To hate tummy time?

[FrillyMummy]

My LO is 10 weeks old and every time I pop her on her tummy, she screams. I have pretty much given up on it now. I have her on my chest and on my shoulder where she gets to lift her head, but a few people have been v surprised that I'm not doing 'proper' (whatever that is) tummy time. She'll be ok though, right? I don't see many kids walking round who can't hold their heads up!

[MimsyBorogroves]

DS1 hated tummy time until he could roll, at around 5 months and do it himself. I fretted.

DS2 hated tummy time until he could roll, at around 5 months and do it himself. I enjoyed having a non-mobile baby that only wanted snuggling.

[JellicleCat]

DD hated tummy time (although it wasn't called that 17 years ago). She liked to sit up and see what was going on not be face down on a mat. She walked at 13 months and it doesn't seem to have done her any harm. She drove me home tonight!

All babies are different, no doubt yours likes something the tummy timers don't (like snuggling with Mum maybe).

[Tabliope]

DS hated tummy time, not that I knew what it was back then. As a result he never learned to roll or subsequently crawl. He was scouting round the furniture at 7months if I stood him up. He cried and looked uncomfortable when I put him on his stomach. Doesn't matter with hindsight. Very little of your concerns do with the space of a few years. I'd tell people she doesn't like it and then when they question it just say you're not concerned, you don't see many 2 year olds let alone 3 year olds with floppy heads or unable to walk.

[FrillyMummy]

Thanks everyone

Out of interest, when did your DCs hold their heads up and not need support? Is there a 'normal' time for this?

[rhondajean]

Mydd1 loathed being put face down. She never ever crawled - she bum shuffled backwards, first lying down then later on sitting up. She is 13 now and very fit, strong and healthy!

I know it's recommended but I never saw any reason to distress her with it.

Dd2 on the other hand loved it and crawled everywhere.

[nowahousewife]

Phew, glad tummy time did not exist when mine were babies. Dd hated being on her tummy but guess what; she can hold her own head up, walk, run etc.
By the way she's 14!

[Northernexile]

My DD hated tummy time. Screamed blue murder if we didn't pick er up immediately. We were a bit worried but didn't force it. At 5mo she rolled over and now we can't get her off her tummy. She's crawling, at now at 8mo she is pulling herself up and starting to cruise.

I was so worried that of she didn't go on her tummy she wouldn't crawl and would be a later walker- now there's no stopping her! I honestly wouldn't get too hung up on it, your DD will follow her own path, babies can be very stubborn!

[itsatrap]

I didn't do it second time around, as I basically forgot I was supposed to! Ds is just coming up to 6months and is crawling so I can't see that it did him any harm!

I think there is far too much emphasis put on when babies should be reaching certain milestones, there are no awards for having an upright head!

[HSMM]

My DD learned to roll, so she could avoid tummy time

[hazeyjane]

Well no there are no awards for having an upright head, but there are some children for whom being placed on their tummy for a few minutes a few times a day will be important. Ds didn't sit until he was 12-15 months, didn't crawl until he was 23 months old, and started cruising furniture at 2. He has gross hypotonia so his head would still flop to the side at over a year old.

I know that with most children parent's don't have to worry about these things (and yes there are adults out there who don't have full head control, and who can't walk!) but tummy time is a good way of helping babies along with their development, and there are ways to do it gently and without the baby getting too upset.

[scarletforya]

Wow, I'm so relieved reading this thread. My DD hates tummy time. She is very easygoing in temprament but just screams when placed on her tummy. She's been holding her head up no problems for about a month I think, she is 4.5 months.

She has reflux and has to be upright all the time. So she is rarely on her back exept to sleep and even then she is on a sheepskin or clevafoam pillow to minimise flat head. Repositioning doesn't work as she just moves back. Neither does a rolled up towel or toys etc on the non-favoured side. In fact nothing works as far as I can tell.

The whole reason tummy time is being pushed so hard is because with SIDS and babies sleeping on their backs plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly has become a lot more widespread. So Doctors tell us tummy time will counteract that. In my experience that is a load of old balls.

[MammaTJ]

What you are doing counts as tummy time but it is not a load of nonsense.

Those who thin it is look at this

[PurpleGentian]

DS hated tummy time until about a week after he'd learnt how to roll from his back to his front (took him another month or so to figure out how to roll from front to back).

We had a very trying time that week.

He could hold his head up before then. Lack of tummy time won't stop a baby learning to hold their head up.

Also, from what our HV said, the reason tummy time is advised is to reduce the likelihood of babies getting flat heads. Babies who spend too much time on their backs, particularly ones who spend hours and hours in car seats and bouncy chairs, are more likely to develop a flat head. (She didn't mention anything about wrist strength)

[scarletforya]

Well despite it all my DD still just looks to the right 95% of the time. Public Health nurse and Doctor totally disinterested. The Doc said something about her hair will cover it. That's not really good enough as far as I'm concerned. It really annoys me, she was born with a perfectly shaped head.

[hazeyjane]

It is not just to do with neck strength and flat head syndrome. Tummy time and crawling are linked to the development of gross and fine motor skills. Which is why a lot of children with dyspraxia are found to have skipped crawling.

[1stMrsF]

Oh Gosh, I never bothered. DTs probably did crawl 'late' (11 months) but so what? Not worth the angst IMO

[SantasHugandRollintheSnow]

Ds2 has severe plagiocephaly due to a torticullis (neck tightening). He could only look to the left until he had physio to strengthen his neck muscles.

If he had tummy time from birth, not only would the torticullis have been noticed sooner, his plagiocephaly would either not be there or not be as bad as it is. As it stands his face, ears and jaw are out of line and treatment to sort that is not available on the Nhs, it costs £2k.

No that won't happen to everyone but it affects 1/60 babies so is more common than you think. Worth a bit of work with tummy time don't you think? If your baby didn't like the car seat would you stop using one (ok not a great example as car seat is a safety issue but I'm shattered and couldn't think of anything else).

[SantasHugandRollintheSnow]

scarlett so was my ds2. He had a perfect little head and a totally symmetrical face, not anymore because I didn't give him time off his back!

[hazeyjane]

That is the thing, you don't know, when your baby is tiny whether they will be one of the ones who may develop problems, so maybe it is a good idea to do tummy time for a few minutes a few times a day.

[scarletforya]

But Santa, I hold my dd all day long and keep her off her back and she's still flat on one side so even if you had done it, it still mightn't have made any difference. I just think Doctors have us sleeping the babies only on their backs and then blame the Mothers for not doing tummy time when the childs head is flat, even if you spend every waking hour keeping the baby upright.

What I'm saying is I think they know full well tummy time is not a realistic prospect. It's a nice cop out for Doctors imho. I think they play down plagiocephaly and Brachycephaly as well. They cant really know the long term effects since it's only the last generation or two that have slept on their backs.

[colleysmill]

I second what hazeyjane posted.

However when I had ds I was amazed and disappointed at the lack of any mention of this - no leaflets in the pack you got back then when you left hospital, not the hv or nursery nurse who visited. That's where and who we need to be getting the information to in order to pass on to parents.

[AuntLucyInTransylvania]

Have never heard of it. Amazingly, both my children have entirely normal necks.

[SantasHugandRollintheSnow]

colley I have designed such a leaflet and my AM has contacted our health board after taking on my campaign to get them included in post natal packs. I don't understand why people don't want to do it. Many things make babies cry when it's new, baths, car seats, other people, prams, noises etc but those aren't stopped.

It is however up to the parents, my campaign is to provide the information so parents can make a more informed descision rather than not knowing about it and only being told tummy time is important when the damage is already done.

[Startail]

DD1 screamed, I tried twice for about 30 sec.
Forgot to try with DD2

DD1 was late and not keen on crawling but brilliant at climbing.

DD2 crawled beautifully, but kept her feet on the ground.

Both walk at 14.5 months.

I don't think tummy time makes any difference.

Being dyslexic does, me and DD1 are.

I'm told I never crawled, but teleported when my parents left the room.
My non dyslexic DSIS crawled very fast.