Upstate NY Babies

f/u appt

ehhh I'm just really confused.

The good news is that his skull is closing normally with no gaps or fractures which is AWESOME :) Basically the Dr said, the choice is ours. He said on a scale from moderate to severe plagiocephaly, he would classify B as severe. He then went on to say that since he is so young that PT and repositioning alone could fix his head shape with no intervention OR we could do a pressure band/helmet. He said it is a personal decision and he can't give an official opinion.The decision needs to be made ASAP b/c the helmet is most effective when worn by 6mths of age.

The problem is faith. DH is an optimist; he says B already looks so much better and now that he's sitting up more he will be fine on his own.  Me, I am nervous pessimist. I feel like- what if he doesn't get better. All the pressure of doing his stretches/positioning falls on me and if he is still misshapen- let's say 6mths down the road, I'll blame myself. I definitely don't want the stress of the process of getting the helmet or the adjustment & discomfort for Brandon.

I am the worst decision maker. I'm really torn.

imageimageLilypie Fourth Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers

Re: f/u appt

  • well, that is good news that his skull is doing well... obviously the PT has helped!

    Good luck w/ the decision... sounds like a tough one. 

  • That is great news that he won't need surgery!

    What a tough decision. Does your insurance cover the helmet? I think I personally would lean towards doing that? 

    Photobucket
    Charlie 11.01.07 ~ Paul 05.07.10 ~ Annaliese 02.24.12
  • Loading the player...
  • Ack, that is tough :-(  I would probably see if my insurance was going to cover it, if they do, I would probably try it and play by ear.  If they didn't, I would probably research it more and hope an answer pops up for me.  Good luck.
  • Glad you got the good news about his scull!

    Honestly, I would do it now (band/helmet). If they had said it was mild I would think about it, but severe? Nope, not taking the chance. He won't remember the discomfort down the road. He will be a ticked off teen if a football or lacrosse helmet doesn't fit because of his head shape.

    But, you have to make the decision and be happy with it. Talk to dh and tell him how you feel and ask him how he will feel if the PT doesn't fix it. 

    Good luck!  

  • imagexKimx:

    That is great news that he won't need surgery!

    What a tough decision. Does your insurance cover the helmet? I think I personally would lean towards doing that? 

    This, I think. I totally know what you mean about the husband thing.. DH is always telling me there is nothing wrong, or it will all be ok.. Most times, he's right.. but every once in awhile.. I'm glad I trusted my gut.

    I wish the dr would have just told you what to do! Isn't that his job?!

    Melissa & Jeff 5-27-06
    m/c 1/2/08 and 3/12/08
    Eve Amelia- Born 2/24/09. 6lb 9.9oz
    Natalie Ruth - Born 6/13/11 7lb 6.6oz
    imagebabies
    baby growth
  • Glad you got good news about his skull!

    That would be a hard decision. DH and I are the same-I'm definitely the pessimist and would probably lean towards the helmet because I would blame myself if something didn't fix it in the long run.

  • I'm glad they said things are going well and B won't be needing surgery. Personally, I think I would be leaning towards the helmet if that will be the sure fix. As much as I would like to think things will just magically be ok if we do x, y, and z, I would rather have that extra insurance policy. I hope you and DH can come to an agreement - you are a good mama watching out for your babies and I know you will do what is best for B and your family.
    image
    image        image
    image
  • Also, I will say that Charlotte had a slightly flattened head and still at her dr appts, the dr comments on how you can still tell by looking at the back of her head (thanks to her astounding lack of hair). So even though she is more than 9 months now, and spends most of her waking time sitting up or crawling around, and has become a belly sleeper in the last few months, she still shows signs of when she was a new babe laying on her back.
    image
    image        image
    image
  • imageIrisheyes1247:
    I'm glad they said things are going well and B won't be needing surgery. Personally, I think I would be leaning towards the helmet if that will be the sure fix. As much as I would like to think things will just magically be ok if we do x, y, and z, I would rather have that extra insurance policy. I hope you and DH can come to an agreement - you are a good mama watching out for your babies and I know you will do what is best for B and your family.
    I agree with this. Are there any cons to the helmet other than the discomfort factor? Even though it may be a PITA, I tend to be of the "better safe than sorry" opinion whenever there is any doubt.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Univera needs a letter of medical necessity. The dr will fax his notes to the office that does the cranial molding, then they submit measurements/xrays to Univera. They said we should hear a decision in 12-14 days. If insurance won't cover it, it's $2500- $3000.
    imageimageLilypie Fourth Birthday tickers Lilypie First Birthday tickers
  • I've seen a lot of other girls on other boards with kids that wear helmets.  Maybe ask there?

    Personally, I wouldnt' want to regret it if it didn't resolve on it's own.  Positive thinking is so important, but unless it was extremely expensive or had any negative impacts, I would do the helmet.

  • I would submit the info to the insurance company and see if they will cover it. I would do it if it was covered for purely cosmetic reasons. I would rather do it now and have everything reshaped while he is young and its possible. Im the type that would regret not doing it if my son was self conscious when he got older.

     

    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers BabyName Ticker
  • i'm glad you got good news.i agree with everyone else and i would do the helmet especially if the dr said it is severe.   I know you don't want people staring but if you do it now he won't know or be self conscious as he would be if it doesn't get better. go with your gut.

     

  • I'm with everyone else and would do the helmet.  Two of my nephews have had helmets and they did a great job fixing the flat spots.  I know my sister said they can be a pain at times(need to be cleaned really well) but her kids were never bothered by them. 
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • I would also do it.  You can't go back and re-do if it doesn't get better on it's own, so you don't want to regret it.  A helmet is going to be more work with the cleaning and you can't wear certain shirts, and people will give you even more attention than you already get with multiples.  But I would hate to have him have a problem later on and to always feel that guilt.

    DH would completely disagree with me and say everything will be ok as well.

  • I agree with pp's that if it is financially doable for you, I would do the helmet. A friend of mine did it for her son and the results were AMAZING. Her screen name is crazeyjaneyr on here if you want to try to pm her and askvher any questions. Just tell her I mentioned her to you.

    I think a bit of stress now will pay off in the end...

    imageBaby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • I would definitely do the helmet!  And it's amazing how kids and babies adapt to these things.  My niece had a cast on her arm when she was very little.  It was like she didn't even know it was there.  I know it's different but I bet he'll be just fine!!
    Lilypie Lilypie First Birthday tickers
  • MrsWhite - are helmets more common with twins? I see a lot of girls on the multiples boards whos kids are wearing them. Just wondering.

    And I know it's got to be a really tough decision for you guys! Don't you just wish the dr. would have told you what to do?! I think if I were you I'd do it, it can't hurt, right?

    photo 41f1f21b-fd5b-40ab-bc31-76a13e270270_zpscf391ac9.jpg
    After 2 years, Injects, PCOS diagnosis and 2 IUI's, we were blessed with our beautiful twin girls!
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
    Baby Girl #3!
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"