Tummy Time! (My baby hates it, does yours?)

[Demosthenes]

My baby hates tummy time with a passion. He kicks and screams, and once he learned to turn over onto his back (he did this super early, like at 4 weeks... he hated tummy time that much) as soon as I put him on his belly he tries to flip over. It's kinda funny, but I know my doctor gets on my case about giving him tummy time.

I've tried to be creative by putting him on my belly so he gets to look at my face (keeps him occupied for about 5-8 min). I've also tried putting him on something that moves like the glider's ottoman, which works for about 5 min. We have 3 activity gyms that promote tummy time, but he only likes to play with those on his back. He doesn't like the Boppy for tummy time- just for breastfeeding. I think that's all I've tried so far.

I tried to see if I could make do without tummy time because I didn't like him crying so much, but the doctor really noticed a difference in his last checkup and almost made a physical therapy referral for me. I know that I need to do it, but are there any tips or tricks that you guys have used to make it easier on him?

[mh21]

Both of my kids hated tummy time. I honestly don't understand why babies have to do it, I mean when I was a baby my mother didn't do tummy time with me and I can move just fine!

May be someone can enlighten me??

[elizat]

Okay, as a warning, I saw this when scrolling through the main forum page, b/c it was the most recent response. Please educate a non-mom- what IS tummy time!!??? I have a brother who is 12, but have never heard that term before (but my mom is in her 50's). Is it a new term?

[Demosthenes]

Originally Posted by elizat

Okay, as a warning, I saw this when scrolling through the main forum page, b/c it was the most recent response. Please educate a non-mom- what IS tummy time!!??? I have a brother who is 12, but have never heard that term before (but my mom is in her 50's). Is it a new term?

It's time when babies are put on their tummies. It supposedly helps them develop muscles, coordination, truncal support, etc.

[elizat]

^^ Oh. Thanks. My brother did this (just didn't know that is what it was called)- he liked it- he would kick his legs around and look like he was swimming like a frog, lol!

[berryblondeboys]

Well, it's not necessary, there are other things you can do, like have them sit on your lap, or have them be on their tummies on your tummy so they can look in your face. I've had three diff. peds with my two babies (and at each practice many VERY experienced doctors and NONE of them said this was a thing to do).

And I DON'T believe it's necessary because in most of our human existence(think of dirt floors, mud, thatch, etc) babies NEVER were on the floor. There are some cultures that don't allow babies to touch the floor/earth for one whole year and there's good reason for that!

Whenever someone says, "you should do this" ask yourself, does this make sense?

[carvedwords]

My son LOVES tummy time, but he hasn't figured out how to flip himself back so he screams when he gets tired, but then the moment I put him back on his back he flips back over. It's hilarious!!

[omgsweet]

My daughter hated it too. My doctor was always on me about it because when he would ask if I was doing it, I was honest and told him I wasn't.

My Mother told me it wasn't a big deal. So I never did it. My daughter is 7 months now and all her muscles are developing just as they should be. She gets into crawling position all the time. She just hasn't figured out how to move forward yet.

[merika]

I never did it for my son. He did lay on the floor, but in any position HE liked...I haven't noticed anything different about him!

[omgsweet]

When I first tried doing tummy time, Belle cried so much. So we started calling it tummy time torture.

[Sternchen]

We did a little bit of tummy time, but Julia wasn't a big fan because she couldn't really see us even if we were laying on the floor with her...So after that we started doing it with her laying on our stomachs, that way she could see our faces and be close to us

[weekender2]

my daughter hated tummy time, she would just scream her head off as soon as I put her on her tummy, so naturally i picked her up right away. our ped said her son hated it too and not to worry, no biggie. she finally took to her tummy time around 8 months and at that time she started loving it and sleeping on her tummy too. she will be 1 in 2 weeks.

[DlkinVegas]

Babies need time on their stomachs to help strengthen their head, neck, and shoulder muscles. It's an important way to help them build this strength. It used to be that we let babies sleep on their stomach & generally spend a lot more time belly down, so there wasnt really a need for tummytime. Now though, because of the risk of SIDS most babies sleep & spend a good majority of time on their back. Another reason to not keep your baby on his back all the time (Or in swings, carseats, bouncy chairs) is the potential to create flat spots. Tummy time when your baby is awake can help prevent flat spots.

That being said, my daughter hated tummy time. She had good head control early on but I still did it. There was no set amount of time or anything that we did TT I just throughtout the day put her belly down (Lap, boppy pillow, knee balancing). When she started crying that was the end of session. I remember putting her on colorful blankets or on her activity mat use to help her tolerate it a little longer, too

[HauteMama]

^^ I very much agree with this. Babies used to get plenty of tummy time because most babies prefer to sleep on their bellies. Now that sleeping on the tummy is no longer recommended, it is important to get that time in some other way. Tummy time is recommended to build neck and core strength and to prevent flat spots on the back of the head.

My first son loved tummy time; he just fell asleep! I seriously could not put him on his belly for more than 5 minutes without him just deciding to put his head down and rest. My other children learned to roll front to back very quickly because they did not like tummy time. I think they rolled earlier than they otherwise would have just to get off their tummies!

[arireyes]

My kids must be strange because with all 3 of them, as soon as I put them on their tummy, they go to sleep. They hated being on thier backs. And my pediatrician told us to give them tummy time as well to strengthen the neck and back.