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Original poster

Anyone else absolutely hates tummy time?

53 replies

Bluemamma · 28/01/2022 17:22

I have a 4 month old baby and the health visitor just told me I have to do more tummy time with him - she was of course right. Problem is I absolutely hate it, it hurts me to look at poor babies who hate it and cry and seem so uncomfortable. I hated it with my first baby but I did put a lot more effort in it in the end.
With this baby I have to admit I dropped the ball completely- pretty much zero tummy time except on my chest. Now I’ve been trying for the last 4 days but he just hates it and I can’t look at him so I literally do it for 2 mins and now I feel guily. Do your babies like it?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

YellowLemonz · 28/01/2022 17:24

I started with a minute couple of times a day and gradually built it up.

Put something infront of him to try keep his attention.
Flashy light/ball/book

ConstantCougher · 28/01/2022 17:25

Nah! My baby hates it! She’s now nearly 7 months and lasts about a minute if that but still hates it! DS was the same as I didn’t bother so much with him, he’s a teen now and totally fine! Try not to worry too much, chest time counts I thought?

Croissantly · 28/01/2022 17:26

It doesn't have to be them flat on the floor, if you lie down and pop them on top of you that counts too. There are loads of ideas that aren't just popping them down, will try and find the link.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

3-6 months old Babies & sleep Behaviour & development Families

MagpiePi · 28/01/2022 17:32

I've just had to look up what 'tummy time' is as it wasn't a thing when my kids were babies....and ...really??

If your baby hates it and you hate it, then bin it off.

ChaosMoon · 28/01/2022 18:18

DD hated "tummy time". This is what we did:

Lying her face down on a big exercise ball with me holding her hands and then wiggling her round to music.

I lay on my back with her on my knees and then rolled around humming the superman theme tune. (She still loves this at nearly 3)

Carried her high up on our shoulders so that she was sorry of lying on her tummy/chest and supporting her own head.

The one was she would do conventional tummy time is if I (very carefully) propped a long mirror up on the floor in front of the sofa. She'd look up to stare into it and look at herself/me, which was good for her upper arm muscles. (Before anyone panics, it was one of those long thin ones that is narrower than your average human, on its side. She was far enough away that even if it had fallen, it would have missed her, but it was thoroughly wedged with heavy books so it wasn't going anywhere.)

I hope some of that helps!

Fallagain · 28/01/2022 18:23

Mine hated it until they could roll themselves onto their tummies. Do you do lots and lots of floor time on their back?

PinkSyCo · 28/01/2022 18:28

My 4 month old grandson hates tummy time too. He does seem to like lying across my lap on his belly though, and I read somewhere that that counts so perhaps you could try that? To be honest though I don’t remember tummy time being a thing when my lot were babies and they all turned out ok. 🤷🏻‍♀️

CLeighannHxo · 28/01/2022 18:41

My DS used to cry at tummy time too but gradually he really started to love it. (Was alot easier to do tummy time when he started rolling at 4 months haha)
I used to only do a minute or so at a time couple times a day and increase this time as he got older and more used to it.
I would place toys in front on him and I would sing 'if your happy and you know it lift your head'... not that he understood haha but he liked me singing.
Alot of things count as tummy time... laying down yourself and laying baby on top of you, laying baby over your lap... you could also try using one of those tummy time pillows that baby lays over (or even a rolled up blanket) this helps them to not be fully flat on the floor.

LuckyWithMyLot · 28/01/2022 18:46

We VERY rarely did tummy time as reflux was bad and he vomited and cried every time. Despite this, he sat up at 4.5 months and was walking confidently at 10 months so I don't think it affected him.

FourChimneys · 28/01/2022 18:47

Tummy time wasn't a thing when I had babies. I don't think I ever did it, and certainly wouldn't have done it if they got upset.

I have never noticed any ill effects. One DC is in the performing arts area of work and people frequently comment on her elegant posture.

I think it's one of those things that go in and out of fashion like baby led weaning (something else I didn't do).

LittleSnakes · 28/01/2022 18:48

My baby also hates it. Even for a second. It looked so uncomfortable and awkward and made him cry. You don’t need to do it. No one ever turns into a toddler who can’t do whatever because they never had tummy time. It’s total bullshit to say you have to do it.

LittleSnakes · 28/01/2022 18:49

That was supposed to say hated it. He’s not a baby. He’s 6 now!

Joolsin · 28/01/2022 18:49

Mine both hated it so I stopped doing it. They both rolled over, crawled and walked early so clearly weren't impacted by the lack of it.

clarepetal · 28/01/2022 18:50

Never did it. My son is now in school and fine

Namechangedforspooky · 28/01/2022 18:51

I never did it with either of mine. One used to puke and the other one just screamed
They don’t seem to have any ill effects from not doing it…

southlondoner02 · 28/01/2022 18:55

I don't understand how this is even a thing. For years no one did this yet their kids muscles developed entirely normally. I remember it being spoken about when mine was a baby, but never bothered and she was and is completely healthy and hit milestones.

Is there any evidence of the need for tummy time?

modgepodge · 28/01/2022 18:57

It’s a relatively new thing as babies used to be put to sleep on their tummies so had tummy time the . Now the recommendation is there as babies spend their whole time on their backs which doesn’t develop their neck muscles. They may be later to crawl/walk etc if this is the case I think.

That said, my daughter also hated it and I didn’t do much. She was a little late to crawl (10 months ish) and walk (15months) but I wasn’t too bothered and now at almost 3 she is in line with her peers.

VitaminA · 28/01/2022 19:00

It's normal for babies not to like it at first, which is why I only did 10 seconds (literally!) at first. They start enjoying it very quickly, their back and neck muscles build up within a few weeks.

LumosSolem · 28/01/2022 19:03

Never bothered with mine, who hated it. Well, DD. And by the time DS came around I think I'd forgotten.

They seem to move around like human beings at 9 and 7 so presume I didn't ruin them forevermore.

Cafeaulait27 · 28/01/2022 19:03

Same, I don’t do it nearly enough. My baby had colic so I saw enough crying in the evening to not want to see him upset in the day as well! Now he’s 4 months, and from about 3 months I’ve been putting him on my breastfeeding pillow on the bed and chatting to him for a bit. Soon as he starts to get upset I stop and I only do it once or twice a day but I find he doesn’t mind it like this abd he can actually lift his head quite high. I also spend a lot of time holding him inwards to my chest with him looking over my shoulder (something we did when he had colic too) and I think he has a very strong upper body and neck despite not a lot of tummy time.

I think tummy time is a bit cruel to be honest!

positivevibesonly22 · 28/01/2022 19:04

My DS both hated it so I never really did it and they are both healthy strapping teenagers now.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 28/01/2022 19:05

I didn’t do it m. My 10 month old crawls and walks already so I’m not thinking it’s done any damage

LumosSolem · 28/01/2022 19:05

Honestly please stop worrying. In a few years you'll have forgotten this was a thing.

Do you think our grandmothers generation were worried about tummy time for our parents?

Fispi · 28/01/2022 19:11

I did it a bit with DC1 and not at all with DC2. They both mastered rolling at 3-4 months and sat up, crawled, stood up and were cruising by 5 and 6 months. I'm unconvinced of the evidence base.

firstimemamma · 28/01/2022 19:12

Just don't bother with it. Just because a HV says something doesn't necessarily make it true. Mine told me I shouldn't cuddle my baby too much or it'll be bad for him - fuck that!

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