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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

so, why DO babies have to play on their tummies? is it only about crawling? and if so, what's the big deal if they never crawl?

34 replies

tutter · 22/09/2007 18:23

asking because ds1 always hated tummy time

as a result didn't crawl til 11 mo

tried ds2 for the first time today and the poor mite looked so uncomfortablke and scared witless. ok it was only his first tiome, but did make me wonder what the big deal is...

OP posts:

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Weegle · 22/09/2007 18:26

I think it's to strengthen the neck/back muscles and also to prevent flat head syndrome because most babies now sleep on their backs, but I'm just remembering this off the top of my head.

NappiesGalore · 22/09/2007 18:26

ds1 never seemed to enamoured either. so we didnt do it much at all at all. seems prety well coordinated to me now...(hes 4)

i vaguely remember vaguely fretting about it at the time...

i dont even remember if either of the other two did it, so thats how little importance i give it now

its good for neck control apparently.

use your instinct (like you do anyway)

bossybritches · 22/09/2007 18:46

Something to do with muscle control but also co-ordination I think Tutter. If they don't learn to crawl walking may be difficult as they have less spatial awareness. You quite often find early walkers who haven't crawled much/at all are very clumsy as they haven't got the skills of judging distance/balance. They soon learn but in a painful way!

(obviously each child is different before I get a torrent of contradictions!!)

LizaRose · 22/09/2007 18:49

Didn't bother with tummy time much either, tried it but the kids seemed to hate it so much I gave up. I did use a sling a lot though, which I think helps prevent flat head. They all crawled and walked at about the average time. I don't think 11 months is desperately late to crawl, is it?

barbamama · 22/09/2007 18:57

my ds1 hated tummy time too and so I didn't do it very much. He crawled at 9 months and walked at 1 so never really worried about it much. He has a lovely round head. I used a sling as well so maybe that does instead.

suedonim · 22/09/2007 19:01

The advice about tummy-time didn't exist when mine were small but they all crawled by the age of 9mths (in dd1's case, 6mths). None of them had flat heads, either.

PutThatInYourPipeandSmokeIt · 22/09/2007 19:07

IMO there's no pressure to do tummy time as they'll start to roll over on to their front when they're ready. They have to have a certain amount of strength to be comfortable on theiur fronts and a lot of that comes from just being that bit older. I posted on a thread yesterday about the importance of crawling and seemed to kill it off. The link I found was from a quick google but the content is essentially correct although no time to find all the 'official research' - will hunt for it later. It's quite well documented though.

juuule · 22/09/2007 19:18

Same as Suedonim. Tummy time advice wasn't around when I had my older children. They crawled/bum-shuffled and they walked when ready(between 9 and 14 months) and don't have flat heads. By the time I had my younger children and heard the advice, I couldn't relate it to my experiences with my older children so just ignored it.

suedonim · 22/09/2007 19:25

Searching into the mists of time, istr that with my last baby I was in fact told to give her tummy time, butnot told why. She didn't like it anyway.

bilblio · 22/09/2007 20:55

It's supposed to strengthen their back and neck.
We were talking about tummy time at postnatal classes this week and even 30 seconds a day for a week will make a big difference. My DD hates it too but I've been persevering and she's still not keen but it's only taken a week or so and she can hold her head up. I'm hoping it'll help her strengthen her arms.

I've also found tummy time is a great way to get bogeys from up her nose, because she blows them out while she's fretting.

3andnomore · 22/09/2007 21:02

I think now they often aren't really used to tummytime, because they sleep on their backs and spending a lot of time in contraptions, rather then the floor...so apparently now most Baby's can sit up earlier but can't crawl often until a bit later then expected...
so, I suppose it must strenghten diiferent muscle groups...

bozza · 22/09/2007 21:05

Well I didn't do tummy time much but did let me children sleep on their front as was their preference and DS never crawled and DD didn't until 10 months + and then was wonky (one foot and one knee).

Psychobabble · 22/09/2007 21:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

law3 · 23/09/2007 08:10

i had no idea babies were supposed to play on their tummies tbh!?! or at least not until they could roll themselves over.

bigwombat · 23/09/2007 08:48

I think crawling connects certain pathways in the brain which are never connected if your child bum-shuffles etc. I only know this from dd2's physio (she has SN and only crawled when about age 3) - they really emphasised crawling, rather than just trying to get her straight up and walking.

juuule · 23/09/2007 08:52

Bigwombat -Two of mine bum-shuffled and then got up and walked. Never crawled. From what you said, I'm now intrigued as to what they may have missed out on in brain development. Could you let me know.

Theclosetpagan · 23/09/2007 08:57

It's nothing to do with crawling etc but more because too many babies are spending such long periods on their backs that they are developing flat areas on the skull. So many babies have flattened heads now and it's considered to be as a result of the back to sleep campaign.
The new slogan reads "Back to Sleep and Front to Play"

In the worst cases babies are requiring specialised helmets to correct the head shape although with many babies the shape will correct itself as they become more active and the brain grows.

mymatemax · 23/09/2007 09:03

From what I can remember from DS2's physio, if a baby is following a natural development pattern they learn to roll, to reach & grab for toys etc & will push up with their arms etc so naturally spend time in various positions so no great stress about tummy time.
It is very important for babies who for whatever reason are not following a natural development pattern.
ALL his physios etc have been very critical at the use of baby car seats for prolonged periods - the ones that clip on to the top of pushchairs. Apparently they are seeing problems as a result of spending hours scrunched up rather than laying flat in a pram either on their tummy or their back.

bigwombat · 23/09/2007 09:12

No idea juule and it is probably only really noticeable in children who have gross motor problems like my dd. I'm only repeating what the physio told me - and she may be wrong, although she was a specialist child physio.

SleeplessInTheStaceym11House · 23/09/2007 09:29

i would say its important so as to avoid them getting a flat head.

my poor ds hated being on his tummy and had a flat head as a result, thankfully it sorted itself out just with repositioning (changing the end of the bed he slept at, which way round i placed him n the floor etc).

dd however didnt have this problem she slept on her front, played on her back.

Sleeping on their backs give them too much time with the pressure on their heads if they play on their back all the time too!

although there are other reasons as mentioned already with muscle building etc.

haychee · 23/09/2007 09:38

My dd1 never crawled, she hated going on her tummy. I tried to encourage her to, thinking she will crawl sooner and therefore be more content. But she hated it. She loved to be upright in a walker type seat and went straight into walking at 11months and never crawled.
Dont stress, he will be fine, just encourage short spells of tummy time just to build some muscle strength and let him do what he likes best the rest of the time.

BabiesEverywhere · 23/09/2007 09:38

DD hated tummy time and would bury her head in the carpet and scream, so we never did it

I carried her in a tummy to tummy upright position in my sling from 3 weeks until she crawled at 5 months and she went on to start walking at 10 months.

So I didn't damage her developmental by denying her tummy time and carrying her like my HV told me I would

Babies are all different and if they are as upset as my DD was, it is not worth upsetting them and IMO I don't think it influences their physical development.

BabiesEverywhere · 23/09/2007 09:41

Forgot to add she never got a bald patch or flat head problems either and I think this is because she seldom spent any time in car seats, bouncy seats and swings. She was always either in my sling or in her moses basket.

wb · 23/09/2007 09:54

My ds hated tummy time - would just bury his face in the carpet and howl, or later cry and roll immediately onto his back. He never crawled but was an early walker.

Would second the advice about laying flat being more important than which side (except for being on back to sleep - v. important).

halfkiwi · 24/09/2007 08:38

I am so glad that I read this thread. My DD is 12 weeks and screams, cries (and blows snot) whenever I try tummy time - and to be honest I can do without an upset baby! I was getting really worried about it and getting anxious every day that I should try again - so it is really good to hear that hating tummy time is quite common and that they all go on to crawl/bum shuffle/walk when they are good and ready!I'll keep trying it but not get myself upset about it any more!

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