Baby Bumpkin's Cat Pose - Developing Key Physical, Social and Communication Skills

By Sue Heron Tatty Bumpkin Coordinator and Paediatric Physiotherapist 

In this blog I describe Baby Bumpkin Cat Pose and outline the key benefits for both you and your baby.  

The Baby Bumpkin Cat Pose

Before you start - Precautions
For your baby 
When you are doing cat pose with your baby, never force the movements and keep looking at them- to make sure they are comfortable. If you feel any resistance, or your baby becomes unsettled, do stop. 
For you 
If you are a new mum, it's important to get the okay from your health visitor or midwife before you roll out your yoga mat! 


Cat Pose 1 - with Younger Babies or For You!

      

A gentle stretch for you and fun for your baby too!

Description of Cat Pose

• Settle your baby on a mat or towel in front of you and encourage them to look at you. 

• Keeping good eye contact with your baby, come up onto your hands and knees over your baby - this is ‘cat’ pose. 
• In cat pose you can gently stretch and mobilise your back muscles
• Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. Keep your back level, to do this you will have to tighten your tummy muscles – this is good!
• If you are a new mum your back will be slightly less stable so do the movements slowly and carefully. Be very careful not to over arch your back in either direction.

• In cat pose you can smile, nod and shake your head at your baby, even make funny faces and meowing sounds like a cat - just for fun! 

• If you feel confident to do so, bend your elbows to kiss your baby on their forehead, then straighten your arms - a mini ‘press up’. This is a great way to bond and have fun with your baby and also to strengthen your arms in preparation for carrying your growing baby.

• If you feel comfortable in cat pose, and you do not have any back problems, tuck your chin in towards your chest and gently arch your back towards the ceiling – like a cat having a stretch (see picture below). Try to breathe out and tighten your tummy muscles as you do this arching movement. Hold the position for a few seconds, breathing normally but keeping your tummy muscles tight. Then gently bring your back down to the starting position.

Gently arch your back towards the ceiling whilst breathing out.

N.B. Some mums might find that it is hard to put their hands flat on the ground in cat pose because their wrists are sore, if this is the case, make a fist with your hands and balance on your knuckles. However do try to keep gently stretching your wrists so that eventually you can do cat pose with your palms flat on the floor. 


Cat Pose 2 - for Tummy-time!

Cat Pose variation 1

• Once your baby is starting to gain control of their head, they can try cat pose across your thighs. This is a great way for your baby to experience ‘tummy time’ as they are in close contact with you for that added reassurance. 

• Gather a few of your baby’s favourite toys or a safe baby mirror which you can use to entertain your baby with once they are in cat pose. 

• Make yourself comfortable, sitting on a mat or cushion on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Try sitting with your back against a wall for added support. 

• Lay your baby on their tummy either:
• Across both of your thighs, gently tipping them upwards and backwards by lifting up the thigh which is under their shoulders (see picture below courtesy of pathways.org). If your baby is about 3 months they may start to push up from your thigh using their forearms - raising their head and chest up higher. As your baby lifts their head, carefully place one hand on their bottom, this will encourage them to push through their hips and will give them further support. 

 

• Across one of your thighs letting their knees rest on the floor. See variation 1 at beginning of this section. This position is ideal for older babies.

Note: Whilst doing cat pose with your baby always be guided by them, be careful not to overtire them. Keep looking at your baby’s face to check they are happy and keep talking to them so they are reassured. 

Other Activities - Walking the cat! 

If your baby is older (4 – 5 mths), and they are confident in cat pose, you can add a bit of movement by alternately bending and straightening your knees under them. Remember to keep talking or singing to your baby and stroking down their backs as you do this movement. 

Why Cat Pose is Good for Both You and Your Baby

Benefits of Cat Pose 1 

1. Bonding
As you move into cat pose, over your baby, you will be making it easier for them to look at you, hence you will be building up the relationship between you both. Your baby will love to gaze up at you -  you are your baby's best play mate. 

2. Early Communication Skills
Facial expressions, movements and sounds are your baby's first language, so as you smile and nod your head in cat pose you will be supporting their early communication skills. From about three months of age your baby may start to copy your facial expressions and gestures.  

3. Benefits of Cat Pose 1 for You 
As you move into cat pose you will be:

• Strengthening your shoulders, arms and wrists
• Stretching out your back muscles.  As you arch your back in cat pose you will be stretching your back muscles and gently mobilising your spine. 
• Strengthening your tummy muscles.  Often after pregnancy it is hard to ‘feel’ your tummy muscles - cat pose will help you to become more aware of these muscles. As you arch your back up and tighten your tummy muscles you will be encouraging these muscles to become more active, this is important, as your deeper tummy muscles help to support your back. 

But always be advised by your midwife or health visitor if you have any concerns about doing cat pose. 

Benefits of Tummy time Cat Pose 2 

• From birth your baby gradually gains control of their body, largely in a head-to-feet direction. Cat pose gives your baby the chance to refine their head and shoulder movements whilst still feeling close to you. When you do cat pose with your baby for short periods during the day you will see their developing skills i.e. 
• If your baby is 3 months old they will be starting to lift their head straight up and may be pushing down through their forearms. You may notice that your baby is now bringing their elbows directly underneath their shoulders (younger babies position their elbows behind their shoulders). This change of elbow position, is an important milestone, it allows your baby to control their head and upper body to look around whilst lying on their tummy.
• At about 4 months your baby is likely to be lifting their head and chest higher off your thighs in cat pose. They will feel more stable as their shoulders, hip, spine and tummy muscles become stronger.
• When your baby is 5 -6 months they will start to be able to shift their weight onto one arm so they can reach forward with the other - another crucial skill. Your baby may also start to push up on their hands, straightening their elbows.
  These reaching and pushing movements are wonderful for the development of your baby’s shoulder and hand muscles and provide the foundation for complex fine motor skills such as writing. In addition, as your baby pushes up on their hands, they will be refining their propping skills ready for sitting.
• At about 7 months your baby may well have a surge of activity! Whilst on their tummy they may tuck one knee under their chest and, crucially, at the same time push up with both hands so they move into the crawl position. Once on their hands and knees, they will enjoy rocking themselves forward and backwards as they stimulate their body senses.
  At this age you can try a progression of cat pose – place your baby over one of your thighs - with their hands and knees on either side (see picture below). In this position your baby can experience crawl position whilst feeling supported and close to you. 

Cat pose as a start to crawling

Our Baby Bumpkin Sessions – Nationwide

Please remember, for you and your baby to gain the full benefit of all the Baby Bumpkin Yoga and multi-sensory activities, find out about your local Baby Bumpkin class at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/classes/find-class.html. 

• Each Baby Bumpkin adventure is carefully linked to the national curriculums: Early Years Foundation Stage (England) or Pre-birth to Three (Scotland). 
• The sessions enhance and support your baby’s physical skills whilst developing their early communication, social and thinking skills.  
• Our qualified Baby Bumpkin Teachers are fully trained in aspects of baby development and Baby Yoga and are kept fully up-to-date by our professional team of paediatric physiotherapists, Yoga teachers and musicians.

The Baby Bumpkin Adventure this Week

If you are taking your baby to a Baby Bumpkin class this week you will go on an adventure with Baby Bumpkin and his friend Cat to find out what people do all day! Your baby will have a chance to: 

• Develop their physical skills as they do the cat and cycling poses with you. 

• Progress their early communication skills and enhance their bond with you as play as sleepy, stretchy cats to the Tatty Bumpkin cat song. 

Stretch out as a stretchy cat! 

• Progress their early visual, hand and thinking skills as they play with the building props.   

What house shall we build for cat?

• Have fun with others and develop their social skills as you ‘splash in puddles’ together to the Tatty Bumpkin instrumental track!  

• And finally, at the end of the session, enjoy a special moment of relaxation and bonding with you.  

Love Baby Bumpkin x

Why Not Work for Yourself? 

Maybe, you are thinking of a new career, which gives you:

• The opportunity to work with kids
• A great sense of job satisfaction and
• Flexible working to fit around your own family?

In which case - find out how you could be trained to deliver Baby and Tatty Bumpkin classes in your area at http://www.tattybumpkin.com/business/index.html. 

Introducing Baby Bumpkin!