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Original poster

8 month old and tummy time

27 replies

TheGirlAtTheRockShow · 10/03/2015 07:35

DD is 8 and a half months old (7.5 adjusted) and hates tummy time -always has. I encourage her to spend as much time as I can on her tummy as I know it's important for all milestones. However, now she can confidently roll she just flips onto her back straight away. I try playing with her, she has toys in front and around her, but no - she flips to her back. Her favourite position is sitting, but she can't get there on her own. She cries till I sit her up. I know learning to sit herself involves tummy time!
Any ideas how I can get her to endure it for longer?

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HedgehogsDontBite · 10/03/2015 07:39

My DS is 2 now. We never did tummy time as he hated it. It hasn't held him back. I'd ask yourself how many people you've heard of who's lives have been negatively affected by not being put on their tummies as a baby :o

MadameJulienBaptiste · 10/03/2015 07:41

why keep forcing something she doesn't like? I never bothered with specific 'tummy time', if they rolled over then no biggie.
I never heard of tummy time helping with sitting.
They are all different. I had one who went straight from sitting to cruising. Never crawled at all.
at the time I worried because 'milestones' but he was walking at 11m so it was obviously hut what suited him, and he hadn't read the milestones list.

Original poster

TheGirlAtTheRockShow · 10/03/2015 08:14

Because tummy time builds upper body and back strength needed to be able to push to a sitting position, pull themselves up and walk. I'm just trying to do what is best for my daughter and help her catch up with her peers. All babies I know do tummy time and develop on track. Before she could roll I wouldn't force her to be on her tummy when she got really upset, but I do encourage it for as long as possible.

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MadameJulienBaptiste · 10/03/2015 08:31

I think you need to stop comparing her with other babies.
They all develop differently.

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 10/03/2015 08:38

We never ever did tummy time as DF just screamed and got really distressed. She sat at 6 months, crawled at 8 months and walked at 12 months. So while it is recommended it isn't compulsory, babies will develop anyway in their own time. If I were you id go with the 'little and often' approach but not force it as she'll just resist it even more.

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 10/03/2015 08:39

DD not DF obviously!

eckythumpenallthat · 10/03/2015 08:41

My DD HATED tummy time. But she also had horrific reflux and it used to make her puke and I think she associated it with pain as she got bigger. However it did have it's implications for her. DD was very late to walk. 22 months. At 18 months I was concerned that she couldn't roll, couldn't sit up, couldn't pull herself up and couldn't stand even holding our hands. We were referred to physio. They said it was due to weak lower back and bum muscles. They asked about if she spent time on her front as this position would have helped to strengthen them. I said no and why and it's no biggie. We were given some exercises to help her I'm not saying this will happen to every baby who doesn't spend time on their front but just what happened in our case

Ineedacleaningfairy · 10/03/2015 08:42

We never did tummy time with dc1 because he would just puke and cry. He sat unassisted at 4 months, crawled at 6 months and walked at 10 months.

Ilovenannyplum · 10/03/2015 08:43

We didn't do tummy time as DS (7 months) screamed when I tried. He can now properly roll around and will roll himself onto his tummy and play with toys quite happily.
I agree with PP, if it upsets baby, it's not worth it, she'll get the hang of it eventually.

Have you got a bumbo? DS loves being sat in that and having some toys on the tray to play with

Pyjamaface · 10/03/2015 08:43

I never did tummy time with DS because, like others have said, he hated it. He would just lay screaming into the carpet so I stopped, he figured out how to sit, crawl, stand etc without it

icklekid · 10/03/2015 08:45

My 8 month ds hates being on his tummy and always has. He can only roll from back onto tummy then cries! he loves standing always has from very little which built up good strength in his neck. He's very close to crawling and has started to pull himself up. I'm not concerned about the fact I've never put him on his tummy and never leave him to cry when he rolls onto it. If they don't like it you have to decide not to mind or to let them cry

Toomanyworriedsonhere · 10/03/2015 08:47

DD hated tummy time, also had to be put in a sitting position, barely crawled and walked late. She is now a teenager and can run, walk, ride a bike and swim as well as anyone!

It doesn't seem to have affected her in any way. I do think swimming helped her core strength - we did that from six months.

We didn't force things when they upset her.

RedToothBrush · 10/03/2015 08:56

Don't worry. Honestly.

I haven't bothered with tummy time as DS was vomiting every time I tried. He learnt to roll to reach things but was flipping back on his back. Then he discovered that if he went on his front he could crawl... now I try and put him on his back and he flips straight on his front!

He could pull himself up to standing just fine, He did this before he discovered how to roll!

He can't sit up alone yet, but I'm pretty sure he'll manage it soon enough.

And oh yeah, the vomiting has magically stopped.

As for catching up, again I really wouldn't worry. She might just be a considered child who will one day just stand up and walk without any warning. And at 8 months she doesn't sound like she is particularly 'behind' as such anyway.

Tummy time = a load of old bollocks invented to stress and worry parents.

redcaryellowcar · 10/03/2015 09:07

Sorry you are getting so many unhelpful messages, I think what you wanted was ideas for tummy time, I used to pop ds on our bed on his tummy then sit on the floor and play peepo, or do him a puppet show (even if just with socks?)
Even with my best efforts he wasn't on his tummy long, a hv suggested flipping him onto his tummy after a nappy change, so you do little and often.
I read something really useful the other day which basically says is comparison is the biggest parenting problem we face, it's so true from my experience, I spent much of ds1 s baby times comparing him to other babies of a similar ages and much of my time comparing ds2 to ds1, I try to stop now, as it's not helpful and unless there is a probably fairly obvious problem (speak to hv re milestones) then they all do different things at different paces!

SunnyBaudelaire · 10/03/2015 09:09

I never even heard of 'tummy time' before this thread....

HumptyDumptyBumpty · 10/03/2015 09:10

My DD hated tummy time too, but it didn't hold her back - rolled, crawled and walked early. Don't stress, my lovely!

Original poster

TheGirlAtTheRockShow · 10/03/2015 09:56

Thank you Redcar! Yes, I wanted ideas, not judgement.
It's hard not to compare when everyone else does! DD does sit independently burgas to be put there. She is desperate to do it herself and has been for a couple months.
Tummy time didn't used to be a thing - it became a thing when advice changed to put babies on their back to sleep and it meant babies were reaching milestones later. Before that tummy time was achieved by babies sleeping on their front.

OP posts:

RedToothBrush · 10/03/2015 10:04

But you don't NEED tummy time!!

squizita · 10/03/2015 11:01

If she can roll off tummy time she's developing those muscles anyway.

squizita · 10/03/2015 11:05

...oh and I do a baby yoga club, so lots of babies who do tummy time and a whole lot more, similar exercises so can be compared.

They all develop in different orders and rates ... regardless of tummy time. Some go straight from rolling to walking even, others bum shuffle etc. Some are good at sitting others can do it but hate it.

squizita · 10/03/2015 11:11

Also if children hit milestones layer it isn't a problem. We wean later and do a lot of things later now, and the percentile graphs go up more slowly: that period from the 50s-80s wasn't the gold standard of child rearing. The "later" thing isn't in itself a problem and is not viewed as such by most hcp I've met at work or as a parent, unless there's a specific issue.

I only walked at 18 months (back in the tummy sleeping days - though my mum slept us on our sides). Not an issue at all in the grand scheme of things.

TheFecklessFairy · 10/03/2015 16:33

If she's already rolling over, and happy sitting, I'd stop worrying about it tbh.

MadameJulienBaptiste · 10/03/2015 16:33

What utter tosh about babies reaching milestones later when put to sleep on their backs If they don't have 'tummy time'.

GotToBeInItToWinIt · 10/03/2015 16:37

It wasn't judgement OP, people were just trying to reassure you! If she can sit on her own then those muscles are developing anyway. My Dr said babies are rolling and sitting later due to babies sleeping on their back but that it's not a problem at all, it will still happen and there's no rush at all.

GingerCuddleMonster · 10/03/2015 16:53

DS never did tummy time, because I forgot all about it , he's crawling at nearly 7months, it makes no difference I don't think.

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