Tummy time again! - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

Celestine · 12-05-2005, 09:36 AM

I think I probably asked these questions before but how often do you guys put baby on their tummies? DS is just about 3 months and he still hates it! He cries and screams the whole time. I know he's supposed to be doing it anyway since he needs to learn to develop some of his skills but I feel so bad leaving him that way. I've noticed he's very strong everywhere but his arms and that's probably because I have to go and rescue him since I can't stand letting him cry like that. How old were your kids when they started to get used to it and how long should I let him go if he's screaming about it? He's doing it right now and I feel terrible! Help!

Gayle0000 · 12-05-2005, 09:58 AM

Celestine! I think I could have written your post. We don't do tummy time except for about once a week. She hates it. I notice the strength in my baby just like you described...and she is also 3 months old. Ava has been very colicy, and miraculously snapped out of it a couple weeks ago...so I'm making more effort these days...she still hates it.

When we try the tummy time, I prop her chest up on a boppy pillow. She can kind of lift her head up on her own...depends on how tired she is when we're doing it. It only lasts 3-4 minutes and she's done.

I've recently started doing baby sit-ups with Ava. This seems to be working some of her arm & chest muscles.
Gayle

Celestine · 12-05-2005, 10:26 AM

I've never heard of baby sit-ups. How do you do that? We try to do tummy time every day. Now we've gotten into multiple times since can't leave him like that very long. Last time, he had tears in his eyes! I've tried with a boppy and with a blanket rolled under his arms and he still screams. I can sometimes sneak him onto his tummy when he's half asleep but then he just lies there so I don't think it's much of a work-out. I was hoping he'd at least get used to being that way and then he'd start trying to lift on his own but he seems to panic more than everything else. He's no where near a rolling point yet, I know that much. Poor baby, I feel like such a jerk when he's that upset.

Spanish · 12-05-2005, 03:26 PM

Hi Celestine.

My DD never like tummy time either but just recently at 4 months she's started to go a bit longer on her tummy. Up until now I'd be lucky if she did 2 minutes but she'll go about 5 - 10 minutes now. I was advised to just give her brief periods on her tummy, like when I was dressing her to lay her on her tummy to do up buttons at the back for example. That way she'd start to get used to being on her tummy without it being a big ordeal.

Good luck I think they all get used to it eventually...at least I hope they do!

Spanish

Gayle0000 · 12-05-2005, 08:36 PM

The baby sit-ups is when she is laying on her back, either flat or propped at an angle in my lap. I hold her hands and pull her up slowly like a sit-up. Slow up and slow down. It helps with chest muscles, neck muscles in the front, and arms. In the beginning, we/she could do about 3-5 of these before her head hung back & got tired. Now we are up to about 11 before her neck & arms get tired. It's not tummy time, but it's better than nothing.