Tummy Time

[htovjm]

What are the feelings about tummy time around here? Any Mamas who didn't do it and have baby still reach developmental milestones in a timely basis (turning over, crawling, etc)?

[CherryBombMama]

I never did tummy time with ds2 BUT he was worn constantly, all day long. So essentially, he was doing "tummy time" on ME.  I don't remember when he turned over, but he sat up close to 5months, crawled at 9months and walked at 11months. 

I hope this is correct, but I was under the impression that wearing them is basically the same as tummy time? And that tummy time was created because now we have the whole "back to sleep" campaign going on, and babies were spending too much time on their backs. Is that right?

Either way, ds1 got some tummy time, like maybe a couple minutes every couple of days or so, but he was constantly in my arms (I didn't know about babywearing then) and he sat up around 5 months, crawled close to ten months and walked at 13 months.  

I prefer having my babies on me, rather than on their tummies looking at the floor.  But that is me =)

[MN BabyDust]

We rarely did it. They say to do it everyday, we did it maybe once a week for like 2 minutes. DD hated it. That's not to say she was just lying on her back all the time. She was worn a lot, held a lot, and liked to be upright. She started in a excer-saucer thing early. She reached milestones "on time" or early. She is very strong. Once she got a little older (maybe 4-5 months) she was interested in using her body differently, and didn't hate tummy time as much. She gets more as she gets older (now is almost 7 months and spends lots of time on tummy and hands and knees.) I wonder if the doctors push it so much to make sure babies aren't just left in one position (on the back) all the time. I'm not convinced that many tummy time sessions per day are necessary as long as you use common sense about how your baby is raised.

[Vermillion]

I hardly ever did it with my oldest because he hated it... He rolled after 5 months and crawled at 10. I also held him 24/7 so...

My almost 5 month old happens to love tummy time though so he does it several times a day. He's been rolling for a while and is already scooting himself forward towards toys and trying to crawl!

That said, I think it's fine to skip it if baby doesn't like it! I don't believe my oldest suffered in any way by skipping it. & It was nice not having a mobile baby for 10 months! This new little guy keeps me on my toes he's so active!

[MichelleZB]

We did tummy time because our son seemed to like it, at least for a few minutes. He would eventually get frustrated that he couldn't crawl yet. Also, when he was a newborn, we sometimes put him to sleep on his tummy. Haters can hate here -->(  ). He just really wanted to sleep on his stomach sometimes, and if he was in a bassinet in the kitchen or living room with us just hanging out, then we saw no problem with it.

At 5 months, he now sleeps on his back. And since he can turn over now, he regulates his own tummy time by turning on to his stomach when he feels like it.

[Youngfrankenstein]

We didn't do it specifically because my kids all slept on their tummies.  I think babywearing also helps strength the neck and prevents flat spots as well.

[Asiago]

I am a babywearer also, so my son was on me most of the time without a lot of formal tummytime. He sat, crawled and walked early or on time.

The vestibular stimulation from babywearing is excellent and they really use thier bodies to cling and balance.

[htovjm]

Thanks, everyone! It sounds like tummy time is a recommendation because of all the parents that don't hold or wear their babies. I don't wear DS as much as I'd like (he has started to fuss when worn), but he is in arms most of the day. He doesn't hate tummy time, but it's not his favorite thing, so we don't do it for long periods of time. My gut tells me it's not a big deal, but being a new mom sometimes it's hard with all the opinions and recommendations out there! Thanks again!

[tanyato]

Originally Posted by makaleka87 

I don't wear DS as much as I'd like (he has started to fuss when worn)

Just thought I'd let you know...my LO went through a stage (when he was around 3 months old) when he didn't like being worn either. I think it's because I couldn't wear him in positions that required him to have good neck control and those were the positions that had the best view :) so he preferred being just held out. so he could see everything. once he got good neck control and his legs were long enough to spread apart, i started wearing him more and now he's happy being worn most of the day. 

[htovjm]

Originally Posted by tanyato 

once he got good neck control and his legs were long enough to spread apart, i started wearing him more and now he's happy being worn most of the day. 

Thanks for the input, tanyato! I'm hoping this is the case with my DS. He had such good times with me in the moby for the first few months and then just one day he started fighting it and crying. I  try it almost every day with him, removing him as soon as he gets uncomfortable. I'm encouraged to know he will probably get more comfortable with it as he grows. I'm saving up for an Ergo!

[kblackstone444]

Both my boys did not like tummy time.  My oldest one NEVER had tummy time and my little one only enjoyed it for short periods of time, once he was already strong enough to lift his upper body  with his hands.  Both boys were also very much into being held upright.  My pediatritian told me not to sweat it, they were learning the same muscle strength and control from being held upright as opposed to laying down on their stomachs.

[Mummoth]

I strip her down and let her do tummy time naked on a towel or blankie, and she likes it a lot better that way. She knows how to roll onto her back now, but it's a fun game for her if I keep putting her back on her tummy so she can roll again.