#35 The TummyTime Method with Michelle Emanuel, OTR/L, CIMI, CST, NBCR, RYT200

Today is Wednesday, October 21, 2020 and we will be discussing the TummyTime Method with its creator, occupational therapist Michelle Emanuel. Michelle comes to us with more than 20 years of experience as an occupational therapist who worked with babies in a neonatal intensive care unit and in pediatrics and eventually saw the need for a private practice, where she also weaves her passion for anatomy as an cranio-sacral therapist, myofunctional therapist, infant massage instructor and she’s also a yoga teacher, too! She developed the TummyTime Method and trademarked it after she noticed that there was so much more to having babies play on their bellies and how integrating physiological and anatomical movements, along with touch and play, can impact how babies feed, digest and connect with their parents and caregivers.  
In this episode, we discuss:
~the background of the Back to Sleep Campaign and tummy time?
~what occupational therapists do in a NICU
~how Michelle developed the TummyTime Method
~when to start it, how to do it, how often, what if baby cries
~what if baby rolls over on their own before 4 months, especially when parents are trying to have baby spend time on their belly
~the various areas that the TummyTime Method addresses...
Postural Asymmetries  (Torticollis, head turning or feeding preference to one side)
Plagiocephaly / Brachycephaly / Scaphocephaly (cranial molding or flattening)
Oral Restrictions (Tongue, Lip and Buccal Ties)
GI issues, Reflux, colic type symptoms, decreased bowel movements, etc
Fussiness, Armoring, Stiffness, Body Tension
Sensory Processing and Integration Sensitivities and Difficulties
Latch and Breastfeeding Issues
Oral Rest Posture / Tongue Posture Deficits
Breathing issues:  snoring, squeaky breathing, laryngomalacia, etc
 
You can learn more about Michelle and the TummyTime Method at tummytimemethod.com.