5 Week Helmet Update

We were supposed to go to Z's 5 week helmet appt this week, but unfortunately the dr was sick, so we have to reschedule until next week.  I was really looking forward to this week, because this was the status appointment - determining how much longer they think that she would need the helmet.

While I want to get this helmet off as soon as possible - I want to make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that Zoey's head is as normal as possible.  I am so shocked at how fast the helmet has worked.

Here is Zoey from the side.  Please ignore the dinner on her shirt ... I was a single parent for dinner and bibs were the last priority.

And again.  I am going to be really sad when the day comes that her hair does not stick up any more.

 From the top.  This is where you can see that while it has changed a lot, there is still room for improvement.

As a comparison - here is Henry, modeling a 'normal' head :)

Even with a flat head, she is a happy, cute girl..

Again - minus the food on her shirt - how can you not smile at this face (and hair)

The worst part about the helmet (besides the smell - and  yes - it smells like horrible feet) - is that is hard to kiss her or cuddle her.  But we make sure to work around the helmet and take it off enough that she gets plenty of loving.

And - now that she is rolling over (FINALLY - she is only 8 months after all), the helmet will become less helpful, but also less necessary as she is not on her back as much.

Even if her head is done changing - I am so glad that we put her in a helmet.  But, I can't wait until she is done with it.

Helmet update

 As of tomorrow, Zoey has been wearing her helmet for 3 weeks.  Over the weekend I took a picture of her from the side and could not believe the results!  If you follow me on instagram you already saw this.  Below I put the pictures side by side.  On the left is her before she got her helmet, and on the right is 2.5 weeks later. 

 

I know that it is still early, and she still has a ways to go, but I am so excited about the results.  When we were getting the helmet, the doctors made sure that we knew that the helmet might not do anything. While Zoey has been a trooper dealing with her helmet, it is nice to see results coming from them and that it is not all for nothing!  

Lastly, just because it is so cute... Henry has started planking:

Bath Pictures

Here is the thing about bath time in the Schlueter household... H and Z have SOOO much fun, and Nate and I laugh non stop at them.  Yet we have only gotten a few blurry pictures of this.  Why? Because while they are sitting up quite well, when they get excited, they tend to fall over.  And they get really excited in the bath.  So we are all hands on deck for bath time.  (And by the end, both Nate and I have soaking wet shirts from their splashing.)

But because I was curious about Z's head, so while Nate held both of them, I quickly grabbed my phone (no time for the good camera) and snapped 2 pictures.

Pre- Helmet again

Helmet - 1 week

Up close - 1 Week

I really do think that there is a difference?  Do you?

Is this going to be the longest going Before and After ever?? 

Zoey's Helmet - Week 1

It has officially been a week since Zoey got her helmet.  The first day she wore it for an hour on / hour off.  We needed to look for red spots that didn't go away.  That would mean the helmet was pressing too hard on her head, and would need to be adjusted.  She didn't have any issues there. On Wednesday (day two) she wore it for longer periods of time, and that night she went to bed with it on. She fell asleep just fine, but woke up at 5 am, and wouldn't go back to sleep.  She has been slowing getting back to waking up at 6:30, but both Nate and I realized how good we have it having two babies that sleep for 12 hours each night.

 She is such a trooper.  She is still as happy as can be, and doesn't cry when we put her helmet on.  I am so proud of her.  I feel like I am being just as much of a trooper... :)  I am fine with it for the most part, although it is a little harder to snuggle into her neck for a kiss.

We went in to the Dr. today for the first week check-in.  All they did was make sure she was tolerating it well enough.  I had them trim a little around her ears too, because one side was going over her ear a little.  

Could she be any cuter? Nope.  I love that the only place that her hair sticks up in the only place there is a hole in her helmet.  (And no - we do not use product in her hair.  You may laugh, but we have definitely been asked that question.)  We will go again in two weeks.  I am hoping that they do some measurements there. Because, it is most likely just me hoping, but I feel like there have been some small changes in her head in just a week. 

Before Helmet

1 Week

Before Helmet

1 Week

Okay, these pictures really make it look like a lot has changed... maybe I will have to try to get another bath picture... so her hair can't hide the flat.

As you can see... I still have not decorated her Helmet.  I need to get on that....

Thank you!

First, I want to say thank you to all of you for your support on Zoey and her helmet!!  The comments, phone calls and emails helped so much...we are so lucky to have such great family and friends!

While researching Plagiocephaly, I came across this awesome site: Bling your Band.  It has decals made specifically for Molding caps.  How awesome is that?  They have a TON of different pre-made designs, some of which made me laugh pretty hard...

I haven't totally decided on a design yet, or if I am going to attempt to make my own. But I love that there is a company out there that does this!  And, currently they are doing a fundraiser to help a family that can't afford to pay for their own molding cap, which I think is great.

Again, thank you all for your support, and look for some pictures of Zoey and her helmet in a about a week.

Plagiocephaly

Alright... I will just come out and say it...Zoey is going to be wearing a helmet in 2 weeks.  She has what the doctors call Plagiocephaly, which is just a fancy term for flat or misshapen head.  I call it, Henry squished her head before being born.  (And the month long hospital stay laying down 20 hrs a day probably didn't help either).   We have been monitoring it to see if it would get better, but no amount of 'repositioning' her at night has helped.  So, we are biting the bullet and getting her a cranial molding cap (read: Helmet).

Is it necessary? No.  It will not cause any changes to her brain function or anything like that.  But we are doing it for her anyway.  I would hate for her to be self conscious about it all her life, knowing that would could have prevented it.

This first picture is from their most recent bath time... once you get past the cuteness of them both taking a bath at the same time, you will notice the shape of Zoey's head from the top.  The back is definitely flat, and one side sticks out further that the other...

This picture is from the side (we were actually at her Dr.'s appointment to discuss her placiocephaly).  Again, once you get past the cuteness of her hair, you can see how flat the back of her head is, and how in the top back, it sticks up more than it should. 

So, we made the appointment to see the doctor and move forward with the helmet.  On the drive to Gillette Children's Hospital I was feeling really sorry for myself.  Annoyed that we would have to get a helmet for Zoey, and that she would have to go to appointments every other week to adjust the cap, etc.  And then I walked into the hospital.  Wow, I had nothing to complain about.  There were families there with much more serious issues, that are probably at the dr every other day, just to live their lives.  Talk about putting everything in perspective.  

So, now with my new found perspective, I went into the appointment with a better attitude.  Zoey was a trooper the whole time.  The molding cap is custom built for her head, so they had to take some digital photos to get her head shape right.  In order to do this, she had to put on this funny little hat/shirt/hood.  She was quite patient during taking the pictures... even the dr was impressed.  She was even happy enough to let me take these pictures of her. 

So, in two weeks we will go back to get the molding cap.  It will look something like this...

She will wear it for 23 hours a day for two to four months.  Most people have said that the babies get used to it very quickly, an it doesn't bother them... I am hoping that is the case for Zoey. 

Honestly, I think that I will initially be a little self conscious about taking her out in public once she gets the helmet.  I have read many things about how judgmental other people are... thinking to themselves that if you would just hold your baby this wouldn't happen.  I know I will get over it quickly, but I don't know what I will do if any one says anything.  I have considered getting a shirt for Henry that says 'My sister wears a helmet because I squished her'  :)

I will be sure to post pictures of Zoey when she gets her helmet... but until then, we are going to enjoy as much swinging with the wind blowing through her hair as we can.