Baby hates tummy time

[Rose-Roget]

Dd is 2 mo. She was born with a broken clavicle and I was pretty cautious about not putting her on her tummy for the first month or so (which the ped said didn't really matter until about 2 mos anyway). She will sit contentedly in a bouncer or lie to look at mobiles or toys for a little while, but if I put her on her tummy, it's like torture to her and me. I've tried propping her up with a boppy, not propping her up, mirrors or toy below her (when on boppy) and in front of her, patting/rubbing her back, talking softly, singing...she just hates it and cries the whole time. She doesn't even fight and push up/move around out of anger, she just lays her head down and cries. When I'm holding her, she will lift her head off my shoulder and use her arms to push back a little, so I'm not too worried about her strength at the moment, but I'd like her to enjoy the time a little more so she can continue to develop her strength and skills.

Anyone have experience/suggestions??

[hippiemama76]

IMO/IME, if you babywear, tummy time is so unnecessary.

[Comtessa]

I thought my DD would never learn to like tummy time! She hated it until she was strong enough to get her head up.

IMO, there's absolutely no need to torture the poor child by putting her flat on her stomach when she hates to be there. Just make sure she spends plenty of time not flat on her back or sitting in a bucket. It doesn't have to be her tummy; like the PP said, babywearing works perfectly for this purpose. It's good for her to get experience trying to move her head, etc., from a tummy position, so keep trying tummy time every day, but don't upset the poor creature either - if she hates it and screams, pick her up and try it again the next day. Eventually she'll learn to like it. Honestly.

[hippiemama76]

Sorry - I was typing on my phone and didn't mean to be so terse.

Tummy time is so overrated, and I think it's because most mainstream parents have their babies either flat in a crib or a bucket seat or a swing or something and the babies never get to exercise their neck and stomach muscles.

I think I did tummy time twice with DD1 and have never done it with DD2, but both were worn or held almost constantly.

[mamazee]

I've never done tummy time. That's really designed for people who have their babies lying down on their backs all the time.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by hippiemama76

IMO/IME, if you babywear, tummy time is so unnecessary.

Or if not, just substitute any sort of up-right time. DD HATED tummy time too, which I think is common now that babies sleep on their backs mostly. So no worries. I promise you she will be developmentally FINE if you never intentionally give her any tummy time. Just beware of when she manages to roll on to her tummy! She'll let you know all about it.

[Rose-Roget]

Okay, I'm feeling better. We hold her most of the time. She's not wild about the Moby yet, but she settles in after some snuggling and patting. I'll continue to try little bits of tummy time, but I refuse to upset her with it.

[tessie]

Originally Posted by hippiemama76

I think it's because most mainstream parents have their babies either flat in a crib or a bucket seat or a swing or something and the babies never get to exercise their neck and stomach muscles.

You're very wrong.

[hippiemama76]

Originally Posted by tessie

You're very wrong.

How so? Most mainstream babies do spend a lot of time on their backs, either sleeping or being contained in a reclined position. So to combat that, people push tummy time.

[tessie]

Originally Posted by hippiemama76

How so? Most mainstream babies do spend a lot of time on their backs, either sleeping or being contained in a reclined position. So to combat that, people push tummy time.

Mainstream parents do hold their babies constantly, even if they don't babywear. Of course when they're finished holding them they lock them in the cupboard under the stairs but you can't have everything.

[Abraisme]

Originally Posted by hippiemama76

Sorry - I was typing on my phone and didn't mean to be so terse.

Tummy time is so overrated, and I think it's because most mainstream parents have their babies either flat in a crib or a bucket seat or a swing or something and the babies never get to exercise their neck and stomach muscles.

I think I did tummy time twice with DD1 and have never done it with DD2, but both were worn or held almost constantly.

[mamazee]

Some mainstream parents hold their babies constantly, some hold their babies a lot, some hold their babies very little. Certainly very frequent to constant babywearing, as with AP, is not all that common overall. And I know lots of little babies who spend great deals of time in baby carseats, baby swings, on the floor on a blanket, and in bouncy seats, with weak neck muscles and flat heads. That's what the tummy time is about.

[buttercups.nest]

With my daughter, my first, she hated tummy time. She learned to roll over at 3months, but hated it! At 6months she figured out how to roll from her tummy to her back...I have videos lasting less than 30sec...me putting her down, and immediately, her rolling over.

With my second we've done tummy time almost from day 1. In the beginning he slept on his tummy. Then as he was awake more he was ok with being on his tummy, but would fuss within a few minutes. I left it alone for a couple of weeks, then started up again. I'd put him down and try to distract him...a toy, the playmat, silly faces, even my daughter got in on the fun I got into the habit of putting him on his tummy anytime I was putting him down...bathroom break, cooking supper, whatever...straight onto his tummy.

Now he is a master at rolling onto his tummy and actually spends quite a bit of time there! He still doesn't like it all the time but he is holding himself up on his elbows now, and even trying to get his bum up in the air.

[tessie]

Originally Posted by mamazee

Some mainstream parents hold their babies constantly, some hold their babies a lot, some hold their babies very little. Certainly very frequent to constant babywearing, as with AP, is not all that common overall. And I know lots of little babies who spend great deals of time in baby carseats, baby swings, on the floor on a blanket, and in bouncy seats, with weak neck muscles and flat heads. That's what the tummy time is about.

I don't think it's a mainstream issue as much as an OMG you can't put a baby on its tummy or it's at risk of cotdeath issue. It's something I've seen parents of all types have concerns about.

And I maintain that mainstream doesn't mean leaving your kid in a carseat or swing for hours on end. That's not mainstream, that's just neglectful. I do think that a kick about on a blanket is beneficial, particularly as most babies enjoy a little nappy-free kicking time.

[ErinYay]

The wiki on SIDS (triggering for some) really highlights the fact that Back To Sleep has created a whole mess of problems for gross motor, social, and cognitive development in supine sleeping babies, and has solidified our well researched choice for DD to sleep on her tummy.

Tummy time was not needed back when babies were, per the experts and pediatricians, sleeping on their bellies.