How do you do Tummy Time?

[PumpkinZulu]

What do you do for Tummy Time? Isla absolutely hates it right now, and I'm not sure if I'm 'doing' it correctly or what. We have a mat with a little mirror etc that she goes on. How often do you do TT? And for how long? Are there any games etc you play? And how do you deal with a baby who hates it, is it better to leave them to protest and cry, or stop when they do?

[Arcadia]

Erm...I don't! Both my kids haven't been keen. Why do you need to do it? To strengthen their neck muscles? I am guessing you carry your dd in a sling, maybe lay her on your chest sometimes and that she is being fed and loved and will grow strong in her own time. My dd used to love being cuddled on dh's chest.

Lying a baby on their tummy when they don't like it seems weird to me. Of course once they start rolling they have to work out how to roll themselves back again, so they will eventually get used to being on their tummy.

Tummy time is another one of those 'things' mchn try and tell you you 'should' do. Have you read anything aboit leaving baby on their back until they can roll themselves? There is a whole school of thought that is even against propping babies up into sitting positions (unless on your lap) in the belief it forces the baby into a position they would not otherwise be able to achieve.

Anyway, long ramble response, but no we don't do tummy time here

[Rouge]

Both my kids hated it. So I would work them up slowly. I might be with her on the floor and every so often when I remembered I'd turn them over with me near them and talk to them till they complained and then try again later. It wasn't timed as such, it was more about getting them used to it. TBH both of mine hated it until they could crawl. But that's just my kids... not every child is the same

Tummy time isn't just about strengthening their necks it's about stopping them from getting flat heads too by constantly having pressure on the backs of their heads. Not everything is a conspiracy against mothers and babies.

[YoYo]

I didn't persist with Maxy, he hated it. Dd had a phase of not liking it, but she grew up to fast and was off rolling or crawling.

There are other wats other than on a playmate on the floor. She can lie on your tummy and look at you, or across your legs.

I actually think TT just adds to the lust another thing a baby 'should' be doing.

[Eenee]

DD loved being on her tummy and hated her back so she spent the majority of time on her tummy even sleeping on her tummy (in the little time she did choose to sleep) but if she hated it I wouldn't force it I'm wit Arcadia on this one.

[glenny_c]

DD hated it when she was little. I used to try every now and then but to be honest we didn't do it much at all. I didn't see the point when she didn't enjoy it. I'm not sure how important it is really. DD was holding her head up by about 3 months I think (can't remember). She was def rolling by then- and she was mostly on her back or on our chests as a bub.

[PumpkinZulu]

DD lies on DH and I on her tummy all the time, and sometimes she sleeps on her tummy too (usually on us). Her neck muscles are nice and strong. Usually I'll do the same as you Rouge, play with her while she's on her tummy and then when she starts to hate it we'll stop and try again later. I actually have only been to the mchn twice...even though mum is constantly telling me to go, I haven't felt the need yet. Apparently according to her I should be having Isla weighed weekly and that we did tummy time every day from x to y. Hard to not feel paranoid. She hasn't made any attempts to roll yet which I was cool with until mum freaked out for some reason about it. She kicks her legs up a lot and stuff, moves around heaps, bats toys, but I don't think she'll be rolling anytime soon. She moves her head around heaps when lying down, both sides and the back get pretty even coverage itms.

[Lady-bug]

Erm...I don't! Both my kids haven't been keen. Why do you need to do it? To strengthen their neck muscles? I am guessing you carry your dd in a sling, maybe lay her on your chest sometimes and that she is being fed and loved and will grow strong in her own time. My dd used to love being cuddled on dh's chest.

Lying a baby on their tummy when they don't like it seems weird to me. Of course once they start rolling they have to work out how to roll themselves back again, so they will eventually get used to being on their tummy.

Tummy time is another one of those 'things' mchn try and tell you you 'should' do. Have you read anything aboit leaving baby on their back until they can roll themselves? There is a whole school of thought that is even against propping babies up into sitting positions (unless on your lap) in the belief it forces the baby into a position they would not otherwise be able to achieve.

Anyway, long ramble response, but no we don't do tummy time here

Totally agree with this! Both my boys hated it, so we just don't do it. I just cant see the point if bubs doesn't like it. No need to rush these things.

[Arcadia]

Tummy time isn't just about strengthening their necks it's about stopping them from getting flat heads too by constantly having pressure on the backs of their heads. Not everything is a conspiracy against mothers and babies.

Well if you practice AP style parenting PZ (which I know you do) I wouldn't worry too much about the flat head, because babes in arms and in a sling aren't lying on their backs as much. It does make sense if your baby likes lying on their tummy, but for those of us with babies who hated it, 30 seconds of tummy time isn't doing much to relieve pressure on the back of their heads iykwim?

[Rouge]

No 30 seconds doesn't do squat, but it's about building that up.

I get what your saying. But I just hate the idea that everything suggested by anyone is some barbaric torture ritual (And I know I'm exaggerating :P). As I said my babies didn't like it. So I didn't do it (not timed anyway) but it was part of mat time or as PZ said playing time tummy to tummy etc. And we did AP too

Arcadia, I also think you rock xx

[Glass half full]

I tried to do it as much as I could with DD, but she wasn't too keen either. DS I hardly did it at all when he was really little. He was also carried in a sling a lot and basially having all his day sleeps in the sling up until about 4 months old, so he was hardly on his back at all. Obviously you would notice if she was getting a flat spot, and you say her neck muscle are stong so I wouldn't be stressing too much about it if I were you. Even though DS hardly ever did tummy time, he always had really good head control. For the last couple of months he constantly rolls from his back on to his tummy and gets stuck there, so he creates his own tummy time . From what you wrote, the time she has lying on her tummy on you and your DH sounds like plenty to me

[sahbear]

DS wasnt a fan, until we put a little rolled up towel under his chest as suggested at gymbarroo. this was to provide a little bit more support as he was so little.
I ended up buying a soft pillow type thing you can get for the play mats for him with little toys attached and it worked a treat.

He now loves and plays on his tummy all the time.

[Nai]

Having them lie on you is a good start if they hate being on the floor. Do you combine it with nudie time? My girls loved nappy-free time combined with tummy time and they stayed happily kicking around weeing everywhere (make sure you put a cloth nappy over a plastic mat for this),

[Miss E]

DS wasn't a fan for quite awhile too. I would just do it after I changed his nappy and chat away to him. As soon as he got sick of it, it was over and done with. When he was about Isla's age though, somebody showed me how to fold his arms underneath him (so he was resting on his arms like you or I would iykwim?) and that made all the difference. He really started to enjoy and would be happy on his tummy for a minute of two. Apparently you're meant to do it that way to begin with Anyway, that made the difference for us so might be worth a try.

Personally I don't think it's a big deal... I took the attitude that we would try it several times a day and if we only go 10 or 15 seconds then that was ok. Oh and BTW DS was a good 4 months before he started rolling - I think 3 months is pretty early. HTH

[Fleur]

Just skimmed prev posts so sorry if I'm repeating anything...

Pie hated tummy time until she could roll over. We did it every time she was on the floor, but I had to laugh - the one time I saw the MCHN she said one minute for each week of age (or something like that) and at 8 weeks, there was no. freaking. way she was going to spend 8 minutes on her tummy!

My opinion - it's about giving them an opportunity to move in different ways & develop strength. But at their own pace (every baby is different). So we did do it, but sometimes it would only be 5 seconds or so, sometimes as much as a minute. Once she could roll it was a different story, she started doing 5 minute stints and we were away.

She'll get there

ETA - one thing she did like better, was lying on us on her tummy. So if you lay on teh bed, or lean back in a longe chair, and lay her on her tummy on you, she will left her head to see your face & engage with you, and that is doing exactly the same thing... only she gets to look at your face, which is more interesting than the floor.
Worked for us

[Harriet]

We were given a tummy time mat as a gift - I has a little pillow to wedge under the arms to help keep DD from lying flat on her face! I think a rolled up towel is supposed to do the same thing, but I could never get it right.
DD is only happy to do it for a few minutes at a time... And as much as I hate it, if the TV is on she will do whatever she can to see it (mat now faces the back of the room!). I get down on the floor and play with her and hold her fave toy up for her to look at.

How cute is tummy-to-tummy tummy time??! I love the little head peeking around... so cute!

As for getting weighed - I would think as long she is growing it wouldn't really matter. Although it is always the first question everyone asks.

[~StarBright~]

DS didnt like it at all.. he had reflux and HATED being on his belly on the floor!!! So for him it was alot more TT on my chest after a feed or after a bath or something. Thats how he liked to sleep alot too lol (on me) so I was never worried about a flat head!!

DD was a bit better and she enjoyed being on the floor and being on her belly, so we did it a bit more, but I never timed it or did it strictly to a routine. My timing was until she was unhappy or uncomfy, and we stopped. The way we did it was make faces, i would get down there right at her eye level and make faces and play peeka boo. She also loved the mirror that hung off her jungle thing... I just tried to make it fun, i would use a toy to keep her attention and she would try to grab it or something like that.

Personally I wouldnt make bubs do it if she is obviously unhappy!!!! I just couldnt do that!! Oh and as for getting weighed, I dont think thats hugely important. If you know she is growing and she is having planty of wet and poo-ey nappies then I would say its all OK!!

Oh and for her being able to "do" or "not to do" something like rolling "on time"... Isla has HER time she will do things. She wont be rushed, she will do things at her own Isla pace. Its not a race, it just being One of the best things I did was join the Baby Buddies thread here when I had DS... and it wasnt to compare or see where he "should" be.. it was grea tto learn that two babies who were born literally minutes apart were... DIFFERENT!!!!! Out of like 8 of us mums and bubs, one was doing this, but hadnt done that yet.. one baby could do something else and one baby was doing it all!!! They were all different and they all did stuff at their own pace!!!

Your a great mum PZ!!! Dont let other people get to you xoxoxx

[Babyluv]

My DD hated tummy time but then she hated any time that she wasn't attached to me in the Ergo so for the first 3 months of her life she basically lived in it hehe. We did do tummy time but it would last a cpl mins and that's it. I say just pick her up when she has had enough. When she is on the floor get down on your tummy too so that she can see you're there. I used to lie her tummy on my breast feeding pillow and she seemed to enjoy that more.