Tummy Time--someone give me the scoop.

[stealthmode]

I hear lots of mainstream mamas talking about "tummy time" with their infants, and I know that it is important for muscle development. My DD, however, has hardly ever had "tummy time"--maybe a few minutes a day, and usually not every day. She doesn't seem to like being on her tummy and usually complains. She IS content to lay on her back and play. But I wear her for most of the day, so she is upright and looking around. In fact, strangers have commented on how great her head control is at her age.

So I guess I'm wondering, if you BW, what you do in the way of tummy time. Is it necessary? Are there other developmental things that she's missing out on if we BW instead of lay her on the floor for tummy time?

Scratching my head a bit here...

[scottishmommy]

I'm not an expert, but I think that co-sleeping and babywearing both help with muscle development. I never did tummy time with dd. She rolled from back to front at mos and walked at 10 mos. Now, if a baby is in a crib, and a bouncy seat a lot, I can see how that would have a negative impact.

[akat]

I'm wondering this, too. I believe tummy time is important for rolling over and crawling, too, right? My 8 wk old also HATES tummy time, so we end up only subjecting him to it for a few minutes. We've tried all the tricks like getting down with him so he can see our faces, putting him on his tummy on our chests, etc. We can't fool him.

He also can hold his head up when upright, and often lifts his head up [down? forward?] when he's in the car seat - at first I thought he was lolling, but when I push his head up he pushes back.

[Asiago]

I wear my baby a lot also (co-sleep too). He doesn't get a lot of tummy time and seems to be developing very well.

[Eaglevoice]

I pretty much wore both of my dd's non stop, so I never gave them any structured "tummy time"...both of them were walking by 8 months!!!!

[intrepidmother]

I did tummy time with my DD. Not at first, but then friends inspired me and I made an effort to put her on her tummy. Not for too long, but whenever I changed her, I turned her over for a few seconds. I wore her all the time and initially she complained right away, but after awhile, she got used to it and now she has started to cruise at 7 months.

I don't know if Tummy Time is THAT big of a deal. Your DC will learn at some point regardless if you make an effort.

[Alisse]

My son absolutely hated tummy time. We tried in maybe 3-4 times, 5mins each MAX! He's been meeting all physical milestones as scheduled. Seems wearing baby upright is good enough.

[hildare]

I did give dd tummy time, which she either was indifferent to or disliked (randomly) until she was about 4 1/2 months or so, maybe a little earlier-- then, she began to flip ONTO her belly... and now she's very happy to be on her belly.
I did notice that according to what I'd read on development, she was a little ahead with the strength/sitting/holding up her head/flipping kinds of things, and I think that PP's are right- that babywearing does build up strength and ability to do those kinds of things. I also try to let her "practice" things like sitting, standing, and crawling while draped over a bolster/round pillow. I do those things because she seems to enjoy them, though.
I'd say, overall, that there's no harm in doing the tummy time, for sure, and again, we only did it as long as she would tolerate it and not fuss about it.. and the day will come when your lo will actually LIKE it (probably).

[AFWife]

My son HATED tummy time. He would scream like I was breaking his heart. The only time he got it was when MIL would do it with him because "you're supposed to"

I wore him or held him all the time. We didn't use a "baby bucket" carseat so he never got left in it. The only time we used the swing was when he was sleeping or if I had to put him down for longer than it took to pee.

I read somewhere that "tummy time" only became necessary because of all of the modern stuff that keeps babies on their backs....

[midnightmommy]

It seems to me that I heard that tummy time was invented because babies were being stuck in seats and laid in beds to the point that there heads get flat spots. The tummy time is to help them get a little workout, and get the pressure off their little forming skulls. My DD would not tolerate being put down. Not ever! I held her or wore her all. the. time. One day I laid her down at barely three months and she promptly rolled over. She crawled on time, and now at ten months is standing up without holding on. So I'm with everyone else.

[mama2myloves]

None of mine have ever done tummy time and they've all developed fine.

[Birdie B.]

Originally Posted by midnightmommy

It seems to me that I heard that tummy time was invented because babies were being stuck in seats and laid in beds to the point that there heads get flat spots. The tummy time is to help them get a little workout, and get the pressure off their little forming skulls.

I think this is right. Some babies like it, so give it a try. I had to do lots of structured tummy time with my daughter, but that's because of her developmental issues. For most normally developing babies, wearing them and interacting a lot with them (as opposed to leaving them lying in a carseat or bassinet all day) does the trick.

[StrawberryFields]

Originally Posted by midnightmommy

It seems to me that I heard that tummy time was invented because babies were being stuck in seats and laid in beds to the point that there heads get flat spots. The tummy time is to help them get a little workout, and get the pressure off their little forming skulls. My DD would not tolerate being put down. Not ever! I held her or wore her all. the. time. One day I laid her down at barely three months and she promptly rolled over. She crawled on time, and now at ten months is standing up without holding on. So I'm with everyone else.

That is what I thought too. So with that in mind we don't really "do" tummy time. And to be honest I'm just not in to that kind of stuff anyway. We are so casual over here! My babies are either being held, sitting on my lap, or carried in a sling for 90% of their awake time anyway so getting a flat head is not even on my radar. I play with her on the floor sometimes and I help her roll back and forth, back to tummy. She loooves it and gets huge smiles. So I guess she is getting some "tummy time" though I am not into calling it that!

[MsVyky]

We don't do tummy time as a general rule, but at night before bed, we have naked time and she likes to be on her tummy then. She started making the motions to crawl last night (proud mama moment!). Then she peed on my duvet.

LOL

[AFWife]

I thought I'd add that even though we refused tummy time DS started sitting up at 5 months, had it mastered at 5.5months, and has always had GREAT head-control

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by midnightmommy

It seems to me that I heard that tummy time was invented because babies were being stuck in seats and laid in beds to the point that there heads get flat spots. The tummy time is to help them get a little workout, and get the pressure off their little forming skulls. My DD would not tolerate being put down. Not ever! I held her or wore her all. the. time. One day I laid her down at barely three months and she promptly rolled over. She crawled on time, and now at ten months is standing up without holding on. So I'm with everyone else.

It's actually because babies spend less time prone since the Back to Sleep campaign.

After having a significantly delayed child in physical therapy for over 3 years (due to prematurity, not lack of tummy time), when his physical therapist says that tummy time is important, I tend to believe her. Will most babies develop normally without it? Sure, but what's the big deal about putting a baby on its tummy for a few minutes a day to help them develop muscles that don't get used while being worn?

It's not always about hitting milestones on time if they aren't being mastered correctly. A baby may skip crawling and go straight to walking, but the upper body strength may end up lacking.

[ErinYay]

Tummy time is pretty important for back-sleepers. There are fairly significant delays, in gross and fine motor, social and cognitive, in back-sleeping babies who don't get enough slow-wave sleep (which they get a lot more of sleeping on their tummies) and muscle-building. They catch up by 18 months, but it's so significant that The Experts are thinking of resetting infant milestones to reflect these delays. (source)

Babywearing helps substantially, but for only-back-sleepers, I would definitely do tummy time, a little bit at a time until they're used to it.

My daughter has been a supervised-tummy sleeper since birth, but still gets tummy-time, because she enjoys it. I absolutely can see why tummy-sleepers are stronger earlier- even when she's asleep she picks herself up, moves around, etc.

(We didn't choose to tummy-sleep because of the delays associated with back sleeping, though.)

[SilverFish]

i have been letting my 6 week old sleep on her tummy for a couple weeks now, because she seems much more content and comfortable. i only do it for naps, so i can keep an eye on her breathing, but she has always prefered to be on her tummy or held since she was born. she has been holding her head up, making crawling motions and scooting herself around for about 2 weeks now. i can see how tummy time really facilitates that kind of upward and forward movement that being on her back doesn't.

[lalemma]

Yeah, I am skeptical that backsleeping+babywearing magically equals no need for tummy time. I always got the impression that tummy time was about developing core strength and trunk control, about making those important brain-body connections that your developmental leaps can build upon, and not about counteracting the flat head you're getting because your terrible mainstream mom leaves you in a bucket all day.

[Jaesun's Dad]

It looks like your daughter is about a week older than our son. Up until recently he didn't much go for tummy time either, but the last few times he seems to be more receptive to it. I usually spread out a large clean towel on the floor and lie next to him while he explores. He seems most receptive in the evening after a diaper change (interesting side note: he likes it when I change his diaper and even can calm down from being fussy to being smiling and giggling when I change him, but his mom not so much .. maybe it's some sort of "mom = food, dad = fun" thing, not that his mom doesn't get silly and playful with him too ... but I digress ..) So if he seems in a good mood and receptive I'll do tummy time with him but usually only is small doses. If he gets upset I'll pick him up right away, but lately he's been going along with it as long as I let him go. He's started to get the rudimentary crawling motions and is getting better head control. He's not moving (crawling) anywhere yet but I can see the gears clicking in his little head as he tries to figure it out. We cosleep but he's mostly on his back unless he falls asleep nursing on his side, either way he doesn't sleep on his belly so I think it's important to get him a little exercise. It seems to be a good time to do it more often now around the 9-10 week mark, he's definitely more keen on it than he was a month ago.