November 2009 babies?

[nancy1]

Hi guys,

WONDERCAT: what can I say? Sean looks like the happiest baby on earth!
The nuances in the cries... I tried to just console him in the crib when he wakes up, for 5-10 minutes a few times, and every time, it escalates to the point he's going to almost gag if I don't stop him. This morning, I brought him into our bed because I was exhausted at 6 AM. He slept until 9 and woke up briefly once. As soon as he started crying, I put my hand on his chest and he fell back asleep.
Oh, oh, he's awake. Got to go

[Wondercat]

He has been waking up more at night, I think because we have stopped his sleep feed so he may be missing that. And yesterday he did wake up really crying for the first time in ages. I leaped out of bed and ran right in there - but he stopped crying as soon as I opened the door to his room and was smiling at me by the time I got to his crib! Little fink. I know that I need to be thanking my lucky stars every day with what a happy baby I have. We will just have to enjoy it while it lasts. There is still teething on the way... And my sister tells me that my 3.5-year-old nephew had about a 6 hour fit the other day stemming from a "lightsaber incident" at the playground. So there is always that to look forward to!!

[charr]

Hello. Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day and all is well with your little ones.

Nancy - I've sent you a personal message in regard to torticollis and cranial remolding. Just had some questions for you.

[nancy1]

CHarr,

I sent you 2 private messages regarding your helmet question; please let me know if you got it.
NAncy

[charr]

No, I didn't get your messages, Nancy. I wonder what happened to them?

[nancy1]

Charr,

I sent a message again and for some reason my private message feature is not working since there is no outbox message showing that I sent them.
So if you don't mind, I'll post the message here.

I would DEFINITELY do the helmet. I'm not sure how severe your son's plagiocephaly is, but mine also had plagiocephaly due to torticolis and it was pretty severe. One ped told me to just wait and it would resolve on its own. It was not. In fact it was worsening. And the other referred me straight to a neurosurgeon to make it easier for the insurance to approve it.
I think you live in the Glendale, La Crescenta Area from what I remember from your post during the fires. If that's the case, there is a Cranial technology in Pasadena (only 2 in California, by the way, so we're lucky), and you can go in for a free consult. Or Hanger which does all kinds of prosthetics, and among them also helmets. My insurance was going to cover Hanger 100% but we deicided to go with Cranial since this is all they do and they were really great and I think it's well worth the money. Cranial is 3800, Hanger is 2800, I think. Also, Cranial sees the patients every week for adjustments as opposed to Hanger who sees them every 2-3 weeks, from what I read. Sometimes they need 2 bands with cranial which can get expensive, but if you spent 6000 on braces these days, this is well worthed. I am dentist and I know all too well what facial asymmetry can do to the TMJ.
My son has had the helmet for 4 weeks now and the transfomation is INCREDIBLE!!! Along with the physical therapt, he is now able to roll over and is so much more active, and cosmetically looks great.
He adapted really well to it. Needs to waer it 23 hours a day and he needs shampooing every day.
CHarr, I would do it as soon as possible since the latet they start the longer they have to wear it.
There is a website you can go to that has a message board dedicated to this and you can read about the posts or ask questions to other parents that have kids with plagiocephaly. The link is
groups.yahoo.com/group/plagiocephaly
Check it out. It will really help.
The older peds tend to recommend to just wait because in their generation, I think, this was not so common since the kids then used to sleep on their tummies. Now, with the back to sleep campaign, this is occuring a lot more so the younger peds are more in tune with what's going on.
My hubby was skeptical at first but he is now thanking me for pushing us to do it.
By the way, it is not too late for your baby. It is just going to take longer since the growth spurt slows down after 7 months.
At the initial visit, which , again, is free, they take measurements and pictures to evaluate his headshape. Then if you decide to go ahead with it, you go in for a scan. 2 weeks leter they fit the helmet. You watch for possible sore spots and take him back if they do occur (we on ly had to do it once). Then it's a once a week appointment.
check out cranialtech.com or visit Hanger's website.
If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Sorry I had to post this here but as I said the private message feature has a problem.
Take care,
Nancy

[charr]

Thanks, Nancy, for your post! We do not live in Calif. and there's not a Cranial Tech. near us but we did go to Hanger for an evaluation this week. The orthotist seems good as he said if we need to be in his office every day for adjustments, that's fine and there would still only be the set fee of $2500. He also said he had a baby that grew so much between the time of the measurements to receiving the helmet that it no longer fit and they had to have a new one made and he didn't charge them any extra because he said it was no fault of the parents or child that he had a growth spurt. I'm going to call him today to set up the laser measurements and move forward with getting the helmet made. Our insurance says they won't cover it but I'll try working with them and see what happens. I feel like if we don't do it, we may look back and regret not doing it if the shape doesn't continue to improve. It's definitely improved already since sleeping on his tummy so I'm hoping with the help of the helmet, it'll improve quickly and he won't need to be in it for several months. I so wish I would have trusted my instincts several months ago to do this, but I was trusting in the pediatricians that it wasn't necessary. Now he'll be almost 8 months before he's fitted. Anyway..thanks for your help and keep me posted on how your little guy is doing with his and I'll do the same once ours is fitted.

[nancy1]

Hi Charr,

please don't beat yourself over him starting the helmet at 8 months. There is still plenty of time to correct it and it will be corrected; believe me. As far as HAnger goes, if you're happy with the orthotist, that's what count!
I blamed myseld for a long time for not having him start the PT sooner but it took me a while to figure out the problem. See, again, it wasn't until I mentioned it to the ped after online reasearch that he was started on PT. IF he had started it say around 2 months, his plagiocephaly would have been very mild. But you learn new things every day and if I am ever blessed with a number 2, I'll know exactly what to do and when to do it. That's the bottom line.
My baby is doing great now and for the past week, SLEEPING 7-9 HOURS!!! Yeah. I feel so refreshed finally.
Take care CHarr and feel free to ask ANY questions about the helmet.
Nancy

[nancy1]

Hi ladies,

hope all is well with you.

WONDERCAT: How's Sean doing? Is he still sleeping really good?
CHARR: Any news from the helmet. Ans also, how many months will you have him in PT.
My baby's doing quite well. For 2 weeks now he's sleeping 9 hours straight. I think it's partly due to the fact that he can now sleep on his side and his tummy which is more comfortable for him. He has probably another 1.5 month with the helmet. Now that he's almost 7 months, his growth spurt has slowed down.
Keep me posted.
NAncy

[charr]

Nancy - We should be getting fitted for the helmet next week if it arrives. Fingers crossed that he takes to it ok. That's great that you're getting some solid sleep now! That's how it was for our little guy. He started sleeping well once he was able to sleep on his tummy and side. He's been sleeping through the night for quite some time now.

Hope all is well with you, Wondercat, and Sean is doing good.

[Wondercat]

Hi Nancy and Charr,

Glad to hear that everybody is sleeping better. It's funny that both of your babies like sleeping on their tummy or side. Sean liked his side when he was first home from the hospital, but he is now most decidedly a flat-on-the-back, arms-flung-up-and-out kind of sleeper... just like Daddy! (Which yes, means Mama catches the occasional elbow to the head...) We have the cutest pic of them in the pull-out couch at the hospital snuggled together asleep with their right arms slung over their heads in an identical pose.

Actually Sean still avoids any and all tummy time like the plague. He will only stay on his tummy for about .0003 seconds. You both definitely have me eyeballing his head since it's definitely kinda lumpy looking, but I think just in an average kind of way that will just work itself out as he grows. Are yours sitting up? Sean end up flinging himself over backwards trying to stand up. He really just prefers to stand up. So he can't sit up on his own but if I sit him up he can hold onto something and stand up by himself!

We just got a new crib mattress (old one was third-hand) and Sean is sleeping better than ever, last night from 8-6:30 straight through and that's pretty average.

[nancy1]

Hi Ladies,

Hope you're both doing well! Come to think of it, we started out as a large group and now it's just us 2 musqueteers!

CHARR: how's the little one tolerating the helmet? How often do you have to go in for adjustments? Also, are you still going for PT?

WONDERCAT: that's unbelievable htat Sean can almost stand up! Wow, that's great! He seems to be doing great on sleep too!

How many ounces a day are your little ones getting? Also, how many times a day do you give them solids?
Any teeth yet? Looking at his gums every day. My assistants tease me about it and say he's prebably going to be my youngest patient! LOL!

Have a wonderful weekend you both!
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Nancy

[charr]

Hello Nancy & Wondercat!

Nancy - He is adjusting well to the helmet. Tomorrow night will be the first time he's to wear it while he sleeps. I'm so hoping he continues to sleep well through the night. Has your little guy still been sleeping well? We go in for adjustments weekly or more often if needed. Yes, he is still doing physical therapy. I don't know how long he'll continue. I think until she feels his neck muscles are much improved. How about your son? As for solids, we feed them to him 3 times a day. As for formula, he's never been able to drink big amounts at once. The most he takes is 5 oz. at a time. He probably gets about 25 oz. in a day. No teeth yet which we're very surprised about!

[Wondercat]

Hi Nancy & Charr,

I do feel like we're the last musketeers!

Sean doesn't drink that much formula at a time, either. It's relieving to hear he's not the only one. You hate to compare, but my friend's twins down these enormous bottles and I was starting to get that nagging worry that maybe he's not getting enough to drink. I stopped counting oz. because I was driving myself crazy, so as long as he's chubby and seems to poop/pee enough I just can't worry too much about it any more. He loves apple juice from his Nuby sippy cup, he will even take sips himself if I let him hold the cup. He does solids 4 times a day because he still does better with smaller meals than with eating a whole lot at once. We have a bit of a problem because my mother, who is from Austria, had my aunts send me a big package of formula and cereal from over there but now we are running out and Sean HATES the American cereals. They have a lot more varieties in Austria and it just honestly tastes better so I can't say that I blame him. Do either of you have a recommendation for a tasty cereal? We have tried Gerber and Earth's Best.

We are in the process of getting the first tooth, which has meant that my smiley boy is now very pathetic indeed. When I picked him up at my in-law's house on Friday he just looked balefully over at me from his little walker, smiled a tiny bit, then stuck out his lower lip and whimpered softly - "Meeeeh!" He's not "himself," but I feel kinda like a loser complaining since him "not napping well" means that he only slept for 45 minutes for his 3rd nap of the day Friday afternoon instead of his usual 1.5-2 hours! His bottom right tooth is definitely out now to the touch though not obviously visible.

Combined with him not sleeping as much as usual is him not wanting to do anything but stand up. All. Day. Long. I try to pull him to a sitting position and he just pops up standing. I try to drop him down to a sit from standing and he stiffens up straight as a board so that he just tips backwards. He keeps flinging himself onto his back from a sit trying to stand, then crying because he's not standing! "Why am I not standing?!?!" We are working on walking around, and he is doing a great job taking steps but I think it's going to be a while now before he's strong/coordinated enough to actually walk. And his sitting skills still pretty much suck because, well, he just wants to stand! This is bad because since he's so tall he has outgrown his baby tub but I don't feel too comfortable putting him in the tub he has to sit up in. Little punk. How are your guys doing with sitting, and what kind of tubs do you use?

[nancy1]

Hi Ladies,

Great to hear from you both!

CHARR: I'm glad your son is adjusting well to the helmet. Sleep is still good for my son except that he's come down with something, possibly an ear infection (running a low grade fever). But he's been sleeping 7-9 hours for the past 3 weeks now.
Just make sure the room temp is low 70s since I'm sure they told you, the helmet generates a lot of heat. Scrubbing it with 90% alcohol when you bathe him really helps. What were his numbers like? Like standard deviation. And is he plagiocephalic, brachycephalic or both? As for PT, after 2 months, the PT said it's 100% resolved but we still want to maintain him for another 3 months. Also, we are working on his sitting which is not doing independently yet.

WONDERCAT: You're putting my son to shame! Just kidding! I can't believe he's standing already! Is he ready for a marathon yet? LOL! As for the sleep, yes, PLEASE DO NOT COMPLAIN! THat's just awesome but, shame on me, I'm jealous! LOL As for formula, my son's average is 4.5 ounce at a time and he doesn't exceed 25 ounces. When he was on breastmilk up until 2-3 weeks ago, he would take in maybe 30 onces, but solids changed that.

Anyhow, keep me posted on how they're doing. Always great to hear from you guys.
On another topic, have you guys thought about a number 2 and do you still have frozen embryos?
I really am not sure about it. On the one hand, I' don't want him to grow up alone, one the other hand, with him starting sleeping through the night, the helmet, PT, it's been overwhelming and while my hubby is amazing when it comes to him, I am sure sure he is ready for #2. Also, my clock is ticking as I am already 40. While I was super lucky on my first try, I don't know how long it would take if we wanted a second one. I have enough for 2 more tries but going through the meds is outof question since I had hyperstimulation the first time. Decisions, decisions...

Ok ladies, have a great week.
Nancy