How do I do tummy time for a baby that hates it?

[Karina]

Hello

I have been trying the whole tummy time thing with Claire, but she absolutely hates it!
Just screams and cries the entire time and start banging her hands on the floor/bed/mat she is on. I have tried putting her on my chest so she is on a bit of an angle but she just punches my boobs, and I've tried interesting her with toys but she wont have a bar of it!

So, anyone else whos baby doesnt like being on their tummy, how did you do tummy time with them?

thanks

[Rouge]

Short burst. 2 minutes or so get a mirror and put it in front of her face so she can see herself on the floor. Even if its only 1 minute the consistancy of trying she will get better with better head control. Both my kids HATED tummy time and with Paris I didn't persist and it took her a lot longer to become mobile than it did my son with whom I persisted. Of course its up to you if you don't like the fact that she hates it she's not going to have long term effects if you take it slowly. But if you want to keep persisting then there are benefits too.

*hugs*
Cailin

[visitor1]

Chelsea hated it as well.. so has Cailin said, short periods of time on the tummy. I would get down on the floor with her and play, put her fav toys in front of her face. We have a special tummy time blanket that we use. She nows loves being on her tummy...and will roll if i out her on her back..!

Im not sure many kids like tummy time when they are really little!

[ticklish]

Hi Karina,

My DS abolutely HATED tummy time with avegence until I took him to Gymbaroo and was taught how to put him on his tummy which was basically allow him to do it himself (Put him on his back, bring one leg over (kinda like a recovery position thing) so the body twists a bit (ie left leg over right leg if you want to turn baby over to the right) and let him do the rest as the reflexes bring them on their tummies naturally. I'm probably not describing it very well!) Well it was like magic, he used to crack it so badly and LOVED tummy time INSTANTLY and never looked back. He was 11 weeks old at the time.

The other thing is also to put a mirror in front of them. They loved to look at themselves.

GOOD LUCK
TICKLISH

[Visitor7]

Try putting a rolled up towel or something similar underneath her chest. This will give her tummy time, have her head elevated higher than usual so she can see and do more. Like the others have said, put a mirror in front of her, and her toys, and pay with her as well. Nina also hated tummy time until I was told about this method, which worked. Even a couple of minutes a day will help.

[Karina]

Thanks for your ideas I'll give them a go.

[SSmiles]

My little man hated tummy time too (he'd just SCREAM the whole time)...I found that the only way I could get him to strenghten his neck was to put him up over my shoulder at every chance (while burping, walking, sitting etc)...then as his reflux got a bit moreunder control we propped him up on a pillow for short bursts...these days he's still not keen on being on his tummy but it is getting better/easier...

Good luck!

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

I just get down on my tummy with DS - he sees that other people have Tummy Time, he gets loads of kisses and we play with his toys too. He still isn't too keen, but will do up to quarter of an hour on his tum now.

[Pandora]

Milo hated it as well. So I went with the short burssts - it was usually at at every nappy change, I would put him on his tum for a minute or so after the new nappy was on.

He was also quite happy to be on his tummy, lying on my chest, so we did that.

I also remember that it improved significantly after we saw an osteaopath (for what I thought was an unrealted sleeping/feeding prob) hmm..now I wonder if it was related?

[christy]

We haven't had tummy time haters, but Jovie wasn't thrilled at first. I used the fit ball as well so I would pop her down face down on the fit ball and roll her around, now I lean her down so she can pick up a toy off the floor & she giggles and laughs.... and occasionally vomits

[~Jo~]

LIke Christy has said the fitball is a great idea! We also used to lay Sammy on our tummys and he would look up to our face...all doing the same thing

Jo

[ShootingStar]

My answer.. if they hate it.. dont bother with it. Jesse hated it so i never bothered.. he rolled when he was 4 months, sat at 6 months and crawled at 7 months. I dont think it made any difference him not doing it.. he did things at the same age other babies did in his group.. sometimes even earlier.

[Rachel]

Grace absolutely hates tummy time until recently (i mean from yesterday!), and it is still quite hit and miss. She seems to tolerate it better with her nappy off. Lying on our chests was one thing we used to do. The fitball was suggested to me. The other thing is for you to lie on your back and bend your knees up, put Claire tummy down on your shins with head at your knees, initially she will be quite upright, then slowly lower your legs and she will go with them, that worked for us a couple of times. Today Grace had put herself on her side and my mum helped her roll the rest of the way and she was quite happy being on her tummy then. We don't do it everyday, just depends on her. It is really good for strengthening their necks but we are certainly not concerned with Grace's neck as she can hold her head up independently all the time now. When she is on her tummy she is looking right up (see photo on web site). Keep persisting. We were told yesterday at mother's group that babies will cry with tummy time as it is hard work holding their heads up initially. Short sessions at a time, she will get to like it eventually.

[~Saram~]

Karina - what's her head control like? If she is still building the muscles in her neck then tummy time will be hard work and wil make the muscles in her neck uncomfortable. If her head is falling to the floor try and give her lots of sitting up time, just holding her tummy and back with the palms of your hand which will help her strengthen her muscles without so much gravity (and also without the thump on the floor)

If you have a breatfeeding pillow (or any pillow) put it under her chest so she is a little higher and do tummy time in short spurts. Ari loves her tummy but we always do it when she first wakes up and has had a feed if she is tired she hates it. Also make sure her arms are positioned in the push-up possy so she can use her arm muslces to lift her as well.

Good luck

[Evie76]

Daniel hates being on his tummy. He rubs his nose in to the blanket so when I roll him over he has a red nose. (This goes away).

He is beginning to like it because I carry on like a mad banshee, making it sound like it's the most fun he could have.

[aussienic]

all my kids hated tummy time.. I perservered with my first as thats what we were told to do. I went easy on my other two and just did other things such as resting them on thier tummy on my chest or holding them upright in a sitting position.

Eventually they liked it but not for many months

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Naked Tummy Time. DS loves being naked and was therefore loving naked tummy time last night!

He also loves lying on my chest on his tum watching the fish tank.

[Snacks]

Natalie hated tummy time until only recently.

The other thing is for you to lie on your back and bend your knees up, put Claire tummy down on your shins with head at your knees,

This is what we find to be the best position when we do it - she thinks its pretty funny.
IMO its not worth forcing the issue if they don't want to at any given time... Just makes you both miserable.