Hey mama’s! I need some advice! My son is 3 months and we were not aware we should’ve started tummy time when he was a newborn Now he HATES it with a passion. I talk to him put mirrors in front or toys, but he doesn’t try to lift himself up. As soon as we put him down he starts crying. Any ideas or tips?
Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. What can I do about my child hating tummy time?
If he doesn’t like it, don’t worry about it. Just lay down and let him lay on you on his tummy.
Just keep trying. My son hated it too and we admittedly didn’t do it as often as suggested. He developed perfectly fine.
Get a tummy time mat. He won’t like it at first but it will help.
You know many of us raised kids perfectly oblivious to today’s experts suggestions. He will be fine
Do a few minutes at a time, a few times a day, his tolerance will build and he will get stronger!
I started my daughter asap and she still hated it. Just do little sessions here and there. It gets better.
We didn’t push tummy time for any of ours. They developed just fine and started doing tummy time for themselves once they developed the ability to roll over on their own.
It’s normal, he will get used to it once he’s stronger
Even if he only gets 3 minutes in that’s good. Tummy time also counts if he’s laying on you or over a boppy type thing (as long as he’s awake and supervised!)as long as he is on his belly working on those neck muscles. My little didn’t like it on the floor either but liked it on top of me.
Maybe he’s gassy. Try burping him first…
Try getting a tummy time playmat. He might get distracted by the colors and toys.
Just keep trying. Put things he’s interested in front of him, lay on the floor on your belly and get to eye level with him so he can still see and hear you.
Agree with try only doing it for a few minutes at a time, then slowly increase some kids really do hate it. You’re doing a good job Mom.
My 4 month old grandson hates it as well. We can lay him on his back and he’s fine but he rolls to his belly and gets extremely mad. Good luck.
We never did or do flat tummy time. I don’t even like that. We lay ours on our chests and let them push up. Or a thick blanket. Or a nursing pillow. They don’t need to be flat to make this successful
Sit with them on floor, pat their back, sing or play soothing music , maybe gassy
My youngest hated it and I started right away. I’d lay her on her belly on me and lay down and talk to her, or
Prop her on her boppy pillow. It was just the laying completely flat she hated
I didn’t push it with my daughter and she eventually tolerated it, I lay my son on my chest and let him do his tummy time on me and he enjoys doing it like that He’s encouraged to lift his head up by looking at my face.
You can try placing baby on your chest. Babywearing works the same core and neck muscles as well.
They sell water tummy time mates
Most babies hate tummy time with a passion
Literally let him cry it out. Crying is good for babies lungs. Sooner then later he will get used to it and stop hating it so bad! Start off a few minutes and gradually make it longer. It’s beneficial for strengthening core muscles along with other things. It won’t break him. Just gotta be strong. I always laid a blanket down and some toys! Just gotta make it interesting!
My infant daughter hated it too. I wasn’t going to force her but she started crawling and walking at a later age, like 10 or 11 months, wasn’t crawling much at all before she started walking. I had her in a bouncy swing and a walker is why she was walking shortly after she started crawling. Because she absolutely hated being on her tummy.
They pretty much hate it no matter when you start. Just keep trying.
My daughter absolutely hated tummy time. I would lay her down and try anything but she would just scream. We even saw a physical therapist who tried to help encourage her. Nothing really seemed to work. I was afraid she would be super behind. She started crawling at 10 months and is flying around like crazy now. Best thing you can do is try but in the end it will be up to him
You have to stay consistent and do it every single day multiple times. Get down on the floor with baby and sing and play. It doesn’t have to be long periods of time but stay consistent.
Lay him across your legs on his tummy
Just wait. Give it time and baby will get usef to it.
Stop forcing it. Let him get there on his own.
On your chest. It still counts!
Keep trying-tummy time is extremely important. It helps develop and build core muscles that are used for proper posture, sitting out standing for extended periods, etc. In the classroom I can tell the children who didn’t get much tummy time or were kept in a “container (car seats, bouncers, swings, walkers, etc)” as an infant/toddler for extensive periods of time. I’m not saying he needs to stay on his tummy all the time or never use any of the above devices, just make sure there is a good balance. You are doing great mom and don’t stress it if it takes a while. Just keep trying!
My son did too but once he could roll over on his own he loves tummy time!
I always start with my daughter on my chest with me reclined back. It helps cus they’re still being held by mom
My oldest hated it with a passion. It turned out she hated it because she had a ton of gas issues. Started giving her gripe water and she started liking tummy time more
Lay them on your chest even at a incline is good for them. Don’t push it to hard baby will get there.
Maybe he’d prefer his back… just floor time is good. Doesn’t have to be tummy. Sit/lay with him and keep it short (don’t let him fuss much) and do it regular
A lot of babies just hate tummy time. Do what you can. On your chest, laying in the bed, 5 min intervals.
My daughter hates tummy time. Wouldn’t do it at all. About 9 /10 months. Started to be on her tummy more and almost a year old she crawls and almost walking. She did it on her own time.
I used to support my little ones chest with a boppy so his face wasn’t on the ground because he wanted to look at everything but would slam his face down on the floor. Then I’d remove the boppy and place him on my bed while folding laundry. He started to love it! I personally am never one for the crying it out!
Some babies just don’t like it. My son was one them. I didn’t force it and he grew up just fine.
Dont pick him up. He can’t cry forever. Just let him lay there for five or ten minutes. Leave the area where he cannot see you but you can see him and let him cry. I guarantee he will stop when he realizes you aren’t there …
On your chest and even sitting him up still counts. My son hates it too. He has rolled off of his belly since the day before he turned 1 month old or he spits up. The pediatrician told us that sitting him up and working on his head control that way works too.
Do it in small intervals. Every 15-30 mins try a few mins of it. Put him on his belly with some cartoons or something he likes right in front of him. He could also dislike it if he has gas problems. My daughter hated it for awhile but I let her figure it out. She eventually got to her back and calmed down when she knew she could do it
Him on your chest is tummy time too. Until he become uninterested in looking at mom he will start to move, then move him to the floor with a boppy. So he’s sitting up, one of my kids had bad reflux and when propped up he was alot better.
Put a squishy pillow under him to take the pressure off his chest if you think about us as adults it’s can be uncomfortable to be flat on the floor and lift our head up for a certain period of time just a suggestion working on my 4th and my daughter’s all had big heads and struggled with tummy time this helped a lot
Lay him on your lap facing you on his tummy, treat it like cuddle time. Also baby wearing is a great alternative to babies who hate tummy time. Builds excellent neck strength and control and helps prevent flat spots
My 5 month old has always hated it…he won’t stay on his stomach at all he rolls to his side or back lol
Keep it up. He will get there eventually. Start off small increments and build up.
Laying him on your chest, in your lap or in a football hold is all considered tummy time. Thats how I started my 29 weeker. He hated tummy time but this way he could tolerate it.
They make a boppy for tummy time.
Tummy time can be done on the parent, it doesn’t need to be on the floor. Slowing increase tummy time and continue to place toys. Try laying on floor with your baby and talking to them. Eventually, your baby will develop the muscles to roll over, then crawl. Its hard when baby doesn’t enjoy tummy time. My daughters weren’t fan as well, but they did out grow it. I have heard some moms putting water into big zip lock bag with toys and taping to the floor to have baby play with. There are many fun ideas on the internet. You got this, do what you think is best.
Keep doing it anyway in small bursts
Omg… If that’s the worst thing you have to worry about you are lucky. Each kid works at their own pace. Just enjoy every moment and don’t worry about the milestones. They come when they come and you’ll love all of it.
Tummy time counts for laying tummy to tummy on you
Oh man did my son hate it too! I didn’t start till about 2 months or 3 months i never put him down at first. But just keep it up! They will fuss and cry but just do it for like 5 minutes at a time several times throughout the day and be persistent ! I encouraged my boy all the way and on his own he learned to walk at 8 months! It’s constant encouragement it’ll get easier!
Holding him up against your chest is also tummy time. My daughter hated the floor too. Shes 8 months now and still hates being on her tummy.
It is only a suggestion.
My son couldn’t lie on his tummy, as he had a hernia, needed major surgery at 8 months old
He may not like being on his tummy he maybe is very sensitive in that area, I never insisted on my kids being on their tummies I used to slouch on the settee put baby on my tummy and they wanted to lift up their heads to see me I did for a while then introduce floor time first on back then on tummy…
Put the baby on your chest. My baby was the same, it doesn’t matter when you started. If the baby is crying don’t force it
My kid hated it too eventually when they can move more it’s not so bad
Mine are 29 and 26 and never did tummy time. Believe me when I say they can hold their head straight, walk, run, answer back etc!!! Enjoy him
Lay them against your chest counts as tummy time. I wouldn’t want to lay on the floor either not comfortable
All my kids hated it and I never did it. It never hindered them
My son is 2.5 months and his tummy time is on my chest or with me next to him on the bed. He is very strong he can hold his head up but then slams it into my breast bone- im not taking my chances on the floor
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My daughter is almost 7months and she had that issue too. Only way I could get her on her belly was if she was laying on me. (I have dogs so I could put a play mat on the floor,) so We went to someone else’s house and I had her on the floor and she got more used to it.
Lay him on your chest while you’re laying down
Don’t, ur baby will grow just like there suppose to
My daughter is the same way, as soon as she is on her belly she is screaming, we just always try multiple times a day the pediatrician said it’s fine as long as we are trying, and that sooner or later she will start being better. We also try a lot of tummy time with us laying down and her on our chest we have better luck that way.
All the crazy” Tummy time” and other things weren’t “a thing” back in the day when I was raising my kids and they are perfect in every way today…. They’re in their 40’s now . Your baby will be too
The point of tummy time is to help baby strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles. You can achieve that in other ways. Do a Google search for “alternatives to tummy time.”
Tummy time doesn’t have to be on the floor
Start on the chest. Mine always lifted up off my chest first.
It’s normal for them not to like it. But an easier and more enjoyable tummy time for them is just letting them lean against you tummy to tummy while you’re reclined, it works the same muscles. Once they build some of that core and neck strength then they start liking floor tummy time more.
Put the baby on your chest. Or on the bed next to you while you are on your tummy with him. He’ll get used to it. Or, out of sheer temper, he’ll develop those arm and shoulder and neck muscles, which is the whole point of tummy time. I was lucky with my son. We had an Irish Setter dog who fascinated him and who adored him. He would push up and stare at her, try to creep toward her… it was adorable. Then he would play with his toys a little. They would fall off the blanket and she would nose them back on. He thought that was funny. And he got so he would roll from front to back and back to front. Once he rolled off the blanket onto the bare floor. Before I could get to him, the dog picked him up by his overalls and put him back on his blanket. He thought that was funny too.
My daughters never liked it and they started at like 3 weeks old lol. Didn’t matter if it was on my chest or floor they hated it. I just let them cry for a couple minutes then stop then put them back after awhile. That said, I was never great at doing it and they both sat up within like 4 and 5mo. My now 6yo was sitting in a baby chair at 3mo, standing while holding things at 4mo and crawling at 6mo and walking at 9mo and she hardly ever had tummy time. Youngest was sitting in a baby chair at 4mo and crawling at 9mo.
Roll a receiving blanket and put it under his arms to help prop him up a bit, it helped with my daughter
Let him have tummy time on your tummy.he will flourish whether he has tummy time or not.my granddaughter never had it and is fine.
Lay on your back and put baby on your chest and just do a little at a time !
My kids all started as newborns and 2 out of 3 hated it with a passion. Lol your child is fine and normal I promise