Preemies

tummy time

My LO HATES tummy time.  I've tried doing at various times of the day, when she seems alert and content, you name it! I even got a special playmat that has a tummy time prop pillow so their chest can rest up on something.  She doesn't mind that so much, but it's a bit of cheating!

She is delayed in her motor skills, and the PT wants her getting way more tummy time to help her learn how to lift and hold her own head.  But she cries many times during this and I feel like I am torturing her so she doesn't get a whole lot of time doing it.

 

Any suggestions??

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Re: tummy time

  • Have you tried laying her down on your chest? She might tolerate that better since she is with you. How long are you doing tummy time? If she only tolerates 10 seconds right now just do it frequently for 10 seconds a time and she will then begin to tolerate more. The prop pillow is totally fine while she is still learning, think of it as you doing assisted pull ups at the gym, it's not as hard as regular pull ups but it works the same muscles and you can build upon those skills. Also fo head control Liam's PT gave us a tip, turn her on her side right before you pick her up. The strongest neck muscles run along the side of the neck and that will help strengthen them. We saw improvement in less than a week doing that, you pick them up so many times a day they get a lot of practice! GL, HTH!
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  • H hates tummy time also.  He will fuss and then just lay there.  Not much happening.  

    We just bought this a couple of weekends ago and it seems to be helping:

    https://www.amazon.com/Infantino-Right-Angle-Tummy-Triangle/dp/B004Y42682

     

    I put the music box out front so he can see the flashing lights.  Also, I've found that if I help him and put his arms under him, he can prop up that way.  He just doesn't have the strength to get there himself.  Our OT said to keep propping him up because it would build strength and make the association of arms under = head up.

    Good luck! 

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  • My LO doesn't like it sometimes (well most times) either. She will either lay there or get mad.

    I've noticed though, when she gets mad...she moves around a lot and lifts her head and her arms and moves her legs a lot. I know it's not nice to let her get mad but I figure a couple of minutes won't hurt her to whine so it will strenghten her muscles and such. I don't let her cry...just whine. She's fiesty and she will let me know when she's had enough lol. One time, she even rolled from her belly to her back because she was whiney and didn't like it. So I figure it was good for something!

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  • My DD still strongly dislikes tummy time but she is slowly getting better at it. At first it was like 10 seconds at a time and then I would comfort her and start over. We did little bits all day long. Our OT brought us this wedge for her to practice on when she was working on head control, the angle helped her a lot. Now we are working on rolling and the wedge is good for that too-she rolls downhill.

    DD was really slow at head control, it took her almost 5 months to really get it. Other things OT suggested: holding her facing out so that she had to do some of the work for supporting her head, propping her on her boppy, placing a mirror or light up toy in front of her, and baby wearing.

  • Just keep doing it.  Prop, use a wedge, do whatever you can for as long as she'll tolerate.  Gabe is getting so much better.  We really started hammering tummy time since his 4 month appt, and he is getting  a lot stronger already.  Sometimes we have to do tummy time like 10 times a day to get in 5 mins.

    Oh, and he learned to roll from belly to back.  Sooooo, he hates it a little less.  Though, now his annoyance is me continuously flipping him back over to his belly.   

    Born at 31w3d due to severe IUGR & Placental Insufficiency--2lbs 3ounces
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    We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
    Lilypie Premature Baby tickers

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