“My baby hates tummy time” … I can remember telling the doctor this at our 3 month appointment with our first son. I would try to distract him with baby toys, I would try singing to him and rubbing his back, but nothing worked.
And I knew that it was important, but I hated watching him cry. Experts agree that babies who don’t spend time on their tummy, face-down, often have some delays in their development of motor skills.
As a first-time mom, my mind believed it, but my heart had a harder time with it. I’m sure most first-time moms are this way. Fast forward 15 months…
Our second son was born with hypertonicity (high muscle tone) and we started therapy right away. I soon saw the very important value in tummy time. Cry as he might (and believe me, he did), I soon realized just how important tummy time was, even though he didn’t like it.
My Baby Hates Tummy Time
If your baby hates tummy time, these suggestions will help:
Start small and go from there. Two minutes at a time, several times a day when you first start. Doctors agree that by about 3 months of age, babies should be on their tummy for at least 90 minutes a day, broken up into intervals.
Be there to supervise and encourage your child. You need to watch your child, because when their necks are very weak, they cannot lift it off of the ground even to take a breath. Do not walk away during tummy time. You have to be watching and help your baby if he needs it.
The best way to do tummy time when your baby hates tummy time is to place your baby on YOUR tummy. Lie flat on the ground, on your back and place your baby on your belly and chest. Talk to him and let him try to look up to find your face.
- When your baby cries, he is working his muscles even more. This is the hard part for me, but let him cry and fuss for just a moment (maybe 15 seconds), while he uses all that he has to lift that little neck to find you ~ waiting for you to come to his rescue. Try to use this time to coax him with toys or your sing-song words.
- Use a rolled up a hand towel to place under his chest as a little “helper” during tummy time.
- “We used a rolled up hand towel and put it behind his upper shoulders, while on his back in a bouncy seat, so his head and neck wouldn’t rest on the bouncy seat. We then put a toy that he liked and hung it to the opposite side of where he favored laying his head.” (Just do this for a few moments, until it becomes uncomfortable for the child) ~Tasha Patton
- Lie down with your baby, face to face.
- Do tummy time while you are reclined. Let your baby lie (on their tummy) on your tummy and chest, but when you are reclined in a chair and not lying flat on the ground. This will help your baby with tummy time by making it a tiny bit easier, but still encourage him to lift his necks and head to see you.
- “I used to lay on my back with my feet flat on the floor and my knees bent with my son laying his tummy to my shins. I was able to adjust the angle of my legs to what he needed. He liked this version of tummy time because he could see my face and it felt like a game.” ~Caitlin Scheuplein
- Try tummy time on an exercise ball. Hold your baby in place, the entire time, with his belly on an exercise ball. As your baby gets older, gently begin to roll the ball, just barely, back and forth.
- “My son also hated it but I set up a train on the floor around him and he LOVED it. Soon they are able to roll and it’s not all that big a deal.” ~Jessica Babler
- “Just hold him (upright) more. The point of tummy time is to strengthen their muscles in their necks and core. Holding him will straighten them, too. ” ~ Jessica Vergara
- “Talk with your doctor. My son did this and I mentioned it to the doctor. He put him on his tummy and saw how my son flipped out. He said this isn’t normal. We soon found out that my son was lactose intolerant and had reflux issues. Once we figured that out, it got better.” ~ Tiana Peterson
- Play with your baby! Don’t expect your baby to entertain himself on the floor. He may feel alone, so be there with him.
- Take baby steps. 30 seconds to two minutes is fine for right now. Try it several times a day. You have to start somewhere.
- A great tip that our doctor gave us was to do two minutes of tummy time after each diaper change.
- Sit in a chair and let your baby lay across your legs, on his tummy, while you rub his back.
- Hold your baby up on your chest/shoulder like you are going to burp him. He is working on his neck and core strength. The higher that you hold him, the more he will be required to use his own strength and not ‘lean’ on you as much. (Keep a hand behind his neck for support if needed.)
- Lie on your back and lift baby above you (like you are lifting weights). Try singing “Super Baby” or “Airplane Baby” while you lift him.
- Try skin to skin tummy time with your baby. It has been proven to have amazing benefits for your baby and amazing bonding benefits for both of you. Skin to skin (AKA: Kangaroo care) is so important when they are new babies.
In the long run, your baby will learn not to hate tummy time. As my mom said, “You don’t cry when you are on your tummy NOW, do you? At some point, it just stops.”
Most things are just phases that we must go through (like refusing a bottle… I have been there, too!), but these little tips will hopefully help you to get through this phase a little faster… and onto the more fun ones, like crawling!
In the meantime, check out some of our favorite DIY baby toys that you can use to keep your baby busy and distracted during tummy time. Be sure to stop by our Facebook page, where we talk about parenting every single day!
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