Does my DD spend too much time lying on the floor?

[GnocchiNineDoors]

I have a nice big rug and DD spends most of her day rolling around on it with her toys. She is 5mo, and until the last few weeks would alternate between playmat/gym and bouncer for most of the day. Now, in order to give her room for rolling etc, she is just on the (very thick and comfy) rug. I do spend most of the time on it with her, but thought it might be seen as odd.

She seems to like her own little space, and when we go to my Mums (who has wooden floors) she lies on a large flat floor cushion with her toys.

Is this ok?

Can you tell she is a pfb, though this is my first (that Im aware of) PFB moment/worry.

I don't know....flat head syndrome (though she spends a good chunk of time on her tummy), she isn't in a sling much (except for popping to the shop) and I don't really sit cuddling her (unless she wants one or bedtime) and I worried that I might actually be a little too hands off.

Some babies are like this. DD, 4mo, doesn't like being cuddled much unless she is going to sleep. When I take her out to meet friends in cafes she has to spend half her time on the floor on a change mat!! All babies are different. I think its great that they are quite independent and curious from a young age.

I've got the opposite worry - mine HAS to be cuddled all day long! Even if I sit and play with him he won't have it.

I was wondering this about my DS2 4 months old. He doesn't really spend much time in my arms unless going to sleep or being fed. He is wriggley and fidgety in my arms and seems to get frustrated inless I stand up and walk him around. He spends most of his day either in the pushchair out and about, maybe 15 or 20 mins in a bouncer hair and the rest on his play mat or under the baby gym. DS1 was the opposite although he still wouldn't let me sit and cuddle him be just wanted to be walked around ALL the time which was exhausting but he would never let me put him down either. I do worry sometimes that DS2 is 'neglected' under the baby gym while I deal with DS1. He doesn't have any signs of having a flat head yet though.

chair^ not bouncer hair!

My DTs spend most of their time rolling around the floor, we have a huge playmat but they seem to prefer the carpet. I think its all prctice for crawling and developing muscle strength?

I guess they're just all different - ours couldn?t stand being laid down unless asleep, ever really, so I used a sling every day for most of the day from birth and by three months she just wanted to be upright all the time when awake. She hated not being able to see what was going on I think. She also never enjoyed being on her tummy either - unless asleep when she seemed to prefer being on front to on her back and she is still a front sleeper at 20 MO (and so am I, so maybe it runs in the family). If your baby is happiest lying down, it will be difficult to do anything else, as she may tell you rather loudly that she doesn't enjoy it! However, you can encourage her to be upright or on her tummy with toys or interesting things to look at that she can only see by being upright or on her tummy (looking in mirrors, rolling balls or pushing toy cars are all good). Perhaps she has not yet discovered that she can see more by being upright and just needs a little encouragement - does she not like to upright when in the pushchair out and about?

I think it's totally natural that she should like to be on the floor doing her own thing. There's a blog I sometimes read, [http://www.janetlansbury.com/]
and she says that this is the best way to allow babies freedom of movement, to learn and develop themselves, it's what babies naturally want when we dont 'interfere,' by trying to put them upright all the time
having said that my DD was a bit more fussy and liked the sling alot, all babies are different. but if your baby likes being on the floor then go with it! I hate seeing babies propped up before they can push themselves into a seated positioned, or walked around by parents before they cn control. ]
I would also say don't feel guilty if you're not with your baby all the time, I'm sure she will tell you if she gets lonely or bored!

gourd yes, she does like to be upright in the pushchair, and so I only ever lie it back if she is asleep, otherwise she is up looking at the world. Also, we have a sling to use when out and about and she likes being forward facing in that. She likes lying on her tummy and rolling, especially if she can ger her feet as these seem to be her new favourite toy.

She's not able to sit totally unsupported yet, though her head control is great, and if she is on my knee I only need to hold her hips, but on the floor she would need like cushions around her or something.

She's very vocal, and does a lot of squarks and squeeks when playing on the floor which sound like happy noises, so she seems to like it.

totally normal for babies to be on the floor
how else are they going to learn to roll over, crawl and eventually walk?

if there was a like button on mumsnet I would like what you said insancerre! I think it's natural for babies, to have freedom of movement, doing what they can do and trying to learn new skills, I don't see the rush to have them propped up with cushions etc. in a position, that they are immobile in and can't get in or out of.

Ds was like this. He ended up crawling and walking early so good for strength.

Dd is less so - but I make sure she gets plenty of floor time anyway as it's good for motor skills.

Well, I thought it might help her with learning to roll, but she appears to have forgotten that she is perfectly capable of rolling tummy to back and has only rolled back to tummy once.

Thing is, she moves much more when she has her nappy off time, but I fear for my rug

Dd preferred rolling back to tummy at first. Then I started scattering toys about as a challenge and she rolls both ways to get them

thanks, paranoid
good to know my degree in early childhood studies wasn't a complete waste of time
but seriously, it's what i did with both my two children from an early age, even before I picked up a text book.
babies need freedom- it does them no good to be in the same position all the time

Having plenty of floor time sounds fine to me. Gives them lots of opportunity to practice rolling and wriggling around
It sounds much better than being in a bouncy chair or suchlike most of the time.

If you're worried about flat head syndrome then try and make sure she gets tummy time.

DS had an abnormally shaped head when he came home, and the health visitor was constantly telling us stories about babies who had flat heads, but got normal heads again as soon as they started crawling.

Sounds like my DD, happiest down on the floor, has been since about 5wks old. The only time she gets upset is when MIL decides to pick her up for cuddles when she's perfectly happy where she is