Does tummy time really matter?

[Mags1993]

Hi - I have a 10 week old. I spend a lot of time taking him out and about in the pram or carrier, going on days out, coffee shops, shopping etc. We also go to a few playgroups in the week. Point is I like being out of the house, particularly as DP works from home. Sometimes I find that when we get back home from being out, we don't have time for tummy time, or he will only tolerate a few minutes at a time before he cries. I saw a post the other day that he should be doing 45 minutes tummy time per day at his age but we are doing nowhere near this. When he is in the carrier or being held upright he seems to have very strong neck muscles so I guess he is doing okay but not sure if I have been wrong to not set aside enough time for it. I will try to make more of an effort to increase it, but has anyone had any experience of a baby that hasnt had a lot of tummy time having delays to their development or am I over thinking?

You’re definitely not alone in wondering about this, and it sounds like your little one is already building strong neck muscles from being in the carrier and held upright—those activities help too! The 45-minute tummy time "rule" is more of a guideline, and it’s okay if you’re not hitting that every day. Babies develop at their own pace, and even short bursts of tummy time count. If your baby tolerates only a few minutes, that’s perfectly fine—just try to sneak in little sessions here and there, like after a nappy change or during playtime. Most babies get stronger with practice, and it doesn’t sound like you’ve done anything to delay their development.

Completely agree with the answer above, for what it's worth.