tummy time?

SweetCris · #1 February 21st, 2009, 12:31 PM

some time ago i've read a tummy time topic here but i didn't really get what it was (maybe also because english is not my language and it might not help at times...) then i looking at pics of your babies i understood it's when baby is put on his tummy

i was wondering, why is it important to have tummy time?
i rarely put him on his tummy. in reality i've to say he likes to hold his head up high when i do. sometimes he doesn't like it at all. should i do it more often?

annas · #2 February 21st, 2009, 01:19 PM

Tummy time is so they get stronger at holding themselves up and it is also to prevent flat head. If a baby is constantly sitting in a seat or laying on their back they will get a flat spot on the back of their head where their head lays most of the time. Laying your baby on you, tummy to tummy is good enough to promote good tummy time. I think so is holding them upright up against your shoulder often. The shoulder thing is Rebecca's favorite position and her head is nice and round.

Melui · #3 February 21st, 2009, 01:44 PM

helps build up their upper body strength - especially neck. This in turn helps them sit up later on etc etc. can also help them get their gas up as it can put a bit of pressure on their tummy. quite a few babies dont like being on theor tummy at first - but once they get used to it they seem to enjoy the different perspective and it can encourage crawling eventually as the can see things at ground level they want to reach - which tends to be out of thwir line of sight on their backs.

SweetCris · #4 February 21st, 2009, 03:23 PM

oh okay. yeah sometimes i keep him tummy 2 tummy with me. it's that he is a crybaby so he spends more time in my arms than lying on his back or side lol

Isaeph · #5 February 21st, 2009, 04:39 PM

Honestly I don't think that 10 minutes of tummy time will keep a baby from getting a flat head that sleeps on it's back and spends a lot of time in a swing or bouncer. jmo

I think tummy time is a take it or leave it thing. We don't do any structured tummy time, we tried with Trupie because everyone said we HAD to, but it was torture, he hated it. We hold our babies a LOT, upright at our shoulder and they've all had excellent head/neck control early or on time. We do lay on the floor with them when they get to be a couple of months old and they're working on rolling around/sitting up/etc. But I don't see the point at a month or two forcing them to do it.

disneydiva76 · #6 February 21st, 2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Honestly I don't think that 10 minutes of tummy time will keep a baby from getting a flat head that sleeps on it's back and spends a lot of time in a swing or bouncer. jmo

I think tummy time is a take it or leave it thing. We don't do any structured tummy time, we tried with Trupie because everyone said we HAD to, but it was torture, he hated it. We hold our babies a LOT, upright at our shoulder and they've all had excellent head/neck control early or on time. We do lay on the floor with them when they get to be a couple of months old and they're working on rolling around/sitting up/etc. But I don't see the point at a month or two forcing them to do it.[/b]

Ditto!