Monday, March 29, 2010

More on Terrible Tummy Time

The more I research about tummy time and making The Chubs comfortable on her belly, the more frustrating it gets. It seems as though I've tried almost everything, and alas, nothing works. The Senorita could not loathe it more.

I'm starting to wonder if her tiny little arms are not long enough to support her body yet. Because of the IUGR diagnosis when I was pregnant (Intrauterine Growth Restriction), her head grew normally but the rest of her body slowed in it's growth leaving her with tiny little appendages that were measured in the womb to be about 6 weeks behind. When I get her up from naps and she promptly stretches her little arms up in the air, they barely go above her head. Her finger tips are usually in line with the top of her head (or slightly above). See example:



Now try pushing yourself up if your arms were this short and small compared to your head.

Another thing that is irritating is the disclaimers that you should not put your child on their tummy right after they have eaten, or when they are cranky or fussy. This is problematic since The Chubs stays awake about 30-45 minutes tops after she finishes eating. There is a fine line between a full belly and a cranky child. If I wait too long, she's already borderline fussy and putting her on her stomach makes it worse. If I don't wait long enough she's uncomfortable from her last meal and spits up promptly when placed on her tummy. This advice is absolutely no help.

Yes, I've tried laying next to her and talking to her. Yes, I've tried putting toys on the floor to distract her. Yes, I've tried having her lay on me. Yes, I've tried putting her on my shins so she can look down at me. She's not buying any of these tricks. You can't fool her. My next step is going to be rolling a towel and placing it under her chest so she's not flat on the floor, however I highly doubt this will make a difference either, because even when she lays on my chest at a considerable incline, she still fusses. I'll keep you posted, and hopefully have a video so you can see the agony firsthand.

2 comments:

  1. I am so glad I found your blog! Somehow I missed it getting added to the BBC! Jamie let me know it was there, so here I am. I have been blurking you for a few days until I had some time to post.
    Senorita Chubs is absolutely adorable! I love her hair!!!

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  2. Aww, I'm sorry she still hates tummy time!! Camden hated it for a long time, and one day I put him on his belly and he just didn't mind anymore. That's probably what will happen with her too. That video is too cute! I love baby stretches.

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