Your newborn is rapidly adjusting to their new environment and already developing essential motor skills, starting with head control, which most babies work on for at least six months. Understandably, the first month will require your support as their head and neck will be floppy.
Your role is to encourage the conditions that support the natural progression of their motor skills. For head and neck control, here are two things you can facilitate in month one:
Free movement:Offer plenty of chances to freely stretch and wiggle on the floor, including short doses of tummy time, which helps them build the strength needed to progress. It's typical for tummy time at first to only be a few minutes long.
Gentle side-to-side stretches:Observe for an early preference, keeping their head turned to one side, and try to entice them to look the other way. You can do this by placing a high-contrast black-and-white pattern card in the direction you want them to look during floor time. Encouraging them to turn side to side can prevent tightness in the neck.
By the end of the first month, you may notice them briefly holding their head up during tummy time. Even these brief moments are big strength builders! By 3-4 months, most babies show noticeable strides in head and neck control and may even start doing mini push-ups during tummy time.