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Behaviour/development

tummy time

20 replies

kbaby · 30/11/2006 13:31

ds is 17 weeks and doesnt have strong neck muscles when on his tummy. He briefly raises his head 45 degress off the floor but thats it, no looking around, raising up on arms etc.

He doesnt like being on his tummy and cries instantly.
How can i encourage tummy time and muscle tone.

his head control is quite good when sitting etc.

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Rookiemum · 30/11/2006 14:14

Wouldn't worry about it some babies love tummy time, some don't. Mine couldn't sit until he was about 6 months but loved being on his tummy oh and now he is a little crawling devil, be happy in the fact that your baby will hopefully not be a crawling devil but will sit serenely playing with his toys nicely.

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Psychobabble · 30/11/2006 14:16

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NotAnOtter · 30/11/2006 14:19

i was told to do this with 2 out of my 5
ds3 had poor head control and suffered a bit of developmental delay for whatever reason...
I have to say its a load of bollocks imo - mine hate going on their fronts when tiny and right they are too.
All fine here now despite a sorry lack of 'tummy time' in our house
What ever is NATURAL has to be right and in my book tummy time just isn't

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JessaJam · 30/11/2006 14:19

My ds hated it too, as soon as he was on his tummy he would rub his nose on the floor, smear dribble and snot everywhere and screech.

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JessaJam · 30/11/2006 14:20

...so he never really did "tummy time".
He's fine.

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Tutter · 30/11/2006 14:22

ds hated it

always rolled onto his back

was a bit late to crawl (11mo) and walk (14mo) but heck, no big deal really

can't hlp but do the "hammer time" music in my head whenever i read/say "tummy time"

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frenchmummytiger · 30/11/2006 14:25

Thanks for that Tutter, at least I've now got a different (if not possibly MORE annoying) song in my head..... (other one was favourite things from sound of music !!!!_)

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kbaby · 01/12/2006 12:30

thanks, I guess im already doing what I said I would never do and that was compare him with DD1 who did everything early. He does exactly what jessajam said and just puts his face in dribble and snot.

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hana · 01/12/2006 12:44

he might not like it as first but it gets better
dd3 has been on her tummy since a few weeks, just a minute or so at first, sh;es 11 weeks old now and can have about 10 min at a time on her tummy without grumbling. it is good for their neck muscles and also not spending all the time on their backs
do it at a time when he's happy - full belly and not sleepy
but absolutely it 's not something you HAVE to do
hth
mine were earaly 'crawling devils'

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juuule · 01/12/2006 13:53

We never did 'tummy time' with any of ours. The only time they went on their tummy was when they were old enough to roll over onto them by themselves They don't seem to have been harmed by lack of 'tummy time'.

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cruisemum1 · 01/12/2006 20:14

My 12wk old ds is just getting to like... erm... sorry.... tolerate tummytime. I only put him on his tummy every three or four days just for a change of scenery really! I wouldn't worry if i were you kbaby

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clairemow · 01/12/2006 20:35

kbaby, my 13 week old DS2 hates it too, and generally regurgitates the last bit of his feed, then rubs his nose in it before opening his mouth, breathing it all back in and yelling. Only persevering because of fear of 'flat head syndrome'.

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Jam77 · 01/12/2006 21:13

HOw long is the recommended Tummy time? my DD doesn't really mind it but then I only do occasionally and only for a couple of min's??

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thehollyandtheivyatrix · 01/12/2006 21:23

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AitchTwoOh · 01/12/2006 21:29

dd hated it, and we took her to a cranio-sacral therapist (for other reasons) but that night she lay on her tummy quite happily. the CS therapist said that her shoulder had been a wee bit frozen, popped it and voila!

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laundrylover · 01/12/2006 22:11

DD2 has only just started to go on her front in the last two weeks and she is 8m - now she is trying to crawl already so it doesn't seem tohave done her any harm. TBH she didn't like it at first and so we never tried it again (the curse of being a second child eh?)but after a few months of sitting up she just goes forwards herself. Don't stress.

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hana · 01/12/2006 23:03

jam77 - i dont know about recommendations.....but dd3 who is 11 wks now has several minutes a few times a day, usually after a nappy change, but not after a feed like a few others have said - she ends up spitting up and getting a face full!

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Jam77 · 01/12/2006 23:27

Thanks Hana - I think I'll start making sure she has some time everyday

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Woollymummy · 01/12/2006 23:29

my little sweetie likes trying to lurch forward now (24 weeks) but keeps gradually moving backwards. She didn't approve of tummytime at first, but I just kept seeing if she could do it and got down to grin at her on her level everytime she looked up. It was more for her benefit, I thought she might like a change of scenery. Don't do it just after a feed, but try naked tummy time - much more fun, but you need a thick towel under them!

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CantWaitForTheSnow · 02/12/2006 00:08

dd enjoyed tummy time for the first time ever last night. She is 7 months .

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