Re: parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

[Guest guest]

Alison,

As you can see by the repsonses you've already gotten, the answers to your

question is simply no. No, you are not being irrational, or losing your mind,

or weird. You're a mom who is reacting like a normal mom who wants to protect

her child from anything and everything. You don't know what is coming. You

don't know the future, so you have to take it as it comes and it does get

easier. You are allowed to feel scared and angry and sad ... all those emotions

are very valid and they will diminish. I don't think they ever fully go away.

You'll get use to the aids, and your daughter will get use to them. The aids

and everything associated with her hearing will become just another detail

in a normal busy life. There will be people who stare and people who come up to

talk to you because their own child has hearing aids. My HOH son, Ian,

walks up to babies with aids and makes faces at them and plays with them. He

feels a connection to them, so he does that. The moms are usually happy to see

him, and they ask me questions about Ian.

Strangers can be totally insane ... I'm sure of it. When I was preganant

with my HOH son (and 30 years old) a total stranger came up to me and asked if

I

was going keep the baby or give it up for adoption. She thought I was a high

school student. She wanted to counsel me on the wonders of adoption. The

reason she felt so free to speak -- I looked so young and was not wearing a

wedding ring. I asked her how many 7-month-pregnant women she knew who still

had

their rings on? Mine came off before they needed to be cut off.

My daughter (hearing) had almost no hair until she was 2½ and many total

strangers came up to me to ask how her chemotherapy was going and if it made her

sick. They wanted to tell me stories of their own child/grandchild who had

chemo. My daughter didn't have any illness that needed chemo. She was simply

bald. Then in about 3 months suddenly ther hair grew in ... lots of it, with

ringlets at the ends. Beautiful hair, tons of it. My friends teased me that I

was feeding her some form of fertilizer.

You can't be afraid of what strangers will say or think. In my experience

people will say just about anything that comes into their heads and never think

that it might be inappropriate. Smile at them and walk away. You don't have

to talk to them.

The most wonderful compliment paid to me was from an little old italian lady

in the supermarket. My 2 month old son was happy, gurgling and flirting with

me as we shopped. She came up and informed me that I was obviously a very

good mother, because my baby was so obviously happy. A simple compliment ... but

it made my day. It can still make my day. And he was a very happy baby who

is now a happy young man.

So, think of that when anyone stares. Watch your beautiful baby laugh when

you make faces with her and know that you are doing a great job. Smile broadly

at strangers when they stare and say " Isn't she beautiful? ... and such a

happy baby ... I can't help but stare at her myself. " and walk away.

Best -- Jill

In a message dated 10/21/2004 8:08:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

aldelgaudio@... writes:

Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

Alison

[Guest guest]

Alison,

As you can see by the repsonses you've already gotten, the answers to your

question is simply no. No, you are not being irrational, or losing your mind,

or weird. You're a mom who is reacting like a normal mom who wants to protect

her child from anything and everything. You don't know what is coming. You

don't know the future, so you have to take it as it comes and it does get

easier. You are allowed to feel scared and angry and sad ... all those emotions

are very valid and they will diminish. I don't think they ever fully go away.

You'll get use to the aids, and your daughter will get use to them. The aids

and everything associated with her hearing will become just another detail

in a normal busy life. There will be people who stare and people who come up to

talk to you because their own child has hearing aids. My HOH son, Ian,

walks up to babies with aids and makes faces at them and plays with them. He

feels a connection to them, so he does that. The moms are usually happy to see

him, and they ask me questions about Ian.

Strangers can be totally insane ... I'm sure of it. When I was preganant

with my HOH son (and 30 years old) a total stranger came up to me and asked if

I

was going keep the baby or give it up for adoption. She thought I was a high

school student. She wanted to counsel me on the wonders of adoption. The

reason she felt so free to speak -- I looked so young and was not wearing a

wedding ring. I asked her how many 7-month-pregnant women she knew who still

had

their rings on? Mine came off before they needed to be cut off.

My daughter (hearing) had almost no hair until she was 2½ and many total

strangers came up to me to ask how her chemotherapy was going and if it made her

sick. They wanted to tell me stories of their own child/grandchild who had

chemo. My daughter didn't have any illness that needed chemo. She was simply

bald. Then in about 3 months suddenly ther hair grew in ... lots of it, with

ringlets at the ends. Beautiful hair, tons of it. My friends teased me that I

was feeding her some form of fertilizer.

You can't be afraid of what strangers will say or think. In my experience

people will say just about anything that comes into their heads and never think

that it might be inappropriate. Smile at them and walk away. You don't have

to talk to them.

The most wonderful compliment paid to me was from an little old italian lady

in the supermarket. My 2 month old son was happy, gurgling and flirting with

me as we shopped. She came up and informed me that I was obviously a very

good mother, because my baby was so obviously happy. A simple compliment ... but

it made my day. It can still make my day. And he was a very happy baby who

is now a happy young man.

So, think of that when anyone stares. Watch your beautiful baby laugh when

you make faces with her and know that you are doing a great job. Smile broadly

at strangers when they stare and say " Isn't she beautiful? ... and such a

happy baby ... I can't help but stare at her myself. " and walk away.

Best -- Jill

In a message dated 10/21/2004 8:08:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

aldelgaudio@... writes:

Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

Alison

[Guest guest]

Alison,

As you can see by the repsonses you've already gotten, the answers to your

question is simply no. No, you are not being irrational, or losing your mind,

or weird. You're a mom who is reacting like a normal mom who wants to protect

her child from anything and everything. You don't know what is coming. You

don't know the future, so you have to take it as it comes and it does get

easier. You are allowed to feel scared and angry and sad ... all those emotions

are very valid and they will diminish. I don't think they ever fully go away.

You'll get use to the aids, and your daughter will get use to them. The aids

and everything associated with her hearing will become just another detail

in a normal busy life. There will be people who stare and people who come up to

talk to you because their own child has hearing aids. My HOH son, Ian,

walks up to babies with aids and makes faces at them and plays with them. He

feels a connection to them, so he does that. The moms are usually happy to see

him, and they ask me questions about Ian.

Strangers can be totally insane ... I'm sure of it. When I was preganant

with my HOH son (and 30 years old) a total stranger came up to me and asked if

I

was going keep the baby or give it up for adoption. She thought I was a high

school student. She wanted to counsel me on the wonders of adoption. The

reason she felt so free to speak -- I looked so young and was not wearing a

wedding ring. I asked her how many 7-month-pregnant women she knew who still

had

their rings on? Mine came off before they needed to be cut off.

My daughter (hearing) had almost no hair until she was 2½ and many total

strangers came up to me to ask how her chemotherapy was going and if it made her

sick. They wanted to tell me stories of their own child/grandchild who had

chemo. My daughter didn't have any illness that needed chemo. She was simply

bald. Then in about 3 months suddenly ther hair grew in ... lots of it, with

ringlets at the ends. Beautiful hair, tons of it. My friends teased me that I

was feeding her some form of fertilizer.

You can't be afraid of what strangers will say or think. In my experience

people will say just about anything that comes into their heads and never think

that it might be inappropriate. Smile at them and walk away. You don't have

to talk to them.

The most wonderful compliment paid to me was from an little old italian lady

in the supermarket. My 2 month old son was happy, gurgling and flirting with

me as we shopped. She came up and informed me that I was obviously a very

good mother, because my baby was so obviously happy. A simple compliment ... but

it made my day. It can still make my day. And he was a very happy baby who

is now a happy young man.

So, think of that when anyone stares. Watch your beautiful baby laugh when

you make faces with her and know that you are doing a great job. Smile broadly

at strangers when they stare and say " Isn't she beautiful? ... and such a

happy baby ... I can't help but stare at her myself. " and walk away.

Best -- Jill

In a message dated 10/21/2004 8:08:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time,

aldelgaudio@... writes:

Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

Alison

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison - neither of my boys were diagnosed as babies (they were 3-1/4 years

and 15 months at diagnosis) so never had to face trying to keep hearing aids on

a baby. Although I guess the flip side of the coin is that my greatest

disappointment is that my boys weren't diagnosed as infants - and they would

have been - because both states where we lived at the time didn't offer newborn

hearing screening. My boys now are 12 and 10.

First, you're not being irrational at all - you feel the way you feel and don't

let anyone tell you you shouldn't! I remember when my second son was diagnosed

2 months after my 3-1/2 year old got his hearing aids thinking " I did this to

you " which is in true as far as it goes (due to genetics). People told me I

shouldn't say that but I think I had to beat myself up to get past feeling that

way. I also remember wondering how in the world we were going to handle those

tiny hearing aids, earmolds, taking care of them - it was so overwhelming to

me! I think many, if not all, of us know exactly how you feel.

I initially also felt bad, angry, etc. at people who would ask me about their

hearing aids. Particularly for Sam (my younger son), he's very blonde and the

aids were really visible initially. I think in part it was due to me not being

comfortable with them - I was still grieving about their hearing loss. At some

point I realized that people will ask - and by telling them what's up, it helps

educate them so maybe they'll be a little more understanding with my kids? My

boys now have really fun earmolds on their hearing aids - Tom's are red

starbursts; Sam's are blue and red - for the Red Sox (go Red Sox - oops - sorry

- I digress! - sorry Jill he he he).

It helped me a lot to talk with other parents - both via email and in person

and to realize that we've all been where you are. It does get easier -

managing their hearing aids is just a part of things now to the point I don't

even think about it. And I'm so proud now when a child or adult asks about

their hearing aids, one of the boys will pipe up and explain what's up.

It's taken awhile to get to where we are today. I truly had to grieve their

hearing loss - it was so hard at the time! I remember when they were little

walking up behind them and seeing their hearing aids and feeling so sad. I

honestly don't feel that way any longer - it's just part of who they are.

Be gentle with yourself and realize what you're feeling is normal - and we're

all here if you need us.

Take care!

Barbara

--- You wrote:

When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

--- end of quote ---

*******************************

Barbara Mellert

Manager, Social Science Computing

Kiewit Computing Services

Dartmouth College

13A Silsby Hall; HB 6121

Hanover NH 03755

Telephone: 603/646-2877

URL: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ssc

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison - neither of my boys were diagnosed as babies (they were 3-1/4 years

and 15 months at diagnosis) so never had to face trying to keep hearing aids on

a baby. Although I guess the flip side of the coin is that my greatest

disappointment is that my boys weren't diagnosed as infants - and they would

have been - because both states where we lived at the time didn't offer newborn

hearing screening. My boys now are 12 and 10.

First, you're not being irrational at all - you feel the way you feel and don't

let anyone tell you you shouldn't! I remember when my second son was diagnosed

2 months after my 3-1/2 year old got his hearing aids thinking " I did this to

you " which is in true as far as it goes (due to genetics). People told me I

shouldn't say that but I think I had to beat myself up to get past feeling that

way. I also remember wondering how in the world we were going to handle those

tiny hearing aids, earmolds, taking care of them - it was so overwhelming to

me! I think many, if not all, of us know exactly how you feel.

I initially also felt bad, angry, etc. at people who would ask me about their

hearing aids. Particularly for Sam (my younger son), he's very blonde and the

aids were really visible initially. I think in part it was due to me not being

comfortable with them - I was still grieving about their hearing loss. At some

point I realized that people will ask - and by telling them what's up, it helps

educate them so maybe they'll be a little more understanding with my kids? My

boys now have really fun earmolds on their hearing aids - Tom's are red

starbursts; Sam's are blue and red - for the Red Sox (go Red Sox - oops - sorry

- I digress! - sorry Jill he he he).

It helped me a lot to talk with other parents - both via email and in person

and to realize that we've all been where you are. It does get easier -

managing their hearing aids is just a part of things now to the point I don't

even think about it. And I'm so proud now when a child or adult asks about

their hearing aids, one of the boys will pipe up and explain what's up.

It's taken awhile to get to where we are today. I truly had to grieve their

hearing loss - it was so hard at the time! I remember when they were little

walking up behind them and seeing their hearing aids and feeling so sad. I

honestly don't feel that way any longer - it's just part of who they are.

Be gentle with yourself and realize what you're feeling is normal - and we're

all here if you need us.

Take care!

Barbara

--- You wrote:

When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

--- end of quote ---

*******************************

Barbara Mellert

Manager, Social Science Computing

Kiewit Computing Services

Dartmouth College

13A Silsby Hall; HB 6121

Hanover NH 03755

Telephone: 603/646-2877

URL: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ssc

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison - neither of my boys were diagnosed as babies (they were 3-1/4 years

and 15 months at diagnosis) so never had to face trying to keep hearing aids on

a baby. Although I guess the flip side of the coin is that my greatest

disappointment is that my boys weren't diagnosed as infants - and they would

have been - because both states where we lived at the time didn't offer newborn

hearing screening. My boys now are 12 and 10.

First, you're not being irrational at all - you feel the way you feel and don't

let anyone tell you you shouldn't! I remember when my second son was diagnosed

2 months after my 3-1/2 year old got his hearing aids thinking " I did this to

you " which is in true as far as it goes (due to genetics). People told me I

shouldn't say that but I think I had to beat myself up to get past feeling that

way. I also remember wondering how in the world we were going to handle those

tiny hearing aids, earmolds, taking care of them - it was so overwhelming to

me! I think many, if not all, of us know exactly how you feel.

I initially also felt bad, angry, etc. at people who would ask me about their

hearing aids. Particularly for Sam (my younger son), he's very blonde and the

aids were really visible initially. I think in part it was due to me not being

comfortable with them - I was still grieving about their hearing loss. At some

point I realized that people will ask - and by telling them what's up, it helps

educate them so maybe they'll be a little more understanding with my kids? My

boys now have really fun earmolds on their hearing aids - Tom's are red

starbursts; Sam's are blue and red - for the Red Sox (go Red Sox - oops - sorry

- I digress! - sorry Jill he he he).

It helped me a lot to talk with other parents - both via email and in person

and to realize that we've all been where you are. It does get easier -

managing their hearing aids is just a part of things now to the point I don't

even think about it. And I'm so proud now when a child or adult asks about

their hearing aids, one of the boys will pipe up and explain what's up.

It's taken awhile to get to where we are today. I truly had to grieve their

hearing loss - it was so hard at the time! I remember when they were little

walking up behind them and seeing their hearing aids and feeling so sad. I

honestly don't feel that way any longer - it's just part of who they are.

Be gentle with yourself and realize what you're feeling is normal - and we're

all here if you need us.

Take care!

Barbara

--- You wrote:

When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

--- end of quote ---

*******************************

Barbara Mellert

Manager, Social Science Computing

Kiewit Computing Services

Dartmouth College

13A Silsby Hall; HB 6121

Hanover NH 03755

Telephone: 603/646-2877

URL: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~ssc

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison,

Yes, it does get easier. In fact, I still think that the first months

of dealing with the hearing loss diagnosis are the hardest part. Soon,

it will be normal to see your daughter in aids and living with them will

just be part of your routine.

You may want to check out Dave Luterman's book, " When Your Child is

Deaf " for thoughts on how to respond to your own emotions with this

diagnosis. Although the communication method discussed in the book is

not something we believe in for our family, I still find the early

chapters on the emotional implications for the rest of the family to be

valuable.

In terms of support groups, there's Parent Connection, a group of

families from Massachusetts. You can contact for more

info ( or wills0903@...) or Joanne Travers

(greatervoice@...). The next event should be in December.

Also, Family TIES in Massachusetts provides resources for families of

hard of hearing children. http://www.massfamilyties.org/ There are

several of us on this group who also volunteer for them. I'm assuming

you are already involved with them for Early Intervention Services for

your daughter.

I'm on the South Shore, so if you'd like to meet or talk on the phone,

feel free to contact me off-list at dawkdd@....

Kerry

parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

Alison

mom to Lucy - 6 months, mild hearing loss

All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each

post is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

[Guest guest]

Hi Alison,

Yes, it does get easier. In fact, I still think that the first months

of dealing with the hearing loss diagnosis are the hardest part. Soon,

it will be normal to see your daughter in aids and living with them will

just be part of your routine.

You may want to check out Dave Luterman's book, " When Your Child is

Deaf " for thoughts on how to respond to your own emotions with this

diagnosis. Although the communication method discussed in the book is

not something we believe in for our family, I still find the early

chapters on the emotional implications for the rest of the family to be

valuable.

In terms of support groups, there's Parent Connection, a group of

families from Massachusetts. You can contact for more

info ( or wills0903@...) or Joanne Travers

(greatervoice@...). The next event should be in December.

Also, Family TIES in Massachusetts provides resources for families of

hard of hearing children. http://www.massfamilyties.org/ There are

several of us on this group who also volunteer for them. I'm assuming

you are already involved with them for Early Intervention Services for

your daughter.

I'm on the South Shore, so if you'd like to meet or talk on the phone,

feel free to contact me off-list at dawkdd@....

Kerry

parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

Alison

mom to Lucy - 6 months, mild hearing loss

All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each

post is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

[Guest guest]

Ann Marie wrote:

My biggest fear currently is how we are going to keep them on him? He

also goes to a sitter 3 days a week and I worry that she is not going to

be able to handle this.

Hi Ann Marie,

One of the great things about aiding your child at such a young age is

that the world is dramatically changing for him every single day in all

kinds of ways, not just his hearing. Encourage those who are close to

him and/or responsible for his care to really spend some time with his

aids. It takes some time to get used to putting in the aids, especially

with a squirming baby or toddler! I wish I had been more encouraging

for some family members to step up to the challenge of inserting

Hadley's aids. Within a week or so, my husband and I were pros at it,

and I think our confidence made some other people feel more reluctant to

try it themselves. By the time Hadley was 15 months or so, she really

didn't want people fumbling around her ears, so we lost that window of

opportunity. I'm now very matter-of-fact when I show people what to do

(and I leave them with a TON of information, as I've learned that people

feel more confident when they have a manual and pictures that they can

study when I'm not around).

Here are some hints to help with the aids: use good lubrication (OtoFerm

is something most of us use; your audi can tell you what other things,

like KY gel, will be appropriate for his aids); try out different clips

and straps to see what works best for him (we like the ones from the Ear

Connection, www.getsafensound.com, but other people like Critter Clips);

ask if he can have a pediatric ear hook (the piece of plastic that runs

from the hearing aid to the ear mold) which, depending on the kind of

aids he gets, may help keep the aid closer to his head; try keeping a

light hat on him, like a pilot cap from Hanna Andersson; and be patient.

You will all adjust faster than you would imagine. The wait is much

more agonizing than the reality.

Kerry

[Guest guest]

,

It seems as though it may be harder for you than her. Our little Ian, 1,

has had them for a month now. He really doesnt care about them and leaves

them in unless he is bored. I take him in public all the time and I have to

say, seems no one has noticed. He has mild/mod loss, and yes, it is hard to

see the difference. He CAN hear us, just NOT like he should. He has blue

molds and blue aids. When he was first diagnosed, a friend of mine told me,

they are basically just like glasses. He needs a little help to hear, I

need a little help to see. At least we are in a time where they can get

help. Ians hearing aids are really really light. I think this will all get

easier in a couple of weeks when you are more used to them and see her in a

hearing test responding better to sound.

Keep your chin up. =) She is just as cute with them as without.

Tawnya

Ian 1 year, mild/mod

, 3 1/2 hearing

parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

>

>When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

>children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

>their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

>not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

>how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

>hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

>can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

>her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

>She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

>ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

>think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

>was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

>would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

>haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

>embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

>don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

>being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

>to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

>my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

>never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

>

>Alison

>mom to Lucy - 6 months, mild hearing loss

>

>

>

>

>

>

>All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post

is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

It seems as though it may be harder for you than her. Our little Ian, 1,

has had them for a month now. He really doesnt care about them and leaves

them in unless he is bored. I take him in public all the time and I have to

say, seems no one has noticed. He has mild/mod loss, and yes, it is hard to

see the difference. He CAN hear us, just NOT like he should. He has blue

molds and blue aids. When he was first diagnosed, a friend of mine told me,

they are basically just like glasses. He needs a little help to hear, I

need a little help to see. At least we are in a time where they can get

help. Ians hearing aids are really really light. I think this will all get

easier in a couple of weeks when you are more used to them and see her in a

hearing test responding better to sound.

Keep your chin up. =) She is just as cute with them as without.

Tawnya

Ian 1 year, mild/mod

, 3 1/2 hearing

parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

>

>When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

>children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

>their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

>not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

>how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

>hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

>can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

>her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

>She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

>ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

>think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

>was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

>would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

>haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

>embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

>don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

>being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

>to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

>my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

>never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

>

>Alison

>mom to Lucy - 6 months, mild hearing loss

>

>

>

>

>

>

>All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post

is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

It seems as though it may be harder for you than her. Our little Ian, 1,

has had them for a month now. He really doesnt care about them and leaves

them in unless he is bored. I take him in public all the time and I have to

say, seems no one has noticed. He has mild/mod loss, and yes, it is hard to

see the difference. He CAN hear us, just NOT like he should. He has blue

molds and blue aids. When he was first diagnosed, a friend of mine told me,

they are basically just like glasses. He needs a little help to hear, I

need a little help to see. At least we are in a time where they can get

help. Ians hearing aids are really really light. I think this will all get

easier in a couple of weeks when you are more used to them and see her in a

hearing test responding better to sound.

Keep your chin up. =) She is just as cute with them as without.

Tawnya

Ian 1 year, mild/mod

, 3 1/2 hearing

parents of babies who have/had hearing aids....

>

>When does this get easier??? I'm not saying that parents of

>children, as opposed to babies, have it easier when it comes to

>their kids wearing aids but I do think there is a difference. I am

>not trying to exclude but I wanted to get other parents opinions of

>how they handled seeing their baby in aids. We've only had the

>hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild loss) and I

>can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

>her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

>She's just a little baby and has these big, ugly things in her

>ears. I know I sound super negative and I'm sorry about that. I

>think also what is hard is that I see no difference - if her loss

>was worse I think I would like when she had the aids in cause I

>would see a difference but right now I don't. Even more pathetic, I

>haven't taken her out of the house with them in yet - not that I am

>embarrased, cause she's the most beautiful baby in the world, but I

>don't want people to stare and if they do I might lose it. Am I

>being completely irrational? I think I just need time to get used

>to them.... please tell me others have felt this. It just breaks

>my heart to see a little baby in these aids...maybe cause you just

>never see babies with them. Thanks for any advice or comments...

>

>Alison

>mom to Lucy - 6 months, mild hearing loss

>

>

>

>

>

>

>All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post

is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Alison, I've been reading the posts responding to you, and I am very glad

you found this list. The early days (weeks, months) are so overwhelming, and

it IS hard to see those huge, honkin' hearing aids on those tiny ears. And I

bet even more so when your baby has a mild loss, so responds to a lot of

sounds without them.

My son was identified at birth; his loss is severe, so there was never a

question of his wearing the aids. People did stare at him, they were always

so nice, and mostly curious as to how we knew so soon that he needed them.

Now they are just a part of him; I stopped seeing them years ago. You will

get there too. Give yourself time.

We are here whenever you need --

Stefanie

mom to Ben, 6, severe to profound HOH, and Isabella, 9, mild loss, unaided

on 10/21/04 8:07 AM, aldelgaudio at aldelgaudio@... wrote:

[Guest guest]

Alison, I've been reading the posts responding to you, and I am very glad

you found this list. The early days (weeks, months) are so overwhelming, and

it IS hard to see those huge, honkin' hearing aids on those tiny ears. And I

bet even more so when your baby has a mild loss, so responds to a lot of

sounds without them.

My son was identified at birth; his loss is severe, so there was never a

question of his wearing the aids. People did stare at him, they were always

so nice, and mostly curious as to how we knew so soon that he needed them.

Now they are just a part of him; I stopped seeing them years ago. You will

get there too. Give yourself time.

We are here whenever you need --

Stefanie

mom to Ben, 6, severe to profound HOH, and Isabella, 9, mild loss, unaided

on 10/21/04 8:07 AM, aldelgaudio at aldelgaudio@... wrote:

[Guest guest]

Alison;

You have received a number of great replies. Two things that I

thought about, that I did not see mentioned.

First, my daughter was much older when she got her aids initially

(18 months), but I found that head bands (as long as the hole the

sound came in wasn't covered) helped alot with keeping her aids in

her ear.

It actually was not very long before she left them alone. She did

tend to dismantle them in the car though & they ended up being taped

up, every opening. She could even get the batteries out, given

enough time.

Even though her aids did not help her, I have always been thankful

for the technology. Without them, she would have a very hard time

of it.

Also, your child has only had them for 3 days! This is an area I

had a hard time grasping ( & I will go through it again when her CI

is turned on next week). Hearing age, have you heard the term? It

means the day your child starts hearing. It is different from

chronological age. A child with normal hearing, hears even in the

womb. You child already has to " make up " for 6 months of not

hearing clearly. I don't know if this is a rule of thumb or not,

but I was told to expect a 1 day for 1 day ( & as we progress a 2 day

to 1 day) ratio of hearing sound, & catching up to her peers. So,

my daughter, at 28 months, will take approx 28 months to catch up to

her peers & that is if everything goes well. As everyone constantly

told me, give it some time. Of course, in our case the aids did not

help, so I didn't see progress, because there really wasn't any,

which caused us to dig deeper & discover her loss was profound & not

mild-moderate, as first thought. But still, she wore her aids for 2

months before they decided to look deeper.

Hang in there.....

Debby

Mom to Lindsi

Med El CI on 9/23

Turn On 10/26/04

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

Hi Alison,

I know you've already had lots of great replies, but I wanted to add my

experience. My daughter has a moderate loss and was aided at 12 months.

I think one of the hard things in dealing with our child's hearing loss is

the fact that the hearing aids are a constant physical reminder of it. It's

not like an illness that you give the child a medicine and then don't really

have to think about again til the next dose - the hearing aids are always

there to remind you what's different about your child and if the child

constantly pulls them out, they cause you stress too, because you're always

on " hearing aid alert " and having to put them back in. I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park. They did some fine tuning which made the squealing reduce

which was a relief. I remember a time when the audi posted me the new moulds

and I was having trouble getting the tight plastic tubing to fit onto the

hearing aid. After an hour of struggling with it and my fingers were hurting

from trying to push it on, I burst into tears with the frustration of the

whole situation. I had a big " why me " cry session, knowing that my friends

who have healthy children have no idea what it's like and what I have to

deal with. It's times like those, that having a group like Listen-Up really

helped me through so I'm glad you've joined us. You won't feel so alone and

there's so many supportive people here who can help answer your questions or

be a shoulder to cry on when it's all getting too much.

Having a mild or moderate loss also means you may not see a significant

difference when your baby is wearing the aids. Other people may question the

need for them because she will show signs of hearing without the aids. This

makes it hard when you're trying to convince yourself you're doing the right

thing and persevere with keeping the aids in. Trust me, one day when your

daughter is old enough to tell you, you'll look back at these early days and

be glad you persevered. It's only in the last few months that (almost 4

years old) says things that show me the aids really help her. She turns the

TV up louder if her aids aren't in and asks me to repeat myself more often.

She can also tell me which sounds she can and can't hear ie planes flying

over, indicator switch on the car. As a baby, without her aids, she always

seemed to hear me fine, but you don't realise how much they're missing until

they are old enought to let you know. I'm so glad now that I kept her aids

in as much as I could because it would have helped her keep on track with

her speech. She took 4 months before she stopped pulling them out and then

only took them out when she was tired or bored. I thought it would never end

but it did and when she reached the stage where she would refuse to take

them out at nap time I couldn't believe how far we had come!

It's true what the others said - it does get easier. It is something that we

all have to deal with on an ongoing basis, but your acceptance of it will

increase and one day soon, it will not be your main focus when dealing with

your daughter. I've got so used to seeing in her aids that when my son

was born I was nursing him in the hospital, and look down at his

naked ears and think " oh heck, where are his aids " just for a second before

I realised he doesn't have any! I've even gone to put 's aids in his

ears one morning when they were sitting together!

is now doing incredibly well, with above average speech and knowledge.

Her hearing loss is just a small part of who she is and I rarely have people

looking at her aids or saying something. Usually it has been other children

who have asked what the aids are, but just out of curiosity, not being mean.

Some adults have asked is she deaf and is she getting an implant. It seems

most people have heard about implants, but they are not so familiar with

seeing babies with aids. I've always been matter of fact about them, and

never acted as if they are a negative thing. In fact, I tell that we

are so lucky that there is such a thing as hearing aids to help her hear

better so she thinks of them as somthing positive. I still have my moments

when I wish things were different for her, but they are rare these days. One

way I used to cope in the early days was have a sign on the fridge that said

" It's only hearing loss " to remind me that we are lucky it's not something

life threatening or something that affects her intellect/behaviour as I

believe that would be something harder to deal with. 's loss doesn't

change who she is or her ability to do whatever she wants to in life.

Hang in there - you will make it and you know everyone is here for you when

you need a friend.

Regards,

Kerryn

Melbourne, Australia

(, 3.11, mod; 1, hearing)

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

Hi Alison,

I know you've already had lots of great replies, but I wanted to add my

experience. My daughter has a moderate loss and was aided at 12 months.

I think one of the hard things in dealing with our child's hearing loss is

the fact that the hearing aids are a constant physical reminder of it. It's

not like an illness that you give the child a medicine and then don't really

have to think about again til the next dose - the hearing aids are always

there to remind you what's different about your child and if the child

constantly pulls them out, they cause you stress too, because you're always

on " hearing aid alert " and having to put them back in. I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park. They did some fine tuning which made the squealing reduce

which was a relief. I remember a time when the audi posted me the new moulds

and I was having trouble getting the tight plastic tubing to fit onto the

hearing aid. After an hour of struggling with it and my fingers were hurting

from trying to push it on, I burst into tears with the frustration of the

whole situation. I had a big " why me " cry session, knowing that my friends

who have healthy children have no idea what it's like and what I have to

deal with. It's times like those, that having a group like Listen-Up really

helped me through so I'm glad you've joined us. You won't feel so alone and

there's so many supportive people here who can help answer your questions or

be a shoulder to cry on when it's all getting too much.

Having a mild or moderate loss also means you may not see a significant

difference when your baby is wearing the aids. Other people may question the

need for them because she will show signs of hearing without the aids. This

makes it hard when you're trying to convince yourself you're doing the right

thing and persevere with keeping the aids in. Trust me, one day when your

daughter is old enough to tell you, you'll look back at these early days and

be glad you persevered. It's only in the last few months that (almost 4

years old) says things that show me the aids really help her. She turns the

TV up louder if her aids aren't in and asks me to repeat myself more often.

She can also tell me which sounds she can and can't hear ie planes flying

over, indicator switch on the car. As a baby, without her aids, she always

seemed to hear me fine, but you don't realise how much they're missing until

they are old enought to let you know. I'm so glad now that I kept her aids

in as much as I could because it would have helped her keep on track with

her speech. She took 4 months before she stopped pulling them out and then

only took them out when she was tired or bored. I thought it would never end

but it did and when she reached the stage where she would refuse to take

them out at nap time I couldn't believe how far we had come!

It's true what the others said - it does get easier. It is something that we

all have to deal with on an ongoing basis, but your acceptance of it will

increase and one day soon, it will not be your main focus when dealing with

your daughter. I've got so used to seeing in her aids that when my son

was born I was nursing him in the hospital, and look down at his

naked ears and think " oh heck, where are his aids " just for a second before

I realised he doesn't have any! I've even gone to put 's aids in his

ears one morning when they were sitting together!

is now doing incredibly well, with above average speech and knowledge.

Her hearing loss is just a small part of who she is and I rarely have people

looking at her aids or saying something. Usually it has been other children

who have asked what the aids are, but just out of curiosity, not being mean.

Some adults have asked is she deaf and is she getting an implant. It seems

most people have heard about implants, but they are not so familiar with

seeing babies with aids. I've always been matter of fact about them, and

never acted as if they are a negative thing. In fact, I tell that we

are so lucky that there is such a thing as hearing aids to help her hear

better so she thinks of them as somthing positive. I still have my moments

when I wish things were different for her, but they are rare these days. One

way I used to cope in the early days was have a sign on the fridge that said

" It's only hearing loss " to remind me that we are lucky it's not something

life threatening or something that affects her intellect/behaviour as I

believe that would be something harder to deal with. 's loss doesn't

change who she is or her ability to do whatever she wants to in life.

Hang in there - you will make it and you know everyone is here for you when

you need a friend.

Regards,

Kerryn

Melbourne, Australia

(, 3.11, mod; 1, hearing)

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

Hi Alison,

I know you've already had lots of great replies, but I wanted to add my

experience. My daughter has a moderate loss and was aided at 12 months.

I think one of the hard things in dealing with our child's hearing loss is

the fact that the hearing aids are a constant physical reminder of it. It's

not like an illness that you give the child a medicine and then don't really

have to think about again til the next dose - the hearing aids are always

there to remind you what's different about your child and if the child

constantly pulls them out, they cause you stress too, because you're always

on " hearing aid alert " and having to put them back in. I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park. They did some fine tuning which made the squealing reduce

which was a relief. I remember a time when the audi posted me the new moulds

and I was having trouble getting the tight plastic tubing to fit onto the

hearing aid. After an hour of struggling with it and my fingers were hurting

from trying to push it on, I burst into tears with the frustration of the

whole situation. I had a big " why me " cry session, knowing that my friends

who have healthy children have no idea what it's like and what I have to

deal with. It's times like those, that having a group like Listen-Up really

helped me through so I'm glad you've joined us. You won't feel so alone and

there's so many supportive people here who can help answer your questions or

be a shoulder to cry on when it's all getting too much.

Having a mild or moderate loss also means you may not see a significant

difference when your baby is wearing the aids. Other people may question the

need for them because she will show signs of hearing without the aids. This

makes it hard when you're trying to convince yourself you're doing the right

thing and persevere with keeping the aids in. Trust me, one day when your

daughter is old enough to tell you, you'll look back at these early days and

be glad you persevered. It's only in the last few months that (almost 4

years old) says things that show me the aids really help her. She turns the

TV up louder if her aids aren't in and asks me to repeat myself more often.

She can also tell me which sounds she can and can't hear ie planes flying

over, indicator switch on the car. As a baby, without her aids, she always

seemed to hear me fine, but you don't realise how much they're missing until

they are old enought to let you know. I'm so glad now that I kept her aids

in as much as I could because it would have helped her keep on track with

her speech. She took 4 months before she stopped pulling them out and then

only took them out when she was tired or bored. I thought it would never end

but it did and when she reached the stage where she would refuse to take

them out at nap time I couldn't believe how far we had come!

It's true what the others said - it does get easier. It is something that we

all have to deal with on an ongoing basis, but your acceptance of it will

increase and one day soon, it will not be your main focus when dealing with

your daughter. I've got so used to seeing in her aids that when my son

was born I was nursing him in the hospital, and look down at his

naked ears and think " oh heck, where are his aids " just for a second before

I realised he doesn't have any! I've even gone to put 's aids in his

ears one morning when they were sitting together!

is now doing incredibly well, with above average speech and knowledge.

Her hearing loss is just a small part of who she is and I rarely have people

looking at her aids or saying something. Usually it has been other children

who have asked what the aids are, but just out of curiosity, not being mean.

Some adults have asked is she deaf and is she getting an implant. It seems

most people have heard about implants, but they are not so familiar with

seeing babies with aids. I've always been matter of fact about them, and

never acted as if they are a negative thing. In fact, I tell that we

are so lucky that there is such a thing as hearing aids to help her hear

better so she thinks of them as somthing positive. I still have my moments

when I wish things were different for her, but they are rare these days. One

way I used to cope in the early days was have a sign on the fridge that said

" It's only hearing loss " to remind me that we are lucky it's not something

life threatening or something that affects her intellect/behaviour as I

believe that would be something harder to deal with. 's loss doesn't

change who she is or her ability to do whatever she wants to in life.

Hang in there - you will make it and you know everyone is here for you when

you need a friend.

Regards,

Kerryn

Melbourne, Australia

(, 3.11, mod; 1, hearing)

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

The first few weeks of having a child wear hearing aids are always difficult

ones. After all, they are not a part of our 'dream' for our child - unless

you knew beforehand that there was a high probability your child would have

a hearing loss. It's always difficult to lose that dream. You will actually

go through all of the stages of mourning because it is a significant loss.

But please remember that you're not alone. We're here for you. We'll give

you information, offer you a shoulder to cry on, or empathize with what

you're going through. At first I too didn't like my son's hearing aids....oh

so many moons ago. It wasn't very long till he brought home is first

pictures from school and he didn't have his hearing aids on. He said the

photographer told him to take them out, so he did. We sat down and I made

sure he understood that if he wore his hearing aids on the way to get the

picture, it was only right that he should leave them in - as long as he felt

they were a part of him, they should be included and that he should never be

embarassed to show them.

> I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park.<

I always felt that if the squealing didn't bother my son when he hugged me,

I wouldn't let it bother me. If it bothers them, they will quickly learn how

to position their head so it doesn't happen. With very young children, some

of the audiologists I know acually use and FM system and turn the mic on the

hearing aids off till the child is old enough to not be laying down for more

than their daily nap.

Hugs to all,

Kay

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

The first few weeks of having a child wear hearing aids are always difficult

ones. After all, they are not a part of our 'dream' for our child - unless

you knew beforehand that there was a high probability your child would have

a hearing loss. It's always difficult to lose that dream. You will actually

go through all of the stages of mourning because it is a significant loss.

But please remember that you're not alone. We're here for you. We'll give

you information, offer you a shoulder to cry on, or empathize with what

you're going through. At first I too didn't like my son's hearing aids....oh

so many moons ago. It wasn't very long till he brought home is first

pictures from school and he didn't have his hearing aids on. He said the

photographer told him to take them out, so he did. We sat down and I made

sure he understood that if he wore his hearing aids on the way to get the

picture, it was only right that he should leave them in - as long as he felt

they were a part of him, they should be included and that he should never be

embarassed to show them.

> I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park.<

I always felt that if the squealing didn't bother my son when he hugged me,

I wouldn't let it bother me. If it bothers them, they will quickly learn how

to position their head so it doesn't happen. With very young children, some

of the audiologists I know acually use and FM system and turn the mic on the

hearing aids off till the child is old enough to not be laying down for more

than their daily nap.

Hugs to all,

Kay

[Guest guest]

> We've only had the hearing aids 3 days for our 6 month old daugther (mild

loss) and I

> can tell you that I don't like them at all. It makes me sad to see

> her in them! Will it get easier? Will I get over this? When?

The first few weeks of having a child wear hearing aids are always difficult

ones. After all, they are not a part of our 'dream' for our child - unless

you knew beforehand that there was a high probability your child would have

a hearing loss. It's always difficult to lose that dream. You will actually

go through all of the stages of mourning because it is a significant loss.

But please remember that you're not alone. We're here for you. We'll give

you information, offer you a shoulder to cry on, or empathize with what

you're going through. At first I too didn't like my son's hearing aids....oh

so many moons ago. It wasn't very long till he brought home is first

pictures from school and he didn't have his hearing aids on. He said the

photographer told him to take them out, so he did. We sat down and I made

sure he understood that if he wore his hearing aids on the way to get the

picture, it was only right that he should leave them in - as long as he felt

they were a part of him, they should be included and that he should never be

embarassed to show them.

> I also hated the way

's aids squealed when I hugged her to me or sat her on my lap for a

swing at the park.<

I always felt that if the squealing didn't bother my son when he hugged me,

I wouldn't let it bother me. If it bothers them, they will quickly learn how

to position their head so it doesn't happen. With very young children, some

of the audiologists I know acually use and FM system and turn the mic on the

hearing aids off till the child is old enough to not be laying down for more

than their daily nap.

Hugs to all,

Kay