Transcript: Tummy Time Without Tears: 5 Powerful Ways to Build Confident Little Movers!

This is a text transcript from The First Time Mum’s Chat podcast. The episode is called Tummy Time Without Tears: 5 Powerful Ways to Build Confident Little Movers! and you can click on the link to view the full episode page, listen to the episode and view the show notes.

Hi, and welcome to First Time Mum’s Chat. I’m Helen Thompson, a baby massage instructor and child care educator, and a passionate advocate for supporting moms just like you as you navigate those precious, but sometimes overwhelming earlier months of parenthood. First time Mum’s Chat is here to offer you real world support, gentle encouragement, and practical tools to help you connect with your baby and feel more confident every step of the way.

In this new series, ‘Move, Play, Grow’, we’re looking at how movement and music can become the secret ingredients to helping your baby thrive from those early tummy time sessions all the way to those first wobbly steps.

Have you ever found yourself wondering, why does my baby hate tummy time or worrying am I doing it right? Well, you are not alone, and today’s episode is here to offer you fresh hope. I’ll share a beautiful story about a mom and her four months old baby who once struggled with tummy time too, and how a simple shift in presence, rhythm and connection turned their struggles into shared moments of joy and discovery.

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with new ideas you can start today and a whole new perspective on how tummy time isn’t just about strength, but about connection, confidence, and laying the foundation for your baby’s future growth.

So if you are ready to transform tummy time into a moment of magic for you and your baby, let’s get started.

Building upon earlier discussions on this podcast on tummy time, this series goes beyond the basics. It’s all about how movement and the rhythm of music can capture your baby’s development from those early floor sessions, right through to toddlerhood. References to my previous podcast on tummy time are in the show notes.

Let’s kick this episode off with a personal story. I remember working with a lovely mum and her four month old baby when I was working in the baby room in a childcare center. One day she came in to observe and as she entered, she noticed a few of the babies happily lying on their tummies, lifting their heads, gazing around.

I lay beside them chatting and humming gently. She looked a bit surprised and said, I wish my baby would do that. He just hates tummy time at home. I invited her to come down onto the mat beside him and suggested she speak softly or hum a gentle lullaby. Something rhythmatic and calming. She was hesitant at first, but she gave it a try, and as her voice carried a gentle tune, something shifted.

Her baby paused, looked up, and for the first time, stayed on his tummy for more than just a few seconds. Over the next few weeks, that little boy began to push up more, wriggle his legs and even start to scoot slightly. His mum had found her rhythm, not just musically, but emotionally. She stopped treating tummy time like a task and began to see it as a chance to connect.

What stood out most wasn’t how long he stayed on his tummy, but how present and engaged he became. It was the beginning of something bigger, movement as communication. He was beginning to show her, I’m getting stronger, I’m learning about my body, and I’m ready for more. That moment I shared with the mom humming gently beside her baby during tummy time, wasn’t just heartwarming. It was a perfect example of something I’ve seen time and time again in both my baby massage classes and my work in childcare settings. When we slow down, tune in and meet babies where they are those early floor moments become so much more than just physical milestones, whether it’s a baby lifting their head for the first time, or a wriggling toddler discovering their body through music and rhythm. I’ve seen firsthand how movement supports connection, growth, and confidence from the ground up.

Tummy time isn’t just about strengthening neck muscles. It is your baby’s first experience of seeing the world from a new perspective, and it’s a crucial step in helping them understand where their body begins and ends. When your baby pushes up on their arms or turns their head from side to side, they’re building important skills, coordination, core strengths and spatial awareness, all of which lead to rolling, crawling, and eventually walking. Here’s what’s truly magical. These moments also help develop your baby’s vestibular system. That’s their sense of balance and their sense of where their body is in space. These help them feel grounded and safe in their little bodies. Movement also fuels brain development. Every time your baby shifts their weight or looks toward a sound, they’re building neural pathways, strengthening the connections between their body and their brain.

Tummy time lays the groundwork for a curiosity driven moment. It helps your baby feel more confident, exploring their environment, reaching for toys, and eventually scooting across the room with determination and delight. When you combine tummy time with music, your voice, a gentle beat or soft melody, it becomes more than a motor skill exercise. It becomes an experience. It invites rhythm, connection, and a joy into their learning. In my work in childcare, as a nanny and in my baby massage classes, I’ve had the joy of watching so many babies grow into their bodies through movement.

One little boy I worked with really stands out. He had been quite resistant to tummy time at first. For weeks he’d only tolerated short bursts, just a few minutes here and there before the tears would start. His mum used to say to me, he just doesn’t like it, I don’t think he’ll ever crawl. I reassured her this was totally normal and we took it one day at a time.

With gentle encouragement, quiet time on the floor, and some background musical humming, to help him feel more relaxed, he began to stay on his tummy a little longer each day. We never pushed it, it was always about noticing his cues and following his lead. Then one day, he surprised us all, he pushed a little taller, rocked his body slightly, and gave a determined little scoot, forward. His mom gasped and laughed, did you see that, he moved? It was such a small movement, but such a big one too. You could see in his eyes he was ready and from there he kept going. A little wriggle turned into a scoot, and eventually that became a proper crawl. Moments like this remind us that these early scoot movements and tummy time wriggles are much more than physical development.

They’re your baby’s first step into exploring the world, building confidence and discovering that they have urgency. That’s exactly what we’re talking about in the next episode. How your baby moves from tummy time into crawling, scooting , and those early bursts of independent exploration. It’s an exciting phase and it’s full of wonder and learning for both of you. So if you are in that stage right now, when your baby resists tummy time, or you are unsure whether it is really doing anything, I just want to reassure you it matters, and it’s okay if progress looks slow or a little wobbly at first. What feels like a small wriggle today may be the beginning of a big milestone tomorrow.

Whether you are humming softly beside your baby on the mat, or simply giving them space to explore at their own pace, you are helping them build their strengths, confidence and trust, they’ll carry with them as they grow and remember, you don’t have to do this perfectly. You just have to be present. In our next episode, we’ll be sharing more about how babies transition from tummy time into crawling, scouting and early exploration, and how you can gently support the next phase of movement with rhythm, music and connection.

Thank you so, so much for joining me on this episode of First Time Mum’s Chat. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen and be a part of our community. If today’s discussion on transforming tummy time into bonding experience resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share your experience or any questions you might have by reaching out on Instagram at @firsttimemumschat or by sending me an email.

Looking ahead. In our next episode, we’ll dive into the exciting transition from tummy time to crawling and early exploration. We’ll explore how you can support your baby’s development during this phase with gentle movement, rhythm, and connection. Also, I’m considering launching a teething workshop. If this is something you’d find beneficial, please let me know. Your feedback will help shape the course to best meet your needs.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your reviews help other first time moms Discover the podcast and join our supportive community. Until next time, remember, you don’t have to do this perfectly, you just have to be present.