How important do you think tummy time is??

Bunni - posted on 08/04/2010

my 15month old twins hated tummy time.. theyd both fuss n cry, it ended up being a horrible ordeal that i couldnt cope with at the time (being a new solo mum of twins with no family in the same city was prety hard to grasp) so i just let them do what they seemed hppy doing(which was laying on their backs kicking the toys hanging above them on their little activity gyms and looking at pictures in books)
by 5 months old they were both rolling onto their tummies, and by 7 or 8 months they were crawling/ tummy shuffling, 10 months they were standing n walking along furniture, and by 12 months they were both fully walking. now they are running and jumping, one of my sons can aready hop on one foot! (which my friends 2year old daughter.. who had ALOT of tummy time, still cant do yet)
they both talk alot for their age and are already saying 2 or 3 word sentances, they both are learning sign language (because i thought itd be something fun to learn myself and also something the boys love to do with me) and they are picking it up faster than me!
i believe that as a mum, we no whats best for our kids.. and we no when our little ones have had enough.
tummy time is important.. but kids will also develop at their own pace, weather you do alot of tummy time, or not much at all

~♥Little Miss - posted on 08/04/2010

Thank you everyone for the advice. My daughter is so stron g at it already. She seems to like the new perspective.

Laura - posted on 08/04/2010

It's very important. It develops the neck muscles. Try to wait at least an hour after eating. I know the medical community now says not to do it, but letting a baby sleep on his/her stomach really is okay. There was a time when the medical community (who are not perfect human beings) told us not to put a baby on his/her back when sleeping.That by doing so could cause SIDS due to the possibility that if baby were to spit up in the middle of the night, would not be able to get it out of their mouth which could cause drowning. To this day they still do not know what causes SIDS.

Abbie - posted on 08/03/2010

They need it, it helps them to learn to hold and keep their heads steady. All kids cry its hard to do, but its something they need to do.

Desiree - posted on 08/03/2010

Tummy time is very important, i know it seems hard at first, especially when they cry because they feel abandoned on the floor by themselves, but it's the best
It teaches them independence and allows them to strengthen their little muscles
fifteen minutes per day minimum is recommended, it doesn't have to be all at once, but it definitely helps their development

Jennifer - posted on 08/03/2010

My son wasn't too fussed at first but loves it now! He's trying to crawl and has been shuffling for a couple of days so will be crawling soon no doubt. I'd say it's a big part in babies learning how to crawl, although some do skip the crawling stage. Plus it was essential for my son because he developed a flat spot on one side of his head from sleeping on that side and tummytimw was recommended to correct it and it's nearly normal shape now =]

Lianna - posted on 08/03/2010

my son wasnt very fond of tummy time, but you should atleast try it once a day for about 10 to 20 minutes, i helps them learn to move, and crawl, and ect. try buying one of the toys that they can reach up to , idk what its called but it has a mat and the dangiling toys, that was the only way i could get my son to do tummy time.

Rachael - posted on 08/01/2010

i think that it's normal for not all babies to like it. my son didn't like it very much so we tried to limit to 10 minutes at a time a couple times a day. i think that tummy time does help babies to roll over and crawl and all that quicker

Rachael - posted on 08/01/2010

if you feel your child "hates" tummy time because he spits up, you need to treat that first by making sure all food is digested and they are not gassy before you lay them down. My son loved being on his tummy, rolled tummy to back at 7 weeks and back to tummy at 14 weeks, crawled at 5 months and pulled to stand and cruised by 6 months then walked at 10 months. I am a kinesiologist and the development of the back and neck muscles is essential. I HIGHLY encourage you to try non traditional tummy time, get down with your little one, place your child tummy to tummy with you, place a cushion under the tummy if it seems that the pressure on the tummy is causing discomfort. a non-breakable mirror is often a favorite tummy time toy because infants love looking at faces especially their own. try distraction and play. Good luck!

Vanessa - posted on 08/01/2010

It's essential - I guess its how you approach it that's the key!
My son hated it, and then I took off his nappy and let him "be free" for those few mins --- turns out the little nudiebum LOVED that! LOL I had him on a fluffy but plstic backed change mat, so accidents weren't an issue.
Also don't put them down on their belly in the hour or so after a feed - spit ups galore!

Andrea - posted on 08/01/2010

My first son hated it on his tummy so i never bothered really but now with my second son ive been doing it at least a few min every day since he was born and now he's 1 month 2 days he's holding his head up and really pushing him self up.

Brittany - posted on 08/01/2010

my son didnt like it at 1st but he got use too it & started to like it!And in my experience I think tummy time is very helpful&effective!my son started crawling at 5 months from so much belly time I gave him.And walking exactly @ 10 months.now he's 16 months&running fast as ever.

Nikki - posted on 08/01/2010

My son HATED tummy time he would cry his little eyes out, so we never did it at six months he rolled onto his tummy for the first time and LOVED it, now he sleeps on his tummy. It didnt affect him one bit he is one super strong little boy who crawled cruised and walked very early

Nicole - posted on 08/01/2010

My son who is 2 months, will only tolerate tummy time for a very short period of time!!! When we first started he would spit up large amounts, and then start screaming!!!! He can pretty much hold his head up now!! We do most of his tummy time with him on mine and my boyfriends (his daddy) chest, though do try and get in at least 5 minutes per day on his play mat on the floor!!!

Chatty - posted on 08/01/2010

Tummy time is important BUT there's many ways to get tummy time. Roxanne also hated being on the floor by herself so I would get down on the floor and lay with her....it seemed to help a bit. Another favorite position was her laying in my tummy, face to face! Although it might not seem like traditional tummy time it does use the same muscles and encourages the same development. Same with laying your child across your lap.

Here's a couple links that might help.
http://www.babycenter.com/0_tummy-time-h...

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/w...

Sarah - posted on 08/01/2010

My son hated tummy time, too. Everytime I'd put him on his tummy he'd scream & spit up & be all dramatic lol. I couldn't bear to let him freak out like that so I probably didn't give him all the tummy time he really needed. He rolled over later than a lot of other babies I knew, but once he learned to roll over, there was no stopping him. He's 10 1/2 months old now & has been crawling for about 2.5 months & he's almost walking, too. I think he's pretty much on track, so I don't see where it affected him too much.