So, it turns out Tummy Time is a myth. At least I am prepared to call it that. Tummy time? If you have had a baby in the past five or so years you know what I am talking about. Tummy time. Since we put our babies to sleep on their backs now to reduce SIDS risks we have to give them tummy time each day to help their necks get strong and stuff like that. All the doctors and books say so. If your babies are anything like mine they hate tummy time. It is more like heart wrenching scream time. But if you are like me you endure the screams because tummy time is good for them. They need it. Well, I am here to say maybe not. With my first two babies I was a very good tummy time mommy. Ten minutes on their tummies everyday whether they liked it or not. With Rose not so much. Life has been out of control since she was born and there just never seemed to be good time to make a baby unnecessarily miserable even if it was for her own good. She has done tummy time maybe three times in her whole life. And guess what? She is perfectly normal. Afton and Ponder rolled over at about three months.....and so did Rose. Afton and Ponder could support their head unaided at a little after four months.....and so can Rose. I had been feeling like a pretty terrible mom for not making Rose do tummy time. I mean it is important, right? Without it how will she ever hold her head up or crawl? Imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to little Rose who had never had any tummy time to speak of and had been on her back just moments before and found this:
She had rolled over and was holding her head erect! No thanks to tummy time. Emperor Tummy Time you aren't wearing any clothes and you won't be terrorizing any babies around here anymore! I wonder what else we do to make ourselves and our kids miserable unnecessarily? What myths have you figured out? Let me know and set me free!
4 comments:
I love the "Emperor Tummy Time" line! Absolutely cracked me up. Sorry no unnecessary childcare tips here. Just had to say that I really enjoy your posts :)
I always put my babies to sleep on their belly because they slept better. I think the dr.'s don't know much more then we do, they just keep going back and forth with what is good for them and what is not. Good Job Baby Rose!
that is a PRECIOUS picture!!! love it. i put my girls to sleep on their tummies too so they have never had tummy time. i will be checking back to see if others have myths. i think my only thing that i have learned with each child is that we underestimate them and they can do so much more than we give them credit for. some for fun and some for chores!
That following Baby Wise would make me or my Baby Wise! That book became my Bible for baby #1, even G got on board with following nursing guidelines to a T... result.... screaming, hungry baby= crying, stressed Mommy.
Baby #2, fed her when she wanted to eat ( I felt like such a progressive mom in these moments of demand feeding), and VOILA! she ate and was merry....and so was I. 3 years later we have not seen any great psycho-social deficiencies as a result.
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