New Here! Just found out yesterday that our needs a helmet.

[Guest guest]

I am gald to find a group to talk to. is 4mos old and I really

thought going into the appt that we would be leaving with a clean bill

of head health until I looked on the wall and saw a head shape like

's. I am glad based on what I have heard to date that my best

friend saw the flat spot on her head in between checkups and that I

mentioned it to the Dr. We were shocked when we looked down at her

head to see what the Dr saw was that her ears were not even. Even more

shocked to see the couple of areas where her number were way off. I

have been feeling so sad for her because of my own past ignorance I

worry that this baby who normally gets so many people chatting her up

when we are out and about might get stares and pity. I plan to use any

questions as an opurtunity to inform people what these helmets are for

and to teach them like any parent we still love you to chat up our

babies. I feel like the last couple of years working with special

needs children will help my attitude but I still feel sad that she has

to go through anyhting like this even though she won't remember it.

I also have lots of questions for all of you. First, with the summer

months upon us how have any of you handled swimming, going to the beach

etc. We won't get the helmet for two weeks and but I am someone who

needs info so I can calm my nervousness for her I would love to hear

from whoever has the time to respond. With the heat (luckily we have

AC in the house) I was wondering what can be done to keep her from

getting rashes, prickly heat, too hot, etc. Also, if anyone has an

older child, how have they reacted to the situation? I have started to

explain to to my 5yr old and I wonder if bringing him for one or two of

the visits would be helpful for him. I am not planning on taking him

for the first visit since there will be lots for my husband and I to

absorb and I don't want to be distracted if he gets bored.

I know i have more questions but I am going to read through some posts

to see what can be answered before I inandate you all with more.

So glad I found you.

[Guest guest]

Hi Kathy!First, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the reaction of others. We've had nothing but a positive experience. If anything, people go out of their way to talk to our Lyla and tell her how cute she is, as if almost overcompensating. I would DEFINITELY encourage you to paint it, making it way more "cool" to other kids and less medical to adults.As for the heat, we live in Chicago but have been in Kentucky for the last week where heat is even more of a factor. We keep our house at 72 and dress Lyla in sleevelss rompers during the day. I try to take her on stroller walks early in the day and swimming later in the day. Actually I just take my four year

old to the pool and keep Lyla in the shade and breeze (Lord willing there is one). I periodically feel her head during the day and if it feels warm, I take the band off to quickly dry her head and the band with a dry washcloth. It also gives it a scratch for her (a welcome experience).Hope this helps a little to ease your mind. Good luck and please post photos of when she gets her helmet!Kindly,Sandymom to Lyla (7 months) - 4 weeks in DocBandand Owen 4 New Here! Just found out yesterday that our needs a

helmet.I am gald to find a group to talk to. is 4mos old and I really

thought going into the appt that we would be leaving with a clean bill

of head health until I looked on the wall and saw a head shape like

's. I am glad based on what I have heard to date that my best

friend saw the flat spot on her head in between checkups and that I

mentioned it to the Dr. We were shocked when we looked down at her

head to see what the Dr saw was that her ears were not even. Even more

shocked to see the couple of areas where her number were way off. I

have been feeling so sad for her because of my own past ignorance I

worry that this baby who normally gets so many people chatting her up

when we are out and about might get stares and pity. I plan to use any

questions as an opurtunity to inform people what these helmets are for

and to teach them like any parent we still love you to chat up our

babies. I feel like the last couple of years working with special

needs children will help my attitude but I still feel sad that she has

to go through anyhting like this even though she won't remember it.

I also have lots of questions for all of you. First, with the summer

months upon us how have any of you handled swimming, going to the beach

etc. We won't get the helmet for two weeks and but I am someone who

needs info so I can calm my nervousness for her I would love to hear

from whoever has the time to respond. With the heat (luckily we have

AC in the house) I was wondering what can be done to keep her from

getting rashes, prickly heat, too hot, etc. Also, if anyone has an

older child, how have they reacted to the situation? I have started to

explain to to my 5yr old and I wonder if bringing him for one or two of

the visits would be helpful for him. I am not planning on taking him

for the first visit since there will be lots for my husband and I to

absorb and I don't want to be distracted if he gets bored.

I know i have more questions but I am going to read through some posts

to see what can be answered before I inandate you all with more.

So glad I found you.

[Guest guest]

Welcome Kathy-

Glad you found the group! It sounds like you're very much on top of

things since is just 4 months old. Assuming her plagio is not

too severe, I would imagine she'd only have to be in a helmet for 8-

10 weeks (of course only the ortho will know for sure) and the time

will really fly by.

I too was worried about going out in public, but I have yet to run

into anyone overly rude in over 5 months. I recommend going

somewhere you go all the time for the first big outing, like the

grocery store. I think it made it easier for me to have the first

appearance be around people that were somewhat familiar to us. All

the deli ladies and people at check out talk to us anyway, so that

first day out was just chattier than usual. It was kind of like,

once I saw that people I were familiar with could be so accepting of

it, I didn't really care as much at other places around complete

strangers. And I decorate my son's helmet so it's a conversation

piece right from the start.

I have a 4-year old daughter and I didn't overly prepare her for

Jake's helmet, but I did tell her about it and she went to the

casting (she actually got upset because he was upset and wanted to

help bathe him and make him feel better after). She comes to all

our " helmet appointments " because we have to travel 3 hours to them

and I can't leave her at home with anyone (plus it's in Charlotte

where my in-laws live so we always make it an overnight trip). A few

days early on she wore her bike helmet to be like her little

brother, but now it's just a part of him and we hardly ever even

talk about it, accept to say it's time to clean it, or can you go

get it for me. I'd say she's probably aware of it the most when

they're wrestling on the floor and she gets a head butt to the

forehead! :-) She's also chimed in to answer other kids' questions

about the helmet, which is really nice.

As far as heat goes, you can take the band off periodically to wipe

it out with a dry cloth and dry her head as well. Usually the first

week or so is the worst with sweating, then it gets a little better.

Since she's only 4 months old, I don't expect she'd work up as much

of a sweat as an older baby like my toddler son, since she's not

mobile yet. But just keep her really lightly dressed, probably just

a onesie and no socks. The band shouldn't get wet, so we were told

to take it off for swimming and I would imagine getting sand it

would be irritating to the skin, so be careful at the beach as well.

Good luck with everything! Please keep us posted on her progress!

Jake-21m (tort resolved/rt plagio/DOCBand #2 4 weeks)

Jordan-4

>

> I am gald to find a group to talk to. is 4mos old and I

really

> thought going into the appt that we would be leaving with a clean

bill

> of head health until I looked on the wall and saw a head shape

like

> 's. I am glad based on what I have heard to date that my

best

> friend saw the flat spot on her head in between checkups and that

I

> mentioned it to the Dr. We were shocked when we looked down at

her

> head to see what the Dr saw was that her ears were not even. Even

more

> shocked to see the couple of areas where her number were way off.

I

> have been feeling so sad for her because of my own past ignorance

I

> worry that this baby who normally gets so many people chatting her

up

> when we are out and about might get stares and pity. I plan to

use any

> questions as an opurtunity to inform people what these helmets are

for

> and to teach them like any parent we still love you to chat up our

> babies. I feel like the last couple of years working with special

> needs children will help my attitude but I still feel sad that she

has

> to go through anyhting like this even though she won't remember it.

>

> I also have lots of questions for all of you. First, with the

summer

> months upon us how have any of you handled swimming, going to the

beach

> etc. We won't get the helmet for two weeks and but I am someone

who

> needs info so I can calm my nervousness for her I would love to

hear

> from whoever has the time to respond. With the heat (luckily we

have

> AC in the house) I was wondering what can be done to keep her from

> getting rashes, prickly heat, too hot, etc. Also, if anyone has an

> older child, how have they reacted to the situation? I have

started to

> explain to to my 5yr old and I wonder if bringing him for one or

two of

> the visits would be helpful for him. I am not planning on taking

him

> for the first visit since there will be lots for my husband and I

to

> absorb and I don't want to be distracted if he gets bored.

>

> I know i have more questions but I am going to read through some

posts

> to see what can be answered before I inandate you all with more.

>

> So glad I found you.

>