Tummy-time

to be honest I know most moms try to keep their kids sleeping on their backs. My boys would not sleep on their backs. Many mothers I've talked to stated they couldn't get their little ones to sleep on their backs either. Since he's so little and not very strong, I personally think it's okay to put him on his tummy. I would keep an eye on it very closely though because right ow he doesn't have the strength to move his head. Newborns can get their faces stuck on the floor when their necks are tired. By three months 15 minute sessions of tummy at a time is decent. Around 3-5 months they are able to roll over, so you are safe at that point.

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I started giving my daughter tummy time when she was about 3-4 weeks. I did not leave her there for more than 5 minutes or so at first and now she loves it and she can roll over and loves looking at her toys.

Babies need tummy time every day, starting when they are born for a minute or two.
Do not expect him to love it, but do expect him to do it even if he cries.
I would say about a minute per week of age....so seven minutes for him right now.
Get started today.

Starting tummy time now is a great time. It's important for their development to become strong in their arms and chest for later use when they are bigger to have proper coordination to climb up a ladder, or ropes, etc... It's a common problem with older children they don't have the strength to climb because of lack of tummy time. There are many other good reasons that tummy time is important too, but this is a common growing problem in school aged children because we have so much equipment to occupy them otherwise. Plus most parents don't want to here their children fuss in frustration while on their tummy's. But I promise it gets better each time and they soon will love it!

I would encourage using a sling or baby wrap (which I like better). Babies who are carried often in a sling don't actually need tummy time because they use their arms to push up on you. They also gain stronger torso muscles from balancing their weight as they are carried. Avoid using the stroller or car seat as much as possible, but carry your baby. If you do an internet search, you can find all kinds of beautiful carriers. I like the website: www.wearsthebaby.com, but there are many others too. You might also like to do an internet search for the benefits of babywearing.

I have a 5 month old boy and I was the same way I thought that my childs head would be deformed but it's not though he may or will develope a bald spot. Our Family doctor recommended if your not against the pacifier to let them sleep with one that is what helped me with my fears on sids cause it keeps them from going into that really deep sleep.

Starting his tummy time now is okay to do especially if he is holding his head up very well. But I would start him out for 5 minutes on his tummy then gradually move the time up as you go along. Word of advice don't put him on his tummy after a feeding I learned the hard way. Wait at least a half hour. If he doesn't like it thats fine for the first few times but if he continues not to like it then I wouldn't continue with it. My little boy didn't like tummy time until he was able to use his arms and hands for support even though he didn't mind it for when he would sleep on his tummy as long as I held him other words he is more of a side sleeper.
Hope this helps you out.
N.

Hi R.,
Definitely start tummy time now. He will probably only be able to tolerate a few minutes at a time, but give him several tummy times per day. My son hated tummy time, but I kept doing it to get him used to it and to make him stronger. My son was breech, had hip dysplasia, and torticollis. All of which caused him to have slight plagiocephaly (flattened head). It was because he was cramped inside and in one position (head in one spot). Anyway, I had all kinds of opinions about his head shape, even a PT who suggested a helmet for him. I was distraught and agonized for a long time about the decision. In the end we did all we could to change his head position at night and for naps and encouraged him to have tummy time, limited time in car seats,swings, and bouncy seats, and tried to sit him upright when we could (in highchair or reclined booster seat). We finally decided not to do the helmet (very happy with that decision)and our son's head is fine. He is almost 3 and still has a small flat spot but is not noticeable at all to anyone but us. Our peditrician was great and said that it was mostly cosmetic and no medical concerns at all. Another doctor told us that most kids' heads return to normal by age 5.
So, hope I didn't scare you, my main point is everything worked out fine for us. Just start tummy time now and try to keep him from too much time in seats and swings. Good luck and congrats.

You should def start tummy-time now!! As far as the flat head... I just read an article the other day that said since parents are encouraged to put their babies on back to sleep that now alot of babies are getting this "deformed" head. Since their heads are so soft and "formable" this is not uncommon and will eventually work itself out. Try laying the baby opposite of the way you usually lay him down- head where his feet usually are. He is probablly focusing on something while he is going to sleep so if you switch the direction he lays then it will start to even out the other side of his head from being so flat. If that makes sense at all!! Good Luck!!

Isn't it great when they start noticing their surroundings? You can really see their personalities starting to come out. As far as tummy time play goes, that can start as soon as their umbilical cord falls off at around 1-2 weeks. You want them to have at least 15 minutes of tummy time twice a day while awake. This allows them the opportunity to strengthen their neck muscles and improve their head control. It also helps to facilitate rolling over. FYI: because infants must be laid on their backs to sleep because of SIDS, they often dislike tummy time at first. It's okay to let them cry a little while on their tummies--they usually get their best neck exercise while they're trying to lift up their heads to see where Mommy is!:) The tummy time while awake will also help with the shape of the head. It's good to try to alternate the baby's head position while sleeping--that also helps with the shape of the head. Good luck!

If he can hold up his head very well go for tummy time. He may not like it for quite some time, but just keep trying. I would encourage several times throughout the day. I would talk to your Ped further about the head issues.

Hi R.,

Congratulations on your baby!
I did tummy time since my children were just a couple weeks old, I'm surprised your Doctor hasn't encouraged you to :)

I would definately start right away, babies are not meant to be on their back for months after birth, I think this is why his head is like this. My kids never had it but I put them on their tummy always when awake :)
It also helps a lot for their muscles etc so the sooner you do it the more he will develop his motor skills properly :)

My babies have never slept on their backs. They just aren't comfortable that way. For the first few weeks, baby always slept on my chest. Then, I move them to right beside me (with my arm around them) on their side or sometimes rolling onto their backs. But when they sleep independently in their own bed, I have always put them on their tummy. Not what doctor's recommend, I know, so this is not something I am suggesting you do. It's a personal choice. You can try using a wedge that elevates baby's head when they are laying down. Might take some of the weight off the back of their head (gravity). Or, try putting baby down on his back with his head turned one way one night and then the other way the next. Personally, if baby's head is starting to become flat, my concern would be that baby isn't being held enough, but that's just me, please don't take offense.

As for tummy time, now is a perfect time to start. You could have started earlier, but it's not too late or anything. Baby will let you know when he's had enough. Some babies don't like tummy time at all at first. So, start with just a minute or two at a time. They'll start to get used to it and like it more. With my babies, I would put them on their bellies on top of me and then talk to them trying to get them to lift their heads to look at me. You can do the same thing by putting them on your bed and sitting on the floor so that their feet are away from you and their head is pointed at you. It's so fun to see them trying to turn their eyes up far enough to see you. With both of my babies (one is almost 2 and the other is 7 weeks, by the way), they would open their eyes really wide and wrinkle their little foreheads, lol.

Have fun exploring this new physical position with your little one!

God bless,
A.

Turn that baby on his side to sleep! get to foam wedges and put him between them.

Hello! Yes definately start tummy time!!!! My son was born in 2005 and i was scared to death to put him on his tummy because of sids and all the doctors saying sleep on back. However, my son developed a flat spot on his head (called plagiocephaly). I went ahead w/further treatment for his flat spot. This treatment is NOT COSMETIC DO NOT LET ANYONE ESPECIALLY INSURANCE COMPANIES TELL YOU IT IS. If this condition is not treated it could lead to having facial assemtry, misaligned ears, and other major complications. My child wore a DOC Band made by cranial technologies. This is a band that corrects the flat spot (plagio). This condition is not brought on by NOT HOLDING YOUR CHILD ENOUGH! My childs flat spot was due to torticollis which is the tightening of neck muscles. His right neck muscles were tighter then his left which caused him to favor one side. Physical therapy treated the tort and the DOC Band treated the flat spot. The web site you can visit to view the DOC Band is www.cranialtech.com . If you would like more info please ask.

I started my son with TT a few days after he was born. He didn't like it at first but if you use a boppy pillow it makes it easier on them. After awhile he would push off of it with his arms and go over it so I knew he was ready to do TT without anything. Then you can start putting things out of their reach during TT and that'll encourage crawling! If you start very slowly with a minute or two and work up from there they will really enjoy it. TT just stimulates them in a different way b/c it's a new way of looking at things. I'd say definitely start now and work up to 30 min. or so!

Yes you can give him some tummy time now. As far as his head goes keep encouraging him to sleep on on side and maybe during nap time put his head the other way. My son had this issue too but it was because his soft spots started fusing too early. The doctors had me see a specialist for this and they were going to do surgery to break his skull bones and reform them. I said the heck with that! There is also a helmet that doctors use to help as well. I didn't do anything so my sons head is somewhat flat in the back but now that he is older and has hair you can't even tell. I wouldn't worry about it any. Congrats on the baby!
D.

I am a 31 yr. old stay at home mom. I have been married going on 12 yrs. this Nov. and my husband and I have 3 boys ages 10 yrs., 7 yrs. and 4 yrs.

Hi R.!

Congratulations on the first baby! There is so much controversy surrounding SIDS. My mom slept all of us (I'm the oldest of 6) on our tummies. When I had kids the experts all said sleeping on the back was the safest. One thing our doctor did say we could do was lay the baby on it's side and put rolled up towels or blankets on either side to help prevent rolling over - both of my kids usually ended up on their backs still, but they at least started on their sides. Then you can just rotate sides to help with avoiding flat spots on his head. I believe you can also purchase a foam support that you can put in the crib and lay baby inside to keep him from rolling over.
As far as tummy time goes, I'd say do what you feel comfortable with. If he can support his head fairly well then try it. He may not last long, but you can at least see what he thinks.
Good luck!

you should start as soon as the umbilical stub falls off!

Hi R.. You can start tummy time right now. My son had the same issue with his head. He is now 10 months and it is perfect. Have you tried a Bumbo seat? They are slightly on the pricey side, but well worth it. My advice is to get one with a tray so when he's a bit older he can reach toys. My son got frustrated when he would drop them and couldn't reach them.

I would start as soon as he has gained some head control. When my son was little, he wasn't a hug fan of tummy time...but...he did really well if I laid him on his tummy on the Boppy. It gave him some extra support. My daughter seemed to be holding her head up asap. Every child is so different. If he doesn't like it just do it for a few seconds, love on him and try it again. Before you know it he'll be sitting up, crawling, walking, and telling you what to do...ha!

The flat spot is not for ever! It will go away (The hair may too only on that spot!)
My son had the same thing as a baby but he is now 13 on the honor roll all 7 years of school and I don't think that harmed him any to lay on his back for a few months! We used the wedge it was made out of foam and it kept the baby on their side to sleep I loved it! I used it with my younger two also and the didn't end up with flat heads! Lol good luck let me know if this works! Good luck! C.

For my babies tummy time, I propped brightly colored board books up in front of them to look at. Then eventually turned Elmo on the TV. Elmo is such a bright red color, it kept them very interested, holding up their heads and looking around.
I was very paranoid of my babies having "deformed" heads, too!
I also found that an exersaucer was a great investment as well. Even at a very young age, I propped up the baby with a stuffed animal on each side so they wouldn't fall over. Same thing with a high chair. I have pictures of my daughter in her high chair with a stuffed bunny on each side of her so she won't fall over. She would play with toys on her tray while I cleaned the kitchen.
I hope this helps!
A.

I have 5 children of my own, and I would let them have tummy-time when they could hold their heads up. They all loved it . As for the SIDS concern, I wouldn't worry about it when he is awake. His head will round out with time. The bones of his skull won't full fuse until he's about 2 yrs. anyway, but if you are really concerned about it, try laying him on his side to sleep, alternating between the sides and back. I always kept my children on their sides, because if they were on their back when they were asleep , they could spit up and choke. Every thing will be fine.

you are worrying for no reason... time will handle his head as he grows an changes .... just let him be in the position that makes him happy! It's hard being a first time parent! i have 4 kids that all had flat heads at one point - they are all normal now : )

I have a 5 month old and we started tummy-time around 2 months. She hated every minute of it!! Actually, she hated it until about 3 1/2 months old. Her head was a little misshapen but eventually got better. She also has a bald spot on the back, but we love her anyway. :)

I am by no means a professional. Let me get that out right now. The doctors told me the same thing. Baby on the back! Baby on the back!!! Well, my daughter was a little premature (6 weeks) so she had a little trouble breathing at night so we let her sleep in the bouncie chair. The incline helped her breathe a lot. That was for only a few weeks. Then the tiny monster went on her belly. I have never put her on her back to sleep. She was holding her head up good. The doctors change their stand on this issue every few years it seems. There's always a reason why they shouldn't sleep a certain way so I say do what YOU are comfortable with. Pretty soon they will say the baby can only sleep standing up (oh yea, sarcasm). Good luck there. This is your baby. Needless to say, my daughter is still here. Doing just fine. Just make sure crib sheets fit tight and there is NOTHING else in the crib with her. I won't so much as leave a sock in there. I do have a bumper pad so her little feet don't end up poking through the bars but that's it. Anyway, that's what I do. There's been a few times she's been on her back and spits up & if I weren't there I think she would have choked. On the belly, she may stick her face & hair in it but at least she's not choking on it. Good luck & let us know what you decide! :)

Hi R. i have a 12 week old son and he is the same. he isnt' a fan of tummy time, all it does is get both of us frustrated:) he usually cries until he puts himself to sleep. I do, do naps on his stomach just to help him have a different view every now and then. i haven't worried too much because like your son he is holding his head up great. as for his head i wouldn't worry too much, it can take up to a year or two for their heads to take shape. i hardly have my son laying down on his back and he is still going bald on the back. i would do what your heart says and don't worry. good luck :)

All three of my children had the same problem. For fear of sids, I still put them on their backs at night and more on their stomachs during the day. Their heads eventually rounded back out. I wouldn't worry about this to much. Good Luck!!

My daughter who is seventeen had my first grandson 4 months ago. To be honest with you we never laid him on his back except for his first two days at the hospital. Before his belly button healed we were putting him on his side. He did not like to be put on his back. He would have the jitters (thats what i call it) while on his back. His arms would always shake, and it looked like he was scared. He has been on his belly ever since. He has great head control, and is already starting to pull his legs up to try and crawl. My daughters friend, who has a 7 month old will refuse to go on his belly because he has always been put to sleep on his back or sitting in a car seat. The back of his head is flat too. He will yell and scream if you lay him on his belly. So I agree with you that it sure is the right thing to lay them on their belly as soon as the belly button heals. You are doing the right thing. To be honest with you, when my oldest son, who is 22 right now, was a baby, his pediatrician told me that as a parent you will know what to do with your child. No doctor can tell you to wait 4 hours to feed them, to lay them on their backs to sleep, only feed them formula til they are 6 months old, she said that as a doctor they are not at your home to see what the child is going through, so there would be no way for them to dictate to you how to take care of your child. Use your motherly instincts and it is ok to ask your mother or other people for advice. Believe me sometimes its better than the doctors.

My babies had tummy time from the time I brought them home from the hospital. I never did the thing with "back to sleep" My kids were a side sleeper or a tummy sleepr. I know a lot of parents are scared to lay babies on their tummies to sleep but when it was the only way a child would sleep this is just the way it was. Nothing was in the crib or bassinet with the baby. (blankets, pillow, stuffed animals)

Tummy times hleps build the babies upper body!!

You can start encouraging tummy time right away. You could start off by lying down and having his tummy time on your belly. That is a good transition into it, as most babies aren't too thrilled about it to begin with. As for the head shape, it will go back to normal...no worries!

Hi R.-Doing tummy time is hard at first and your baby may be fussy or even cry. Soon he will be stronger and tummy time will get easier. You should do tummy time for 3 to 5 minutes up to 5 times a day. Keep the time he is on his tummy short but do it often. Put him on your chest when you lie down and talk and sing to him as he looks at your face. Plan tummy time when he is not tired. It helps to place your son's favorite toys beside him or prop open a black and white picture book. It helps to roll up a small towel or baby blanket and place it under his chest just under his arms so his head and upper body are little higher. Some tummy time mats have little pillow (boppy mat). Let your baby be a little fussy but pick him up and hold him if he starts crying hard. We started tummy time at 4 weeks as they get older they get more use to it. As the nurses at our doctor's office all stated that our son has the perfect shaped head but we also carried/held him a lot. I also used a hotsling to carry him around (got it at Target). Tummy time is mostly important to help your son's back to be strong. This will help him get strong enough to roll, sit and crawl. Enjoy holding your baby now because they grow fast and then they want to explore vs being held. Best Wishes, Jama