My Baby Hates Tummy Time. Now What?

You’ve heard about tummy time for what feels like your entire third trimester. Everyone tells you how important it is, so you carefully place your baby on their tummy, get down on the floor with them, pull out their favorite toy and within seconds, they’re letting you know exactly how they feel about it. Loudly.

If tummy time feels like a battle in your house, you’re not alone.

Here’s the part we wish more parents knew: tummy time can happen in more ways than you might think.

Why Tummy Time Matters

Tummy time helps your baby build the strength and control they need for early movement. It lays the foundation for skills like rolling, sitting, crawling, and exploring their world.

It also gives babies a different way to experience movement, use their arms, and interact with the world around them.

The goal isn’t to make your baby tolerate the floor. It’s to give them opportunities to build these important early skills.

Start Where Your Baby Is Comfortable

At Cubs Corner, our goal is to help your baby build positive experiences with tummy time rather than turn it into a dreaded experience.

If the floor isn’t going over well just yet, that’s okay. Try tummy time on your chest while you recline, across your lap, or with a little support under your baby’s chest. Short, successful opportunities throughout the day can add up.

As your baby gets stronger and more comfortable, those positions can gradually change, too.

And sometimes, a small adjustment makes a big difference.

But What If They Really Hate It?

Some frustration during tummy time can be completely normal, especially when babies are working hard to lift and control their heads.

But if your baby consistently struggles with tummy time, strongly prefers looking in one direction, has difficulty lifting their head, seems uncomfortable, or something about their movement simply has you wondering, it may be worth taking a closer look.

Our pediatric physical therapists can help figure out why tummy time feels so difficult and find ways to make it work better for your baby.

We will meet your baby where they are, understand what their movement is telling us, and help them discover just how much they can do from there.

Is Tummy Time a Daily Challenge in Your Home?

You don’t have to figure it out alone. Our pediatric physical therapists are here to answer your questions, understand what your baby needs, and help make tummy time feel a little easier.