Tummy Time

[MrsRV]

Hi all... LO is 3 weeks and 2 days... I'm confused (easily done these days) by "tummy time" - when? how? Etc etc... Help!?!

My 2 both hated it. Try it and try to be relaxed but you might want to keep it short when very young - they can hardly lift their heads and it does not look comfortable! They do love to lie on you on their fronts so as far as unecessary panic inducing preventing flat head goes I think carrying them as much as you can and lying them on you or another willing person often is enough in the early months.

bloody tummy time.

have done it with dd about 5 times since she was about 10 weeks old (she's 16w now)

she hates it.

despite having very little tummy time, i put her on a floor mat on her back and she started rolling back to front last week.
she now does it properly (realizing to pull arm out from underneath to get all the way over came late), and hates being on her tummy once she'sthere, but hasn't worked out how to get back to her back yet

It's supposed to encourage them to lift their heads and shoulder,s but until they've worked that out for themselves, they just dribble all over the mat (with their head on the floor)

dd did 5 minute slots, and she can lift her head and shoulders fine when she wants to.

ah! just thought!

he thing that best helped dd lift her head and shoulders has been "flying"

i put her chest on my hand, and hold her pelvis with my other hand, then hold her above me, and she lifts her head up on her own.

and she loves doing that - makes her giggle.

With dc2 I really didn't have time to think about it and he was mobile at exactly the same times as dc1 and seems to be turning out fine physically and mentally at 2.6 so don't stress about it.

Like the flying nickel, much more fun.

This is an interesting read.

My dd (now 8 months) hated being on her front and I read up on it at the time and made a decision not to put her on her tummy and basically leave her to work out how to move.

Occasionally she'd lie on my front but not for long. She always liked the wrap sling (still does).

I just let her move freely whilst on her back on the floor. She rolled over and sat up at a 'normal' age (around 6 months).

i do notice, compared to other children her age, she is more confident in her decisions to lean forward or to move towards something, she knows she needs to get herself back on her own. I havent 'coaxed' her to move/roll/sit up etc just left her to it. It is amazing to watch what she achieves on her own

Go with your instinct OP, if baby doesn't like it, don't do it. The only 'risk' that I was concerned about was flat head (from lying on their back).

Oooooh got lost in that link GodisaDJ was onto Janet Lansbury and everything. A great share mainly because it makes my hippy tendencies seem sane and really looking forward to showing DH to evidence how right I am even thinking of booking us week in a TV free wilderness!

Haha littlecatz I always get lost on anything to do with Janet Lansbury - mind boggling! think it took me 20 min to find link as was reading something else! Interesting stuff though, have you seen her blogs before?

If you place the baby against your chest, on their chest, that counts as tummy time. They do not have to lie flat on the floor on their tummy.

Never forced my DS either. He just slapped his nut on the carpet . However, I hold him up in the air which he loves and also it works my arms. I also had him on mine and my dh chest He has been rolling over and over on his mat for weeks now and he is much happier. He does get a bit frustrated that he cannot quickly reach a toy and looks like he is trying to swim for it. My message is don't force anything. I don't see many children that are backwards as a result of us not doing anything. I think we probably place a lot of pressure on ourselves which passes on to our child. I try not to compare my DS to my friends LOs. Mine may walk quicker than others or talk. Who knows. I'm going to enjoy every precious moment whenever that happens.