BabyWhispererForums.com
ACTIVITY => Activity Time & Toddler Activity => Topic started by: joannec on October 19, 2005, 06:45:11 am
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Hi everyone,
My almost 12 week old HATES tummy time. I've done all the usual to help (I think) enjoy it but no! He gets fussy after a minute tops and any longer results in tears etc. I've tried varying the times of day etc to no avail. Robin Barker's Baby Love book says blow it! It's not that important and don't bother, especially of it's stressfu; but my midwife/early childhood nurse is adamant that it is essential. Any thoughts or current evidence based findings would either soothe my mind or not, but at least then, I'll know whether to persist or not. Thanks guys,
Jo
(mother to Noah 29/7/05)
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It certainly does help back and neck strength but I don't know of research going either way, except for it being recommended (although a friend of mines dd didn't like tt and never rolled or crawled, she bum shuffled and then went on to walking). If it were me I'd probably take my baby to an osteopath to check that there's nothing physical causing pain and discomfort - ie tight neck/back muscles etc from the pregnancy or birth.
Not sure what things you've tried, but here are some that come to mind:
Have you tried lying on the floor with baby on top of you looking down at you
Baby lying across your lap face down
Baby lying tummy on the floor with an interesting movie on tv (baby einstein or something) to distract
Oh, and one minute is better than nothing, so I'd persevere with what he'll let you do.
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Jo,
I don't have any research for you but I do believe it is important for building muscle strength in their necks and upper body. We are given alot of literature that stresses tummy time too.
What I did was roll a large blanket up and put a quilt over it so that my lo would have her chest up on the roll and her arms hanging over. This way, she could look down at the toys below her head and start to move her hands to touch them. It was way better than having her face planted in the floor, getting all frustrated. I had her do her tummy time like this until she could hold up her neck, then removed the roll.
HTH
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My DD hated it too. She actually slept on her tummy from about 6 weeks but she hated play time tummy time. I think it might have been due to her reflux that she didn't like it. As soon as we had that under control, she loved tummy time! So I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep trying every now and then coz babies change their minds on a daily basis!
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I did not know it was important to have tummy time :oops: . How often should I aim for a few min in each A-time or just once a day and for how long?
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I give my dd as much tummy time as she can handle. She now rolls onto her tummy as soon as she's on the floor and can stay there for a good 15mins playing with her toys in front of her before fussing. Start off slowly and if your bub is happy, just offer it a couple of times a day, maybe when you do nappy changes if you like. Tummy time is directly linked to being able to crawl - although some babies who don't like tummy time will sit independently and then lean forward and begin crawling that way.
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Thanks for the helpful and quick replies Nikki, Ankie and others :D
I was told that TT doesn't work if he's not on a hard surface, to which I correctly responded that my stomach certainly wouldn't count for one, ha ha. However, I did try him lying on my tummy tonight and he didn't fuss for at least 2 or 3 minutes which is a great improvement. I also love the rolled up towel/mat/blanket option and will add that in tomorrow. Very much appreciated, BTW, I haven't come across any research either but will post a link if I find anything good.
Cheers, Jo
DS - Noah 29/7/05
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Hi Travis's mum, sorry I forgot to add this to my last post :oops:
I guess tummy time shoud be at least 10 to 15 mins a day as my midwife stressed if he only does it for 1 minute I should aim to do it 10 to 12 times a day!! I think at this stage, that's not going to happen but I'm going to try for at least 3 or 4 lots of 1 to 2 minutes. One of the Moderators might know the recommended amount, they are excellent.
Cheers, Jo
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My ds hates tummy time too. I know it's important, but seriously, what's better: letting your baby SCREAM bloody murder so he gets his exercise, or having him have a different kind of activity time that may or may not delay walking?
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Hi Joey's mum,
I agree, I'm only going to do it each session until he wants to cry and then end it. I don't want activity time, which is usually glorious to become feared and unhappy. I did TT with him lying on me on my bed this morning and he lasted a minute. I guess I worry about the rolling over and being able to correct himself from back to tummy etc, especially when the swaddle comes off. I wonder if it affects their ability to do this? Any ideas?
Cheers, Jo :?
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Tummy time is not just important, it's REALLY important! Tummy time develops a number of things, including upper body and neck strength and control, vision (babies have to learn to focus on the floor, which eventually translates into focusing on everything else), and brain growth in general. That random movement babies do with their arms and legs? Not random. If you put them on the floor and put your hands behind their feet, it translates into scootching around on their bellies, and eventually into crawling, and that motion helps develop coordination.
And yes, it counts as tummy time on a softer surface (like MY belly! LOL) if they're exercising their arms, upper body, and/or neck/head. Even holding your baby horizontally will get him to hold up his head, which is a start.
The more you do tummy time, the more they'll get used to it, If you can do a minute, great - go ahead and do another minute later in the same A time, and maybe even another, and build it up. Put them on your belly and smile at them, give them something fun to look at. Put them on the floor with a toy just out of reach and put your hands behind their feet to help them scootch towards it.
Wanna learn more? Check out http://www.childbrain.org. :)
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Thanks Deb! While you're here on this thread, what was it specifically that you did with Nat to help her crawl so early? Was it the hands behind her feet? I've been doing that with Danielle but she seems to face plant a bit... For ages she would only "fly" until I showed her how to put her arms out the front of herself to prop herself up, she's very strong there now but not really too interested in pulling her knees under her belly yet. Any tips? :D
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Yes, the hands behind the feet was a big one till she figured out how to make it all work and get up on her hands and knees. For the longest time she scootched along on her belly with her face still on the floor on one cheek or the other. LOL I actually got a big remnant of vinyl/naugahyde, almost 2 meters square, and put it over our living room carpet so she had something to crawl on w/o getting rug burn; when we went to visit grandparents I was taking a big quilt to put down for the same reason.
Onc she showed an interest in any of her toys (or in anything, for that matter), it was a matter of putting her where she could see it and helping her push herself toward it and then letting her have at it when she got it, along with lots of encouragement.
The way our schedule worked, she'd feed on waking, then spend some time in the bouncy seat and we also did some stuff with her grasp reflex and made funny faces at her and so on, and once the food was settled down more she'd be spending time on her tummy, starting small and working up. It wasn't a big deal because we also had her sleeping on her tummy from the get-go, much to our pediatrician's consternation. :? (You would never know from her that it wasn't really so long ago that "they" recommended tummy sleeping and discouraged sleeping on the back. :roll:)
Anyway, one day Nat worked out getting on her hands and knees. I don't think I put her down that way that time, I just looked over and there she was, looking like she hadn't a CLUE what to do next. Then she graduated to pulling up her knees, then pushing her body forward onto the floor, then bringing up her knees again and pushing forward again, and moving around that way. A couple weeks ago she started pushing her bottom up into the air and trying to bear crawl, and then a few days after that she started really crawling.
That's how it's worked for us. Not sure how "textbook" we are in that regard, but I have to say the results have certainly astonished me. :shock:
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Thanks! :D I think I will continue to work on the hands behind feet thing with enticing toys (ie Nathan's water bottle :roll: ). She is really good on her tummy but gets a bit ratty since she has only figured out how to roll from back to tummy but not back again.
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Thanks Deb,
I did it again today and Noah handled it for a couple of minutes and actually laughed at me during it before crying, so that's progress. BTW, he was on my tummy. I have been letting him push against my hands instinctively, talk about mothers intuition! It seems to distract him as well :) Will keep it up in small increments, don't want to sour the A time.
Cheers, Jo
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Thanks for the information. My ds hates tummy time too. I will work harder at helping him enjoy it, hopefully he won't break down like usual. As soon as he is on his tummy, he starts to squirm and protest. This info is great. Thanks
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Hi!
I've been struggling to increase tummy time as well. Here's something new I tried this week that worked well... I put my DS on his tummy on the bed with his head right at the side of the bed. I sat on the floor next to the bed. He was so much happier being up where he could see more, particularly me. I've also put him on his tummy in the boppy pillow on the couch. Again, he was much happier being able to see more of what was going on around him.
Beth
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Do you have a boppy pillow? That works wonders with my lo. SHe doesn't last more than 5 minutes but she's happy for that long. It's also ggo dfor feeding and propping her up to help her sit up. Does eveyone swaddle? She hates it. I tried over and over and she always escapes so i worry that she'll suffocate in the middle of the night. I tried swaddling with her arms free, she likes that a bit better.
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When do you 'do' tummy time? Is it ok straight after a (milk) feed?
The well-child advisor suggested doing it before a feed (straight after waking) so that it helps get rid of any excess gas (out either end!) before eating. But I usually forget to do it then.
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Dee, if she handles having tummy time after a feed I guess it would be ok, but it might make her "spill" and could be a bit uncomfortable on a full belly. When Danielle was little I tended to do it after a small break and during nappy changing time. Now that she's older with a long activity time I wait a while after a feed (usually she'll sit for a while) and then put her down on her tummy. A few minutes before a feed though would be fine too if she's not starving and getting annoyed about it.
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Hi all
We had a talk by a physio during a mother's group session. She said that TT does not have to mean laying the baby on the floor. You could try holding the baby upright against your shoulder so he gets to practice holding his head up. Alternatively, try laying her across your arm, face down (head at the elbow end, hand between his legs, if you see what i mean). This has the same effect. Both methods mean your baby can still feel and smell you, and might make him happier.
Also, when you're putting your baby on the floor, try putting a mirror in front of him. Most babies love mirrors and it might distract him from realising he's on his tummy.
Hope this helps.
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My son also hated tummy time until he was able to gain a little control over his body (rolling over, creeping toward toys). This all happened between 3-4 months. He would tolerate it for less than a minute. I tried to do small increments hoping it would add up at the end of the day. Once he could coordinate his body he was off and playing. He is 4 months yesterday and he spends upwards of 30 minutes per tummy time session. I always include it in A so this is 3-4 times a day.
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Hi,
I was told by a Baby Health Care professional, the only reason to have tummy time was to tire them out so that they would have a better sleep.
It never worked for DS#1 but it did work for DS#2.
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My DD (14 weeks old) hated TT until someone suggested putting a mirror infront of her, now she has a great time playing with her reflection and can last a good 20 minutes, sometimes even longer.
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My DD hated it too. She actually slept on her tummy from about 6 weeks but she hated play time tummy time. I think it might have been due to her reflux that she didn't like it. As soon as we had that under control, she loved tummy time! So I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep trying every now and then coz babies change their minds on a daily basis!
Hi Luisasmum, I read your "tummy time" post with interest when you said your dd slept on her tummy from about 6 weeks. I'm a first time mum, baby is nearly 7 weeks old - sleeps fine on her tummy but can't get him to sleep on her back for more than 20-30 minutes. I 'm scared to let her sleep on her tummy without watching her. We have sleepless nights because she won't sleep on her back. This is my first post on BW, ot even sure I'm doing it right, but can you point me to any post/threads (what's the difference?) about sleeping on back. Is sleeping on tummy at night a dangerous practice? Thanks. Jues.
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Chelseagmom -
do you swaddle? DS slept well on his back when swaddled, but when he bacame too active for the swaddle he started rolling over on his own ( 3 mo old). His Ped said that if he could roll over on his own he was at a significantly decreased risk of SIDS. I still put him to bed on his back, but as soon as he hits the mattress he rolls over and goes to sleep on his own very well now, never sleeps on his back, but my lo is older, any other advice out there??
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Hi!
I started TT proping my dd up on the nursing pillow. Fits nice around her, helps prevent falling over, and can easily place something on the floor in front of her to look at. I also had her lying on my tummy. She liked that. She now can lay on her tummy on her own, (she's 4 mo) occasionally rolls to back. Still working on rolling over from back position. Love the tip about putting your hand behind their feet to help with the crawling stage! Gonna give that a try!
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thanks for the good advice.. I will try it..
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Hi
My DD is just over 2 weeks - when am I supposed to start tummy time? I think it's a little early to start now, is it by week 4?
Thanks
Shanaz, Seren's Mum
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Hi Shanaz! What a cutie you have!!!!
We put Natalie on her tummy from Day One (once we got home from the birthing center, anyway - they were less than thrilled with it...). She slept on her tummy (NOTE: this is a personal decision!) from the time she came home with us, and she spent lots of time every Awake period on her tummy. She did have reflux, so we'd keep her upright, in a bouncy chair once she could sit in it, for a while, and then on the floor she went. We'd sometimes also put her on our bed; we have a lightweight but firm quilt we use for summertime (as opposed to the wintertime poofy comforter) that was good for her to scootch herself forward on if we put our hands behind her feet, and on the floor she went on the naugahyde surface where we did the same thing.
FWIW, she was crawling on her hands and knees just before 5 months and is now walking independently all over the place (as of a few days ago), and she'll be one in a couple weeks. And when she had a nasty croupy cough over the winter and had to go in to the doctor for it (and spend SIX HOURS for nebulizers and shots :(), even though she was clearly uncomfortable with the cough, she had 100% oxygen saturation, meaning she was getting more than enough oxygen - her respiratory system was in great shape! :)
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Hi Deb
Thanks v much for your reply. I wasn't sure of what the benefits of tummy time were, but I think I understand a bit more now - mainly to do with building strength in upper body as well as respiratory system? I will try her having short bursts of tummy time in her activity time and see how she goes.
Many thanks, ps, your two are little cutie pies too!
Shanaz
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Even beyond the physical benefits of tummy time is the opportunity for brain organization and growth. The more they're on their tummies, the more opportunities to use their limbs, which are making those motions in preparation for crawling - they're not random movements. :) Babies are actually DESIGNED to be on their tummies!
Once they figure out that they can move themselves forward using their arms and legs, they not only have a purpose - transportation, getting things - but eventually they develop a cross-pattern, meaning that when the right arm is forward, the left leg is as well, and vice-versa. THIS in turn organizes the lower brain and sets the stage for growth in higher areas of the brain as the baby grows and matures.
Eventually, the baby develops the limb strength for hands-and-knees crawling, and the endurance to to lots of it! :) This in turn leads to visual convergence, since the floor is just the right distance from baby's face and the baby's eyes have lots of chances to practice focusing on things on the floor. THIS then leads to the organization of higher areas of the brain.
This isn't about raising a baby Einstein, it's just phases that all babies' brains go through, given the opportunity. On the other hand, lack of these opportunities can lead to shortcomings down the road. Case in point: Josie stood early and cruised early and once she was up she didn't want to go back to hands-and-knees crawling. We didn't know better at the time, so we let her push around a walker from about 8 months on, even though she wasn't walking independently AT ALL yet - didn't happen till she was nearly a year old. She was always a Touchy baby/child, but over time it got worse and worse, and finally we got her evaluated on our own dime - it was pretty comprehensive and our HMO wouldn't cover it. As part of her program, she has to do a lot of crawling - a LOT - but it is helping a LOT. She is less obviously Touchy, and it's impacting her behavior less. She is better-organized, her fine-motor control has made HUGE gains, and she's a lot happier.
With Natalie, we put her on her tummy a LOT, she slept on her tummy, and she's a lot less overwhelmed by things than Josie ever was. It's hard to know how much of that is just a difference in personality and how much is related to how differently we have handled her mobility, and she has her own brain issues - a big-time delay in feeling pain, for example, takes her about FOUR SECONDS to register pain - that we'll have to deal with, but then again, we all have our quirks. I know I have lots of them myself - if only they knew as much about baby brains when I was a baby as they do now! :)
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My baby boy got much better on his tummy when I started putting him on my exercise ball. If you have one, give it a try.
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I never knew it is so important. :o My LO is 3 weeks and I almost never do TT.Have to try to figured it out , when to do it. Try to do it before eat because later he spits up very easily. But how long milk usually settles in their stomach?
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my little guy is 6 weeks old and we have been doing tummy time since he was born, he only likes it for a max of 5 mins, but I find it helps when I put down a blanket on his floor nd I get down with him and face him at his level and he lifts his head to look at me, so he is not always on the side of his head....
Leigh & kyle
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I never knew it is so important. :o My LO is 3 weeks and I almost never do TT.Have to try to figured it out , when to do it. Try to do it before eat because later he spits up very easily. But how long milk usually settles in their stomach?
After feeding my LO I have her sit in my lap for about 5 minutes just to make sure it is settling in the stomach. This has helped some...she still spits up, which I believe is normal for a few more months yet until the stomach has matured more. But she's not spitting up as much.
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I need your help. My son, Blayne is 3 months old and I am trying desperately to find a solution to my problem. I know he is suppose to have a certain amount of time set aside for tummy time and I try every day to get that time in. BUT... all he does during TT is sleep. I have tried to have him wide awake and laughing before I lay him down but as soon as he lays down he's out. He will cry a little bit, and I will think GOOD, he will fuss and move around but before I know it, he has found his thumb and is out.
PLEASE give me any suggestions that you may have for me
Sarah
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Hm - maybe you want to just consider tummy sleeping. Seriously, if he's got the neck strength and you're comfortable with it - ask your Dr. first, I'm NOT a medical professional. Natalie slept on her tummy from Day One and was fine, and the advice used to be not to let babies sleep on their backs so they didn't choke on spitup.
Anyway, if he's sleeping on his tummy, then when he wakes he's already there, and can start lifting his head, looking around, and doing all the things tummy time is good for anyway. :)
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My son is now 6 months old and I have never been able to get him to do TT. I have tried everything: towel rolled up under a blanket to prop him up, lying him face down on my lap, lying in front of him, putting interesting toys & even the TV in front of him. He used to scream, grunt & cry while burying his face in the blanket. Now that he has learned to roll from his tummy to his back, he will do anything to roll over onto his back. I even put him on his tummy between my legs, using my legs as a "wall". He is strong enough that he will roll right over my legs. I try several times a day.
He has a flat spot on the back right side of his head. He has had this spot since he was around 12 weeks. It hasn't gotten any worse and is in fact starting to get a bit better. For this reason I try to encourage TT. He sleeps 12 hours at night, but during the day he is rarely on his back.
What can I do to encourage TT? At this age they should be able to do roll over both ways, and he only rolls from tummy to back. I never crawled as a baby, so perhaps he never will either?!
Any suggestions? ???
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he is getting a bit big now but will he lie on your tummy when you lie on your back? or even when you are not flat on your back but propped up a bit? then you could chat, pull faces etc....
oh, or what if you teamed up with someone else, had him lie on his tummy at the edge of the bed and lay beside the bed on the floor so that he could see you? (someone else would have to eatch him to ensure the doesn't roll off the bed!
or, mirror on the floor? can't see that on your back!
HTH!
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I'm guessing it's pretty common for babies not to like tummy time! I think some of it is just a matter of them getting used to it. My ds is 3 months now and will tolerate tt for about 6-7 minutes. At the beginning he tolerated for only about 10 seconds, but I just kept doing it once a day at the start and then more and more and I think he just came to accept it. Something that I've done that I think is kind of fun is to lay on my back (I put a pillow behind my head), pull my knees up to my chin, and then put my cutie pie on my shins with his head by my knees and me hold him on. Then I do little leg lifts or pull my knees closer to my face and then away. I make silly sounds and he seems to like it. I hope that's a good enough explanation so you can picture what I'm saying.
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Blaynesmom,
My DS was hating TT or would just fall asleep. I started trying TT with a rolled up towel under him because that's what people were suggesting, but he would just bury his face into the towel and cry.
I then tried TT right after a feed when he was most happy and awake. This improved it a bit, but he'd only stay happy for about 2 minutes. Which is better than nothing!
Then....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was looking at pics of one of the LOs from my March/April 2006 thread, and I saw that the baby was on his tummy and the parent had placed a fold out book in front of him. His head was up and he was looking at the book. I thought, "Of course! I'll give him something to look at!" So, the next day, I laid him on a blanket and put a few of his books out open and standing up in front of him in a semi-circle. He looked right up at them. Two days later, he rolled over for the first time just last week! Stomach to back. Yay!
Try the books!
Sonja
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Another alternative to TT since my son hates also and which my Pediatrician recommended for my DS at 10 weeks is the Bumbo seat (http://www.bumbobabyseat.com). It can support babies 6 weeks to 14 months in a sitting position as long as they can hold their heads up.
I do realize the importance of TT though. Even though my son at 16 weeks can almost sit unsupported and has good head control he has absolutely no arm strength and during TT he just tries to lift his head with his back and looks like a walrus, not using his arms at all:o) I am going to try again using a mirror, or some of the other tricks mentioned here.
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I have started TT with my DS when he was about 12weeks old. I am very disappointed that none of the health visitors who looked after me actually said anything about it before 12weeks and DS being my first baby how was I supposed to know about it. :-[
But by 12weeks he started developing flat head, and after numerous questions to Health visitiors and doctors, they finally suggested to take DS to cranial osteopath. And what a difference it made to him. The moment we came home, he was able to move his head freely, both sides, and he started loving TT.
So, it could be that some of the babies are in pain and that's the reason why they don't wan't to be on their tummies.
This is for Brody's mum;after seeing a cranial osteopath, she mentioned that eventhough baby's flat heads sort themselves out as head grows if it's just left to their own devices, sometimes when baby grow up they might have problems with dental features.Hence, we are still going to an osteopath.
It's just shame that we didn't go the osteopath the moment DS was born..
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hi i've been reading thru about tummy time and the bumbo and so on...i had a few questions i was hoping someone could answer for me: my dd is almost 5 mos and doesn't mind tummy time, she's pretty steady and strong for several minutes, but what i'm noticing is that she'll start sucking on her fingers and end up w/ her head down. she's a huge finger sucker and i'm a little nervous that it may interfere w/ some of her physical development. I know she's still young but i look ahead to crawling...and right now she's not rolling over at all. I don't know if she really should be doing this on her own or not but she'll roll to her side but then put her fingers in her mouth thus not able to use her arms to get her the rest of the way over. I also notice someone wrote about the bumbo. I try to put her in it once or twice a day for a few minutes and sometimes she'll lean to one side, is this bad for her to do? She looks kind of awkward sitting in it so i wonder if she's not ready for it yet. Thanks for your help :)
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My DD (now 2) also hated tummy time and I gave up eventually. Once she was able to roll over onto her tummy she was not able to roll back easily and would wake us up frequently at night. I think that may have been avoided by persisting with tummy time. Now with my DS (2months) I am persevering, he hates it too but is better if I have something for him to look at. Here is an good article from BBC news on the evidence in support of tummy time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5128144.stm
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thanks for the article. i agree it's so important and do it at least twice a day--i want her to practice so that when she is able to roll over it isn't such a new uncomfortable position for her. we're also working on helping her getting from tummy to back so she doesn't get stuck in the wee hours of the night. were your kids finer suckers at all? do you think this is reason for concern or a pretty normal thing for babies?
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Hi newmommy and AlisonS
I agree that we should try & do it regularly. My DD will only do about 2/3 mins at the most, she hates it. I try putting toys and myself at her head end to try & get her to look up but her head slowly sinks to the floor and then she just cries and drools on her mat!
Newmommy - my lo sucks her fingers, fists, muslin cloth, basically anything she can grab and put in there! From the March/April 2006 babies thread that I'm on all the babies are doing it so it's totally normal and nothing to worry about.
Shanaz
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thanks, i love to hear normal ;) I'm sure you've tried this, but have you put your dd on your lap on her belly?
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Hi
Yes, do that too but she gets grumpy quite quickly. oh well, got to just persevere!
Shanaz
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Hi all, I just wanted to tell you about my ds Kyle, He is just over 4 months old now and hated tummy time. But about a week ago all the sudden he loves it and can hold up his neck even better than before and now he is trying so had to sit up. So keep it up. Your lo will amaze you everyday!
Leigh
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in my experience dd got tired easily during tummy time...and there is no sense prolonging it when they are crying! this will definitely not help the situation. but, you will find, that soon enough your lo will be just a bit stronger...and the tummy time will last longer.
don't get discouraged and definitely don't give up. it is very important that our kids develop these skills. today's generation of kids are having problems with upper torso development due to the SIDS scare. i have to admit to my lo having lots of tummy time...including sleeps.
:-[
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Hello Everyone,
My DD also hates tummy time. It's nice to know that there's others who don't like it too. I tried using setting up the mirror and propping books up around her. She went longer this morning then she usually does. She does get tired out quickly. This time though when she got tired she was more inclined just to put her head down and suck her thumb instead of fussing. Then, when she got bored with that she'd lift her head, look at the mirror for about a minute, and then go back down. All together, she spent about 20 mins on her tummy, which is much better than the 3-5 mins we were doing before. There was some intermittent fussing here and there. I would put her on her side, talk to her for a bit, and when she was calm, I'd put her back on her tummy. Does it still count as tummy time if they're not lifting up their head? Also, she's spirited/touchy and she was pretty overstimulated after this tummy time. ::) I tried just holding her & talking softly to calm her down before we started the wind down but she still threw a fit at her morning nap (mornings are usually the easiest). :-\ Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with that?
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Hi Mimi's Mom
I have no advice re: your dd getting overstimulated from TT. My dd still doesn't like TT and can only do about 10 mins before crying like a mad thing. She has only rolled about 3 times, never back to front - only front to back when she's got so angry about being on her tummy! ::)
I try not to do it to near her bed/nap time, this way she isn't so wound up.
Shanaz
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Hi everyone,
good to know I am not alone ;) My little one is 15 weeks old now and he still hates TT. I put him every A time on his tummy for a bit but after 2 minutes he rubs his face on the floor and gets really cranky. ::)
I tried everything what is mentioned here. Hope he is getting stronger soon.
Tessy
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Hey Tessy
Good luck with it. Seren is 23 weeks now and still doesn't like it for longer than about 3 mins. ::)
Shanaz
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When baby is on the floor on tummy, if s/he looks like the feet are sort of scrabbling along on the floor, try putting your hand behind the foot/feet and see if baby pushes off your hand and even moves forward. Sometimes the forward motion itself can keep them interested, especially if there's something JUUUUUUST out of reach to move forward TO. :)
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OH yeah, thanks for the reminder. There was something in this thread I wanted to try, lol. But when I was reading it my LO was down for a nap. And guess what, he is just having his catnap now ::)
Okay, try to keep it in my head this time, ;) ;)
Tessy
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I have a tummy sleeper here, but she hated tummy time in A time. Someone suggested to me to put a rolled up towel under her underarms/chest to give her more height, with some toys where she can reach. It worked a treat, she lasted much longer on tummy time quite soon. Now we don't need the towel, she often does a good 1/2 hr of tummy time. Not always, depends on mood, but often.
HTH
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Wow ... half an hour :o :o We are far away from that :-\
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She didn't do 1/2 hr at the age of your lo though ;). But with the towl she did quickly reach anywhere from 5-10mins, then it grew from there.
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Oh this has soooo helped! Are there any other resources out there for TT that anyone knows about ? Gonna check Childbrain.org and BBC. and try tomorrow. DD is trying to scoot forward just now and only going round on her tummy - now I can maybe help her forward !! ( Hang on - crawling will make the need for a major room overhaul - oh boy... ::) )
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Hi girls
Ive much d same problem re tummy time!! ??? ??? Will try some of d tips. Tanx ;D ;D ;D
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I agree with the book - why make your LO unhappy?? My DS HATED tummy time right up until he could sit alone (4mths) and he still favours being upright than on his tummy even now. I would try to give him a minute or 2 everyday but as soon as he started to get upset I would move him - n o point in making him hate being on his tummy! That said, my DS had very strong neck and back muscles (He could hold his head up unaided the day after delivery) so it wasn;t such a worry.
Eventually he will be sitting/crawling etc and you will forget all about it ....
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Hi
I just wanted to update you all. I agree with Shellha to a point, but my DD is 11 months and isn't crawling, has lower back issues etc.. I took her to the osteopath who says that we need to do lots more tummy time, this is the root of her problem etc. We now have to do it at least 3 times a day in order to help her.
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I think what we did was put her on her tummy time and play with her. Move her when she got upset, but after she was calm do it again. Until we used some of the ideas above to make her like it more, I did lots of tummy time, but in very short individual amounts - so maybe we did 2 mins 15 times a day or something.
My other reason for not being too concerned is i had a tummy sleeper....and she didn't cry when going to sleep that way which was weird.
Shanaz, have any of the ideas above helped with Seren?
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Hi Rina
No, none of the ideas have ever helped. She just hates being on her tummy. We just have to persevere with it regardless of her crying. She's never been a tummy sleeper, she'll sleep on her side but not her tummy.
Very frustrating but need to just persevere with it.
Shanaz
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Try putting her on her tummy on your bed. Then pop down beside the bed, and back up - a game of peekaboo? Does she like that game normally? You could even lay beside her and get DH to do the peekabooing?
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Nice idea, we've done similar things but I'll give it a go! I've asked nursery to do TT with her too - need to ask how it's going!
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Shanaz, you've got me thinking about this one LOL.
Zara didn't go from tummy to crawling, she went from sitting to crawling. Is there any way you can help her move from sitting to crawling position, and show her you doing it, and coax/encourage her to try it herself? Even after she started crawling, she went from tummy to sitting, then to crawling position, she still rarely does it straight from tummy to crawling.
Also, have you tried from tummy position helping her into a crawling position, bringing her hands under her, and her legs? So although she is in tummy position, you are helping her to get out of it most of the time she is in it, so maybe she won't notice being in that position so much?
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Hi Rina
Yes to all the above!! Yes, we have tried all that and will continue to do so. One of the things the osteopath noticed is that she slumps when sitting and has her legs stuck straight out, not bent in with her body leaning slightly forward. This means that she's not in a position to move to crawling position easily. I continue to show her every day, hopefully we'll make some headway soon!
Thanks so much for all your input, it means a lot to me.
Shanaz :-*
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I see, that is a bit harder isn't it ;).
What does she do when you try to put her in the crawling position?
And have you tried the rolled up towel under her chest, her arms in front of it? I have a friend who has a baby who is 15 months old and only just learnt to sit independantly (he has a heap of health issues, has had lots of surgery). The rolled up towel is something she has to do with her boy. Does Seren like reading books, what if you put a book down, lay down beside her and read a quick story?
I will keep on thinking.
Rina
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Hi Rina
When I try & put her in the crawling position she won't take her weight on her arms so will just go nose 1st into the carpet! She won't hold the position at all.
I like your story idea so will give that a go when she gets up from her nap.
Cheers!
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Shanaz, I will keep thinking but one quick suggestion.
Try the tummy time and crawling thing on your tummy. It doesn't have to be the floor or other very flat srufce. Any where she is happy, and has something to push against is OK.
Be back soon, still thinking.
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Hi there ladies - just found this thread as I'm having trouble with tummy time too :-[ I asked the physio about how much time and was told an hour a day !!! :o :o couldn't beleive it. I tried the towel but when she got tired she let her go and bang on the floor :( poor little thing. I used a blow up pillow so I could adjust the height and she found it really good - I think the trick is to have her higher.
Thanks for the tips here - will keep going at it.
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Hang in there -- I always break my hour up into little bits 5/10 minutes at a time or so. :)
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tummy time laying on your tummy counts too - so go lay on your bed, and talk to her while she is on your tummy ;) No falling alseep though ;D
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youcan also put them tummy down on a fitball/ swiss ball - or any largish ball for that matter. Obviously you hold them there, and move it around, great also for vestibulr stimulation. but my lo (9wks) we only do 2-3 mins of this at a go. then turn her over and bounce her/ you on it.
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My DD is 5½ months and a tummy sleeper but hates tummy time!! I think she associates being on her tummy with bed ::) I do find propping her up on a breastfeeding cushion in front of a Baby Einstein dvd really works but I don't do this everyday. The other thing that helps is to lie on my tummy so we are facing each other while singing and chatting. She hardly ever comes up onto her hands and yet every morning when I go to get up she is in that position waiting for me!! She can sit very well though I do support her with cushions but hates to roll over and has only done it a couple of times. I must say that TT has got better as she has got older though so I am sure it will improve even more soon :)
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Do you know, I had no idea how important Tummy Time is! Think I'd better get busy!!!! I do sometimes put Sam (16 weeks old) on his tummy and he sort of grunts and struggles to lift his head but does try to pull his legs up under him so hopefully we're on the right track. I'm sure it's been said before, but how long should we be aiming for on this?
Ali
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I *think* the recommendation starts out at about 20 minutes a day, which at the beginning I would break up into small intervals as my LOs have both hated it in the beginning. As they were able to tolerate more, I would put them on their tummies for longer until they were up to an hour or so -- eventually they get to the point where they can roll themselves back over and then it becomes more of a challenge! :)
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HI everyone - I must say the more I do TT with Lilly the longer she can do it. She doesn't always like it, but she likes it more often than not (where as before she never liked it....) She scoots around the mat now (we have wooden floors). Amazing how she can move around.
good luck and perserver...(sic)
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Hi,
Sorry, I'm joining this thread from a slightly different angle - my dd is now 6 months old and has NEVER liked being on her tummy. She will tolerate it, but you can see she doesn't *enjoy* it. I've regularly tried to give her tummy time like I did with my first daughter (who was rolling front to back by 12 weeks, and back to front not long after). But this time, dd#2 has had one week about a month and a half ago when she rolled from front to back lots, and hasn't done it since! And she hasn't ever even bothered going from back to front. On the other hand, she is a very upright baby instead - she has been sitting unsupported since 5 1/2months old, and loves standing holding on to my fingers.
Is this really weird? It's so different from last time that I can't get used to it. I'm getting to the stage where I just want to give up on tummy time because it seems not to be making any difference; besides I think she should be trying to rolll back to front by now!! Should I be prepared for her to be a late crawler/walker?
Charlotte.
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HI Charlotte - my lo is 5 1/2 months & hasn't rolled yet (I think she did the other day when we weren't looking but that's it!) I still perserver with tummy time & have found that the more I do it , the more she likes it. I only do a bit at t time if she complains, but many times in the day. I was reading a book on Activities the other day and it had milestones in there & it was odd that rolling over was not a milestone. Maybe it's not and we worry too much about it!!!
Sorry not much help, but wanted you to knwo that you are not alone....
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I would persevere with tummy time, just so she has the experience of it and so she gets used to being on her tummy, but not worry about it. All babies are going to develop differently -- mine have been way more interested in being upright like yours which is fine. So many of the "traditional" milestones are based on tummy-sleeping babies too, my old ped mentioned that realistically, a lot of babies don't roll until 6 months at the earliest, just b/c of the reduced amount of time on their tummies.
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We tried tummy time with Ella's boppy a couple of times, and within seconds, she was screaming. She's happier sitting up, or laying on her back and rolling over to her tummy by herself.
Oh, and that boppy? It is now my husband's pillow. *laughs*
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I am new to this site and the EASY method. I am just getting it together enough to find time to read the book! My son Duncan is 7 weeks old. Is this too early to try tummy time? It should be a real treat trying...especially since he happens to be a Grumpy baby :-X
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Never too early! You might find that you're most successful if you hold him on your chest/tummy when he's that small. :)
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Hi - just wanted to post that I have finally found a way that Katie (5 mo) tolerates tummy time - she's hated it forever. However she is quite happy having a back massage while lying on her tummy as part of her bedtime routine. That's my girl!!
Don't know if that's helpful to anyone else?!
Bryony
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This tummy time has me really amazed. Do not know anything about it (raised my child a long time ago). However one thing I do know and there,s very valid research in the US about it. Babies under 3 months of age should NOT be put to sleep on their tummy. The recommendation, made during years and years (decades) to put them to sleep on their tummy to avoid suffocation and sudden crib death was all WRONG. Sometime in the 90,s, american doctors tried with two groups of babies, to put them to sleep as always (tummy down) or tummy up, for the first months. They were large groups. The amount of crib deaths in the group sleeping tummy down was so much bigger than in the other group that they discontinued the study and reversed their position: babies must sleep tummy up. They cannot move their necks well, and cannot get easily rid of reflux, etc. And when I had my daughter, I did try to put her tummy down and she hated it, even though she supported her head on her neck very well from day one, and the upper back too. So much she hated it that she actually "tried" to roll sideways (but could not). Therefore I decided to trust her (scared about going "against the norm") and when I read about the research many years later I was glad of it.
So I suggest that children 3 months or younger may have a very good reason to "hate tummy time", a survival reason to hate it, and that doing it for short times on your belly would be better, and safer. As for trying to crawl, doing anything positive about it seems very premature before four/five months (they are not normally ready till about 6/8 months although there will always be exceptions). Unless, of course, baby loves it. My daughter could support herself seated at 4 months, when she was ready to crawl she did it from the sitting position, like other children here have done.
And she did have "tummy time" the natural way (without my knowing of such recommendation or worrying about her neck....could not worry, she was competent from day one): lying on my belly, with me not even lying down entirely many times, it is just that you support her with your arms to see her beautiful face, make noises, she responds, you let her lie on your breast/belly....all these things that are done naturally after feeds, etc.
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I leave a link here on the issue. And even though there,s no danger when babies are awake, their instict may nevertheless be working so that they hate the position:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/DS00145
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We've been combining tummy time/mommy time/and scootching practice for over a month now - we lie on my bed, with her on my tummy, and let her push against my hands or I'll put my knees up and she can push against my legs. She'll go scootching up over my shoulder onto the bedspread, then I bring her back and do it again. We sing "Coming round the Mountain" and I cheer for her to come get kisses. This also lets me get some Ab work in, as I can lift my head/feet up to talk to her!
We also do sitting practice with her sitting astride my waist, while I bounce her in a "horsey-ride". I either hold her under the armpits or let her grab my fingers, to make it more challenging. Works her core muscles and my glutes!
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Natalie slept on her tummy from the get-go. She just slept better that way. She also moved ALL OVER the place from the get-go on her tummy, both in her sleep and while awake. The more she was on her tummy, the more coordinated she got. She was crawling in a clear cross-pattern by 5 months, and she kept on doing it till just shy of a year when she got around to walking and running and more running. LOL
She did have some minor reflux (Josie had it much worse), so after feeds we'd give her some time on a bouncy chair, and she would ALWAYS move her arms and legs around in the same motion she did when on the ground, only of course being on her back more, she couldn't go anywhere.
Glenn Doman made a point about babies being on their backs vs their tummies: Any other baby animal gets around on all fours, but we humans put our babies on their backs so much of the time. If you watch human babies' arms and legs make those seemingly random motions sort of the same way a turtle on its back does, it isn't hard to understand that a baby on its back is in essence upside-down. Put the baby on its tummy and watch it right its head - the world has become right-side up for the baby! :)
He didn't word it exactly that way, just paraphrasing, but with Natalie we did things a lot more with Doman's physical program than we did with Josie - we didn't even know about the physical program till Josie was well over a year old, but Nat got it from really early on - and it shows! Anyone who's seen pics of Nat's exploits will attest that the kid is amazing! (Today at the park she pulled herself up on a sling swing TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND!)
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Deb, what is the title of that Doman book/program?
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Ellen, I've PM'ed you. Doman can be a touchy subject; a few years ago a bunch of moms "got into it" about the programs, to the point where there was a separate Yahoo group for a while. Different parents have done the program(s) with their kids to differing degrees, from just a bit to whole-hog, with different results too (not too surprising). I find it a way to understand how babies' and kids' brains develop, which has always been a fascination of mine (you should see my reading list LOL), so I pick and choose but don't go overboard - heck, with two kids, I don't have the time or energy! :P
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I don't have the attention span to do anything overboard, I think. Except maybe the BW boards!
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I don't have the attention span to do anything overboard, I think. Except maybe the BW boards!
Tee hee! ;D
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Well, children know best and if yours preferred to sleep tummy down... but mine did not, and sudden crib deaths are down 50 percent since the recommendation changed back in the nineties. That is an awful lot, but it also explains whey now tummy time is more important (to counteract long time spent on back, sleeping). However, comparing the development of children according to methods employed does not take into account that each child is different, to begin with.
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Just my two scents - I had a spirited first born that HATED tummy time. He literally screamed after about 30 seconds, so I didn't do TT on the floor with him. Yes, I heard about it from my pediatrician who said I should do it anyway, but he hated it, so I wasn't going to let him sit there and scream just becuase someone said it would be good for him. He would lay on my tummy, and sometimes we did that, and he got lots of sitting (assisted) time. He learned to sit, crawl and walk exactly on time anyway. I wouldn't force it on your lo if they scream. They are trying to tell you something, and you should respect what they are saying. Don't want to break that trust, right? The tip about the rolled up quilt or boppy pillow under the chest is a good idea, though, and definitely worth a try.
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Is there a toy your LO enjoys when they're on their back? My little guy loves toys that play music and blink (mostly Baby Einstein!) to the beat, so to wean him onto tummy time, I had him look at those, and he held up his head really well to look at the lights. On the days when he's too tired to hold up his own head, I use the Boppy pillow, the same way other moms said use a rolled-up blanket. Or try rolling a ball (how about those hollow balls with bells inside that they sell for cat toys?!) around in front of baby's face. DS doesn't really like tummy time unless he's looking at something moving or blinking. I think it's frustrating for him because he needs both hands to stay pushed up still, so he can't bat at his toys like he could on his back.
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DD hates TT too. She is 14 weeks old and I try and do couple of mins before feeds cos she spits up but we usually get a bit back anyway. She has rolled over once by accident when she was lookin at her nanna who she hadn't seen come in!! The problem we got is she keeps her arms by her side (is this cos she is swaddled?) so she just rocks about a bit and then cries when she puts her head down. She puts her arms up when I wind her over my shoulders with no problem but she doesn't like me to move them infront of her or to lean on them during TT.
Tried doing TT on the bed this morning and was easier to get her to lean on her arms, the rolled up blanket sounds a good idea too. Ive only started doing TT for bout a week so I cant expect too much but just worried by this arms by her side thing.
Any ideas, or is it just practise and keep moving her arms infront of her so she gets used to it? There aren't really any toys that she is bothered enough about to get her attention. She holds her head up well tho, has done since birth.
TIA
Nicola
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Leorah hated tummy time until I propped her up on a breast feeding cushion in front on a Baby Einstein dvd ;) She never tolerated TT even though she slept on her tummy since she was about 6 weeks old and I am sure she associated it with sleep but then again she didn't like to lay flat on her back either she always preferred an upright position due to spitting up and being very curious!
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DS is now starting to be able to reach with one hand while supporting himself on the other and he likes tummy time a lot more. I stack soft blocks up and he knocks them over; he likes it so much!! Also, mirrors are great for tummy time. I can see him getting ready to crawl now, just from the way he's moving his arms and legs and tryign to reach toys when I put them out of his reach. One thing I do is brace his feet with my hands or knees, and let him push agains them to get closer to his toys. It's so exciting to see him sort of "pre-mobile"!
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Don't forget the best "bait" when trying to find something baby is interested in: MOM! (and/or Dad, of course! ;))
One can be in front, while the other puts hands behind baby's feet to encourage him/her to push off.
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My LO is 5 weeks old now. Right now we only do TT for 2 -5 minutes total per day during A time - maybe only two attempts per day. However, he does get practice holding his head up when burping over my shoulder and sitting on my lap. How much TT should we be getting in per day? And when should we do it? He spits up a little after feeding, so how long should I wait after feeding?
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As much tummy time as possible! Seriously! Nat was on her tummy at every available opportunity and she is now a poster child for tummy time! ;D
If he spits up, give him 20-30 minutes before you put him on his tummy to give his feed time to get past his stomach. :)
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Mine screamed blue murder every time I tried tummy time - until about a month ago. So we hardly did any. And no she never learned to crawl but went straght to walking.... but what can you do?!
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We did tummy time today after 1:45 feed for 10 mins in 2 shifts. LO did great at TT. However, we did wait 20+ mins after feeding, but he spit up down my shirt when I had him on my stomach. LOL.
The whole A took 25 mins, which may have been too much. LO did not nap well waking up 2x.
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Just tweak as needed. Once you get better at reading cues for tired (and for about-to-spit-up LOL) it'll be easier for you. Maybe for now start out with 10 min at a time.
With Nat we put an old quilt on the floor or on our bed and let her just have a good time. We'd let her crawl toward us, or toward a pattern on the quilt - it's white with a red flower graphic pattern so it was pretty for a new baby to look at, lots of contrast and bright color - and let her go to town. We'd try to end it JUUUUST before she'd get too cranky about it so she wouldn't have too many negative associations with it.
I wish we'd known about this with Josie.... :-\ There is a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference in gross motor AND fine motor skills between the two of them.
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I never did tummy time with my first dd and she developed perfectly normally and on time. I won't bother too much with dd2. The way I see it there are thousands of babies throughout the world in different cultures that don't have tummy time and still develop normally. In fact in our culture it's probably only this generation that has started emphasising tummy time, so I really don't see it as being essential to babies development. Just my personal opinion.
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The biggest reason our generation emphasizes tummy time is that our kids no longer spend much time ON their tummies since the SIDS link was discovered. Kids used to be put to bed on their tummies; they used to spend much more time on their tummies in playpens and on floors (unless people lived someplace where the floor/ground was dangerous). There's now a huge increase in reported learning disabilites and sensory processing problems, a huge increase in ADD/ADHD diagnoses, and while some of that is no doubt due to increased awareness and some due to overzealous doctors, I've seen so much evidence with my own kids and with others that I can't discount the importance of it.
Here's another tidbit: When Josie was first diagnosed with neuro stuff (just before her 4th birthday), we did an exptensive program that included a LOT of creeping and crawling (hands and knees and belly crawl) and within TWO WEEKS she went from completely illegible scrawling and drawing nothing but rainbow scribbles to writing her grandparents a Valentine card. Even now she has visual processing stuff going on, but since Summer started we've begun the C&C again and the difference in her writing and drawing is unmistakably improved. :D
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Everything Deb said :)
(well except the Josie story, i have an Ethan and a Quinn ;))
(tho i do know kids who have done much better after tummy time- i am a paed ot)
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My ds rolled over first time about a month ago, and he is now 4 months and hasn't even tried for the last 2 weeks what happened? did he get bored of rolling?
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Give him a reason, maybe put a toy where he'd be able to reach it if he rolled toward it; don't forget to do both sides. Might just need some "reminding" if he's had some other new skills superceding the rolling-over one. :)
Opportunity and reason are good ones to get them going! :)
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My lo is 8wks and I am not sure when to start Tummy Time!!! Any advice would be appreciated. :-\ ???
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My DS has never been a fan of TT, but he still gets it every day, although probably not as long or as much as he should. I do do it regularly every morning when I change him. I always moisturize him at this time and he does not seem to mind the TT so much when he is getting a back rub! This way I have been able to extend it longer and longer.
Other things that have worked: placing him on an exercise ball and rolling it gently, putting him on our bed close to the edge with me below and propped on a bf pillow with an activity mat below. When he was a newborn he spent a lot of time lying on my chest (we actually slept that way for over a month) and that seemed to really help develop his neck muscles - he had a strong neck from very early on. We also use a Bumbo. He's not rolling yet (just twisting), but he sat unsupported for the first time today (he's 5 months).
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lmsj
thanks for that! your little guy sounds like he is doing brilliantly
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We're having to keep activity time really short with our 5 week old as he takes a long time to feed and won't nap! But we incorporate tummy time by putting him on his tummy on the changing mat as we get everything ready, and also burp him on his tummy over our knees, when he really does lift his head well. So it's not for very long at a time but is very frequent, don't know if that helps anyone?
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Every little bit helps. :) As his A time increases you can add more, just take it as it comes for now.
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My DD 11 weeks does not like tummy time and stays max 1-2 minutes...We still try to do it several times a day though and her neck and arm strength is getting better...so keep on it...I think any amount of time is good for them :)
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My DD did a funny thing. She hated tummy time, and could do 1-2 minutes without freaking out, which over a period of months we stretched to maybe 3-4 minutes. I kept doing it a few times every day, and did it any way she would tolerate: on the Boppy, on my chest, on my shins with my legs in the air, plus always a little bit on a blanket or playmat on the floor. Then, one day around 3.5 months, she just stayed on her tummy for a full ten minutes without even fussing. No gradual increase, just all of a sudden a tummy time breakthrough.
So this is just to say, do what you can and keep offering, and LO will be ready at some point.
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Roughly how old are we talking about here!? I've been reading these posts, my LO is 17 weeks this Friday and he's not fond of TT but he's getting better cause I do it more often. Instead of whining today, he grunted in a I want to lift this body up kinda way. I play a game with him where I roll him over after his diaper change usually, to his belly, see how he feels about it that day and roll him back. I also used to hold his arms and pull him to sitting position, where he liked quite a bit then plop him back onto the bed or nursing pillow, but recently he locks his legs and body and prefers to have me pull his whole body to standing, which is getting tricky. When do they start crawling? Are those walker things a good idea? Jolly jumpers? Excersaucers? Any suggestions!?
Thanks ladies, all the above posts were very helpful!
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Tummy time and having him develop his upper body and neck strength the hard way is generally considered preferable to exersaucers. Jolly Jumpers can be fun once they have a certain amount of strength already. Neither of mine cared a fig for them, altho my nephew LOVED his! I'd stick without those things for at least a good 9 months, and only if you need temporary interesting containment.
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Thanks so much! THat really helps!
You've been a gem!
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LOL, I had to look at the date on my last post to see how old she was when she stopped hating it. It looks like right around 4 months?
Then right after I wrote that, like within a week, she turned over for the first time. Then we had some trouble because every time we put her on her tummy she would just roll over.
Once she could roll over both ways ( a few more weeks), she didn't so much mind being on her tummy anymore and now (at 7 months) spends most of her play time on it voluntarily.
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Oh that's so sweet! And encouraging!! I keep pluggin away at puttin him on it. He's getting better and I roll him over so that he maybe will learn how soon too! So looking forward to all these new adventures! Thanks for the encouraging words! Have a great weekend!!!
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Can I liven up this board again?? I'm just wondering what the 'right' thing to do is when my DS gets frustrated during tummy time. Once he starts really crying, I pick him up, but wasn't sure if I should put him right back down or something else?
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Depends on WHY he's crying. Is he tired? Is he hurting? Is he bored? If it's frustration only, you can put a toy a bit closer, or put a hand behind a foot so he can push off, or put your face in front of his so he has a happy thing to go toward. If he's just totally ticked off that he's not moving even though he's been at it for 20 minutes, might be time for a snuggle or a change of scenery. Josie didn't get nearly enough tummy time, but she did like being on her tummy on my tummy, and she also enjoyed when I did "bench presses" with her as the weight: she still was holding up her head and building some upper body strength, and she got to see my face come and go and thought it was great fun till she got OS. ::)
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20 minutes?! He barely lasts 5. I usually try to do it awhile after he eats. He just seems frustrated. He'll start really good and then his head will bounce on and off the ground and he'll start fussing. I let him fuss but then within seconds it turns into an all out cry. I try changing the scene or a toy as soon as he gets fussy but it doesn't seem to help. I'm also at his level. He did fairly well today when we were outside and lasted a good bit.
I'll have to try the hand thing as well as just laying with him more with him on my chest. He does like that when I do it.
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If you've only just started doing tummy time with him, it's going to take him a while to sort out the coordination and strength involved in being on his tummy and he'll tire of it more quickly. But definitely give him as much as he can handle as often as you can and keep it interesting for him - the longer he's on his tummy, the more quickly he'll sort all that out. :)
Also, you may want to wait 15-20 minutes after a feed to put him on his tummy so his feed has time to work thru his system a bit first. That's a lot of exercise for a little one. :-*
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Thanks Deb :)
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If his head bounces I'd say he is tiring so probably not strong enough to last longer. B only manages a few mins at a time. It is like us trying to run a marathon without training. Just do little and often so he doesn't get exhausted. B keep rolling off onto his back which is ruining tummy time somewhat. I have to block him in.
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My lo was the same way! He HATED tummy time until he gained enough strength to lift his head and get up on his arms. The good news is that it happened pretty naturally once he got a bit stronger. I stressed out about it too but wish that I was more patient with him now.
I did give him tummy time every day to encourage it but often for only 30 seconds - 1 min at a time. Two things worked for us: (1) Tummy time on my tummy so he could use his little neck muscles to look up at me and (2) Propping a towel or small pillow under his arms so he wasn't completely level with the ground.
In the end, I'm sure he would have found his way just longer! Good luck.
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We started tummy time at 2 weeks old based on our pediatrician's recommendation. Our baby hated it too, cried through it everytime. I would let her go until she really cried. Mostly at first she would just kind of fuss, but 5 min start really crying (i.e., face planted flat and crying). That was when I would stop. I would then turn on some music and pick her up and we would dance to a song or two. She loved it! We did it 2-3 times a day for about 5 min at a time. Now she is almost 3 months and we do tummy time 4+ times a day for 15-20 min at a time. I use the same gauge...once she starts really crying, we stop. Sometimes she does all 15-20 min flat on the activity mat without fussing. But later in the day, she fusses after 5 min. So, for that round, I start with the first 5 min flat, next 5 min propped on a boppy (breastfeeding pillow), and the last 5 min on my chest, reclined in the chair. Trust me, I was skeptical at first, but your baby will get better at it and actually start enjoying it eventually because its a different point of view than lying on their back all day. They also enjoy being propped up in a sitting position either with you holding them, or propped with pillows (always supervised and when they are a little older, like 2+ months). This also helps them work their neck muscles because they will hold their head steady while sitting up. Because we started at 2 weeks, our baby at 2.5 months rolled over from tummy to back on her own and could hold her head at 90 degrees while on tummy. She's now close to rolling from back to tummy at 3 months. She can also hold her head upright when you pull her up by her arms when lying down. You really must do it (unless medically unable) because it's important. And the earlier they start, the more they will like it later (2+ months) when it becomes really important.
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hi
mine complained at first but started to like it when I positioned a mirror so that she could see herself, it was just a smallish one propped up on BF cushion, not near enough that she could reach it. Her head control developed pretty quickly when I started to automatically put her down on her tum every time instead of just doing TT once a day. As soon as she could hold head high she liked it, esp when people walked past. I think she started to last longer at about 3mo.
hth
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Lol my 3 mos old had always hated tummy time so I in turn hated to do it. When he started getting a flat spot on his head in back, our pediatrician insisted it would help change the shape and strengthen his muscles. Ever since I transitioned him from bassinet to the crib in the nursery i use tummy time to tucker him out before bed. He actually falls asleep fairly quickly now, with minimal fussing. After about ten minutes of being asleep I can move him anywhere ;D Since this new development he actually doesn't hate tummy time as much, especially in his newborn lounger, where he can see things. He's getting so strong in the neck and shoulders! So I guess you have options but a little tummy time here and there is not going to hurt em. ::)
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I will try to tucker out mine for afternoon catnap as he also hates tummy time. Has anyone tried it? As DS is getting furious after 15-30sek of lying of his tummy I do not how to encourage him to spend more time on his tummy...
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When he's on his tummy, make sure he has something interesting to look at, or to reach for. I used to put mine on MY tummy sometimes and we'd make funny faces at each other. You can also use them for "weightlifting" for yourself once their heads are nice and strong. LOL