Common Reasons Babies Struggle With Tummy Time - What I See as a Pediatric Chiropractor
Why do some babies seem to resist tummy time, and what can we do to help them? Well, let’s start out with saying it’s likely not anything you are doing or aren’t doing as a parent. Chances are, there’s something that we can tweak to make your tiny nugget more comfortable. While it is HIGHLY recommended that you see a professional for, well, individualized professional advice; let’s start with identifying the main reasons I see (as a chiropractor that works primarily with this tiny population and their creators) for the struggle with tummy time.
Common Challenges Babies Face During Tummy Time
Many parents carry the guilt of knowing tummy time is important, but feel completely overwhelmed and disheartened when their little squish fights it with all they have. Despite what we all thought as teenagers, no parent enjoys putting their children in uncomfortable situations. Instead of “fighting through” the discomfort, let’s figure out WHY your little one is uncomfortable while we work on tummy time in a way that helps them to feel content and safe.
Positioning - sometimes it’s as simple as a little shift such as placing something under the chest to allow for more elevation. Planks are easier when you’re elevated, right? Stabilizing from a counter vs the floor is going to be SOOOO much easier. When we place a little prop under our little one, it provides a little support and allows for more of the correct muscles to kick on (neck & shoulder stabilizers for example). This allows for more specific and ideal firing patterns rather than recruiting everything they have in order to hold themselves up (hello tight little back muscles and throwing back when we start working on sitting).
Reflux - tummy time can exacerbate reflux due to the additional pressure it places on their little bellies. It’s easy to see how discomfort from reflux can impact little one’s ability to comfortably explore in tummy time. Reflux has been known to impact gross motor development and even contribute to preferences / torticollis. All that to say, there is hope! A pediatric provider (such as myself) can help identify underlying causes for reflux, decrease discomfort caused by reflux, and provide you with a “ramp up” to tummy time with modifications to build into full on tummy time without the struggle. Funny thing is, when we can get your little one into tummy time comfortably, the gentle pressure can actually help reflux by gently encouraging trapped gas to exit kindly south vs forcibly north.
Gas and/or constipation - have you ever had moderately uncomfortable gas? It’s okay, you don’t have to admit it out loud. Imagine placing pressure on your belly when it was uncomfortable to simply stand. It makes sense that these babies tend to exhibit some big feelings! Once again, working with a pediatric provider can help determine the “why” behind the discomfort and provide the “how” to get your little nugget feeling better. The key to success is working on tummy time modifications while addressing underlying causes for why it’s uncomfortable in the first place.
*It’s important to note that tension plays a major part in tummy time troubles and is intertwined with the above concerns as well as other contributors such as oral dysfunction. Oral dysfunction (which can be related to oral restrictions) commonly accompanies the above concerns and can create tension in the tissues that are meant to be able to stretch to allow for comfortable tummy time. Working with a provider that has experience and training in these areas is incredibly important to ensure you’re getting a whole system approach.
Pediatric chiropractic can be an extremely valuable tool when it comes to aiding in milestone development. Dr. Dani frequently works with other providers (such as pediatric physical therapists) to ensure your child is getting the best, most complete care possible! Babies are designed to want to explore their environment, move independently, and interact with the world around them. If they’re struggling, let’s explore why! Check out some tummy time basics and discover why side play, vertical play, and back play are just as important as tummy time.
Hi there!
My name is Dr. Dani and I’m an in-home chiropractor for busy women and infants within the Denver Metro area. I work with women of all ages and stages, but truly shine with the pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatric populations. I strive for quality care through extended appointment times, diverse treatment modalities, personalized home-care recommendations, and education so families can feel both empowered and cared for!
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