Dr. Stephanie Lint teaches Tummy Time and Achieving Milestones at Main Line Family Education. Both classes have recently been made available in our on-demand library for busy parents to take at their convenience. We asked Dr. Lint a few questions about these classes and why they are so important.

Why is tummy time so important? What does this class cover?

Tummy time is a developmental class for babies from birth to 3 months that is focused on providing alternative, enjoyable tummy time positions to the traditional tummy time position of being flat on the floor. In addition, we cover what to expect during tummy time, ways to help your baby improve their tolerance if they are struggling, and tummy time milestones to look for so you know your baby is on track!

This class is so important because tummy time is the foundation of all of the developmental milestones throughout the first year of life! The strength that develops in tummy time allows your baby’s body to prepare for the big things that come next.

What milestones should I look for in my baby? What will I learn in this class?

Achieving Milestones is a developmental class for babies from 3-9 months that focuses on a variety of play activities and positions to help support your baby’s ability to meet their upcoming milestones! The big milestones covered in this class are rolling, sitting, moving in and out of sitting, crawling, and moving into a standing position.

This class is so important because it gives many fun ideas and options for play, how to use toys to best support your little one’s development, and will give your confidence a boost as a parent to be able to help your baby achieve their milestones! You will also come away with knowledge of when your baby should hit their milestones, and when to discuss with your pediatrician if you have concerns.

Should I only take these classes if I am struggling with tummy time or milestones?

While these classes are very helpful for babies who are struggling with tummy time or hitting their milestones, they are meant for everyone to enjoy and learn from! The information provided in these classes is meant to educate and empower parents to help their babies progress in their skills, whether they are having trouble or not.

How do I know what milestones my baby should be achieving?

In both classes, you will be provided with detailed age ranges that milestones should be achieved. If your baby is not hitting these milestones, it is a great idea to talk with your pediatrician and see if a pediatric physical therapy consultation is appropriate.

How does a pediatric physical therapist differ from my pediatrician or lactation consultant?

A pediatric physical therapist is an expert on childhood development, including alignment of the bones and muscles, motor patterns that should be used when the body is moving appropriately, and identifying tightness or loss of range of motion. We are skilled in hands on techniques to help your baby to the fullest.

Pediatricians are experts in the whole child, and typically know when a child needs physical therapy, but they are not able to give the support that a PT can to help your baby make progress.

Lactation consultants are experts in infant breast and bottle feeding and can often help identify when a baby has tightness in their body that may be interfering with feeding. However, they cannot give exercises to help with the tightness and therefore they send their clients to a PT for extra support!

Do you have tips for tummy time with a baby who has reflux or spits up?

Wait at least 20 minutes to try tummy time after a feed, then start tummy time in an upright position for short amounts of time to reduce pressure on the belly. This should help with tolerance and preventing spit up!

What if my baby enjoys tummy time? Is there anything else that I will learn from the class?

Yes! If your baby enjoys tummy time you will still learn about all the different tummy time positions available to continue to support their development.

Tummy Time (0-3 months) and Achieving Milestones (3-9 months) are both available on-demand to take whenever is best for you and your family. If you have any additional questions about these classes, please reach out to us at info@mlfed.com!