Tummy Time - Irving, TX

This is the way my doctor put it: Put her on her stomach and we will protest. It is hard work. When she really starts complaining, go another couple of minutes then its done.

I have three kiddos and they all hated stomach time in the beginning too -- keep trying for as long as you can bear it. She will develope fine with a caring mom like you.

Good luck!
S.
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Hey my daughter hated it too. It will not prevent her from crawling or walking she just independent and will do it when she is ready. If you make her she may get scared or frustrated. When my daughter learned to roll over on her own back to front/front to back it was just fine.

Try laying down on your back and laying her on your chest on her tummy. This will help her get used to the position while still feeling she is being held. :)

My daughter is now almost 2 and can walk and run faster than I can and talks a mile a minute. She hardly did any tummy time because she was the same as yours, she hated it. She would lay there and just scream and I could not handle it. While, yes, it's good for them, I think that if they don't have that much of it it's not completely detrimental like the doctors make it out to be.

My son hated it as well; however, tummy time is very important. What you can do for starters is to lie on your back and then put your baby on your tummy, so they're doing tummy time on you. Make sense? Also, toys, pat mats and even things from around the house (ie measuring spoons, cups, etc.) can be really helpful here to keep her attention. I mean, who just wants to lie on the floor. It's kinda boring. I think about 5 minutes of tummy time per waking hours is a good goal to set. I think a lot of them start off hating it, but they do grow to like it.

Good luck & congratulations on your new baby!

So the other posts are saying that tummy time is not so important but I disagree. My first son hated tummy time but not in the usually way. My second son fusses some about tummy time, in a more normal way. So when you say that she gets hysterical it reminds me more of my first son. All that to say that because my first son did not tolerate tummy time and would get himself into a weird position, we needed therapy. At your 4 month check-up, the doctor should ask you how tummy time is working and might even want to see your daughter on her tummy. If he doesn't like what he sees, then he will recommend therapy or more tummy time.
Another tip--put her on the boppy pillow or a rolled towel on her tummy with her arms draped over so that her hands just touch the ground in front of her. You must supervise her while she is doing this but it may help her get more comfortable. Put a mirror or a toy by her hands to distract her. I agree with other posts about doing frequent, short periods on the tummy. It may just be a few minutes at a time but she needs to build those muscles. Think about it a little in exercise terms. We build muscles by lifting weights for short amounts of time and that is what she is basically trying to do. She needs recovery time in between. Hope this helps.
It's not irrational, it's usually motherly instinct.

M daughter didn't like it a whole lot at first either. I started giving it to her for a few minutes at 2 wks though. She got use to it but still to this day, if she's not in the best mood she can fuss about it. Just recently though I have started laying on my back and letting her knees rest down to my side and her chest and arms propped up on my tummy. Does that make sense? She loves her Bumbo and there's actually this really great play blanket from Ikea that is for the floor and she LOVES it! It's blue and has different textures and a mirror etc. Good luck!

Interesting you mentioned this. I forgot about it but yes they need to be able to strenghten those muscles by lifting up their heads and also they see things they want and will stretch to get there. So keep doing it. These days so different with the SID's scare. G. W

Both of my kids hated it at this age; therefore, I did as well :) You may just want to put her your baby on your tummy at night time or during the day when appropriate - that was really the only way mine liked it. They will learn how to walk and sit up, don't worry so much about it. I know everyone makes a big deal about it; however, unless your baby has a stiff neck or other issues then try not to think about it too much. My first baby had a stiff neck; so I had to do excercises and stuff. However, my second was fine. Just designate a time everyday that your baby lays on your tummy - that should make it a little easier. Good luck!!

My first baby didn't like tummy time either. I tried bouncing a brightly colored toy in front of her, and that held her attention long enough to have a little tummy time. The toy was called a "Winkel," from Manhattan Toy: http://www.manhattantoy.com/product/206936/206880/_/Winkel

I bought mine at Babies R Us, and they may carry it at Target too. I loved this toy because, when you drop it, it bounces off in a different direction each time, so it is unpredictable. My daughter loved watching it, and got her tummy time in with no complaints.

Lay down and let her do tummy time on your chest. That counts as well.

My daughter hated it too, so I didn't do it. There is nothing wrong with my daughter now that she is over a year old. I agree that she does not need to lay down all day, but there are plenty of ways to keep her not laying on her back without forcing her on her tummy. Make sure you are using a bouncy chair, high chair, and spend a lot of time during the day holding her so that she is upright. I achieved this upright hold by standing up and holding her so that her head was between my breast near my collar bone and holding her but and the side of her head. This privided upright time for her. Do not fret about the tummy time. IT is not worth upsetting them for. IF they like it that is great. Another way you can try tummy time (never worked for me though) is to lay her on her tummy on your lap to burp her. Don't force the tummy time. She will develop just fine without it. It is irrational to think that she will not learn to sit up, walk and crawl without tummy time. She will learn it all right on schedule tumy time or not. Don't force it.

I HIGHLY recommend finding a way to get her to do her "tummy time". My daughter was in an orphanage for the first 14 months of her life. She didn't have the opportunity to have tummy time, tummy crawl or learn to do her 4 pt. crawling (she was in a crib or walker most of the day). She is paying for it dearly now. I wish I could scream from the mountaintops how important this developmental sequence is (there's lots more to the developmental sequence but tummy crawling and 4 pt. crawling is a big part of it). This is so important...I can't stress this enough. My daughter (she's 3 1/2 now) will be starting a neuro-reorganization program in June to replicate the developmental processes she missed while in the orphanage setting. We are living from the fallout from this everyday. I'm grateful that we are addressing this now so she hopefully won't face additional challenges down the road...we are lucky, we still have a chance to change the outcome. The "brain" professionals who will be working with me and my daughter see these issues everyday...ADHD, learning disabilities, sensory issues...and the list goes on and on. Please know I'm not trying to scare you but my family is living with the impact of what can happen without the integration of these important milestones. I'm not saying she will be doomed without tummy time but her development WILL be affected. And please keep in mind, many kiddos don't show the impact until they go to school and begin having learning issues, hyperactivity issues, etc. These processes form critical connections in the brain and when they don't happen all kinds of issues can arise. My best to you.

T.,

Do not worry about it. She will learn everything she needs to learn at her own pace. Neither one of my girls liked tummy time at that age either and I didn't make them do it, but they both learn to love it once they learned to roll over. It was almost like it had to be their idea. Now they both like it and developmental they are ahead of where they should be. So, no worries. Just try it here and there and when she begins to like it, then go from there.

Best of luck!

Keep on trying They mostly hate it at first but it is really important.
Every day is not so important. Try it once every two days or so and lie on your tummy facing her to coax her. If she cries, give up but try it again.
She probably won't like it for another month or so, but that is okay.
I am a grammy to the same age child and a mom of three.

T.,

I am a brain development specialist and all day long I deal with children who did not get adequate tummy time. They have learning disabilties, are physically uncoordinated, socially awkward, hyperactive, poor visual convergence & tracking, or any combination of the above.

Mobility organizes and stimulate the production of brain cells. There is a mountain of research to support movement as vital to brain development.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO LEARN TO MOVE ON HER BACK OR BEING HELD? I don't mean this to be shouting, but hope you'll carefully consider this question.

There are LOTS of things you can do to make this process go well for her---you can be in the drivers seat.

I also know many pediatricians do not take mobility development very seriously and say it is okay for children to skip or have delayed milestones before walking. However, those pediatricians will also write prescriptions for ADD and then shrug their shoulders once that doesn't fix the problem.

I would recommend you take a course on brain development for parents (and EVERY mother whose child has a brain). The next course available in this area is May 30 in Addison.

Feel free to message me for details.

Let your baby lay stomach to stomach to you or your husband. Being near you makes it better. My little ones did their tummy time just a few minutes each day. A few minutes is like 1-2 maybe 3. It doesn't have to be a long time. Just enough to give their muscles a little jog. You'll notice your little one trying to push going from the bottom of your tummy to your neck area. And don't worry baby will learn to crawl and walk on their own. Some sooner or later than others. Good luck.

DON"T WORRY. Okay, so can you get her tummy time with you or daddy under her with her on your chest. The baby will learn to walk and crawl. Don't obsess over time lines too much. The time lines are a range. My first didn't talk before 2, he had a few issues with motor skills but he would have had those issues if I worried or not. I chose not to worry and looked for alternative ways to get him therapy. Do you do baby massage? Learn how to massage her limbs and her back. Touch is so important in those early months. Do tummy time with her. Check to make sure she isn't gassy.

Hi T.,

One thing we did to make tummy time a little easier for both our daughter and son was to use a boppy pillow. We would lay them on their stomaches with their chest on the pillow, arms over the pillow and their legs pointed back in the center of the circle. We would face them towards a mirror or something else entertaining. I have to admit, I probably didn't do it as much as I should have but they both survived.

Don't stress to much about her developing properly. I'm amazed how my children have survived inspite of me. God watches over all of us. Keep asking questions. We all learn from each other since these precious little things don't come with instruction manuals.

Enjoy the experience.
B.

Mine youngest daughter hated it as well but I found that if I did tummy time right along with her (on my stomach on the floor right next to her and usually touching) she managed to tolerate it much longer. Don't worry about your baby's development. She will do just fine in her own time.

Had 5 kids. I put all 5 on their tummies. Have you had your kiddo checked out at the doctor's for medical problems? As for walking--they will and as happy as you'll be at the walking, then, you realize your house is at her mercy. lol

My son hated it so I tried it every once in a while. When he cried, I turned him over. He hit all his milestones at the average age. How many average 5 year olds do you know that can't sit up or crawl or walk? With or without tummy time she will learn. Don't worry about it too much.

When my little one was tiny, I just carried her all the time. I kept her in a sling, so she could view the world from my level. She had never done any sort of "tummy time" at all. At six months, somebody told me that she wouldn't learn how to crawl, so I sat her down on the floor, and in about 10 minutes she was crawling. She could sit on her own because of the sling and how she sat in it.

Honestly, if your baby doesn't like tummy time, it's not doing anything good for her. Just don't do it. She can have stimulation from other things, like walks in your arms where you point out birds and flowers and tell her about them, etc. She will learn a lot from listening to you talk and being in your arms while you do things. I even talked to her about things at the grocery store, while I held her (she never went in one of those car seats with handles).

Apparently it didn't hurt her, because she has an unusually high IQ and is a very confident and happy child. :)

I'm going to add on here: When my 16 year old was a baby, we were never told anything about how important "tummy time" is. He learned to crawl at four months and walk at nine months. Obviously not behind. In my opinion, it's like many things: They tout how important it is and get mothers all worked up about it, then come out saying it turns out it's not really all that important.

What has stood the test of time is the importance of holding your baby and talking/reading, etc to her. When in doubt, I try to think about early humans. At four months, do you think that a mother would have put her baby down for "tummy time" in the jungle? The baby would have been eaten by something. Instead, momma never put her baby down. Baby was always near a relative. If "early human" baby didn't learn to hold their own head up, or walk, etc, they would have died. Since humans are still around, obviously, early human babies learned these things without tummy time! Your baby will develop muscles much better by sitting in a sling while you carry her around, or even just being carried. It's how human babies have developed for thousands of years.

I think the babies who are behind and have developmental problems do so oftentimes because they spent so much time just sitting in one of those car seats and not being talked to, held enough, etc. Carry your baby in the grocery store, take her on walks, etc. She won't be behind.

They don't need tons of tummy time at this age. It's an irrational fear, but heck - first time mommyhood is full of them! LOL. Anyway - you can even do tummy time on YOUR tummy. Lie down and have her on her tummy on you. that way she can practice being on her tummy a little, in a safe comfy place, without freaking out. My little guy didn't like it either,and I didn't force the issue. They learn when they learn at that age. Some of the tummy time is to help them not get the flat head thing they get from lying down a lot, but that also goes away. Just make sure she's in different positions. You may also want to get a carrier - I love the ergo, cause you can wear them on the front or back, and I can still use it with my now 2year/36lb boy.

When she's a little older and just about ready to sit up by herself, get the bumpo seat. It's like a practice seat for when they're not quite ready, and my guy liked it cause it was a new view of the world.

Take care, you're doing fine!

Hi T.,

Congratulations on your little gift from God! My babies hated tummy time too and they both turned out just fine. Just do it as much as she will tolerate and don't sweat the small stuff!

Enjoy,

M.

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I agree with the earlier post. 5 minutes per waking hour is plenty of tummy time. You can handle 5 minutes of her fussiness, and she can handle 5 minutes of the unfamiliar position on her tummy. Honest. Once she gets used to it, she'll actually like it. My daughter hated her tummy time, but once we were in our routine of 5 minutes per waking hour, she got used to it and enjoyed the special attention I gave her. I made up a tummy-time song, I put her favorite toys just barely within her reach so she could see them and grab for them, and it became quite exciting.

Good luck, mama!

My baby hated it as well. I had play mats and toys that were supposed to encourage him to be on his stomach, but he still hated it. So, I would put him on his stomach until he started to screech. Which was usually about 30 seconds. I didn't try it everyday but maybe every other day or so. Some days, I just couldn't handle him being upset.

I also let my baby sleep on his stomach when he seemed to want to (we had a crib monitor) and he STILL hated being on his stomach when awake.

He has a head that is in the 96th percentile and my pediatrician said it might take him longer to hold his head, sit and crawl. I did notice that my friends with smaller babies had babies that held their head up/sat up sooner. But all of my friends had babies who didn't like being on their stomachs. Your baby will eventually like being on her stomach. My son is ten months now and has been crawling and sitting for sometime. The pediatrician is happy with where he is on all the charts.

So, I think you are encountering a common situation and your baby will be fine. I think a very upset baby is a sign to stop doing what you are doing. So, if it really upsets your baby, don't do it and just try again in a week or so. Babies change every day and as she becomes able to hold her head up and support her body weight on her arms, she will find it less upsetting to be on her stomach.

In a few more months, as you watch your baby scooting all over your house, you will look back and realize there was nothing to worry about.

R.

I wouldn't worry about it too much-- I have 4 children, some liked "tummy time" some did not, however they all hit their respective "mile stones" on time-- I would put her down on her tummy and you could get down on yours in front of her to "distract" her and play with some toys/rattle/something in front of her, if she still hates it, just keep trying periodically-- eventually she will WANT to be down & out of your arms, so just enjoy the time she's wanting to be so near to you right now!!

Hi T.,
I know you've received a lot of responses but I'll put in my two cents too. My son didn't care for tummy time either. He tolerated it for maybe 5 minutes. I didn't push it, why make the little guy 'suffer' and make him uncomfortable?! Now he's crawling like a pro--he started at 9 mths. Anyway, I think that with or without tummy time, kids will naturally learn to sit up, crawl and walk at their own pace! I wouldn't worry too much. (Did they have all this research back in the days? People born then w/o all these recommendations are doing just fine aren't they? ; )
Take care,
M.

My son hated it too, and as a result, I rarely did tummy time. Oh, I did at least a little bit each day, but just a bit, and usually just once a day. I hated to see him upset, and I hated to take a happy baby and stress him out ... and trying tummy time with an unhappy baby just didn't seem smart! BUT, when my son was probably about 3 months old, my best friend came to visit for a week. And she, not being as over-tired and stressed as I was, was very patient with him and put him on his stomach for very short periods of time many times a day ... and within a few days, he no longer was nearly as stressed out by the experience, and then slowly started to get better with lifting his head, etc. So, my advice is to go ahead and try it more frequently, just for short periods. The complaints you'll hear from your daughter are frustration, but you can't shield her from all frustration in life, she'll need to work through it. Good luck!

I think that she is a little to young to be on tummy time. ANd she obviously hates it. When she learns to roll and be able to lift her head then that may be a good time to start. Don't fear. She will learn to crawl etc. Just be patient. Every child develops at their own pace. If you keep introducing her to tummy time and she hates it, it will stress her out and she may not like it all. So just back off. You will know when she is ready. As for the holding. I always held mine as long as they would let me because after a while they won't want you to. If holding her is the worst thing you ever do, then you are ahead of the pack. It might start some bad habits you will wish you had broken later, but it will not hurt her. Intense stranger danger, yes. Even for family. BUt hurt her, no.

Good luck,
L.