Tummy Time!!! She Hates It

my son was born at 29 weeks and we had PT also. He hated tummy time and always threw up because of bad reflux. I think he really hated it because he was nosey and couldn't see. I would lay him on the boppy pillow, or roll a blanket up to prop him up a little so he could see. I also would lay on the couch with him on my chest so he could see my face while he was on his belly. Just keep trying he will get it and good luck.

My son also had torticollis and hated tummy time. I kept doing it according to his PT's instructions. I would try it a few times a day and he eventualy got used to it and overcame his torticollis completly. It upset me to just let him cry but I had to overcome that myself, but I would always avoid letting him get to upset to the point where was out of control.

Get down on the floor with her, play with her face to face, and break tummy time down into manageable blocks... you might also have a couple of just tummy time toys, or a water mat, or something.

Hi A.,

I totally understand what you're dealing with. It's really difficult when your instincts tell you something different from what the PT does. But, you need to follow your instincts on this one.

Our daughter was born 11 weeks prematurely and has been through many, many medical procedures and she's been diagnosed with torticollis as well. We spent many months trying to get her to like tummy time and she hated it, until she was about 11 months old. The best advice I was given was to just keep trying, and put her down for 3-5 min at a time, several times a day. It worked. It took a long time, but like most PT issues patience is the key.

Good luck! :)

My son who is now almost 3 but was born at 33 weeks also needed a pt and she said he was the he hated tummy time more than any other infant she had dealt with in her 8 years as a p/t! We ended up doing things like laying him on our ottoman so he could see over the edge and laying a mirror on the ground so he could see himself. Or my husband, daughter or I would lay on the ground and sing or make funny faces. We also bought an exercise ball and would lay him on it and gently rock him back and forth. Also, try to break it up into little segments, like 3 minutes at a time etc....

Hang in there it gets better!

Pam

Hello,
I first had to find out what she had, and i am proud of you for working with her. There are a lot of parents that can't deal with there child having a disability of any sort. But i would try to lay her on your stomach and you lay on the floor. That way she will still have to work her neck to see your face. Well good luck!

Hi A.,

My little guy didn't like it either! One of the mom's in my infant play group said her baby liked it more when he could see more of what was going on - she had him do tummy time on their ottoman - better view. Maybe that will help your little girl like it better?

Good luck and take care!

Hi A.. I have identical twin boys (7 mos) that are both getting Doc bands very soon. One also has torticollis. Lucky for us, they both took to tummy time real well, but there are lots of ways to incorporate it without just laying her down. Try putting her across your lap or holding her body in the air above you (like an airplane)...this is fun for her and helpful as well...Also, if you check out cranialtech.com you will find helpful hints for tummy time....and I am a part of the yahoo support group for plagiocephaly where there are files of information that I found very helpful as well... and the women on the board have lots of helpful hints to share regarding tort, tummy time, etc. Good luck to you and your family...

Some things to try:
Lay down on your tummy facing her then help her play with toys
prop her up with a Boppy or rolled up towel
put a soft blanket or piece of cloth under her head (supervised of course), my girls liked to rub their faces in it.

My now 4yr didn't like tummy time much either. We had to get creative to keep him down there and he had 3 holes in his heart which resulted in 2 heart surgeries before he was 5mo old. the first of which was at 3 weeks of age and the second and 4 months. Tummy Time is VERY important though. See if you can find activities that she will want to engage in. When you place her on the floor, lay with her on your tummy too. find some toys she likes and keep her engaged. I know the fear of "his heart is working so hard he's losing weight normally, his being upset isn't helping". I was told that a few minutes of the crying wouldn't really make much difference. As a mom, it sucks seeing your little one upset, but remember, after her surgery, this little one will be hurting then too and you will have her in the surgery for her own good. She will cry. In this too, you must do what is best for her and just be there with her so she knows she's loved and that you believe this is the best for her. Be consistant She'll learn that you know this is what's best even if she doesn't like it and the crying will stop. now, I wouldn't recommend you letting her cry for 30 minutes or anything. I would do no more than 10min intervals (meaning 5-10 min of tummy time then pick her up and calm her for 15-20min then repeat the tummy time again.). I hope that's helped. My son has VATERS Association. So we've had to endure other surgeries and rehabs. If you have any other questions, private message me and I'll give you my number.

L.
Mom of 5.

The point of tummy time is to put your daughter in a position where she is using more of her extensor muscles. It doesn't have to be done on the tummy! Talk to your PT about other positions that may make her more comfortable. For instance, sitting her on your lap (she is facing away from you) and just leaning her forward will work the neck extensors as she improves you can lower your grip to her waist and lean her farther which will also work her upper and lower back muscles. Alot of times babies don't like tummy time because they are not strong enough to tolerate the position. Also, trying a modified tummy time on a wedge or boppy which will prop her head/shoulders above her lower body may be easier for her. Just holding her on her tummy (while you are standing) in your arms while she flaps her arms-like flying--she may enjoy better. There are a million ways to get those muscles stronger and coordination better without just laying her on a blanket on her tummy. This used to be a normal position for babies because they were put to sleep from birth in this position, but now it is more challenging and some babies just need some extra help! Hopefully, your PT will do some brainstorming with you to come up with some fun activities that you can do together that doesn't cause the stress. As a PT, I urge you to find other options because your follow-through with your home program for your child will be much better if it isn't a battle!

My daughter was diagnosed with torticollis at two months. She hated tummy time and I think primarily due to the tort. I wouldnt worry about doing it so much it is not that big of a deal. I did her PT like I was suposed to...the neck streaches and pretty much making her whole world exist to only one side. As for neck building exercise what I did was lay her on her back and hold her arms and gently up her up with her arms and she would start to pull her self up with me. This helps build up the neck and upper body. If she doesnt do this the first few times keep trying but dont let her neck just dangle back. I also would sit her on my lap and hold her arms and help balance her in a sitting position. At five months she could sit on her own without help.

I would just watch out that she isnt laying against something all the time (swing, bounce, etc) it can cause flattening of the skull and since she isnt fond of tummy time this can be a result. Our daughter had to get a DOC band due to the Tort. caused her head to be flat on one side.

FYI - my daughter never got used to TT. She would push her arms to the side and just screamed. Although we didnt stop trying tummy time. We would do it for a few min until she would get mad and stop. She hated being on her tummy so much she learned to flip from tummy to back. She didnt start flipping from back to tummy until she was Nine Months...right when she learned how to crawl.

Things that she liked to look at while on the floor during tummy time. Toys that Light up and look at herself in a mirror. We eventually built her up to being on her tummy to 12 min. Just keep trying stop when she gets upset and praise her for the time she tried doing it. Then try again later...

Hi A.,
My name is N. and I have a 7 month old daughter who also has torticollis - which was an extremely severe case. My husband is a huge advocate of chiropractic - so naturally that was our first option when it came to treatment for our daughter - we take her to a special chiropractor who specializes in pediatrics - she is wonderful! My daughter hated tummy time too - so I would do it with her a couple times a day as our chiropractor recommended. She told us to put her on her tummy and as soon as she began to cry - time her crying for one minute and when the one minute is up you can pick her up. I was only doing it a couple times a day b/c she hated it too - and as time went by she was able to stay on her tummy longer and longer - she was rolling over at 5 months and crawling everywhere by 6 months and now she's already pulling herself up and standing with support - and the symmetry in her face is almost back to normal. My daughter has had much success just getting her weekly adjustments along with cranial work - we didn't even do P.T. -and after 7 months you can't even tell she had torticollis. If you have anymore questions please feel free to contact me anytime and if you would like to speak with Dr. Hyman our chiropractor her number is ###-###-####. I wish your daughter all the best in her healing :)

Hello there!
Well, if it were me I wouldn't allow her to get upset like that if she has a heart condition which has to be remedied surgically. Crying is the only way they have to communicate with us, and she is letting you know in no uncertain terms that its not working for her!

Lots of luck,

A. - mom to Dominic (9) and Julian (7)

A.,
I hope you listen to my email because I have a friend who has a daughter who had torticollis. She went to PT and tried MANY things. Finally I got her in Integrative Pediatric Therapy with Sally Fryer and it is GONE! Sally owns IPT and is a PT and a craniosacral therapist. She did craniosacral therapy on her daughter and it cured it. If you have never heard of that PLEASE call Sally and she can explain it to you. I have sent 2 others with this since then and they are both perfectly fine now too! They have an office in Dallas and in Plano. My family has been doing cranio for years and its WONDERFUL. Their number is ###-###-####.
L.

A.,

My son has been getting PT, OT and speech therapy since he was an infant so, I completely understand what you are going through. You may have already tried this but I you should try putting some toys in front of her and distracting from tummy time. Make it more like playtime! She'll enjoy it a lot more. Message me if you have any questions or want more suggestions. Like I said before, I've gone through the whole infant therapy thing and still going.

I am assuming that the reason she hates it is because it is stretching the muscles in her neck that are contracting and I am sure it is painful. With my middle daughters cebral palsy, among many other issues, we also had to do tummy time. I had a very hard time doing this as well and cired with her everytime it had to be done. The best advise I can offer is to hang in there and keep doing it. It is for her future. Maybe you can have her sitter help you with her at home PT. There is not the "attachment" that is there with you. My nanny at the time took over and handled all of Emily's at home PT. Hope this help and all goes well for her future.

Hi A.,
I have taken both my kids to Gymboree play and music and this is how we did tummy time. she may be to young for this yet, but maybe not! You lay on your back with your legs up knees bend ( like your sitting in a chair) You put the baby on your shins looking down at you, while you hold her little hands. Then you can either just let her lay there or move you legs up and down and from side to side. You probably want to ask the PT or your MD if this is ok, but it was one excercise that my babies liked to do. Especially if you sing silly songs or put on music while you do it. Be sure that it has been over an hour since she has eaten though, becuase they tend to spit up on you otherwise. Hope this helps!
J.

Dear A.,

One great way for a baby to get 'tummy time' without actually doing it is by being worn in a baby sling. Being worn in a sling is equivalent to tummy time, as the baby uses their muscles in response to the mother's movements, for balance. I'll be honest, I'm biased when it comes to slings (I've tried lots of carriers). My favorite is SlingEZee, because it is padded for comfort and comes in 5 sizes (a must for padded slings). Check out www.slingezee.com if you're interested. There's tons of help on the site, too, for how to wear your sling correctly, if you already have one.

Blessings,
R.

My baby did not like tummy time either. This is what we did...I would lay down on my stomach and rest my chin on my hands, so we were face to face. I sang to her and she would calm down to listen to me sing. I also would sit on the floor with my legs out straight and let her do her tummy time across my legs. Both worked out really well.
Be patient, it takes time for babies to warm up to tummy time. My baby had torticollis too. Did they teach you the football hold? It was suggested to us as a way to strengthen her neck. Another thing they suggested was to have daddy lay down and hold her up in the air looking down at him...it's like tummy time in the air.
Good luck
T.

I am not to knowledgable on torticollis, I did read a little about it. My son was born with a heart condidtion and has had two open heart surgeries so far and will have another one this summer. He also hated to be on his stomach and was late to crawl etc. I found the Bumbo chair that allows them to use the same muscles (stomach, neck, etc) while sitting up. This really helped my son build those muscles without putting him through unnecessary discomfort. I fully understand not wanting to let your daughter get upset it is very hard to watch and you don't want to put any strain on their heart. Doctors are very knowledgable but follow your instincts they are not wrong.

My daughter didn't have a problem with her development, but stress would trigger her asthma and cause major problems when she was a baby. We could not let her "cry it out" or anything like that. If if were my baby, I would ask for an alternative, and tell the PT that she absolutely can not be upset in any way, and that you will not do the tummy time unless there is a way to do it that does not upset her so much. When she is on her tummy, can you get at the head of her and play with her? Maybe she doesn't like being on her tummy because she can't look around as well.

wow, that is a hard call. you need to do something for her well-being, but pushing her too hard can threaten her well-being- right?

Trust your instincts, but be willing to be uncomfortable as well. maybe let her cry for incrementally longer periods of time. for instance, if she instantly cries now, then let it go for a few seconds- 30? if you think she's okay. then keep trying 30 seconds until she gets used to the idea. then add 15 seconds until she can handle that.

I am NOT very good at tolerating crying either, but sometimes the things we have to do for our babies aren't comfortable for them. be gentle and show her as much love as you can, but you have to do what you have to do.

have you tried letting her lay on her tummy on top of you in the bathtub? that might be comforting and still get her exercise. maybe there are some other creative positions/surfaces that will be more distracting/stimulating/comfortable for her. hot/warm water bottle? furry blanket?

good luck.

All babies hate tummy time and cry at first. I would lay on my stomach in front of my babies so they could see my face or hold an interesting toy in front of them. That helps some but from my experience they still hate it initially.

i havent dealt with health setbacks, but my baby girl hated tummy time, she would turn red and cry and i didnt have the heart to leave her crying until she got used to it... So i took advice from other moms and i would put her on my chest to do tummy time like that another thing i learned is while i burp her i lay her on my legs tummy down the trick is she is going to be higher on the side that her head is at so her little legs go between yours. My baby has preferred this also and her neck is super strong and she is 8 wks this friday. I hope some of this helps. The laying her on your chest is a true success. I hope your baby gets better! take care :)

Also a boppy pillow works great for tummy time. Put her arms and face at the top so that she hangs over the pillow, and then put some of her favorite toys in front of her so she can play with them. A toy with a mirror on it is great. good luck

One thing that we did was lay on the couch and have our son on our chest...he was able to tolerate it a bit better and then started lasting on the floor longer.

Try that! Good luck!

We don't have any health problems, but my son HATED tummy time too. We would put him down til he started crying (which was sometimes instantly), and then pick him up. Although I had my doubts, it did get better. Even if it is 30 seconds longer each time, she will get to where she will stay there longer.

Hang in there, she will get used to it.

A.-
you have received some wonderful advice from everyone. I pulled up the CranialTech website and there are some very insightful blogs. My son hated tummy time too, but he did get used to it just after a few days of sticking with it, however, he did not have the health issue you are facing. Check with your Pediatrician.

Try laying flat on the floor on your back and laying her on your tummy face down so she does her tummy time on mommy! That way she will feel secure and know you are right there with her. After a few sessions this way, just lay on the floor next to her for a while until she is used to that, then eventually she might learn to enjoy it. I think if the P/T is telling you it is ok for her to get upset, then there must not be a risk to her heart to cry it out, but I totally understand your not wanting to see and experience that and I don't blame you. My baby sis was born with an ASD defect (large hole in the heart)and she, too, hated being on her tummy. Back then, we were not told to do it, so we didn't. We held her non-stop! She is definitely spoiled, even at 25 years old now!

I would have to advise you to talk to your pediatrician (or pediatric heart specialist) about this issue. My son's heart murmur is only a small one; we are waiting to see if it closes on it's own. They may have a specific time-frame you can use for how long she can cry before it becomes a health issue. Most infants don't like tummy time at first, though, so you could possibly start with a three minute goal, then bump it to five, and so on. That's what I've done with my kids, and eventually they learn there's a whole new world to explore from this perspective.

As a mother of 4, I have to say that it is easier to confront issues like this earlier rather than later. While she may fuss and cry and break your heart at this point, when she's older, she'll be even more entrenched in her habits and she'll fight you that much harder. This mindset applies to so many things - trying foods, gettinig rid of a pacifier, etc. Good luck and God bless!

A., try putting your baby in front of a mirror or have something very entertaining (musical, busy, distracting) in front of her while she's on her tummy. You can also lay down in front of her too. Also, try putting her for short periods at a time but do it several times a day so that she's not pressured to do it for a long time. As long as those short periods of tummy time add up, she'll be getting the required time to be on her tummy. Hope that helps. It's hard to see your baby be upset. Best to you all.

Find a craniosacral therapist who has pediatric training.
Go to the website of www.iahp.com to do a practitioner search, and then call and ask about this. Your daughter hates the "tummy time" for a reason. A sensitive CSTherapist can likely help unravel the issue more gently.

Talk to your doctor but most of all trust your instincts as a mom. I didn't do any tummy time until my son was 6 months. Prior to 6 months I would try it and he would get so upset and then one day he stopped being upset when I put him on his tummy. He started crawling a week after that and then started walking at 7 months. But I left it up to him and followed his lead.

Is she ok with tummy time on your chest??? or a cushy surface? you could try it that way for short period of time to get her used to it...

Just my 2 cents.

J.