Attachment Parenting

Tummy Time?

I am new to this board, but believe that my parenting style tends toward AP.  I am curious what you all think about Tummy Time.

My LO is 10 weeks old.  He is pretty strong.  He has pretty good head control.  He loves to "stand" and bounce when you hold him.  If i support his hips with my hands he can hold a sitting position for a few seconds.  When he is on your chest he can hold head up, do the little  push up.  When you carry him around on your shoulder he holds head up and still and looks around.  He seems no where close to rolling over.

However, he hates tummy time on the mat.  Cries hard after just a few minutes.  So i haven't really been doing structured tummy time with him. 

What are your thoughts?  Do i just need to keep at it in short efforts and he will like it more?  Part of me says if he is crying that much i need to listen to him and just leave it be for now.  

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Re: Tummy Time?

  • Tummy time doesnt just include mat time - anything that engages his core muscles in that way is great.  So having him on your chest (while you lay down - acting sort of as the mat) definitely counts...my girls always tolerated that the best.
  • IMO, it sounds like he is doing great. My understanding is that "tummy time" was pushed because so many babies were sleeping on their back because of the anti-SIDS campaign, coupled with the modern use of the carseat, swing, bouncer and other things that place baby on their back much of the day. So tummy time counteracts that and gives them exercise to help strengthen them. 

    We never really bothered with structured tummy time because LO got plenty of upright time - mostly because she HATED laying down in a swing, carseat or anything else for that matter. So we wore her a lot, or she would lay on our chest on her tummy. Our Pedi was impressed at how strong she was. 

    It sounds like your LO is getting a good mix. 

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  • Thanks! You are reinforcing my gut instincts.  (At some point as FTM i guess i will learn to trust those instincts).

    I think he does get a fair amount of time each day engaging the core muscles.  He loves to sit propted up in an adult  chair (think wing back chair) to coo, smile and giggle.  It is DH's favorite activity with him these days.  Super cute...my DH is convinced he's going to teach the boy to say hi while he is home this week.  I LOVE it!  LO does mimic him and makes the H consonant sound.

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  • I've done structured "tummy time" with DD maybe once or twice...she hated it, and she was already fussy due to my oversupply issues, so I didn't push it. She gets held almost constantly when she's awake, so her neck muscles get a workout that way. So much so that the pedi didn't even give me a chance to answer yesterday when she asked if she's been doing tummy time, she just assumed she was since she's so strong! I didn't have the heart to correct her ;)

    I'll probably do more the bigger she gets, but for now we're pretty relaxed about it. 

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  • tummy time was invented to counter the effects of what happened when parents begam leaving their babies lying in contraptions.  Your baby is doing great.
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  • I agree with all the PPs. Just wanted to say... you are doing a great job momma!!! Big Smile
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  • It sounds like you are doing great!! If you want to try more tummy time though, tummy to tummy time (or kangarooing) is awesome, the boppy also works great b/c it inclines them and they like it.  Especially if you lay on your tummy in front of him and play funny faces or things like that.
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  • imageshocked77:

    I am new to this board, but believe that my parenting style tends toward AP.  I am curious what you all think about Tummy Time.

    My LO is 10 weeks old.  He is pretty strong.  He has pretty good head control.  He loves to "stand" and bounce when you hold him.  If i support his hips with my hands he can hold a sitting position for a few seconds.  When he is on your chest he can hold head up, do the little  push up.  When you carry him around on your shoulder he holds head up and still and looks around.  He seems no where close to rolling over.

    However, he hates tummy time on the mat.  Cries hard after just a few minutes.  So i haven't really been doing structured tummy time with him. 

    What are your thoughts?  Do i just need to keep at it in short efforts and he will like it more?  Part of me says if he is crying that much i need to listen to him and just leave it be for now.  

    DD is exactly in the same place. We talked to our pedi and she said it was important to do even if she hates it. So we try to keep it short and really interactive. If she starts crying hard we stop and come back to it later. Tonight at 10 weeks  and 4 days when DH set her down for Tummy time she rolled back over on to her back. (guess she figured out how to stop the hated tummy time.)

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  • imagelynnblack:
    imageshocked77:

    I am new to this board, but believe that my parenting style tends toward AP.  I am curious what you all think about Tummy Time.

    My LO is 10 weeks old.  He is pretty strong.  He has pretty good head control.  He loves to "stand" and bounce when you hold him.  If i support his hips with my hands he can hold a sitting position for a few seconds.  When he is on your chest he can hold head up, do the little  push up.  When you carry him around on your shoulder he holds head up and still and looks around.  He seems no where close to rolling over.

    However, he hates tummy time on the mat.  Cries hard after just a few minutes.  So i haven't really been doing structured tummy time with him. 

    What are your thoughts?  Do i just need to keep at it in short efforts and he will like it more?  Part of me says if he is crying that much i need to listen to him and just leave it be for now.  

    DD is exactly in the same place. We talked to our pedi and she said it was important to do even if she hates it. So we try to keep it short and really interactive. If she starts crying hard we stop and come back to it later. Tonight at 10 weeks  and 4 days when DH set her down for Tummy time she rolled back over on to her back. (guess she figured out how to stop the hated tummy time.)

    Whether a baby HAS to do tummy time and how often/long he does it depends on whether or not the baby gets other opportunities to use his neck and torso muscles.  A baby who lies in a bassinet, swing or car seat most of the day definitely needs to do tummy time.  All of the modern gadgets and the "back to sleep" campaign" make it a necessity for some families.  Not every child needs tummy time, though.  Our DD spent most of her waking moments during my maternity leave in a carrier and didn't need tummy time.  She was constantly adjusting to my movements as I did laundry, walked around the mall, did volunteer projects, etc.

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  • I've been lurking around this board since DD was born, (mainly because I believe in a lot of AP ideas/beliefs) and was so happy that I found this post. It makes me feel better that, even though DD may hate tummy time, she is still working those muscles in other ways, such as when I'm wearing her around the house for example. So I guess I just wanted to say thanks!

    Maybe I won't be a lurker anymore... Wink

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  • Our pediatrician told us to only do tummy time for as long as he'll tolerate it and that it's not worth the tears. She also said it's not a big deal b/c he spends so much time in the sling, being carried, and sitting in our laps so his core/arms/back/neck/etc get a good workout from that, too. 

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