Nowadays, babies are put on their backs to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDS. In order for babies to get experience on their tummies, parents are encouraged to put their babies on their tummies for a few minutes a day, starting from birth.
True confessions, we didn't. Sarah, like our other babies, was a very tired child and slept a lot as a newborn. Then she would eat. Then she would be so full of milk that if she was put on her tummy, she would spit up. It wasn't worth it.
PLUS, the house was very busy. I didn't want her out on the floor anywhere that a careless sibling might step on her. So she was usually in a bouncer and couldn't be on her tummy.
By the time she was older and able to stay awake and not spit up copiously all the time, she HATED being on her stomach.
End result, she has been on her back most of her life. Now she sits up beautifully but she doesn't crawl. She doesn't locomote much.
At 10 months, most babies are crawling or locomoting.
Am I worried? No. First, all of her sibs have been late to roll, late to crawl, and late to walk. She is strong and loves to stand up though needs to hold on to something to stand. I have given her a lot of tummy time the last few days and after some squawking, she settles down. She is getting used to it and is moving around a bit.
As a new mom, I was rather obsessed with doing everything "right". Reality is, what is right for one family doesn't work well for another. There are things we need to do to make life work when we have a new baby and a bunch of older sibs to care for.
And true confessions, it is SO nice that she stays roughly where she is put. When she starts crawling in earnest, life will be significantly more complicated. I'm enjoying these last few days or weeks of Sarah staying mostly where I put her.
1 comment:
Yep, no worries. All three of mine would have an absolute fit if put on their bellies. I began bucking the system shortly after Hannah began sleeping on her belly - much to the ped.s chagrin - all three rolled over early and I figured there was no use in waking a sleeping baby who was content on their bellies. I think Christian was probably 6 or 7 months before he liked being on his tummy during waking hours but then all began crawling or scooting earlier than that. I was also told that since Hannah never crawled she'd have trouble walking - nope LOL
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