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Original poster

My baby just won't tolerate tummy time

46 replies

ohhollyfred · 28/05/2023 22:01

How important is it?? She's 14 weeks. She screams and vomits because of reflux and I just can't stand to put her through it. As soon as I move her back on to her back she's happy again. Will no tummy time have an impact??

OP posts:

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Ragingoverlife · 29/05/2023 05:40

None of my kids have like it I find rolling a towel or something under their arms helped massively but as others have said just lying on your chest or your lap counts as tummy time

Gettingbysomehow · 29/05/2023 05:57

Tummy time didn't exist in the 80s and somehow DS wasn't affected one little bit. Neither were hundreds of other babies.

trrk · 29/05/2023 08:40

Mine hates it too and we haven’t done much tummy time. She did spend plenty of time sleeping on my chest. No problems with head control or sitting up but she has been slow to crawl (not crawling at 10.5 months) and rarely rolls over as she will never voluntarily be on her tummy. Maybe this is just her though.

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Coffeeandcards · 29/05/2023 08:46

Nah just give it up. Mine hated it and they are both happy, healthy, functioning adults!

Ambi · 29/05/2023 08:47

My DD hated it too. She was a very lazy baby and happy to be perched upright with things brought to her. She's not much different at 15 now 😄. Like others have said, it wasn't a thing years ago and there weren't wobbly headed kids at school.

StampOnTheGround · 29/05/2023 08:50

Our DS hated it, we barely managed a minute a day - he was crawling before 6 months (I think we hadn't realised how well he was doing when he was lying on our chest!)

GCWorkNightmare · 29/05/2023 08:52

https://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/08/the-case-against-tummy-time-guest-post-by-irene-gutteridge/

The Case Against Tummy Time: Guest Post by Irene Lyon - Janet Lansbury

Does your baby like tummy time? Most don’t, for good reason. Until infants are able to roll into the tummy position on their own, most of them find it uncomfortable, immobilizing, and no doubt highly discouraging. But rather than listen to our babies,...

https://www.janetlansbury.com/2011/08/the-case-against-tummy-time-guest-post-by-irene-gutteridge/

cyncope · 29/05/2023 08:53

Gettingbysomehow · 29/05/2023 05:57

Tummy time didn't exist in the 80s and somehow DS wasn't affected one little bit. Neither were hundreds of other babies.

It did exist in the 80s because most babies slept on their tummies.

It only really became advice in the 2000s onwards because babies were only ever placed on their backs.

DidyouNO · 29/05/2023 08:54

She'll just do it herself when she can roll over. That's the natural progression of things, then her muscle strength will build slowly and naturally. Forcing tummy time is a new, ridiculous concept which I don't particularly agree with. At no other time do we put our child in an unnatural position (unnatural because they can't do it themselves) and leave them there. They cry because they strain weak, undeveloped muscles trying to see and it stops or severely hinders their natural eye connection to their bonded person. So no, don't do anything that is outwith your baby's cues and abilities, unless it's specific medical advise tailored for her and not a one size fits all crap the HV has to spew at all mothers. Congratulations on your beautiful girl

TinyTeacher · 29/05/2023 09:12

Some hate it. My eldest did. Didn't find out till she was nearly a year old that she had HUGE adenoids and tonsils and found it harder to breathe in that position. So a did very little of it as she was very distressed. She never did crawl. I was stressed about it at the time. But babies want to get around and they find ways - she walked perfectly well before her first birthday. No difference between her and any other child by 3. Shes 6 now and perfectly well coordinated.

My boys were fine with it. Crawled t 8 months able to get themselves to sitting before that. Didn't bother to walk until they were 16 months because they were fast on their knees. At 2.5 you couldnt tell they did things in such a different order from DD

If you dont do standard tummy time, or not much of it, just make sure you are profit opportunity to practise the same skills. Head control can come while you are carrying/supporting in sitting position in your lap. Encourage hands to open/flatten by encouraging drumming/patting and later on with playdough or similar. The main thing to avoid is spending too much time strapped into things. As long as they are experiencing varied positions (variety can increase as they get stronger) and get plenty of opportunity to explore/interact they will be absolutely fine.

GCWorkNightmare · 29/05/2023 09:13

At no other time do we put our child in an unnatural position (unnatural because they can't do it themselves) and leave them there.

how many bumbos have been sold?

oddsbobbins · 29/05/2023 10:13

Mine always hated it so we gave up. Lots of time being taken for walks in a sling which counts. She learnt to sit early, then learnt to crawls by experimenting from that position and once she figured it out at 10 months she has been unstoppable ever since!

Dipsydoodlenoodle · 29/05/2023 19:16

My dd hated it...she sat unassisted at 3.5months - that's ALL she wanted to do. She eventually tolerated it when she was wanting to crawl - but it was short loved as she just upped and crawled after about a week of trying.

My point is, they all do things in their own time, chances are she might come around in her own time. Even doing 30 seconds at a time is something.

WhiskersPete · 29/05/2023 19:38

Of all the silly concepts invented to capitalise on parental guilt, tummy time has got to be one of the worst.

No one of my age had tummy time and we all manage to walk around and roll over just fine. And babies hate it!

It's just ANOTHER thing to make parents feel guilty about and spend money on pointless products like tummy time books and mats.

Jellycats4life · 29/05/2023 19:39

I never did it because my babies hated it.

My children are now 8 and 11 and haven’t suffered from their lack of tummy time!

CurlewKate · 29/05/2023 19:41

If you're worried (you have no need to be, but if you are!) carry her in a sling for a little while every day. But I promise you not having tummy time won't affect her GCSE prospects!

FlyingFlipFlops · 29/05/2023 19:49

Hi op,
both my dcs didn’t/don’t like tummy time at all. I put them on my chest & across my thighs instead. Dd hit all her milestones and was walking by 11 months old. Ds also has a bit of reflux & would get so cross on his tummy, so I’ve barely done ‘floor time’ despite the hv telling me I should do it more.
My ds is 4 months old and has just started rolling over and tries to pull himself up off the floor by lifting his head and neck up. It’s like he’s doing pull ups!

My mum said tummy time was never a thing back in her day. All of us have turned out fine. Don’t worry about it.

MeinKraft · 29/05/2023 19:53

Yeah it's bollocks, I never made mine do it. Just lie with baby on your chest which helps stop them developing flat head and helps strengthen their neck.

user147283178789889 · 29/05/2023 20:05

Mine also refused to do it so we didn't. The only thing I did do was carry her in the sling a lot.
I was never concerned as she had good head control from the very start. She could hold her own head up as soon as she came out of the hospital.
She could sit upright unsupported for long periods at 7 months but didn't crawl until 10 months. I do think the lack of tummy time delayed her crawling as she just wasn't used to being in a front down position and using her arms beneath her. But in the grand scheme of things it has made no difference whatsoever.

DidyouNO · 29/05/2023 21:04

GCWorkNightmare · 29/05/2023 09:13

At no other time do we put our child in an unnatural position (unnatural because they can't do it themselves) and leave them there.

how many bumbos have been sold?

I have no idea. I wouldn't have used one. Like I've already said. I wouldn't put my baby in an age inappropriate position.

bakewellbride · 29/05/2023 21:09

It's not important at all. Never bother with it again!

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