Daughter Does NOT Enjoy Tummy Time

Oh, I think they all hate it. My first two did, anyway. My third, however, is also 3.5 months old and for some reason he loves it. He started rolling over (from back to tummy) a few weeks ago, and we can't keep him on his back now.

Sometimes propping them up with a boppy pillow helps, although it doesn't teach them to push up as well (which is I guess sort of the point of tummy time).

Don't worry. She'll be fine.

Congratulations, new mommy!

My son hated "back" time and would scream and scream- imagine being told that I HAD to sleep him on his back and he was a tummy sleeper. It is important that they get both- just keep trying and eventually she will get better.

My first son hated tummy time too. Don't sweat it if you don't do tummy time as often as recommended. As she gets older she'll discover why being tummy down is so cool. I held my first son all the time and played with him while he was on his back. He eventually learned to roll over and was cool with tummy time.

My first daughter didn't like it either, I never forced her, she is now 5 and perfectly developped. My 8 months old daughter isn't very fond of it either, so I put her on her tummy regularly and stop as soon as she's had enough. Your baby is still very young. I wouldn't bother her with too much tummy time. Very soon, you'll be able to put her in an exersaucer, a jumper or use a gym on a mat, all that added to some regular tummy time (without forcing), should be well enough exercise.

No worries!! My little one (6 mos) despised it every single time we did it (4-6 x per day per dr's orders for strength) and now she is ready to stand! If yours is like mine, I had to avoid it right after eating (hurt her full tum tum) and it worked best during playtime right before nap. I tried it in different places each time so she wouldn't be bored--our bed, her room, the living room, Einstein mat,on ottoman (all supervised, of course), etc. I put toys out in front of her to interest her, but her favorite was her Sassy mirror. Sometimes she would just scream, though, and I wouldn't force her to do it--they do it when they are ready. Now she loves it and plays for 20 minutes on her tummy and is scooting for toys. Don't worry--it will all fall into place! As a former teacher of 10 years, I believe in setting up a successful environment for children, but not pushing them too hard where negative feelings are created. Curiosity leads them to try the new skills if you have it set up for them. Just enjoy watching your sweetie learn about her environment at her pace! :) Good luck!

Hi,
I have 2 children boys 6 and 1. Try laying the baby across a bobby pillow or a towel rolled up. Eventually the baby will be ok with the tummy time, because they start rolling over.

M.

No reason to worry. My daughter didn't like tummy time either, and would cry. I finally found a toy that kept her attention. It was called the The Winkel, by Manhattan Toy, and I could put her on her tummy, and drop the toy on the floor, where she could see it. It would bounce and go off in crazy directions, and she would get quiet and just watch the toy. It was the only way she would enjoy tummy time. If you can't find that toy, try any ball or colorful toy that will make noise or bounce, and see if she enjoys that. Start with short amounts of time, and work up.

My daughter never enjoyed tummy time. Once she was able to roll over, we'd lay her on her tummy and she'd flip over immediately like, "Ha! Nice try, suckers!" She was ok with it once she was able to start scooting around on her belly, which was much later.

My son is the same age as your daughter and also hates tummy time. He has a nice flat spot on the back of his head so our pedi really pushes tummy time too but he just wails and wails. They just spend so much time on their backs that tummy time is uncomfortable. Sometimes if I lay with him and try really hard to distract him, he'll last a couple minutes longer. He doesn't mind it so much if I place him on my lap, with his head by my knees and his legs by my waist, if that makes sense. So just keep trying it a few times a day but don't think there's anything wrong with her. Congratulations on your little one, by the way!

None of my 3 kids liked tummy time. I made them do it a little every day, despite the crying. I don't know if they got as much tummy time as they were supposed to, but they all developed okay. I put them on a colorful play mat called a Gymini that held their interest a lot of the time. But don't worry if your baby seems happier on her back; I think all babies are like that. I think the struggling mine did while on their tummies actually helped them learn to roll over and move sooner than they would have otherwise. Hope this helps.

Well, tummy time at three minutes throughout the day is better than none. Try it every thirty minutes with an attactive toy in front of her, soft music or something relaxing. I teach parenting classes and stress tummy time often. i have many babies who hate it. but the parents continue to follow through. eventually they will enjoy it cause they will learn to combat crawl by six months and turn complete circles and such. as long as she is gettingit three minutes per hour or half hour...this is great.
J.

Try propping her up with a Boppy pillow under her chest. My 3 never liked to be flat on their tummies, but were ok with the Boppy under them. I think it was because they were able to move their arms around instead of being stuck. Of course, always supervise so it's safe. Side note: my son had lots of tummy time, but still had plagio that needed a DOC band. His was all about sleeping position.

Sounds normal to me. My daughter hated tummy time as well. Just do it as often as you can for as long as she can stand it. It won't hurt her to get a little upset about it. She'll start pushing herself up and, as she gets stronger, she'll quickly learn to roll onto her back from her tummy.
Take care, C.

I am a mom of twin girls. One of mine loved tummy time and the other could not stand it. They are 20 months now and both have developed just fine. I gave my daughter who hated tummy time, toys, play mats,photographs and baby mirrors to look at while she was on her tummy and then let her go on her back when she started fussing. I didn't push her to the full hour (over the course of a day) my dr. reccomended, just as long as she could stand it. Which, like your daughter, was for only 3 minutes on avg. I wouldn't worry. Just do it as often as she can stand it. I'm sure you are doing a great job!

I think it is very normal for babies to hate tummy time. My daughter hated it horribly. I always picked her up when she would start to cry. There is no reason to make her hate it even more by not answering her tears.

Tummy time is used to strengthen the muscles of the neck. As long as your baby is able to hold her head up and is moving her head from side to side, don't over stress about it. Elizabeth held her head up day one, so my dr said not to force it on her. As for suggestions, Elizabeth preferred for me to lay on my back and have her on my chest. It's comforting to be on top of mom and it gives her the same exercise.

Good luck!

HI J.,

In my experience as a mom of 5, no baby enjoys tummy time. But I think part of that is that they can't see what is going on around them. The more you put her there and let her fight the stronger she will become. I understand the frustration of hearing her cry. I wouldn't do this with my oldest. I hated hearing her cry. What I have learned though is that there are going to be thing in this life we don't like doing "to" our children that are for their benefit. You will have decisions at every stage they won't like. You are the parent. You know best.

God Bless,

K.

Dear J.,

Tummy time is VITAL to the proper neurological development of all children. There are many, many reasons why. I teach a full-day (8 hours) class on this development. During this class, I answer in great depth the answers to your question and also explain its importance to later brain development. The tuition to this course is $99 per couple, but if you could make it this Saturday--March 1st--, I would invite you to come for half price, $49.

Please, please, for the future of your daughter, get her on her tummy as much as possible. Preferably at least 50% of her waking hours. I understand the crying and there are many things I can help you with.

D. Bateman
Neurodevelopmental Specialist
www.parentswithpurpose.com
Mom to Clark 23, Katy 21, Preston 19, Annie 17, Kent 15, Callie 12, Carson 10, Dawson 8

My daughter wasn't a fan of tummy time either. We went to Gymboree infant classes and they would lay a big (unbreakable) mirror on the ground and then we would place the babies on their tummies on the mirror and spin toys in front of them and play peek-a-boo over their shoulders and they loved looking at their own reflections etc. My daughter was quickly holding her head up and came to LOVE tummy time.

My son hated tummy time...would cry the instance his tummy hit the floor. He rolled over once and it was the maddest I'd ever seen him get. He finally started going from a sitting position to laying on his tummy when he was probably 8 mo...this was his transition to crawling. He was on target with all his other milestones...crawling at 9 or 10 mo and walked on his birthday. As a baby I would put him on his side frequently to sleep or prop him in his bumbo so that he wasn't on his back all the time (not all babies can sit in a bumbo at 3.5 months though).

I'll tell ya the same thing another poster said--it's possible that your daughter's H. will develope a flat spot if she spends a lot of time on her back. My son HATED tummy time. I hated to make him cry, so I'd only put him on his tummy until he started getting upset (which was about two minutes later) and would flip him back over. We ended up having to do one of those helmets to correct the shape of his H., and it was expensive! Try to distract her with toys, etc., and if she simply won't tolerate it, try something else to help strengthen her neck muscles--like holding her upright so she can practice standing and looking around.
Hope that helps. Good luck!

My daughter is 9 months old and HATES tummy time. She will even get very upset when she rolls over onto her tummy. I was worried too but my doctor said that some babies just don't like it and to keep trying. We don't put her on her tummy as much anymore since she can now sit up on her own. Her development has not been delayed so far so i'm not really concerned. I kept telling the doctor that she got very frantic and very upset within seconds of putting her on her tummy and he wasn't concerned. Just said to keep trying. Don't worry. She'll grow out of it. Don't be surprised though if she figures out how to roll over and won't because of the tummy thing. Mine refuses to roll over even though she can. now when we roll her from back to tummy she will roll right back onto her back. We can't give her tummy time at all anymore since she rolls over!

Hello J.,
I had the same problem with my son, Connor, who is now 10 months old...it is very normal, from what I understand. His pediatrician, as well as everything I read, stated that he could get his daily tummy time requirement (30 minutes per day?? can't remember exactly) by putting him on his tummy multiple times per day. Since he could only bear a couple of minutes at a time, that's what we did!! We also tried to make it as fun for him as possible by getting on our bellies in front of him and motivating him to lift his head and look at us, or his toys, which we also placed in front of him. When he could get his head up, we would celebrate and clap and really try to encourage him. He still would only bear with it for a few minutes, at most. Good luck!

My 4 month old son hates tummy time also. I was concerned because at his 4 month checkup he could not roll over from tummy to back. My doctor told me to not worry too much about it. He said that was one of the side effects of having babies sleep only on their backs, and there were just some babies that just didn't like it. Like your doctor, he siad to just keep trying for a few minutes at a time. If your baby is content for about 3 minutes I would leave her there for 5. Do this 3 times a day every day for a week, and then see if you can bump her up to 7 minutes. Just gradually up the time, and then try tummy time 4 times a day, or 5. You have to sneak her into it!

Listen to your daughter and don't make her stay on her tummy longer than she's comfortable with. Also, check with the doctor to see if there is any actual reason why it may hurt her to be on her tummy, but she may just not like it. Also, you might try propping her so she can lie on her right or left side for a little while. Lying on her back all the time can affect her head shape and give her a bald spot, but tummy time is not the only alternative. Just be sure she's awake and you're around if she rolls onto her tummy, especially on soft surfaces.

I have used a boppy pillow to prop babies up on at first. If you put them inside the "horseshoe" and kind of pull their arms in front of them it offers a little support for them to strengthen their necks. When they can tolerate that then put them on the floor to develop upper body/arm strength.
I hope this helps,it has always worked great for us. Feel free to contact me if you have questions!

Hi J.,

Don't worry about it. My daughter is turning 6 months tomorrow and she HATED tummy time up until about 2 weeks ago. Once she started consitently being able to roll over she was ok with it. In fact, now if I put her down on her back she rolls over to her tummy in a matter of seconds. Just stick it out and try and get her to do it for a few min each time, but it's not that big of a deal if she doesn't get a lot of it now b/c she will start soon enough.

My son disliked tummy time too! Only thing was, I just stopped putting him on his tummy. Bad decision, by the time he was 10 months old he could not roll over! And he never crawled. Collin County actually has a group of theraphists and one was sent to my house once or twice a week for 2 months to help him build up his strength! My advice: just do it. Maybe put a toy just within her sight and make her reach up for it, lay in front of her and talk with her so that she's motivated to look up at you, put a toy out of reach. You get the idea. If she only lasts 3 minutes or so fine, then just do it 10 times a day. You can do this! The consequences for not were nothing horrible, but still he was way behind his peers for quite awhile!

I think they all hate it at first. I had an OT tell me that they should spend at least 5 minutes per waking hour on their tummies to prevent motor delays. I know mine hated tummy time until I found the toys to keep him occupied. I think once you find a toy (or household item for that matter) that keeps her focused, it will become easier. It's tough at first though. I thought I was torturing him.

My son liked those Fisher PRice blocks and balls that are see through and have things inside. He also liked measuring spoons, measuring cups, soft baby books, etc. He wasn't too big on his expensive baby Einstein play mat (go figure). There are pat mats that wave water and toys in them that babies sometimes like. Just keep trying different toys. You can also lie on your back and hold her on your tummy. Mine liked that a lot.

Most developmental studies show that babies need 45 minutes to an hour of tummy a day for optimal development. It doesn't have to be all at the same time so if she is tolerating 3 minutes then do 3 minutes 15 times throughout the day. Eventually she will be able to tolerate more each time. You could also try lying on the floor with her lying on your belly/chest so that she is looking directly into your face as a distraction. Good luck.

Keep on keepin' on! We used to lay on the floor with my daughter and play with her. She seemed more tolerant if we were right next to her. We also had a few toys that were supposedly "tummy time" toys. One had a mirror on it and she would stare at herself in the mirror. And sometimes it would only last for 2 minutes, then we'd do something else for a little while and then a little more tummy time. Pretty soon she learned to roll over and then tummy time turned into a game for her...she loved to roll over and get cheers from us each time. All the while, working on her strength without knowing it. I think that is one of the keys to parenthood...getting your children to do the things they need to do without them realizing its "work". :-)

Our 3 1/2 month old hasn't cared much for it either but, as someone mentioned earlier, when we lay his chest on a small boppy pillow with his arms over the pillow and put a mirror a couple of feet in front of him he started lifting his head up to see himself in the mirror. I don't know if it was just timing and he was ready to do it or if this motivated him but he's getting stronger. He still only likes it for a few minutes. I've also been told that because we wear him upright in a sling that his neck is getting exercised that way, too.

I just went to a class where they talked about how important tummy time is for learning to crawl and future cognative development. One of the moms asked the same question and the teacher said a number of things . . . 1). your baby might be releasing engergy through cries and other noises. Think about how much work she is doing. If she is working on lifting her head or rolling over, you may be interupting that process when you turn her over. 2). try getting on the floor with her. She may enjoy it more if she sees your face. 3). Use a mirror so she can see herself.
Good luck and I hope this helps. Most importantly, dont give up on tummy time.

I have a son the same age and even though he will sleep only on his tummy, when it comes to tummy time, he starts fussing after only a few minutes as well. I know very few babies who really like it so don't worry. Here are a few things that have helped us, he seems to last the longest if I do one of a few things. If I'm down there on the floor he doesn't seem to mind as much. I've also tried using his Boppy pillow and laying him on his stomach on it so his head is higher up and he can see more. Mostly though, I put him on his tummy until he fusses, then turn him over until he stops, then flip him back on his tummy and so forth until he's really had enough. Sometimes I'll just use pillows or blankets and his Boppy and prop him so he's sitting up. Just keep at it and in no time she'll be doing her little push-ups and happily playing with toys on her tummy. Hope this helps!

It's normal...my son hated it, too. But you have to do it. Try doing it in small intervals throughout the day...maybe 5 min at a time. Use a boppy to prop her up a bit, & be sure to put toys, mirror, light-up stuff, etc. in front of her.