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Original poster

Lifting head and tummy time

37 replies

ToTravelIsToLive · 27/12/2019 16:58

My lo is 14 weeks and can hold his head up when in my arms but won't push himself up during tummy time. He just lays there crying. By 1 month he should have been able to according to everything I read. Should I be worried?

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NeedAnExpert · 27/12/2019 16:59

Tummy time isn’t good for babies. Let him develop in his own time.

Original poster
ToTravelIsToLive · 27/12/2019 17:00

Really? The hv encouraged me to do it Confused

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Pipandmum · 27/12/2019 17:03

Tummy time is fine for babies if they are actually ready and are trying g to push up. If they just lie there crying turn them over!
Development is on a curve - my son never really crawled just rolled around and walked quite late. He's now a very sporty guy.

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PixieDustt · 27/12/2019 17:10

Tummy time IS good for babies and told by HV's to do it etc.
My DS Is 24 weeks and HATES being on his front. He won't even roll over from front to back and just cries becuase he hates it on his front so much.
Don't go by what you read every baby is different.

Original poster
ToTravelIsToLive · 27/12/2019 17:10

I turn him over or pick him up very quickly after he gets upset. Just seems like the advice is to keep trying until he likes it from hv. I find it stressful even attempting it. His only just starting grabbing things intentionally so doesn't seem to make sense to me he should be expected to coordinate enough to push himself up. It's reassuring hearing I'm not causing him issues by not pushing the matter

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Frlrlrubert · 27/12/2019 17:15

You can do tummy time with them laid on you.

DD could lift her head practically from birth but would just face plant and scream if we did 'tummy time' on the floor, so we did it with her laid on us .

firstimemamma · 27/12/2019 17:15

Honestly step away from the books.

All this "by month X they will be able to do Y" is all a load of rubbish and it causes unnecessary stress.

Every baby is different. Just relax and enjoy.

(FWIW when I was a child (90s) tummy time wasn't even a thing)

firstimemamma · 27/12/2019 17:17

P.s. some HVs are full of rubbish too! Not everything they say is always gospel.

Bluerussian · 27/12/2019 17:23

firstimemamma, I couldn't agree more!

therewerefour · 27/12/2019 17:26

Alot of babies dont like tummy time on the floor. Try placing lots of toys and getting down with him. If he still doesnt like it just lay him on your chest. Like you've said he will lift his head up so he can do it.
It's easier said than done but please stop reading what the baby should be doing and enjoy them.

Selfsettling3 · 27/12/2019 17:29

I never did tummy time with my two as it made their reflux worse. I waited until the could roll themselves on their tummies. DD1 could roll at 12 weeks and DD2 at 14 weeks. Interestingly DD2 was 2 weeks earlier than DD1. It doesn’t seem to have held them back.

Time in the sling counts as tummy time.

Luxembourgmama · 27/12/2019 17:30

M'y older kid despised tummy time she just screamed and she grew up fine. One of my depends is a paeds nurse and said it's a recommendation but it's mostly for parents that would let their baby otherwise sleep in a car seat. If you're a normal parent carrying and cuddling the baby they don't need tummy time.

Original poster
ToTravelIsToLive · 27/12/2019 17:40

I always have him on me or dh and he lifts his head loads. I don't tend to look into what's expected at what age but I have recently seen a baby a month younger than mine doing it really well and spoke to another mum whose baby was also doing it by 2 months. I was confident I had nothing to worry about until a few days ago so it's good to hear that other people's babies hated the floor but we're fine on them. we will keep.going with him on us and when the day comes that he rolls he will hopefully push himself up Smile

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Cineraria · 27/12/2019 17:57

My two had bad reflux and wouldn't do it at all until they could sit up unsupported by us. They were always held completely vertical to avoid reflux attacks and sat unsupported earlyish (15 weeks and 19 weeks) so I don't think skipping it in favour of holding them in an upright position caused any problems for them. DS1 never rolled either, in fact; he always sat up to turn over instead.

After that they were happy to do it if carefully supervised on a surface that was angled up a bit, so DS1 had a large foam jigsaw style floor mat that we lay over a wedge shaped beanbag and DS2 did it lying over his older brother's space hopper!

LionelRitchieStoleMyNotebook · 27/12/2019 19:57

DS was given one of those soft tummy time activity roller things which he loved and was pushing himself over it at about a month (Google picture reminder popped up on boxing Day) maybe something where they're not just face on the floor? But in all honesty I would just let them do it in their own time if they seem fine in every other way

Blahblahblah12345 · 27/12/2019 20:13

My baby girl is nearly 4 months. She hates tummy time with a passion! But her head control is great.

Blahblahblah12345 · 27/12/2019 20:15

Every baby is different. Just go with your baby and not others. Your doing great mama no matter what!

Tetran · 27/12/2019 20:18

There's loads of different ways to do tummy time aside from just lying them on the floor, if as you're saying he lifts his head when on his front on you or your DH then that sounds great.

Abouttimemum · 27/12/2019 21:15

My boy is 8 months and hates tummy time and now he’s finally (just) figured out how to roll from front to back he just rolls straight back over when I put him on his tummy. He will sit/ lie on top of me when I lie on the floor though, he finds it hilarious for some reason. He doesn’t push himself up either yet. He was premature so a bit behind but I stopped worrying about milestones a long time ago. He has a physiotherapist and she says so long as he’s making progress in his own time each time she sees him then it’s fine, and he is.

Bipbipbipbip · 27/12/2019 23:12

Your baby can't read the book so doesn't know what they're supposed to be able to do!

Mine hated tummy time and would cry as soon as we tried but loved looking over my shoulder. He rolled at exactly 4 months and then was happy on his tum providing he got himself there.

ELW85 · 07/10/2020 09:43

Just wondering how everyone’s little ones got on? Mine is 6 months and isn’t pushing up unless on a rolled up blanket.
He hates tummy time (always has) and has been filling front to back for a month but I’m worried that he can’t push up on his own.
@ToTravelIsToLive @Abouttimemum @Cineraria

Itsnoteasyfeelingqueasy · 09/10/2020 23:51

I use a soft tummy time exercise roller thing ( don’t know proper name) my 11 week old baby seems to enjoy using it,

ELW85 · 10/10/2020 09:18

@Itsnoteasyfeelingqueasy - I’ve got TT pillows etc but I don’t know if it’s cheating. If I put him on a rolled up blanket, he does actually (nearly) push up. It’s just from flat and he won’t be there for long. Hates it!

QueenofmyPrinces · 10/10/2020 11:18

Babies who are upset by tummy time shouldn’t be made to do it.

I don’t think it’s particularly recommended anymore because all it’s trying to do is force
your baby (painfully) to do something they aren’t developmentally ready for.

I dont think I’ve ever met a child who has been physically unable to lift their head or roll just because they didn’t do tummy time as a baby.

Just put the books down and let your baby do things in their own time.