time by 4 months demonstrate improved gross motor skills as compared to those who do not tolerate as much tummy time. Tummy time can be performed in a variety of ways and easily incorporated throughout your day; see our Tummy Time blog post for more information!
Supine (On his/her back)
Another great play position is on your baby’s back. While this may seem simple, there are a lot of development and strengthening opportunities taking place! Your baby is working to focus on and follow visual stimuli in his environment, lift his arms and legs up off the surface, engage his core (think sit ups and leg lifts!), and perform all of these in a coordinated manner for the first time! Try engaging your baby face to face from this position and have her track your face from left to right. Smile, laugh, and talk to your baby. This is a great position for your little one to explore his or her body. Bringing hands to mouth, hands to knees, and hands to feet allows for body exploration as well as general strengthening. Overhead gyms can also be a great tool to entertain your baby while playing on her back.
Side Lying
Playing in side lying is another great play position for infants of all ages. This position strengthens core muscles on all sides of your baby’s body while providing new sensory experiences. This position also allows for proper rib cage development. It more easily allows your baby to bring his/her hands to midline (the middle of the body) which is an important developmental skill. Furthermore, working in side lying along with other developmental positions helps to promote a rounded head. Begin side lying play even before your baby can maintain the position by using a towel roll or pillow to support them; be sure to work both sides! Pro tip: lay down next to your baby while they play in side lying to engage your baby, promote bonding, and rest yourself!
Sleep Positioning:
The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) has published several recommendations as part of its Safe to Sleep Campaign, which has successfully decreased the incidence of SIDS. Guidelines include, but are not limited to:
Place babies on their back to sleep
Use a flat, firm sleep surface
Sleep in parents’ room on a separate surface designed for infants
Keep baby’s sleep space free from soft objects and loose bedding, including crib bumpers, stuffed animals, pillows, etc.
Baby may wear a sleep sack or swaddle
Transition out of the swaddle when baby is showing signs of rolling
Swaddling
Swaddling is a way to protect your newborn from their natural startle reflex. A blanket wrapped around your baby’s body can resemble the mother’s womb and will help to soothe you newborn. The AAP says that when done correctly, swaddling can be an effective technique to help calm infants and promote sleep (for both baby and you!). It is important to keep in mind to limit how tight the swaddle is on your baby’s legs. Studies have found that straightening and tightly wrapping a baby’s legs can lead to hip dislocation or hip dysplasia. Commercial products for swaddling, such as sleep sacks, usually have a loose pouch or sock for the baby’s legs and feet, allowing plenty of hip movement. A few sleeper systems deemed “Hip-Healthy” by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute include:
Anna & Eve LLC, The Swaddle Strap
Embé, Embé 2-Way Swaddle
Halo, Sleep Sack Products and Deluxe Swaddle
Just Born, Simple Secure Swaddle
Swanling, Slumber Sleeper
Gunamuna, Gunapod Swaddle Sack
Love to Dream, Swaddle Up Hip Harness Swaddle
Transitioning out of the swaddle
According to the AAP, babies should transition out of the swaddle when they are beginning to show signs of rolling. Signs that your baby may be rolling soon include: playing with his/her feet and rolling from back to his/her side.
Try this strategy to help your baby transition out of a swaddle to a sleep sack: first, swaddle baby with 1 arm in and 1 arm out for several nights; next, try swaddling with both arms out for several nights; finally, transition your baby to a sleep sack.
Other Considerations:
Containers
While there are a huge number of baby devices on the market, the best place to play with your baby is on the floor! Large amount of time spent in baby “containers” (bouncy seat, swing, car seat, etc.) early in infancy can increase the risk of developing torticollis (tight neck muscles) and plagiocephaly (flattened head). Babies who spend a lot of time in containers have also been found to score lower on motor development as compared to babies who have low container use. Try to limit the use of containers and offset time spent in containers with open floor play and tummy time.
Symmetry
When playing with your baby in the above developmental positions, try to work both sides to give your baby symmetrical development opportunities. Here are some other tips to promote symmetry in your baby’s development:
Alternate which arm you use to carry or feed your baby
Alternate the direction in which you lay your baby down in his/her crib
Alternate to which side your baby’s head turns as you lay him/her down to sleep
**If you notice your baby has a preference to turn his/her head or look only in one direction, reach out to Tiny Transformations for a consultation! Early identification of developmental delays and muscle imbalance is key for treatment.