CDing and baby mobility

[odoole]

First off, I apologize if this is the wrong place for this discussion or a repeat thread. I did a search but didn't come up with much.

Just wondering about your experiences with baby mobility and cloth diapers. My 3.5 month old DS (my 1st child, a preemie born at 34 weeks) rolled over tummy to back for the first time about a month ago when we were at my mom's place and wearing a disposable (normally he's exclusively CD). We couldn't get a repeat performance after that because he despised tummy time -- never made any attempt to pull up, just burrowed his face into the ground and fussed. Today, on a whim I decided to try some naked tummy time with him. Not only did he not fuss, he almost instantly rolled over again! I made him do it several times after that just to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Anyway -- I can't believe it never occurred to me before that his CD could have been the impediment there. I just thought he was one of those kids who hated being on his tummy and therefore would be late to roll over and crawl. But seeing how different and easy it was for him without the diaper -- it's almost as if he spent all this time warming up with the heavy bat, then stepped up to the plate without the weights and knocked it out of the park!

I've loved cloth diapers and don't want to stop using them, but I'm just wondering if any of you deliberately give your kids "diaper-free" time in order to work on things like rolling, sitting, crawling, etc. I'm also wondering what I should expect for crawling and walking -- if the CD may make that more difficult too?

And FYI, he's been in a mix of prefolds w. thirsties covers and fuzzi bunz pockets.

[Bokonon]

I don't think it's at all uncommon for babies to do something like rolling over only sporadically at first. Maybe the cloth diapers were the issue, but millions of babies all over the world have mastered gross motor skills while wearing cloth diapers.

My DS was solely disposable-diapered, and had/has gross motor delays. DD is CDed and hitting her milestones early.

[lifeguard]

We always did nakey time every single day, especially while ds was still pretty immobile (I'd just put a diaper underneath him to soak up any pee).

I'm sure the extra bulk does slow down some babies a bit but in the long run I don't think it makes any measurable difference.

Ds rolled over a couple times & then didn't do it again for weeks & weeks, so that is normal ime.

[sunshynbaby]

Naked time sounds nice if you can do it (we can't afford to heat up the house for it right now). I'm sure it might make babies feel more "free" to move around. Millions of babies learned to crawl and walk before disposible diapers were invented, so I don't think cloth diapers are that much of an impedment

[funkymamajoy]

I didn't give them naked time just to help with mobility, but on occasion to clear up a rash. My kids have all figured out how to move while wearing a cloth diaper, even bulky ones. Just at different times.

Is 3 1/2 months his corrected age?

[mambera]

I noticed my LO was having trouble with her CD when she first learned to sit - the bulk of the diaper was knocking her off balance. It was super cute but it only lasted a week, after which she was sitting in the CD without an issue.

Btw when she first learned to roll over, we didn't see it again until a few weeks after we'd first observed it.

Anyways, there's never anything wrong with nakey time. We do it daily as well, on a big waterproof sheet in the living room. I'm visiting my parents right now and it's pretty cold here; we just put her on some towels in the bathroom with a heat lamp on and the door closed. Works great.

[elmh23]

My kids were both in Fuzzi Buns exclusivly until around 6 or 7 months and both were early movers. Dd was sitting at 3 months, crawling at 5 months and cruising a week after she started crawling. Ds was more extreme. He was crawling at 3 months, cruising and sitting at 4 months. They both rolled early too but I can't remember the exact ages at this point, but it was before the 3 month mark.

So, at least for my kids, the big fluffy butt didn't slow them down (and if it did, then I'm okay with that, lol.)

[odoole]

Thanks for the replies. I don't plan to stop CDing or anything like that. I do think the Fuzzi Buns allow for more mobility than the prefolds, so maybe I'll try to use those more when he's awake.

We keep our house pretty cold too. I've been doing his "nakey time" either with the space heater on or with pants and an untucked onesie on.

Thanks for the perspective on rolling over too. I wasn't too worried about the fact that he wasn't rolling over yet, and I guess I had heard of babies spanning a few weeks before doing it a second time. I just thought it was odd how he stopped hating tummy time so suddenly, and also how the two times he rolled over were both without cloth diapers.

Oh, and 3.5 months is his actual age ... so I realize it's still early for him.

[Michigan Mama]

Our babies must be around the same age. My ds2 was born aug 10th... and he hasn't rolled over yet...even though he was full term, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Could be the diapers are getting in his way but I'm sure they won't slow him down for long!

[odoole]

Originally Posted by Michigan Mama

Our babies must be around the same age. My ds2 was born aug 10th... and he hasn't rolled over yet...even though he was full term, so I wouldn't worry too much.

Could be the diapers are getting in his way but I'm sure they won't slow him down for long!

Yeah, mine was born Aug 3, but his due date was Sept. 14.

And just as an update, I tried the experiment again today. We did some tummy time with his diaper on and he fussed and refused to move (though he did push up more than he normally does). Then we did it without the diaper and he was happy and smiling and sticking out his tongue (that's his way of being social) and then immediately rolled over.

I think eventually, once he cements that rolling over is in his repertoire of "tricks," he'll remember how to do it with or without the diaper on. He seems to enjoy naked time, so I think we'll incorporate that into his playtime activities now.

[mara22]

I actually wondered this same thing...but I have noticed that the bulky cloth diapers help my dd to sit up...I think that the bulk provides some additional support!

[Natsuki]

I always did tummy time naked with my kids and they didn't have a problem getting mobile early. I use prefolds exclusively too. But I do naked time every day.

[Sk8ermaiden]

My daughter started rolling (very rarely) at 2.5 months, and by 4 months started stringing rolls together to get to things. In my online playroom of kids due in the same month, she is one of the 2 most mobile (the other was born a month early). She is EVERYWHERE.

I never do naked time, ever. The other thing though is I use VERY trim cloth diapers. I don't know if she would have been rolling quite so early if i had her in BG pockets or something.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by mara22

I actually wondered this same thing...but I have noticed that the bulky cloth diapers help my dd to sit up...I think that the bulk provides some additional support!

My husband is convinced that's why Peepers sat up so early and has such great trunk control already!

[inky leeuhhh]

i thought the cds could be slowing dd2 down beause it took her a bit to roll at first. now at not even 8 mos she is pulling herself up and i cant keep her still. maybe i should try double stuffing her diaper so she will stay still and i can get some rest. lol.