Movement Milestones Archives - Fit and Flow Physiotherapy

Achieve your Baby’s Motor Milestones with our Physios

Early on, your baby is working hard just to overcome gravity… a heavy head and weighty limbs definitely feels different compared to moving within the fluid filled womb.

Spending some time lying on their side during those short, wakeful periods after a nappy change allows your baby to use gravity in their favour , helping them bring hand to hand and hands to mouth.

The trick to side lying is feeling well supported!

Use a rolled towel behind your baby’s back and tuck the end between your baby’s thighs. Next, position your baby’s top leg with knee towards chest (the towel should resemble the letter J ).

In this position, your baby will be able to bring their hands to touch and hands to mouth.

Hand to hand and hand to mouth movements are early skills that will progress to significant motor milestones, such as their ability to manipulate an object or toy, bring an object or toy to their mouth (a form of exploration) and eventually feed themselves

To encourage the action of bringing hands together and to the mouth:

• Spend some time with your baby supported in side lying

• When your baby begins to show an interest in toys, use an ‘O’ ball or rings that are easy to grasp with both hands and light enough to lift to the mouth

Contact Our Sutherland Shire Baby Physios today for more tips on achieving your baby’s motor milestones.

Tummy Time with Your Baby

We’ve all heard how important tummy time is for your baby to develop skills to move! From tummy time your baby will learn to roll, pivot, creep and crawl BUT there is so much more to gain from it…⁠

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Early tummy time such as chest to chest (YES, this counts!) provides an opportunity for you and your baby to bond It has been shown to calm and regulate a baby’s temperature, heart beat and breathing rate, which will aid in digestion and deep sleep. Later on, tummy time is not only incredibly useful for the development of neck, shoulder, trunk and hip muscle strength but also assists in the development of depth perception, spatial awareness and hand eye coordination In saying all that, we appreciate that tummy time is not always easy! Tummy time can be challenging for little ones but does not have to be a stressful experience!⁠

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Here are some tips to have you both enjoying your tummy time more:⁠

1.Chest to chest is a lovely way to introduce the position of tummy time⁠

2.Position your baby’s hands by their face and tuck elbows to give them the best chance of lifting their head⁠

3.Once you transition to the floor, use a folded towel to lift your baby’s chest ever so slightly⁠

4.Use a mirror or get down low to interact with your baby in tummy time. Seeing your face is incredibly motivating!⁠

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Having difficulty with tummy time? Get in touch to see what is involved in a paediatric physiotherapy consultation