bellyfacing

Bellyfacing is a term used to describe the orientation of a person’s torso with the abdomen directed toward a surface or toward the front of the body. In many professional contexts, the closest formal concept is the prone position, where a person lies face down and the belly is facing the supporting surface. The term is sometimes used informally to refer to any posture in which the front of the body is oriented toward the ground or forward.

Because bellyfacing overlaps with the prone position, it appears in discussions of sleeping postures, physical therapy, and developmental care. In infants, systematic guidance emphasizes supervised wakeful activities that promote motor development (tummy time), while safe-sleep guidelines generally recommend that infants sleep on their backs to reduce risk. For adults, bellyfacing can occur during certain exercises, massages, or positions in which the torso is oriented downward, such as some relaxation or stretching practices.

Variations and related terms include prone (lying face down) and front-lying positions, with the opposite being supine (lying on the back). The exact usage of bellyfacing can vary by discipline and context, and it is often treated as a lay term that complements more precise anatomical language. Overall, bellyfacing describes a frontward or downward orientation of the torso rather than a distinct, widely codified posture.