tummy time: boppy vs floor

lisamoe

My DS hates tummy time, so we get about 10-20min a day in on the boppy. Problem is, he screams and fusses when put on the floor and wont do it.  If he's in a good mood, he will raise his head(so I know he can do it) but mostly he just lays there and flails and gets pissed.  Anyone notice the same thing with the boppy vs floor?

catie333

not sure what other moms are doing but my Pediatrician says no boppy, rolled towel or anything. She says that it delays crawling. The goal is to teach them to strengthen those muscles and learn to pick themseles up without a prop. LO hated it at first but now he'll do a good 30-40 minutes of tummy/mat time. If he gets fussy on his tummy, I roll him to his side. This way he can use his muscles to go forward or backwards and start learning how to roll over. He still needs help for a complete roll. We'll alternate between his back and his tummy on the mat to keep him happy and stimulated. I've found that tummy/mat time is only enjoyable for him if I am laying down there at his level and we have a mirror and lots of toys for him to play with. The mirror is by far his favorite for staying on his tummy for 10 mins. straight.

Maybe try just the floor, no prop for a week and see if he gets a hang of it. We seriously started with like 3-5 minutes at a time and he gad enough. He has a blast now. HTH!

buckeyeki

catie333:

not sure what other moms are doing but my Pediatrician says no boppy, rolled towel or anything. She says that it delays crawling. The goal is to teach them to strengthen those muscles and learn to pick themseles up without a prop. LO hated it at first but now he'll do a good 30-40 minutes of tummy/mat time. If he gets fussy on his tummy, I roll him to his side. This way he can use his muscles to go forward or backwards and start learning how to roll over. He still needs help for a complete roll. We'll alternate between his back and his tummy on the mat to keep him happy and stimulated. I've found that tummy/mat time is only enjoyable for him if I am laying down there at his level and we have a mirror and lots of toys for him to play with. The mirror is by far his favorite for staying on his tummy for 10 mins. straight.

Maybe try just the floor, no prop for a week and see if he gets a hang of it. We seriously started with like 3-5 minutes at a time and he gad enough. He has a blast now. HTH!

Our pedi said the same thing about the boppy. DD hated tummy time too so we just had to do lots of short tummy time sessions on the floor with her.

frogyie

Good to know. Ds will only tolerate tummy time on the even then we only get a minute or two. I have been letting him "fly" which he likes longer but it is only for neck and head control and I don't think will helpnwith rolling and crawling. . I am going to start on the bed first so that it is softer.

lisamoe

I guess I will ask the pedi about the boppy vs floor.  I always heard it was the same, never even thought to ask!

catie333

the other thing I do for extra tummy time and also crib acclimation is I have one of those crib mirrors that tie to the side. I put it in there when I am putting laundry away in his room or tidying up in there. The crib mattress is firm so he can lift himself and stare at the mirror and the fun toys on it. If he gets fussy and I still have a bit more stuff to do- I turn him on his back, he stares at and smiles at the mobile and then after a couple minutes- back to the belly until he gets fussy. As I said before- It started with short spurts and now LO seems to be a fan of tummy/mat time as long as I alternate positions. I'm sure it is straining and exhausting for their little muscles to hold their heads up for more than a few minutes at a time.

 

FD

ExpectantSteelerFan:

I wouldn't worry about it unless your lo has a delay and needs you to work on something specifically. My ds had such horrible reflux that he was NEVER flat on his back except diaper changes and was almost never flat on his tummy (but lived upright on my chest). He rolled and crawled just fine.

 This exactly. I was so stressed DD would never hit her milestones because I never did tummy time with her bc of the reflux, but she did just fine. This time with my 6 wk old DS, I'm a lot less stressed about it. I still recommend doing it as much as you can, but no need to lose sleep over it!

lisamoe

Thanks ladies..I definitely feel less stressed now.