First Time Momma

Um, maybe it just so happens, that when you are ready for "play" and belly-time...that he is actually already pooped out.
MANY MANY babies actually sleep very well on their tummies... and your son is probably one of them. So, as soon as he is on his tummy, he falls asleep!

A baby, will typically have a pattern of:
wake up, nurse/feed, awake time, nurse/feed, nap or bed time...(then repeat).

After a baby wakes up from sleep or napping, the "awake" period is about 2-3 hours max, and then a baby will get tired again and be ready for a nap. For a baby, even something like a bath & diaper change, is an "activity."

My son, at this age, was still sleeping pretty much the majority of the day. I counted myself lucky. Especially after my firstborn which was nearly impossible to put to sleep at all.

So, no worries. Really. A baby will sleep a lot in the beginning. Just enjoy it because one day, you will wish he was still napping so well.

As for belly-time, just do it after a nap, whenever he is awake, or before he eats (never put him on his belly right after eating, or it may all come out & he'll choke).

IF you are concerned, then just ask your Pediatrician.

My son was such a great napper, sleeper, and still is to this day. And I did not do belly-time marathons with him nor belly-time moments everyday. BUT, he is strong as an ox, and developed ahead of his age group and he is just fine.

Just gauge your baby... "know" him, and time things so that it is more conducive to him.

All the best,
Susan

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My baby boy always fell asleep and slept best on his tummy, so unless our babies are the only two strange ones, I think it's pretty normal... Don't let him stay on his belly once he's fallen asleep though, at least not until he has the coordination to turn himself over, raise his head, etc., due to the SIDS risk. But don't worry, just keep trying. Eventually, he'll start noticing all the cool things around him and want to stay up... I had one of those activity centers with a pillow, to prop his chest on a little bit, then in front of the pillow was an activity board with things that make different sounds when touched... But he's still so young. Eat, poop, sleep is pretty much all you're gonna get out of him... :P
Good luck and remember that this mamaboard is your best bet when it comes to hearing a WIDE VARIETY of opinions and ideas for what to do with your baby. I too am a first time mom and didn't ever deal with babies growing up, so anytime I had a question, I jumped on here to see what others thought...

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Use a boppy to prop him up on his tummy. He's still little. Don't worry about his sleeping a lot. Next week it could be the opposite and you'll miss it.

I would use a chart to track his sleeping patterns. You have gotten some great advice!

Mirrors are great and I used the Boppy pillow too.

enjoy your little one!

Sleep is not only normal, but totally necessary for your growing baby. You are not to worry! Babies this age pretty much sleep, eat, and poop! I think falling asleep on his tummy is normal as well. We didn't start tummy time with my daughters until they were four months old, but I know it is suggested starting at age 2-3 months, as you are doing. Experts say 10 minutes, three times daily is a good amount of time on the tummy. Some also say it's good to prop the baby slanted slightly upward, like with a towel folded under the upper portion of his body. Remember, any time is good time. Please remember that SIDS can be caused by sleeping on the tummy though, so if he falls asleep you would want to reposition him to his back or against your chest. Don't expect too much at this age. Babies just need food, sleep, and, most especially, closeness with you. I didn't see a lot of personality develop until 4-6 months, and I was thrilled. You may only be twenty, but you already sound like a conscientious and loving momma to me! Keep up the good work!

THe good thing is he's willing to be on his tummy. Try putting him (hold his back) on top of an adult exercise ball. They love being up higher to look around... or a mirror in front of them.
If he's sleeping at night, doesn't matter how much they sleep during the day, they're growing. BUT don't let him get his nights and days mixed up and keep you up all night. No sleep is too much, they're brains need that time. Hope your breastfeeding, that's FANTSTIC for their growth, development, disposition..... as well.

This is very normal. I have a 3 month old and he is my 3rd child. To do tummy time I received a boppy as a present and he loves that. I put him on his tummy with his arms over the edge and he tries to reach for a rattle I put in front of him. It also works his legs as he tries to push up like he wants to climb over. Good luck.

Hi L. - This is my experience - Until recently I did not give my baby very much tummy time because she HATED it and it was such an ordeal. She is pushing up fine now (at 6, nearly 7 mos) and her head is nice and normal, not flat at all. Also at 3 mos she was still sleeping a lot - at about 15 wks she started sleeping through the night but still took several naps during the day.

do tummy time after he has just woken up, if he is not too hungry, otherwise he'll just holler :) my son sleeps on his belly so i never had that problem until he got tired. just do it for a few minutes a few times a day. when you see him getting sleepy, pick him up, talk to him, get him interested in being awake again, and then put him back on his belly. and yes, he does need to sleep lots still. you'll figure out his schedule and work around it for his most awake time to be on his belly. the older he gets, the more he'll be awake and the longer he'll stay on his belly. be patient, they all move at their own pace.

You could try tummy time with the baby on your tummy, with you on your back. That worked the best for us,for a while, as my daughter would SCREAM if we put her on her tummy. By about six months we could finally put her on the floor and she would play a while.
The biggest thing about tummy time is getting them to strenghten their neck and arms.
Babies sleep 18-20 hours a day until about six months, then they need about 15 hours until they are about 2 to 5 and kids need about 12 hours. I remember just sitting and watching my daughter sleep and marveling that she could be so peaceful for so long. not now =) bing bing bing around the house =)
Good luck!
R.

Just the fact that he's waking up on his belly will give him some of the practice he needs in developing his arms and neck. I read that with the current standard of babies sleeping on their backs, they are actually learning to crawl later in life than prior generations, because they don't have the incentive needed to move. See if when he wakes up from "tummy time" he can stay like that for 5 minutes more and little by little increase that time. At this age no activity can be sustained for too long before they get fussy or bored.

Good luck.

L.,

I'd let him sleep. LOL Never wake a sleeping baby. There are lots of cultures that don't do tummy time and their kids still grow up and are fine. My son never did tummy time because he had really bad reflux and would scream like crazy if he were laying on his belly. He crawled, walked, etc... all on time with no problem.

:-)T.

I've heard that tummy time is important for developing a baby's core muscles. One great idea is to get a beach ball (99 cents at Target!) and don't inflate it all the way. You can rest the baby on it (tummy down) and roll him around a bit. I used this as a compliment to tummy time. I would sing to my son and he really liked it. They hold their legs up as well as their head, so you don't have to do it very long and you get results. Several of my friends have had little ones who hated tummy time and it worked for them. We still play w/ the ball - he's 18 months. Now, I sit his butt on it and sing 'ring around the rosies'. He thinks it's hilarious. Good luck!

We didn't do the "tummy time" thing with our daughter. Sometimes when we were playing, I'd put her on her belly, but it wasn't a regular thing. She crawled at 8 mos and walked at 1 year.

Hi L., I am a Sleep Consultant and Parenting Coach. Trust me when I say that your son does not need to have "tummy time"! The natural order of development is for babies to be on their back, roll over on to their stomach, push up on their arms, sit up, crawl, pull up and walk. Your son will do all of these things whteher or not you force him to be on his belly. It is detrimental to force a baby into a position that they are not ready to get into on their own. His head is such a huge percentage of his total body weight, to put undue pressure on his muscles and spine will force him to develop in an unnatural way. We should never force babies to do tummy time, prop them up into a sitting position or "help" them walk by holding onto their hands. If you let your baby progress as he is meant to then you will see an agile child who does not fall easily, and when he does fall, knows how to fall without getting hurt.
At three months your son should be getting between 15-17 hours of sleep a day. Thats alot! he can sleep 11-12 hours at night and taking three naps a day. Don't worry about him sleeping to much or not learning to crawl. I promise you that he will. Good Luck and best wishes,
K. Smith www.theindependentchild.com

What about trying tummy time right after he wakes up? He might not fall asleep if he just woke up? Just an idea I'm throwing out there.

Don't worry about this at all!! He will learn to love his tummy and all that goes with that- crawling, etc. Give him time. Sleep is going to be a huge part of his day for another couple months and then still through his first year... Next month I am focusing on newborns and infant sleep on my blog.

Also, check out my sleep blog www.lullabyluna.com.

Laure, Talk to your pediatrician. Don't wonder about things when it comes to youre newborn baby. Ask the professional! and if you don't have a good relationship with your babie's Dr. than get a new one! I used to call my boy's Dr. all the time with questions and concerns or just ask if I could come in and they always accomidated me. Especially within the first year of my babies life.Why take chances. Your peace of mind is important!! C. D. Long Beach, CA.