Tummy Time - Buffalo,NY

My son hated it as well, but I was told any tummy-time is good tummy-time even if it's only for a couple minutes a day. His doctor said just do it until he gets upset and flip him back. My son is now 4 months old and I can barely keep him from rolling from his back to his stomach, now he seems to like it more. It is important to do, not only because of developing neck strength, but his back and shoulders as well. Plus, you don't want him to have that weird flat head I see on so many babies. Just keep it up, he'll be doing it on his own in no time. Good luck!

My 4 month old hates tummy time too! She has strong neck control and LOVES to be standing on her feet. My pediatrician didn't seem concerned by either the lack of time on her tummy or the standing. I think she can develop the arm strength by lying on someone's belly and/or by practicing to pull up to sitting/standing.

No worries- he'll like it once he's more mobile. It sounds like you're doing a great job of getting his neck strong. That's all that really matters. I mean, he's sitting up and loving it- he's awesome!

There is a cool new toy I just saw, where a baby lays on his belly but can spin around. I kind of wish I had that for my son when he was smaller, because he hated tummy time too. But he was just fine with small doses (never more than a couple of minutes at a time), and was rolling over at 4 months and crawling at 6 months!

Isn't this age so fun? It just gets better and better!

My daughter (now 8 mos) also hated tummy time. She would start screaming after about 30 seconds. Needless to say she did not get a lot of it. We let her lay on us, which she liked and that seemed to work. Now she lays on her tummy, rolls herself over, sits up, does all the normal stuff. She also had very good head control like your son, so I would not worry too much.

You might want to talk to your sons pediatrician to be sure, but based on my daughter, I don't think you should worry.

I, too, had the same issue with my son! I called my mother-in-law for advice at the time and she suggested putting him on his tummy and letting him cry for a few minutes each day. In under a week, he was happy on his tummy. I think they just feel "stuck" and frustrated at first. Once they have a chance to realize it's "fun," they start to enjoy it. I felt like a mean mommy at first encouraging him to do something that seemed to upset him, but, I stuck with it, and it worked!
Good luck ... lots of other moms had really great suggestions too! Something is bound to work!

congrats!! try using the boppy pillow so he isnt flat but kind of tilted up like he would be on your chest, and then you can put things in front of him to play with. try a baby mirror or one of those water play mat things, they usually love that. i wouldnt stress too much over it if he is already a supported sitter. let him sit, you can use the boppy for that too. as long as he isnt getting a flat head and is developing his arm/neck muscles, i would just do it in little bits as he will tolerate and dont force it. he doesnt like it because he has to work at keeping his face off the floor. so imagine being like that for a length of time, where as soon as you relax for a second your face is in the floor. little bits at a time, many times throughout the day, will let him develop the muscles faster than you can imagine. and if he still wont go for it, let him be on his tummy on you. whether he is on you or on the floor, its still tummy time and he will develop the muscles either way. enjoy him, pretty soon he will be way too busy to lie there and gaze at you for hours! (and if you have another baby, YOU will be way too busy! enjoy this newborn time with your first, theres nothing like it and its really short!) .....plus, as soon as he realizes he can get around and get things by rolling, he will be all over the place. put things he likes just out of his reach on the floor. not enough to make him angry, but see if he tries to get it. the effort to get it may distract him from the worrying about having his face in the floor. and have fun :)

The PT is correct! Tummy time is important for a variety of reasons. Try using the prop suggestions and little by little increase the time. Do it several times a day. Keep in mind that if your child is big (as mine is), he may struggle a little more than others in boosting his tall or heavy self. Good luck.

My son did not like tummy time. I tried every day to put him on his tummy but he would just cry. So I placed him on his back mostly. When he started to roll over, he would just cry on his tummy until I put him back. And this was a game he played for about a month. Then I couldn't get him off his stomach. He almost always sleeps on his belly.
The lack of tummy time has not delayed him. By 7 months he was crawling and now he is pulling himself up on all the furniture and cruising around.

Mine hated tummy time. We got him a Follow Me Fred toy (Tiny Love) and he was okay with it. He crawled a little late, and it was more of an Army crawl. Now he is 14 months and has developed jut fine, walking and all!

Hi C.,

I actually had the same problem with my son. What I did was put him on his tummy for about two minutes at a time several times a day ... I would put the boppy pillow underneath him so that it would raise his body up a little more since he didnt have the strength yet and place his favorite toys in front of him. I would also lay on the floor in front of him and play with him and tried to make it fun. Hope this helps.
S.

Hi Coleen,

My daughter never like tummy time either. She also started walking before she could crowl. :) She's my first baby too. I also followed all the "bench marks" and worried when my daughter didn't meet them. Now, she's a happy, healthy and adorable 18-mo old baby. I think it is very true that every baby is different. what they should be able to do at certain stage of their life is more or less a guideline, not necessarily the "test" they have to pass. Just relax, as long as they are happy and healthy, they will eventually learn everything they need to! Enjoy your baby!

A friend just sent me a website for just this. Tummba.com. Check it out.

D.

Dear C.,

Most babies do not like to be on their tummy. I would just keep trying even if its only a minute at a time. Eventually when he learns to roll over he will be spending more time on his belly. Try not doing it after he eats it probably feels uncomfortable. As long as his neck muscles are strong when he sits they will continue to strengthen as he grows. I wouldn't worry about it. One thing you can try is to place colorful toys around him to try to distract him, however as I said I haven't known to many babies that do like their tummies.

my son hated it too. i remember going through hoops to try to get him to be happy on his belly. Once he started pushing his head up he was better with it. show him how to hold his upper body up since he can already support his head, lay down in front of him where he can see you on the floor, sing and distract him with toys.

Hi C.,

Had the same situation with my son. Have you tried putting a mirror by him. I would lay by him while he was doing tummy time and dance some toys in front of him, or hold up the mirror and talk to him...and soon I was able to increase the time by minutes several times a day. He just needs to get used to it...so if you keep him entertained, and encourage him to hold up his neck (by way of dangling toys or books) then you're all good.

good luck!

some babies just dont like tummy time, mine didnt like for more thana few minutes a day. dont stress!

My now 9 1/2 month old, was the same way. She was very strong, supported sitter around the same time but HATED tummy time up until very recently. she is now a fast crawler. So even though everyone will tell you how important it is, which I'm sure it is, he will do it when he's ready. Just do it for the one minute a few times a day and work your way up to several minutes.

Hi! As you can see from all the responses, your little one is not alone. Lots of babies hate it, my daughter included. At the suggestion of our pediatrician, we rolled up a small towel and placed that under her chest. She'd stay on her tummy for such a long time that way. Good luck!

Hi C.,
Tummy time is not a fad. A physically healthy baby should be able to tolerate all natural positions. Prone positioning (tummy lying)allows for the development of shoulder strength and good hand eye coordination as well. When the lower and upper body muscle strength is balanced the baby learns to roll, push themselves up from prone and learn to crawl on hands and knees before walking. Babies who go through this whole natural sequence are more coordinated in their movement and focused in their play. To help your baby better tolerate being on his stomach try these three things which decrease the force of gravity on the upper body. 1)prop his upper body on a small firm pillow(a little wedge is even better) with toys or a person for him to look at. 2)place him elbows tucked closer under his shoulders to help him prop. 3) hold his 'bottom' down firmly (but gently of course) with the palm of your hand. This will help him stabilize the lower part of her body to lift the upper part. Once he feels control in the position he will likely practice it on his own and his motor development will unfold better.
Sincerely,
M. Kassover MS,PT,PCS
Physical Therapist
Board Certified Pediatric Specialist

My youngest was like that. At dinner time we had to sit her in the infant seat to watch us, at that age. Probably a good idea to read to him. I used to go through the Sears catalog with my daughter at that age and she was anthralled. Also Richard Scarry books.

Dont push the tummy time ---time---- its a fad like so many other "baby rules" that have come and gone. I am sure you are not just leaving him in the drib. Developement will happen with all healthy normal babies

hey C....
i was told tummy time can also mean on your belly or on your chest... so if your babyis cool with that, go with it, it sounds like he's doing great! my son used to hate tummy time too, but as time went by he got used to it and loved tummy time on my chest.. good luck! -M.

Get one of those toys with a mirror. He just can't lift his head enough right now to see what's going on around him and it's frustrating. Get him a mirror.

Our daughter was not a fan of tummy time, either! We did little bursts of tummy time and tried to have her upright as much as possible in the Baby Bjorn to help her head not be so flat. She liked being lifted up once her neck was strong enough.

my kids hated tummy time. have you tried one of those big balls? i have seen people use them and just move them back and forth and the baby likes it better. also, the boppy with you actively playing with him may help. good luck

My girls also hated tummy time. So I would work it in to every diaper change. After I changed their diapers I'd put them on the tummies for a few minutes up on the changing table. Then I would put my face level with their face, and they liked that a lot. It wasn't much time for each "session," but there was a cumulative effect, and doing it with the diaper changes ensured that they were on their tummies many times a day.
-A.

Try putting him up on the boppy pillow. I did this for my kids and they loved it. This allows him to lean over the pillow, so that there is plenty of space between him and the floor. You can then put toys on the floor in front of him and he can try to play with them!!!! With the boppy i will be on his tummy, but in the same position as when he is over your shoulder.

My son was the same way. I tried alot of the other suggestions, doing a few minutes each day, using a boppy, mirror, etc. but never could get more than 5-10 minutes maximum. At about a year old we discovered he had reflux, once medicated he would lay on his tummy more, but not a whole lot. He's 4 now and is on his tummy all the time and he's fine! I tell you this to reassure you that even though it's recommended to give babies tummy time, if they hate it, don't push it...he'll still be ok!

Hi C.,
My DS hated tummy time also. He was also VERY happy when he learned to roll out of it,too. Very proud of himself. Keep going - it's a short time.

My son was sitting unsupported at 3 months also - holding his head up on his birth-day. Play mat is going to give him a lot of stimulation, so it's a good thing that he work it out with tummy time.

Sometimes it helps if you get down on your tummy too (not comfy, I know!) and just cheer him on. Any time he makes a move to hold up his head or anything, just give a cheer and a great smile, and he'll catch on that it's not a bad thing - just something to work through.

Good Luck!
M.