How to Accomplish Tummy Time When Your Baby Hates It!

Tummy time is a fundamental activity to do with your newborn baby. It helps them develop the key skills they need so they can hit their milestones on time.

Sounds simple enough right? Problem is…your baby hates it!! You put your newborn bundle of joy on their tummy and BAM…the screaming begins. What do you do? You want them to hit their milestones on time but you also don’t want your baby to suffer.

I’ve been there…3 times!! ALL my babies hated tummy time. I mean…really hated tummy time. It honestly sounded like I was murdering them every time I put them on their tummies! It was tough…but I learned some really neat tricks along the way that helped them have tummy time in an enjoyable way.

***This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love.  Before implementing any health advice, please check with your doctor first as I am not a medical professional.  Read my full policy for more information.

Ok, So Why is Tummy Time So Important?

When I had my first baby, I was completely clueless about everything! I had no idea that I was supposed to even do tummy time with my baby until her 2 month checkup. Whoops!! I was asked if I was doing tummy time and I said no as I thought it was unsafe. Baby is supposed to be on their back?!

Well, my pediatrician pointed out that I should be doing tummy time as it helps them with their development. Here is why it is important to do tummy time with your baby:

It Strengthens Their Arms

Yep! When they are on their tummy they use their arms. This can then help the muscles in their arms get stronger and stronger. Strong arms can help them develop skills such as rolling over, crawling, and lifting their head and body up. If their arm muscles aren’t getting stronger, these milestones will take longer to accomplish as they will be more difficult for them to achieve.

It Helps Develop Head Control

Tummy time can also help your baby develop strong neck muscles to help them gain more head control. It will help them to hold their heads up and will also help them move their head from side to side so they can breathe more easily.

Strong head control can help develop skills such as sitting upright and pushing their bodies up. Sitting upright is an important development as they will need good head control to start eating baby food.

Develops Motor Skills and Movement

Motor skills are so important when your baby is newly born as they are working to strengthen these so they can easily learn to roll over, crawl, and walk when it’s time (source). By avoiding tummy time, it can lead to delays in their development.

Helps Prevent Flat Spots on Their Head

Babies spend so much time on their back in the same position. This can lead to flat spots on their head. This is known as plagiocephaly (or flat head syndrome). By changing positions frequently, your baby is less likely to develop these flat spots.

How to Do Tummy Time When Your Baby Hates it:

Ok, so now you know the importance of tummy time, how do you do it when your baby simply hates it?

Well, you’re not alone!! Most babies actually HATE tummy time. They aren’t used to the position and they tend to panic as they can’t really control their movements at this stage. So, they scream to let you know that they hate this!

The good news is… this typically changes over time. Once your baby is confident on their tummy, they’ll love it!

Soon you’ll be changing diapers and wishing they hate tummy time again as all they want to do is to roll over on their tummy, making it impossible to change them!! Yay!!

But how do you do tummy time when they hate it? Here are some tricks I used that worked for me every time!

#1. Ensure Your Baby is on a Flat and Comfortable Surface

Lay down a blanket or use a playset like this one when doing tummy time. It makes it comfortable for your baby. Avoid bumpy floors and pillows for this!

Now there are pillows that say they’re perfect for tummy time, while this can be true, it is not recommended when they are just starting out. Your baby will struggle to turn their head to breathe as they can barely get their head off the ground at the beginning stages.

Avoid the excess and keep it simple for them. They won’t panic as much.

Making your baby as comfortable as possible will help them enjoy tummy time a lot more!

#2. Do Small, Frequent Sessions at First

So ideally, you’ll need to do tummy time 2-3 times a day. At first, they may hate it as they need to get used to it!

Here’s the trick that really helped my babies through tummy time…start off with very very short sessions. I started with 30 seconds. It’s not long, but it is something!! And yes…they all screamed so loud it was hard to watch but I stuck to it!

After a few sessions (for me it was around 5), your baby may still scream but it won’t be as bad. Then you can start increasing the time to 45 seconds, then 1 minute..and so on.

Just think, this is a temporary hated activity for your baby. They will soon love it so much, they’ll want to be on their tummies ALL THE TIME!

#3. Rub Their Backs Gently

This tip really helped my baby calm themselves when they were on their tummy. Rubbing their backs gently can make them feel safe and secure. You’re letting them know that you are here for them. This can help tummy time go more smoothly and it can help calm them.

#4. Be Encouraging

Baby feels what you feel. I strongly believe this! If you are stressed and tense when it comes to tummy time, they will be too! If you are calm and confident, they will learn to be too. Showing encouragement can help your baby feel that you are happy and confident with what they are doing.

In time, they will start to be more confident with tummy time.

#5.  Put Out Some Safe, Baby Friendly Toys

Distractions are a great way to calm your baby. Toys are perfect! At an early age, they aren’t able to grab but they can see (objects close to them) and hear.

I put this toy out which was perfect. It was soft and kept their attention. It really helped my baby calm themselves while they were on their tummy. It was perfect!!

After a few months, your baby will start to reach and grab which is another motor skill they can develop through tummy time!

So there you have it! These are the tips that really helped my baby enjoy tummy time. As moms, we all want the best for our babies and it can be stressful when things don’t work out the way we want! I’ve been there so many times! You’re doing great mama! You got this!!