When I was pregnant, I asked veteran mothers what they couldn't live without. At the top of the list was the Fischer Price Rock n' Play. We got it for Christmas from Ethan's paternal grandparents and when he was born, we put him in it constantly because it cradled him. He looked so peaceful in it. The crib seemed enormous, plus, with the Rock n' Play, we could keep him in our room.
Supposedly, it's for naps, not for bedtime but for the sake of sanity, myself along with many other mothers used it as the primary sleeper. We would try the crib, but Ethan wasn't having it. The crib doesn't provide the same secure feeling as the Rock n' Play does, and it helps with reflux since the baby is propped up at an angle.
I noticed a flat spot developing on his head. That, and a preference to look over his right shoulder which I think partly has to do with the fact that we are right-handed, so everything we do favors the right being free because it is most dexterous. The changing table is a good example.
The flat spot got worse. We painfully transitioned him to the crib. He still favored the right and would always turn his head. We put a blanket roll behind his back to force his head to the left. He would eventually turn it back to the right. It became clear that he was going to do what he was going to do.
Compound that with the fact that daycare rarely does tummy time with him; so his neck muscles weren't strengthened to the point where he could be ambidextrous. Or, an ambi-turner if you're a Zoolander fan. :) Then, doubly compound that with the fact that daycare always has him in a baby-holder be it the swing, some kind of rocker similar to the Rock n' Play, or the crib. All. Day. Long.
Not only did he have a flat spot, but his head was starting to vertically elongate. That cannot be fixed even with the helmet. What's worse? From the top view, his ears are now misaligned. One is farther forward than the other. His forehead slightly bulges on one side, and one eye appears slightly smaller than the other. His misshapen head has crossed over to the point of facial deformity.
Just like everything else pertaining on what-to-do-with-baby, all the information provided no information and it's down to our choice as to what we want to do. Do we take the chance hoping he will outgrow it? But, with all the physics I took in college, the most basic concept of "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" implies that it would take force to mold his head back into shape which is what the helmet does. So, how on earth could he outgrow it? Especially the facial asymmetry.
We pointed it out to daycare hoping they could help us encourage him to look over his left shoulder. Same with naps, but he is never in the crib. Same with tummy time, but no dice. It doesn't matter. His last day is Friday, but the damage has been done.
Supposedly, babies with a traumatic birth experience are more likely to go through this. Given that Ethan was breech resulting in a c-section, it seems doubly traumatic.
He has an appointment with the helmet people tomorrow for a scan and assessment. The following week, he has an evaluation with a pediatric plastic surgeon. Insurance considers this a cosmetic procedure; same as breast implants or liposuction and as such it is not medically necessary. The helmet people will work with insurance, but the base cost of the helmet (plus subsequent visits for adjustments) is $3600.
Between the nanny hunt, helmet research and working with the new daycare while we try to work everything out, I'm hoping we will arrive at a solution we are comfortable with by the end of this month.
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