Is my 5 month old behind?

Tricia - posted on 05/18/2010

my son never liked to lay on his tummy and still crawled and was on his feet for 10 months dont worry he will do it soon enough

Suzett - posted on 05/18/2010

Since all adults are different, babies are bound to be individuals, also. It's been over thirty years since my daughter was a baby. I saw other babies crawling, but mine figured out eventually how to roll, so that's was her favorite mode of transporting herself. Finally, at eight months, she started crawling backward. The next thing I knew, she was pulling up herself to stand and then walk. I noticed that some children were able to walk when they could pass upright under a dining table, but that wasn't the case for my daughter. Currently, my five-month-old grandson has just begun to roll over, and I think that starting either from his tummy or his back is still a challenge for him. Most importantly is to have a happy, healthy baby. There just isn't an exact time for every child to develop a certain skill, so just be patient. Your child will surprise you some day just as mine did when his or her own timing is just right as an individual!

Heather - posted on 05/18/2010

thank you to everyone that shared your stories...as for the ladies telling me to just let him cry...sorry but i can't do it...it breaks my heart to hear it. and yes i may be spoiling him but that's my choice...he can hold his head up to look around he just doesn't like the pressure i think...but either way, he's getting there. he'll lay there for long periods of time now. still doesn't really LIKE it but he tolerates it for longer.

Silva - posted on 05/18/2010

if your Dr. says do not worry about it, i would not worry about it.. my now very healthy 4 year.. at 5 months old until a little under 9 months did not do any of that stuff. did not stay at her tummy, roll over well just half way only on the left side. she crawled for only like less than two weeks at about 10 months... but than about 10 and a half months she just started to walk.. over night in less than two weeks she went from being behind to being a head of the game as soon as she started to walk.. my little one did not do any of that mile stone stuff on the check list... my view if you DR. is not worried about it ..do not worry...

Camille - posted on 05/18/2010

I just want to say every baby is different. My baby is 3 months and trying to stand and always craning her neck to see. My friends 4 mo. Old baby doesn't do any of that but is already giggling like crazy while my baby hardly smiles. Also id just like to point out that tummy time like many other things is a new trend in parenting. My mom sure never heard of it or enforced it with me and I'm fine. So while its surley helpful its not life or death. And babies don't really need to crawl, if your baby would rather stand maybe he'll skip crawling and start walking...

Heather - posted on 05/18/2010

Naw, I don't think he is behind, just doesn't like it! And good for you to realize it! Does he have a jolly jumper? he may just prefer to be upright. My first son hated to be be horizontal during the day, especially on his back. (ie screamed in his bucket seat, bouncy seat and swing; loved the jumper, even before he could jump,and being in a wrap with me) And at night he slept on his front. (he hates his back most of all and would only sleep for 10 or 20 min that way... or through the night on his front. he was able to lift himself up) My second doesn't mind being horizontal as much but is another tummy sleeper.
Anywho.. 2 choices.. stick it out.. I'm sure he will eventually get use to it and stop crying (hey you could take him to a chiropractor, maybe there is something with his neck?) or find other things to do with your son ie. jolly jumper, sauser thingy, baby wearing, swing.

If he's happy and eating otherwise, making eye contact, smiling at you... he sounds wonderful!
If you are worried about him being able to push himself up (cause he should be able to do that, even for a minute wither he likes to or not.. try lying with him on your chest, at a 45 degree angle.. does he push up off you? If he can do it, don't sweat. He just chooses not to on the floor!

Dawn - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter was the same, eventualy she gave up on crying and soon she was crawling, crying isnt bad for babies, strengthens their lungs. Just keep at it, i used to put a baby mirror down so she could see her self eventualy she crawled over to it and started giving it baby kisses :)

Jennifer - posted on 05/18/2010

All babies hate tummy time. I would lay mine for 5 mins to start off and work on up from there. Over time they would not get as fussy once they got used to itl Crying or not it is good for them to get tummy time in. No baby is alike so no comparing to another of same age :)

Che'rish - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter liked being on her stomach but that was around 6 maybe 7 months. What i did was to helped her roll over so that she would know that there is another option other to being on her back all the time, plus she thought it was fun being rolled over like that. Just give him a little more time dont rush it some children dont roll over properly until they are about 8 months

Just enjoy him, he will be fine.

Rachel - posted on 05/18/2010

My child is almost 10 months old and still HATES his stomach. I don't really care, as long as he is happy. He was the same way at 5 months old, don't worry he will get it; when my son is on his stomach he now pushes up and he can rollie back. I think my son is going to walk and not crawl too.

Bonnie - posted on 05/18/2010

relax he'll be there soon enough. my son did start walking before crawling and then he started by crawling backwards,both my 2 daughters did the same thing and not one of them liked being on their bellies, so in that respect they did start rolling over at the age of 4mos. none of them walked on their own until they were a 1yr old and up! I swore to my husband that if we had any more kids they would be teenagers before they walked.

Jeanne - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi there Heather,

My daughter absolutely despised being on her tummy from the time she was born - so tummy time was a nightmare!!!! She did not start crawling until she was 9 months old and I did the same things you did - lied on the floor with her, put toys in front of her etc...etc...etc... She finally started crawling because she batted a ball and it went out of her reach. Prior to that she just rolled to get everywhere. You son might not be rolling over simply because he does not like being on his tummy. If you are worried about his progress speak to his pediatrician or your family doctor at his six month appointment. I to was convinced my daughter would walk before she would crawl but once she started it was hard to keep up with her....so relax and contact your doctor if this is making you worry....so that you can relax and enjoy this age with your baby as it only comes around once. Good luck.

Felicia - posted on 05/18/2010

You are describing my son to the fullest..Lol, I have a 5 month old as well born on Dec 10, He still does not roll over, I bought him all tummy mats you can think of, my husband says I'm wasting money, and says Joey will roll over when he's ready!!! He also crys if I leave him on his tummy for more than 5 min...I'm so happy you posted this up. I read all your replys and now I feel so much better. It's good to know someone else is going through the same thing and i'm not alone! So Heather before you know it our boys will be walking before you know it...lol, Take care!

Stephanie - posted on 05/18/2010

My little guy is almost 15 months, he NEVER liked tummy time and would just scream. He never has learned to crawl but he did this funny monkey scoot to get around. He just learned to walk last week. Totally skipped the whole tummy and crawling phase. He also never turned over back to front, just front to back. The only time he likes to be on his belly still to this day is when he rolls over to sleep. Dont worry about it at all. The majority of the baby boys i know skipped the crawling and went straight to walking or the monkey scoot like my son did. He will manage just fine getting around the way HE wants to get around. Good luck.

Tarah - posted on 05/18/2010

Like you said, all children develop at their own pace, different from all other children. One child can be quicker at walking & another can start talking sooner. My daughter was walking at 9 months but she had an older cousin to look up to. My niece (who was an only child at the time) started crawling late because she was just lazy! lol She knew someone would pick her up & move her where she wanted to go. Also, remmeber you can always ask your pediatrician! :)

Tara - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi, I'm a developmental (pediatric) physical therapist. The important thing is that he can lift his head while on his tummy, even if he hates being there. If he can't lift and turn his head, that is a sign that there could be a problem. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry too much that he's not rolling much yet. Some babies, especially those with reflux or who spit up all the time, really don't like the pressure on their stomach. What I usually have moms do is to try some alternative positions. (I wish I could show you in person.) You can try lying on your back on the floor and having him do tummy time on your stomach looking in your face, for example. Another really good one is to use one of those large colorful exercise balls that you can buy at Walmart or any sporting goods store. I would start with him standing up at the ball and work towards very slowly rolling the ball until he is on his tummy on the ball. Is especially helps if you have 2 people, one to hold him on the ball and 1 to look in his face and interact with him. If you are really concerned, it might be helpful to you to schedule a visit with a pediatric PT who can show you ideas such as this in person. Often, the baby will eventually figure it out for himself. However, sometimes, a baby can benefit from just a little "push" to keep developing, even if there is nothing physically wrong. I'm not a big fan of letting a baby lie there and cry on their stomachs, though, as someone else suggested. That really doesn't do much but make them and you miserable and teach them to hate it. I recommend parents start with a goal of just a minute or two and pick the baby up as soon as they start to look unhappy. Then, do it again multiple times in a day until you can stretch out the times they will tolerate it. Hope this helps!

Steph - posted on 05/18/2010

My son was the same way and then all of a sudden one day he rolled to his tummy and decided it was okay to stay that way. Now he's on his tummy all the time (just turned 6 months). It's only been about 2 weeks since he started staying on his tummy without crying.

Catherine - posted on 05/18/2010

My little girl never did tummy time, much to my dismay, and i only got her to do it the other day, just for fun!! She is 27 months old...her brother, at one week old, wanted to be on his tummy all the time...even when he slept!! again, much to my dislike...but he slept...the thing is, and of course you will hear this all the time, children develop differently, really no need to persevere, as when they are all 1 to 2 years old, they will be walking and running, and we look back and think, i could just plonk you down, and i could do the dishes...when they start a movin, thats it...dont worry about it...dont make him do things he dosent want to do...who cares in the long run...pick your battles..he is a baby, and wont be for long...why struggle and fight and put up with tears!! tummy time is not the be all and end all in developing skills to do this that or the other..."THEY" dont know everything about your little one...and all little ones are not the same...my girl and boy can not be compared!! do what feels right...making him cry wont make you feel right...

Cathy - posted on 05/18/2010

Mom's! What is all this about "tummy time"! You are all listening too much to experts and not enough to older, experienced moms! Stop comparing your baby to everyone else's and just enjoy what they are doing and learning each day. Babies are unique individuals too and have their own likes and dislikes...go with it!! Your little one will roll over and crawl, walk, etc. on their own time table. There is a wide range of "normal"...but in western society, we want to be superior...and we want our baby's to be superior.....just stay away from all that and enjoy your family:)

Ashley=) - posted on 05/18/2010

My second child once on the floor,play mat she just rolled over to her tummy herself at 3and a half mths and loved it for a short while and then she went back to her back.As she got older she was able to stay for longer on her tummy,but she didnt even sit up on her own until after 8 months because she didnt have the strength to do so.There all very different and some hit milestones early some dont and some never do it like crawling or rolling over.If you are concerned speak to your doctor.I allowed my children to do what the could at whatever age the were and i never made them or pushed them to do so.



I still feel you have nothing to be worried about even at each check-up the ask you if there doing certain things and tummy time wasnt one the were concerned about.

Mira - posted on 05/18/2010

He is doing great! If you don't want him to cry, only do 1 minute of tummy time at a time. Do you know anyone who isn't able to push up or hold his/her head up as an adult? I never pushed tummy time with my son (he hated it) and he is a perfect 3 year old now! Don't stress over tummy time. Enjoy your baby!

Sam - posted on 05/18/2010

I think you should get a child development book so you have a wider baseline than just hearing individual stories. Babies have a wide range of normal behaviors and more knowledge on your part would make you more comfortable.

Aarin - posted on 05/18/2010

I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to read all of the replys so this may have been mentioned before but I thought I would throw in my 2 cents.

My son also didn't enjoy tummy time all that much. When he did go on his belly he would be happy for about a minute and then just lie there like a dead fish and cry.

What I ended up doing is playing a roll over game with him. And he started enjoying tummy time. What we would do is start out on his back and then swing his legs over to the side and he would start to push with his arms. Any help he would give would start with me giving huge encouragement. Then I would roll him over onto his belly completely and I would clap, giggle and give him a back rub and then roll him back.

We would do this a couple times a day increasing the time on the tummy gradually. He now spends tons of time on his tummy and is creeping all of the house. It also taught him to roll over and rolled back to front first.

My big guy is only 6 months old now so don't worry too much, just make it a game. It seemed to work for me.

Cinda - posted on 05/18/2010

I believe that this is a result of the new "back to sleep" thing that is taught. All of my boys, (including my premie) came home to sleep on their tummy. They slept warmer, longer and better. They developed stronger neck muscles sooner and were rolling over sooner. However, from what I have seen of back sleepers, your 5 month old is doing just fine. Keep up the tummy time and encourage him with a toy or funny Mommy faces while he is on his tummy. As his neck grows stronger, he will like it more.

Tiffany - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter hated tummy time. If I remember correctly she didn't really start rolling over until about 5-7months. I never really forced her to stay like that. I of course would repeat this process more often then just a few minutes a day. It would be throughout the day and multiple times. I would put her there for a few minutes and then let her turn back over or sit with her while holding her in a sitting position. She is 2 now and runs all over the house just fine. Oh, and not all babies like TV so that may or may not work for yours as Michelle had suggested. Good idea though. Mine had no want for TV until she turned 2. Just keep being the best mom you can be and trust your instincts. You will find that perfect thing. And always keep encouraging. :)

Lizzy - posted on 05/18/2010

My daughter is 9 and a half months and still doesn't roll over and hates to lie on her tummy for longer than a minute. She's super strong in her legs too and I keep wondering whether she'll walk before she crawls. I really wouldn't worry.

Jeanette - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi all children are different as u know my daughter hated lying on her tummy also so I would lie her on her back and if she rolled over onto her tummy I would leave her for a minute or two as she would cry also don't worry he will do it when he feels confident enough within himself

Elizabeth - posted on 05/18/2010

What do you mean he refuses? You are the parent and you need to do this for his best debelopment. Just because he's crying is no reason to stop the tummy time. He's not crying because he's in danger or pain, he just doesn't like it. We need to remember that as parents we sometimes need to do things for our children's good even when they don't want it. He certainly doesn't know better than you. Our kids all hated tummy time (we've got 6), but we knew we were doing what was right for our children. You can be there with him and get down to eye level so he can see you. Be reassuring that you're not leaving him alone, but be firm in your resolve to help him develop his strength.

Tammy - posted on 05/18/2010

He's perfectly fine!!! My daughter absolutely hated it also, so instead of crawling she decided to do what we called the scoot(pulled herself around sitting up with her hands) lol. It was so adorable and she didn't do it any later than a child would crawl. She was never behind on walking either and I never forced her into tummy time. Good luck when he does start to get around lol!!!!:)

Aimee - posted on 05/18/2010

Two of my three babies hated tummy time too. You could try what I did, lay back on the sofa and put them on my chest, that way they have mummy's face to look at and with a bit of an incline it is easier for them. None of my kids would stay on their tummy for more than a minute at 5 months, so I would just do it for a minute or less throughout the day, they eventually got it. I don't think you have to leave him fussing about it, I think the key is to get him to relax about it. :-) My first son didn't roll until 6 months, my second son rolled over from 1 month!

My third child is 5 months and is not really rolling over yet either. She has done it a couple of times but I have helped her. I lay her out on a comfortable blanket on the floor and as I am talking to her I kind of roll her around, sometimes they need help knowing where to put their arms in order to roll, so I help her put her arm above her head and the I gently roll her back and forth a little and while doing that she has rolled over, never on her own. I think your little guy will get it soon,

Karen - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi, my son is my 2nd child, he's nearly six months old now and I think your baby sounds totally normal. So many people at the moment on the various chat rooms I'm on are worried that their babies hate tummy time, it must be normal! Have you tried lying him on his tummy propped up on his arms on your chest when you're half lying so he can play with your hair / face - a good way to get them started, or lying across your lap, they can play with your hands & are a bit more supported. Also try putting a little mirror under his face (or a book with mirrors, there's a good one by baby einstein called mirror me that my daughter loved). Babies LOVE looking at themselves, my daughter didn't realise she was having tummy time as she was totally distracted be trying to snog herself! All just for variety / to get them started. Babies who roll early don't necessarily become olympic runners in 20 years so don't worry about it.

Ashley=) - posted on 05/18/2010

My first was above average as i was told by her health nurse and her doctor and she never liked being put on her tummy or push herself up at all.She would lose the nut if i put her on her tummy.lol my daughter is now five years and she was up walking around the furniture at 6 and a half mths and finally took off by her first birthday.She was talking very well by 9 months at her check up.She never crawled but walked.She could climb up on the sofa etc at 6and a half mths.



Your son is a normal healthy child who just doesnt like to be on his tummy as many of our children are the same and are perfectly fine and not behind.:-)

Dipika - posted on 05/18/2010

Hey i guess we try comparing our kids to others and just monitor their progress that way. But i guess each child is unique and grows and develops at their own pace. So enjoy moment of their growth as long as there are no serious concerns

Ryma - posted on 05/18/2010

hey do not worry MOM my baby is almost 9 month and he does not like to sit on his tummy.... he is almost ready to walk but did not crawl and may not crawl so what ?!!! some babies do not like this position so leave him .... just relax instead try to put him up on his feet and let him jump standing as if on a jumper ull see how much he will like it :)

Alita - posted on 05/18/2010

Hi, I have three kids and found that they all developed at different stages. My daughter is hated tummy time unless her father took his top off and she could lie on his tummy, my youngest hated his tummy, but would lie over a triangle pillow so he wasn't flat but slightly raised...my oldest one loved tummy time and if we lay him on his back would roll to lie on his tummy. I would say try laying him facing down across your lap(worked for middle child) and get someone to lie on the ground under him and pull faces at him, this will help him get use to being on his tummy. Also try having him lie on someones chest or tummy. The major thing is not to worry to much, he will be able to pick up on your stress and that will feed his own frustration.

Deanna - posted on 05/18/2010

hi my daughter hated tummy time she did the same things we just left it put her on her back or har her sitting on the floor playing with pillows around her so if she fell back she would not hit her head she is 9 months now and she has been crawling for about 2 weeks i found that sarah would change between sleeps all of a sudden she would roll over and then sleep on her stomach she figured it out on her own she is the little girl that doesnt want help just do every thing her self

Angela - posted on 05/18/2010

i wouldn't worry yourself. my little girl HATED tummy time and would only be on her tummy for a minute (we tried to have her on her tummy at least 4 times during the day). she sat up on her own at 4 months, started crawling at 11 months and walking at 17 months. She didn't even roll that much! i don't know if the fact that she hated tummy time may have contributed to her crawling and walking late but she did get there in the end. All babies get there eventually so don't stress. Keep persisiting.

Desiree - posted on 05/17/2010

LOL... yes, he's completely normal. Most babies do not like to be on their tummies. My daughter would not lay on her tummy without screaming her head off either. She didn't crawl until about 9 months and then she started walking almost immediately and now I can't get her to stop running. Your son is definitely not behind. It is ok to let him cry for a minute or so, but then turn him back over to relax and try again in another 5-10 minutes. Laying with him might help. My daughter started to crawl because she wanted the cat... toys she could have cared less about lol. My neice did it for a pop can, every kid is different. But rest assured, yours is not behind. :)

Lauren - posted on 05/17/2010

My doctor says that every baby is different and that as long as they're thriving and learning they're ok.

Angie - posted on 05/17/2010

Just keep trying to give him more tummy time. He doesn't like it because he hasn't had enough time to realize what a fun place his tummy is. Leave him on his tummy for more than a minute - even if he fusses and cries. Hang in there - he'll get it! My kids all loved their tummy time from early on....

Jasmine - posted on 05/17/2010

My little guy's the same way at 4 months old. I think it's because they strictly enforce putting them down to sleep on their backs only- which my son developed a somewhat flat head from- so they don't get comfortable with tummy time. I make the same attempts as you, but it's so hard making him do something he dislikes so much. I keep trying too. But i know plenty of people who's babies learned to walk without crawling first.

Erin - posted on 05/16/2010

This happened 2 me my 2 girls were fast with everything rolling, crawling, sitting up, walking, all early or right on target, then came the boy and ohhh boy he was lazy i thought he would never crawl let alone walk but my doc kept encourageing me to not drag him to physical therapy just yet, and lo and behold he did everything his sisters did just when he wanted to do them, boys cant be persuaded to do anything and i mean anything till they are absolutly ready and they dont care what you think they sould be doing, so relax tell your doctor if you are really concerned but 5 monthe for a boy is more like 2-3 months in my book..
good luck.

Dana - posted on 05/16/2010

All babies hate tummy time. You just have to forge through and not give in. You have to try it every day, start with a few minutes and then add minutes each day.

Amy - posted on 05/16/2010

My son is 19 months old now and he never liked his tummy. He would scream when I put him on his tummy. Ever since he could roll over I would find him on his tummy in his bed. He loves his tummy now.

Rachel - posted on 05/15/2010

Frustrating, I know! My daughter hated her tummy time as well! She is now 3 and perfectly healthy, so try not to worry :) I know it's hard though. She never crawled either, she scooted in her bum. They always find their own way to get around.

Katherine - posted on 05/15/2010

Hey Heather,

Just go with it :) Let him do his own thing. All babies are different, you don't ever want to force them to do anything, if he doesn't like it Oh well. He may start walking or sitting up early. Think of it as a personality trait. My nephew didn't walk until he was 16mo, and still doesn't say sentences and he's 2 1/2, he just didn't feel like it.

Kym - posted on 05/15/2010

my little girl about to turn 4 probably spent a total of 15 mins over a 12 month period on her tummy in the first year. She hated it! She probably rolled over 3 times and then at around 6 months she started to crawl backwards and sideways until she decided forward was best. By around 12 months she was up and walking and has never looked back!
She is a very bright and outgoing girl who has no developmental delays and is doing very well at Kindy and about to begin prep next year!
I never stressed about any milestones...all kids will develop in their own time. If a delay arises...than deal with the issue at hand. In the meantime enjoy while your little one is not terrorising the house!
Bellas mama

Sonya - posted on 05/15/2010

Sounds like you are getting lots of good advice, I'll say the same, Don't Worry, I have two children, the oldest almost three hated tummy time, never crawled, (bum shuffled) and forget the crap about "helps delevoplement" our pediatrician is more than happy with her, in fact we've been told that she is above average. My youngest is 7 months only started to roll last month, still not happy with tummy time and and developing well. Both my girls have reflux, this was alot of the limited tummy time. Also the big the child the longer to move ie all that extra weigh for those muscle to strenghten for. (both mine about 9lb), hope this helps, and keep telling yourself that you are a WONDERFUL Mother, because you are, otherwise you wouldn't have been concerned., Take and keep smiling

Eve - posted on 05/15/2010

My son is 4 mths old and his pediatrician said not to stress tummy time since he was happy sittn up on my lap and that he was probably just lazy and was happy at the stage he was at. And here we are couple weeks later and i can get him to do oh mayb a total of 10 mins a day on tummy. (not in 1 sitting ) but a lil at a time will build up his muscles. then he will start lovn it. i read somewhere to hold them on your forearm and walk around with em lookn at the floor . I do that with my kid so mayb it helped.

Jessie - posted on 05/15/2010

I wouldn't worry... my child hated being on her belly until she could roll herself over from her back to her tummy and back over. No she rolls everywhere but hates sitting up and wants to stand. He will get it and you sound like you are doing what needs to be done so just keep trying. You can't make them do it or like it but eventually they all figure it out. Good luck!