Well, I didn't think that HVs actually used the phrase 'Making a Rod for Your Own Back'...

[RhinestoneCowgirl]

but apparently mine does...

She visited me and 3 week old DD yesterday and said that all that cuddling was fine for now, but in 'a few weeks' I'd have to be careful not to make a rod yada yada. She then went on to admonish me about 'tummy time' and handed me a typed sheet of instructions about interacting with my newborn

DD is my second child (poss last?), I am relishing the cuddles

thanks puepurple, that's very interesting.

"teenagers are now experiencing problems of not being able to sit still and not concentrating at , of not being able to write for extended periods of time cos they have not benefited from tummy time. "

Because they didn't have 'tummy time' as small babies? I do find that a bit hard to believe tbh.
None of mine had tummy time (9 aged between 21 and 5). They seem unscathed by the experience (or lack of).

DD2 wanted non stop cuddling and spent majority of first six months in a wrap sling. She crawled at six months, walked at ten and is one of the most contented one year olds I have come across (though no doubt it won't last ). Have as many cuddles as you and your dd want and you will both be happier for it.

Wrap slings are great!@LostGirl. I hated slings with my DS, but have ben converted with DD. I pop her in the Moby Wrap sling in the newborn hold while I am doing stuff about the house and she loves it. She never cries and barely stirs as long as she is close to me.

Rod for my own back. Whatever!

juuule, it's not my research but here is a linkwww.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-188943058.html

Purepurple, that sounds VERY far-fetched to me - do you know where I could get hold of any of this research? Surely there are a whole host of more likely reasons for not concentrating at school than sleeping on your back as a baby?!

Thanks purepurple.

Ah, so it's a survey asking for the subjective opinions of OTs, SALTs and physios in the US? Not conclusive proof then. SOME therapists say they have seen an increase in gross motor delays and of that group, ONE of the factors they THINK may be related is lack of tummy time.

You'd have to look at the figures to see whether there has actually been any increase across the board, then look at factors like improved diagnosis, more awareness, then look at possible correlations with a whole host of contenders...

Would like to see the full article to see how on earth they think these things are related and what differences there are between the UK and US but you have to sign up for a free trial (no doubt giving your bank details).

"More research is needed" would be a polite way of summing up that article.

this is more relevant www.csp.org.uk/director/newsandevents/news.cfm?item_id=FC7D80659A0C002D7266B79FE9339550

compared to lying on their backs, tummy time is also important to prevent flat head.
agree about importance of cuddling though, mmmm making me broody again

Just skimmed the last link, purepurple.

It says at one point
"Although babies predominantly placed on their backs eventually catch up in their development skills,"

which says to me that tummy time isn't essential.

I had not heard of the term 'tummy time' even up until 5y ago when my dd was born. It seemed to be something new. I just can't understand all the fuss about it.

Interesting. Although again, the argument is that babies may be later (how late?) in crawling, rolling, sitting. Big jump to saying it has anything at all to do with teenagers not paying attention in school. I'd just tell the teenagers off, personally.

I didn't go on the course, my colleague did, but that was what she reported, maybe she daydreamed and made it all up

Fucking lunatics, the lot of them.

That 'tummy time' stuff is absolute bollocks.It is based on opinion not fact or porperly conducted research. I'm a salt and yes, a lot of kids do have huge problems with attention but I suspect (and can do no more than that0 that it is correlated to a world in which attentional demand is reduced and also compromised by the vast amount of machines we surround ourself with.

It can even happen to us.Easy to get addicted to high speed world of convos. on MN where you can flit in and out of 7-8 big duscussions nad not have to sustain attention.

I'm not accusing your colleague of making it up, but taking claims at face value without thinking about them, maybe.