holding head up.

Nikki2644 · May 2016

Just curious if it's normal for my 3 month old, when tummy time comes around he only shifts his head side to side. should he be starting to actually lift himself up and looking straight forward or is it normal for him to not start doing that quite yet? I don't really know how to aid him in getting those muscles to lift his head up. when he is sitting he can hold his head up pretty well to my surprise, but he just doesn't lift it during tummy time.

He was a month premature and is still only a small guy, but he does seem to have strong neck muscles while sitting up. He is 4 months old (since being out of the womb) not sure if I'm just being impatient and rushing him or if I'm doing something wrong (in the way of not helping him gain those muscles).

MommaWalla · May 2016

My LO was a 27 weeker and is now 7 months 4 months adjusted. She had a developmental assessment a few weeks ago. They told me to do tummy time with her to strengthen the muscles in her neck and back. She'll hold up her head for awhile but starts to get frustrated, she hates tummy time. I was told to try to get her to be on her tummy for atleast 30 mins a day. Start with 5 mins and work up to 30.
It's nothing to worry about at this point. If tummy time doesn't help or you notice other possible delays I would definitely mention it to your pedi.
Good luck to you!

katievw311 · May 2016

My LO hated tummy time for a while too and I had the same concerns. She can sit in the exersaucer perfectly fine and hold her head but during tummy time she wouldn't lift her head. I think she hated it so much that she wouldn't even try. Lately, I've been propping her up for tummy time on the Boppy pillow which she likes much better and pushes herself up on and lifts her head great. Have you tried that at all? Just a suggestion

l4rk · May 2016

Just keep trying. My LO was the same way, laying there crying the second she hit the mat, until one day it was like a switch was flipped and she started to lift her head and look around. Now she can usually go up to 10 minutes at a time before getting frustrated so we are making progress!

stephanienjer · May 2016

Try tummy time on the kitchen table. My husband and I are old, in our opinion, and neither of us enjoys getting down on the floor. LO, at 4 months, doesn't care for it much, either, since we have hardwood floors that are cold, even with a blanket. We do it on the table, and that way we can get right in front of her and interact with her while she's doing it. She probably does tummy time 4 times a day--usually 5-10 minutes each, or until she spits up, which is pretty often. We also try to put a burp cloth under her so we don't have to keep washing the tummy time mat, but we had to put one down that was a bold print. She got bored with the muted ones.

MommyAlexia · May 2016

Both my babies did not like tummy time. I've found at this age if I prop my baby up on a pillow on the bed, and kneel in front of her and start laughing, she loves it!

ChrissyD1203 · May 2016

The baby sparks app (I bought the add on activities for like $5) has some really great developmental activities (in my non professional opinion), that help stretchen muscles and make tummy time easier.

Ebiejay · May 2016

I heard it's common for premature babies to be a little behind but they catch up so I wouldn't worry if he's not doing it yet. Our LO holds his head up highest when we do tummy time on a yoga ball, but he also likes tummy time on the boppy and on our chests. I couldn't get him to do it on the floor until I put a toy in front of him to focus on.

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