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Helen Dandurand (Host): Welcome back to the Well Within Reach podcast. I'm your host Helen Dandurand, and today I'm going to be joined by Jill Kollmann, Nursery Nurse here at Riverside to talk a little bit about tummy time.

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Host: And we are back with Jill. Thanks for joining us today.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Hello Helen. Thanks for having me.

Host: Of course. So to get started, you haven't been on the podcast before. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Sure, sure. Like you said, my name's Jill Kollmann. I am a nurse here in the nursery at Riverside. I started working in the OB department way back in 1983.

Host: Wow.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Probably before you were even born.

Host: Yes.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: So I've gotten the pleasure of working in all of the different areas of OB, but I currently work in the nursery and I think I have to say even 42 years later that I still have one of the best jobs there is out there.

Host: That's amazing. What do you love about it?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: I love that I get to be with the families. I get to be there when the babies are born, help take care of them right away. Obviously, intervene when that's needed. But then even more than that, like help to support the moms and the families as they're learning how to take care of themselves and the new baby and just the whole family impact. It just is really special.

Host: That's awesome. It really does sound like maybe one of the most fun nurse jobs you could have. I would say it is.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: It really is. Uhhuh.

Host: Cool. So today we're going to talk about tummy time, like I said before. Could you tell us a little bit about. What that is. Why it's important for baby's development and yeah, the benefits it provides.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Sure. First of all, tummy time, just so we're clear, means putting the baby down on their tummy when they're awake and when someone is there to watch them. You never want to put a baby down on their tummy when they're not supervised. And why it's important is it helps them to develop their strength. It helps them to develop their neck strength, their shoulders, their arms, and their core strength. And we all know how important that core strength is. But it really is everything that they need to start doing the things like holding their head up, pushing up, and then later like rolling over, sitting up and crawling.

And then it also does help to prevent flat spots on the back of the baby's heads.

Host: Okay. At what age should parents start incorporating tummy time into their baby's routine?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Well, it really can be started right away. A lot of times in the hospital, like things are busy there, so you know, we don't really focus too much on the hospital, but you can start it right away when you go home from the hospital. And it can just be short sessions of maybe two or three minutes even, several times a day. It doesn't have to be a long thing.

Host: Okay, cool. There isn't like any sort of recommended timeline that you should be doing, or like should it be expanding as the baby gets older, that kind of thing?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Yes, yes. So like I said, it can just be short sessions in the beginning because I mean, if you think about it with a newborn baby, they don't really have much control over themselves at all. And so they're not probably going to tolerate very long at all. But as the baby gets older, then you can do it for longer sessions at a time and pediatricians and the AAP, I believe actually recommend that by the time the baby's two months old, they should be spending at least 15 to 30 minutes of tummy time during the day.

Host: Okay, awesome. So what are some tips then for making tummy time maybe a little more enjoyable for babies who don't like it or are bored? I don't know.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Sure. Yeah. I think when we think about tummy time, I think it's easy to like, think it's got to be this big structured thing and it really should just be something that's enjoyable for both the mom and the baby or, whoever the parent is or person that's holding them.

But, in the beginning, again, it can be something really short and tummy time doesn't have to always be down on the floor. Tummy time can just be laying the baby on your chest, you know, maybe kind of relaxing back in a chair with the baby on the tummy and just talking to them, playing with them, just a bonding time or whatever.

 So anytime the baby is prone on their tummy, then they do start to begin to lift their head and strengthen those muscles. So it can be as easy as that. As the baby gets bigger, you can do different things with them. Also, something to do if the baby's really getting frustrated is make sure you're picking a good time for the baby.

You want the baby to be comfortable. You want them to be rested, not hungry. You know, maybe like after a diaper change or just after a nap or something like that. Or you can use things like you can put a blanket underneath the baby's chest to help them, you know, if you're down on the floor, to help them kind of raise themselves up.

Or even a lot of parents use the Boppy pillows where they can like rest the baby over the top of that to kind of elevate them a little bit. Again, when you're using, especially when you're using anything like that, you want to make sure that the baby's supervised when you're doing that.

Host: Great. I'm going to take a quick break really quick to talk about primary care at Riverside.

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And we are back. So are there any specific safety guidelines that parents should follow during tummy time?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Okay, sure. So particularly if you're doing tummy time on the floor, you want to use a flat firm surface. You don't want to put the baby on like a soft, squishy pillow or mattress because they need that firmness to be able to push up off of. So you want to have a blanket spread out on the floor, maybe.

Obviously you don't want to have anything within the baby's reach that could be like a choking hazard or anything like that. And then, like I said, you just never want to leave the baby alone. No matter what's going on, you need to be supervising them when they're on their tummy. So you always want to avoid having the baby asleep when you're putting them down on their tummy. You want to make sure that they're awake because if they're sleeping on their tummy, that's obviously not a safe place for them to sleep.

 It's also important to share all those guidelines with grandparents and friends that might be involved in doing tummy time with the baby too. Because it's all of our goal to keep the baby safe.

Host: Yeah, absolutely. How can tummy time, you mentioned this before, it helps with conditions kind of like flathead syndrome, so how does it do that?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Because the recommendation is for babies to sleep on their backs, newborns especially, sleep a lot. So they spend a lot of time on their back and that's where that flat head can, you know, kind of happen if the baby is always on their back. So not only sleeping, but also like when they're sitting in a car seat or a swing or whatever, they're in that position.

So anything that you can do to keep them off of that position or allow them plenty of time off of that position will help to lessen that flathead syndrome that might happen.

Host: Great. And if they enjoy it, is there like a too much amount of time to have them do that, if they're having a good time or not really?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: No, I don't think so. I really don't think so. If the baby is having a good time and you're having a good time, I would say go for it.

Host: Yeah. What are some signs that tummy time is working and baby is building strength?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: So you'll start to notice that your baby is starting to lift their head more. They'll gain more head control, and then they'll start to push up on their arms from that position as they grow. And then it helps them to build the strength that they need in their arms and legs to progress to the rolling over, the sitting up and eventually crawling and walking. So basically it helps them to meet the milestones that they need to meet as they're growing.

Host: Got it. Are there any toys that you've seen, or activities that are really fun for tummy time?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: So there's all kinds of things out there in the market. You see like the baby gyms, like different things like that. So sure the baby needs something interesting to look at to keep their attention. But honestly, I think the very best thing is the human face. You know, get down on the level with the baby. Make it be fun for both of you. Talk, play, sing, whatever. But they're engaging with the face, I really feel is the best thing for them to use. So you can get all kinds of things, but it doesn't have to be hard or expensive.

Host: Sure. That makes sense. What advice do you have for parents who might feel worried that their baby isn't making enough progress with tummy time?

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: So first off, I say just try all kinds of different ways of doing it. Don't be afraid to start out small. Like I said, it doesn't have to be a 20 minute session three times a day or anything like that, especially in the beginning.

It can be really short times. Again, make sure it's a time when the baby's comfortable, because if the baby's hungry or dirty or something like that, it's kind of like asking you to do a plank for several minutes when you're hungry, you need to go to the bathroom or whatever. Like that just isn't fun for anybody.

 So, you know, those are some different things that you can try. I would say don't put too much pressure on yourself. Like this doesn't have to be a big thing. This is a fun thing that's helping your baby to grow. But above all, if the parent is really concerned about something, or even not just really concerned, if they're concerned, obviously they should always be talking with their pediatrician or their healthcare care provider.

They're always there to help. So if there is anything that's not progressing the way that it should, they can help to intervene when necessary. And we really all are a team in helping to keep your baby healthy and growing and to keep everybody happy and safe.

Host: Great. Well thank you. I learned a little bit today, and I'm glad you were able to join us.

Jill Kollmann, RN-MNN, BSN: Okay. Thank you for having me.

Host: Of course. And thank you listeners for tuning into the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. For more information, visit riversidehealthcare.org.