Tummy time from what age?

[Wiggy29]

I just read in a parenting magazine that you should give your baby five minutes each day from birth- is that right?

[SpanishFly]

No idea, but my ds1 loved being on his tummy from very early, and ds2 hated it - he just lay there, didnt attempt to lift his head at all (just wasnt interested!) So yeah, it's obviously recommended for a reason but - like many things - if your dc isn't able/willing to do it, keep trying but dont be too worried about it

[kaffkooks]

My 3 month old absolutely hates tummy time. He is otherwise a very chilled baby and will play happily on his back however, 1 minute of tummy time results in 10 minutes of screaming. I have tried lying down with him, lying him on me, using toys to distract him but nothing works. DH thinks I should just give up. Any suggestions?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Personally I think it is bollocks as all babies will master it when it becomes a priority for them.

However, I would reduce the amount of time the baby spends strapped down i'e pram, car seat etc. So they can explore freely with their heads. And carry upright more. Slings are great.

[ZuleikaD]

Agree with Starlight. As long as they're not strapped into something and can have a pretty free range of movement (ie as long as they have some floor time, basically) then tummy time is fairly irrelevant.

[seeker]

Try it. If they like it, do it. If they don't, and many don't , don't.

[Loubyloulou88]

My lb is 4 weeks old and I try to do 5-10 mins of tummy time with him a day. Its not going to do him any harm, plus he doesn't seem to mind it and its nice to see him turn his head on his own. The little things ay!!

[Gintonic]

I started pretty young, maybe 4 or 6 weeks, can't remember now. It helps them develop head control, stomach muscles etc. if your baby really hates it you could prop them up slightly on a cushion?

[Startail]

Caused DD1 to scream, I forgot even to try with DD2.

DD1 learned to climb before she could walk, so I'm not sure what tummy time was meant to do.

[Iggly]

We did it from pretty much day one with both of ours.

Dd especially didn't like having her nappy changed but if I popped her on her tummy, mid change, she calmed down a lot.

Both of mine sat up, were mobile etc pretty early which I put partly down to tummy time.

[LateToThisBabyMalarky]

From birth, just for a few minutes each day. She didn't like it & I turned her over when she started objecting. Has it made a difference? Have no idea, but I'm sure it hasn't done any harm

[seeker]

One more thing to make parents anxious.

My mother used to say that all babies should be born with "This Grows up Automatically" written on there foreheads.

[Loubyloulou88]

Quote from Babytalk which might help you...

'Research indicates that babies who spend extra time on their tummy do actually achieve certain motor milestones, such as those mentioned above, earlier than babies who don't. Yet even those babies who spend almost no time on their stomach attain these milestones within a reasonable amount of time, so not having tummy time does not result in any real delays in development. In addition, babies who have extra tummy time start walking at around the same age as babies who don't, further suggesting that any differences between these two groups don't last.'

In light of this i'd say that it's really down to you and your personal preference for your baby, they will get there in the end either way x

[Loubyloulou88]

Please note I don't normally sit Googling at 4am, but passes the time during a feed!! x

[monsterchild]

Tummy time can also be just on your shoulder looking around. I haven't done much tummy time with my 8 week old ds, but he can hold his head up just fine. I agree that just holding them up works fine.