Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

11 week old neck control

7 replies

newmumabouttown · 29/04/2024 21:37

I’m worried that my baby isn’t gaining enough strength in his neck. I know we don’t have adults going around with floppy heads, but I see other babies just a bit older needing no support. We do tummy time on my chest and play mats - although he has gone off it so not been doing as long sessions. I’m worried this is delaying him.

Stories from others please?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
WhatsUnderneathTheClothesBrookeDavis · 29/04/2024 21:55

Both of mine were ‘late’ to lift their heads up and both hated tummy time. We worried about it with our eldest (now 6) and not so much with our youngest (now 2) because we learnt they all do things in their own time. Please try not to worry and tummy time works if you put them on your chest too and they look up at you, mine much preferred it that way.

CurlewKate · 29/04/2024 22:00

I know things change-but is there any actual evidence of delay caused to babies before tummy time was a "thing"? I mean, you don't see young adults needing physio because they were born pre-tummy time.....

TopKat28 · 29/04/2024 22:09

Parents are advised to ensure their baby has a bit of tummy time every day because babies now spend a lot of time on their backs, due to safe sleep recommendations. In the past, babies were often placed on their tummy or their side to sleep, which according to current research, is dangerous.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

CurlewKate · 29/04/2024 22:48

@TopKat28 But babies started to be put to sleep on their backs nearly 30 years ago. What problems were observed that made tummy time advisable?

Keepsmiling2948 · 30/04/2024 09:06

I wouldn’t worry about it at all, my LO protested tummy time and I always thought he was a little behind the others at playgroup….he then decided to go from rolling,, to sitting, to crawling, to standing in 3 weeks without warning or indication and a few more grey hairs from me!. They will surprise you. He didn’t have vast amounts of tummy time really, I think he was about 5 months when he started to ‘enjoy’ being on his tummy.

TinyTeachr · 30/04/2024 13:36

Tummy time is great to 3 things. It strengthens the neck (and then later arms and shoulders), encourages hand strength and avoids flat spots on the back.

Sounds great! But some kids hate it. That's ok, there are other ways to get those benefits. Neck strength can be built by being held upright or being in a sling. This also reduces flat spots. Sitting on your lap is good for this too, but sitting in devices less so as they provide too much support for safety reasons.

Developing hand strength can be achieved through encouraging drumming/patting.

My eldest did almost no tummy time at all until 9 months, and then very little even then. Her tonsils were very large and it made breathing difficult for her so she just couldn't cope on her tummy. She didn't crawl, but was walking before a year and is a perfectly well coordinated 7 year old.

My twins were both ok with tummy time. As a result, they were good crawlers and didn't walk till much later. But aged there you coiodnt tell any difference between them and DD at that age.

DC4 we didn't do any tummy time between 1 month and months - she is quite refluxy and would just be sick everywhere! She's 5.5 months now and we've been doing some the last 2 weeks. She's barely behind those that have been doing it from day 1 and can raise up on her arms,roll from front to back and isnearly managing rolling back to front.

By all means do it if it works, it's good exercise for them. But if its not going as planned please don't worry, there are lots of other ways for your baby to strengthen their body.

BloodyAdultDC · 30/04/2024 14:16

Both my dc HATED tummy time and I couldn't bring myself to leave them to cry whilst faceplanting the floor so we didn't.

Neither crawled either, so I felt doubly awful. Straight to walking at 10 months and meeting every other milestone on the dot. Don't worry op.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page