Playing with Your Baby
As you probably have discovered these last few months, playing with your baby is fun, both for you and for her. How can you play now? Singing lullabies and massaging your baby will still be good things to do. Your baby will likely enjoy it if you read simple books, too.
New activities might involve toys that she can easily manipulate, like plastic rings that interlock, rattles, squeeze toys, soft blocks, and other simple, handheld toys. She will also enjoy looking at herself in a mirror, listening to music boxes, and interacting with a soft puppet on your hand.
Tummy Time
Putting an infant to sleep on her back means that she is on her stomach for only short periods of time or sometimes not at all. In addition to causing a flat head, this can cause an infant to be delayed in reaching some of her milestones, such as rolling over and crawling. Although even a baby who is hardly ever on her stomach will eventually reach these milestones, daily tummy time can help ensure that she won't be late.
Although studies have shown that some infants do have delayed development if they sleep only on their back, it is not a permanent effect. And while they may pick up milestones later than infants who sleep on their stomach, they still reach those milestones at what is considered to be a normal time.
In practicing daily tummy time, you simply put your baby on her stomach for short periods of time when she is awake. To make this more enjoyable, you can get down on the floor with your baby, or use some tummy-time toys, such as a playmat or gym. If your baby cries the whole time that she is on her tummy, limit each time to just a few minutes or wait a few weeks and then try again.
Playing on the Go
At this age your baby is likely to enjoy getting out more, especially once she has good head control and can sit up fairly well. You can take your baby out in a baby jogger or sports stroller, an infant carrier or sling, or just a regular stroller, to allow her to explore the world as you do things and get around too. Of course, you could simply carry her, but if you are going to be out for a while or if you are going on a long walk, a carrier or stroller will be more comfortable.
