Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Good Morning, I took my 11 week old son Finley to meet with a neurosurgeon earlier this week (we actually met with the nurse practitioner). Fin has a severe head tilt and plagio. However, his little neck is too weak right now for banding or PT. The NP told us that Fin needs to be on his tummy whenever he's awake and we need to position his head so that he's looking left. However, Fin HATES tummy time. He's been screaming the past few days - I feel awful. Does anyone have any tips to make this a more comfortable experience for him? How do I keep his head turned to the left? I've placed toys on that side, laid on that side, etc. but he always turns his head right back. Do I need to just sit with him and hold it that way? Sorry for all the questions but I could use some tips or some encouragement that he'll get used to it. I'm not sure it's a good idea to let a baby so young cry it out. We take him back to the neurosurgeon in a month. Hopefully he'll have better head control so we can get started on his treatment. Thanks so much. Grace Mom to Finley, 11 weeks AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Grace- My daughter was the same way. She hated tummy time. We would put her down, let her cry for a few min then flip her back onto her back for another few min and back onto her tummy again. After a few days (maybe it was weeks I don't remember anymore) she started to tolerate it better and better. We found that anything that had lights and music made tummy time easier. We used a star that was part of her play gym and I have to confess that the tv worked too. I know tv is bad but I figured if she was on her tummy or looking left (she has right plagio) maybe a little tv was worth it. Our day care also had this mat with a mirror on it (I think I saw one in the Right Start catalog) that also helped tummy time last longer. It's hard but it does get better. She now sleeps on her tummy and is almost crawling (backwards) and I get so excited. Good luck- , mom to 7 months, starband 1/15/07 Don't pick lemons. See all the new 2007 cars at Autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 Grace- I don't have any surefire ways to help...but I wanted to let you know you're not alone in having a baby that does NOT like tummytime!! My son DJ is 6 months and he has never enjoyed it. Most days I was lucky to get him to play on his tummy for a minute or two!! I tried everything- I got him lots of tummy toys, he especially likes his ocean wonders mirror that plays music. I got him the boppy tummytime mat- it's a smaller boppy and is easier for when they are little to prop them up instead of the full size boppy- it was only $20 I think. Of course get down on the floor with him, sing, make faces do anything you can to entertain him. Even try his pacifier if he takes one, someone told me that recently and it helped! For us I think the only thing that really helped was making it a regular part of his day instead of cutting back on it. I started cutting back because it was so frustrating for both of us, and I think that made it worse. Anyway, try to fit it in when he's happiest as well. I know it's hard when they're younger because they eat so often and they often spit up, DJ did that, so that made it hard as well to fit it in. Um, other tricks are putting him on his tummy in his crib or on your bed, sometimes they like the softer surface, or even just the different vantage point. I also would play games with him while laying on his back and rolling him back and forth and then over to his tummy, this teaches them how to roll as well, DJ loved it. Lastly, if you have Baby Einstein and your son likes that, I put the music on in the background and that helped calm him as well. Hope one of these tricks helps you!! I know how frustrating and hard it can be to let them cry. I basically let DJ cry for a minute or so each time before picking him up, unless he was really really crying. I'd let him fuss some etc. I figure he's got to get used to it....DJ has improved lately, I think all of this has helped, he can now actually go about 4-5 minutes!! Theresa Warren MI DJ getting helmet today! > > Good Morning, > > I took my 11 week old son Finley to meet with a neurosurgeon earlier > this week (we actually met with the nurse practitioner). Fin has a > severe head tilt and plagio. However, his little neck is too weak right > now for banding or PT. The NP told us that Fin needs to be on his tummy > whenever he's awake and we need to position his head so that he's > looking left. However, Fin HATES tummy time. He's been screaming the > past few days - I feel awful. Does anyone have any tips to make this a > more comfortable experience for him? How do I keep his head turned to > the left? I've placed toys on that side, laid on that side, etc. but he > always turns his head right back. Do I need to just sit with him and > hold it that way? Sorry for all the questions but I could use some tips > or some encouragement that he'll get used to it. I'm not sure it's a > good idea to let a baby so young cry it out. > > We take him back to the neurosurgeon in a month. Hopefully he'll have > better head control so we can get started on his treatment. > > Thanks so much. > > Grace > Mom to Finley, 11 weeks > AZ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 have you thought about getting him one of those mats that they lay on that has things on the bottom, rather than hanging from the top? What about placing something next to his head so that he can ONLY move his head one way? I'm sorry you're going thru this, I hope things get better soon. "In the depths of winter, I finally found there was in me an invincible summer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 21, 2007 Report Share Posted March 21, 2007 ~ I let my son watch TV too just to get him to want to stay on his tummy and face right (since that was the way he needed to). Meredith <erikameredith@...> wrote: Grace- My daughter was the same way. She hated tummy time. We would put her down, let her cry for a few min then flip her back onto her back for another few min and back onto her tummy again. After a few days (maybe it was weeks I don't remember anymore) she started to tolerate it better and better. We found that anything that had lights and music made tummy time easier. We used a star that was part of her play gym and I have to confess that the tv worked too. I know tv is bad but I figured if she was on her tummy or looking left (she has right plagio) maybe a little tv was worth it. Our day care also had this mat with a mirror on it (I think I saw one in the Right Start catalog) that also helped tummy time last longer. It's hard but it does get better. She now sleeps on her tummy and is almost crawling (backwards) and I get so excited. Good luck- , mom to 7 months, starband 1/15/07 Don't pick lemons.See all the new 2007 cars at Autos. Bored stiff? Loosen up...Download and play hundreds of games for free on Games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 23, 2007 Report Share Posted March 23, 2007 My son used to hate tummy time. But, a month or so ago, when he started day care, he was on his tummy around other babies, and he started to enjoy it. In fact, i think the other babies are teaching him to crawl, because suddenly, he can get on his hands and knees. Also, I play with him a lot of the time when he is on the floor, and give him interesting toys, swapping them out for a different one every few minutes. > > Good Morning, > > I took my 11 week old son Finley to meet with a neurosurgeon earlier > this week (we actually met with the nurse practitioner). Fin has a > severe head tilt and plagio. However, his little neck is too weak right > now for banding or PT. The NP told us that Fin needs to be on his tummy > whenever he's awake and we need to position his head so that he's > looking left. However, Fin HATES tummy time. He's been screaming the > past few days - I feel awful. Does anyone have any tips to make this a > more comfortable experience for him? How do I keep his head turned to > the left? I've placed toys on that side, laid on that side, etc. but he > always turns his head right back. Do I need to just sit with him and > hold it that way? Sorry for all the questions but I could use some tips > or some encouragement that he'll get used to it. I'm not sure it's a > good idea to let a baby so young cry it out. > > We take him back to the neurosurgeon in a month. Hopefully he'll have > better head control so we can get started on his treatment. > > Thanks so much. > > Grace > Mom to Finley, 11 weeks > AZ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Grace, my son Seth also hated tummy time.... I put a flannel receiving blanket under his chest and his arms - it made a world of difference. We also put a mirror in front of him so he could see himself and a toy by his hands. It took awhile - maybe 30 seconds at first but now he will stay on his tummy for 15 minutes. Good luck! On 3/23/07, jrfagan29 <jrfagan29@...> wrote: Recent Activity 49 New Members 36 New Photos Visit Your Group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I am a therapist treating many children with plagio. My suggestion: 1. Place child on sofa perpendicular to the edge, facing you as you sit on the floor. Assist them to keep elbows under shoulders. Speak and sing to them to distract them and encourage the head to lift. If the buttocks is lifting up, place your hands on buttocks and push gently down. This assists the weight shift that must occur to have the head lift. 2. In addition to above, if you need to, add a chest roll. Best way is to take two receiving blankets and fold them in half. Roll them together and place the roll at the baby's nipple line. Boppy pillows tend to be too high and the infant usually hangs in them. The value of tummy time is the shoulder work that occurs when we must support ourselves on our elbows. It also engages the chest and anterior (front) neck muscles. In truth any mat would work with the chest roll described above. The real secret is the distraction. We use a mirror with the grandkids as well as the sofa method. If all else fails, place child on your chest and you lay down. Again, support elbows under shoulders to help with the head lift. Hope that helps. No real special equipment needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Great! Thanks! I will be trying those techniques J Hetland | Hetland Multimedia | pixit@... | www.hetlandmultimedia.com From: Plagiocephaly [mailto:Plagiocephaly ] On Behalf Of barinm@... Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 8:14 AM Plagiocephaly Subject: Re: tummy time help I am a therapist treating many children with plagio. My suggestion: 1. Place child on sofa perpendicular to the edge, facing you as you sit on the floor. Assist them to keep elbows under shoulders. Speak and sing to them to distract them and encourage the head to lift. If the buttocks is lifting up, place your hands on buttocks and push gently down. This assists the weight shift that must occur to have the head lift. 2. In addition to above, if you need to, add a chest roll. Best way is to take two receiving blankets and fold them in half. Roll them together and place the roll at the baby's nipple line. Boppy pillows tend to be too high and the infant usually hangs in them. The value of tummy time is the shoulder work that occurs when we must support ourselves on our elbows. It also engages the chest and anterior (front) neck muscles. In truth any mat would work with the chest roll described above. The real secret is the distraction. We use a mirror with the grandkids as well as the sofa method. If all else fails, place child on your chest and you lay down. Again, support elbows under shoulders to help with the head lift. Hope that helps. No real special equipment needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 Yep, on our chest is what we do when all else fails, though we don't stress unless they're behind. Mine strengthen their neck muscles in the sling On 3/24/11, barinm@... <barinm@...> wrote: > > > > I am a therapist treating many children with plagio. > My suggestion: > 1. Place child on sofa perpendicular to the edge, facing you as you sit on > the floor. Assist them to keep elbows under shoulders. Speak and sing to > them to distract them and encourage the head to lift. If the buttocks is > lifting up, place your hands on buttocks and push gently down. This assists > the > weight shift that must occur to have the head lift. > 2. In addition to above, if you need to, add a chest roll. Best way is to > take two receiving blankets and fold them in half. Roll them together and > place the roll at the baby's nipple line. Boppy pillows tend to be too high > and the infant usually hangs in them. The value of tummy time is the > shoulder work that occurs when we must support ourselves on our elbows. It > also > engages the chest and anterior (front) neck muscles. > > In truth any mat would work with the chest roll described above. The real > secret is the distraction. We use a mirror with the grandkids as well as > the sofa method. > If all else fails, place child on your chest and you lay down. Again, > support elbows under shoulders to help with the head lift. > > Hope that helps. No real special equipment needed > > -- Sent from my mobile device -mom to a boy and his 5 sisters Honor, respect, and obedience, I'm " that " mom <http://thatmomof6.blogspot.com/> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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