Fixing My Flat!

     When Owen and McKenna went in for their 2 month checkup Dr. Waw mentioned that Owen had a very large flattening on the back of his head and if it didn't get better by 4-5 months we would need to discuss a cranial band AKA a helmet.  Well, I took him in for something else right after he hit 4 months and despite tummy time, tummy sleeping, and more holding and less laying down it was still very flat.  We scheduled a consultation for the next week and sure enough, when we went in he met the criteria for a "moderate to severe" head deformity.  I was really very shocked it was that bad...I knew it looked "off" but severe???  My poor baby....

   When he went for his consult they put a panty hose like cap on him so they could hold down his hair etc. and get a really accurate picture of his head.  I mean, he's still the cutest baby with a stocking cap on I have ever seen!!

  

    These pictures did help me to see the "deformity" a little better and he was approved for treatment with the Cranial Band. Our next step was going through insurance, which, thank the Lord Baby Jesus covered it at 80%.  We scheduled our fitting appointment for the 28th and the day arrived.

    They warned me it would take an hour for this appointment so I took a half day from work and he and I headed to Cranial Tech.  When we got there they had me put him up on the table on his belly and we tried it on him.  

  

Mommy's Handsome Boy!

  

Side Profile...Hey mom!!!!

  When they first placed it on him I held my breath...I was just WAITING for the screams and cries and irritation.  Absolutely.Nothing...he was completely unphased by the entire thing. They asked us to "play" for a little while...roll on the mat, lay on his belly etc. so they could see if it rubbed or needed to be trimmed up in any way. So we headed to the play mat...

   Clearly, he was not bothered by it.  He laid there and played and rolled and stared at me.  Not one tear.  Afterwards, we got back up on the table and he had a few red spots so they shaved a little of the foam off on the inside.  They told me he would really sweat in it for the next 3 days and that was normal and also that it would make him pretty hot most days because it will trap the heat that normally escapes through his head.  We have to clean it every day with Isopropyl Alcohol and he can only have it off for an hour at a time.  It calmed me so much to see how well he tolerated it and made me think this next 9-10 weeks may not be as bad as I built them up to be. Perfectly round coconut...HERE WE COME!