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Behaviour/development

Are there any exercises to strengthen a baby's back? (5mo)

9 replies

MeeWhoo · 27/07/2014 17:38

DD is 5 and a half months old so we were starting to think about weaning as she seems interested in food and seems to really like the few tiny bits of things I have given her to taste so far.

However, I was thinking of doing BLW but she can't sit up on the high chair very well, she seems to "fall" forwards and has to use her hands to hold herself up (and she still doesn't really manage to be fully upright for any decent amount of time). If she is still like this in a couple weeks time I wouldn't really want to start solids in earnest, even with spoon feeding, as she can't really sit on the highchair.

Probably part of the problem is that she is really long (97 percentile for height and weight), but she can hold her head very well, can support herself for 10 mins or more on her arms if you lay her on her front and can roll both ways now, (although she still finds front to back difficult if she is tired and generally only rolls this way first thing in the morning).

She gets lots of floor time and is only in the pushchair for around 90 mins a day, the rest of the time she is either on the floor, cot or sitting on my knee/being carried.

Other than laying on her front on the floor, is there anything I can do to help her strengthen her back muscles so she can sit up on the highchair and not flop forwards?

Sorry for the essay! :)

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SurfBoredCat · 27/07/2014 17:39

We used a bumbo which seemed to help.
Otherwise I'd just not worry about it. She'll be able to sit up when she's ready.

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ikeaismylocal · 27/07/2014 19:20

I started holding ds under his arms and moved my hands down a couple of cms every couple of days, it seemed to help him gradually gain strength and balance, he sat unaided at 4 months.

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MeeWhoo · 27/07/2014 21:14

Thank you both, I know it's not so important when she does it but it's a bit of a shame as she really seems interested infood, whereas ds who could sit perfectly wasn't really into eating.

Ikea, when you say holding under the arms, do you mean while your ds was sitting on your knee?

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LongDivision · 27/07/2014 22:44

swimming.

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ikeaismylocal · 28/07/2014 06:11

Yep, whilst they sit on your knee. My ds sounds like yours, he could sit and was very happy to sit in his highchair and play with toys but had no interest in eating. I don't think babies need food at 6 months as such, but if she is really interested maybe you could start to give her tastes of your food.

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MeeWhoo · 28/07/2014 11:41

Thanks Ikea. I have already let her taste some of my food and she seems a lot keener than ds ever was, that's why I think it's a bit of a shame that she can't sit up better, although I realise intriducing food a few weeks earlier or later doesn't really matter that much.

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ikeaismylocal · 28/07/2014 11:43

I found that sometimes babies have a big developmental leap, she may well be sitting crawling in a couple of weeks ;)

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TarkaTheOtter · 28/07/2014 11:45

If she has already had first tastes then you've started weaning so no point holding off til 6 months if you think she's ready.

The sitting upright just needs to be upright enough to avoid choking. Leaning forward is not so much of a problem as food will fall out of the mouth if she can't manage it. So long as she's not being fed reclined it'll be fine.

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MeeWhoo · 28/07/2014 13:42

Thanks Tarka, rationally I know it would be fine to spoonfeed or even give her some things to hold herself, but it doesn't look right to me (in my silly mind).
To be fair she already looks more upright in the highchair today, so I think .i'll give it a week and see how things go.

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