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Multiples
PurrCrasher
member
MoMs with LOs who get physical therapy, please help. LONG
PurrCrasher
member
in Multiples
Hey ladies,
I'm struggling today and I need a little support and advice. My DS has been receiving physical therapy for a month and a half for what is being called hypertonia at the moment but is possibly CP. We won't know for sure what he has until he is a little older. (FWIW I don't think it's CP) I work full time and I go to nursing school full time and at the moment I'm the primary caregiver due to my husbands work schedule. I try to do all of my sons exercises and all the little things we're supposed to do and it just wears me out on top of rarely sleeping and everything else. I do it though, because I know it will help him in the long run.
The real problem is that today, during my sons PT appointment (which takes place in my home, which I love) DS was really upset so I held him for a few minutes to calm him and DD started to fuss so the PT picked her up to calm her. The PT immediately got a grave look on her face and told me that my DD certainly needed PT also. We reviewed her milestones briefly and talked about her posturing. At nearly 6 months she has not rolled over yet (but I think she's close) and she tries to sit up when she we lay her down on her back. It looks almost like she is doing a sit up but with her legs straight out in front of her. She does look rigid and uncomfortable in this position but it is only when she doesn't want to lay down. If she wants to lay down she doesn't do this. I agreed to have her evaluated and it will be done on Tuesday.
I just don't know how I will possibly keep my sanity by adding in additional exercises and physical therapy appointments every week. Obviously, if she needs it I'll do anything I have to but it's upsetting in my already over tired state. Truthfully I also struggle with the idea that not just one but both of my babies have "issues". It makes me feel guilty. The both nearly died at birth due to a placental abruption that was not known about until the first cut of my C/S and I worry that I did them harm but not knowing something was wrong with my body. There is just so much emotion behind it all. Anyway, I'm rambling.
So really my question is 2 fold. First, Does it make sense to you that a child who is not rolling over at just shy of 6 months be considered delayed as a result? I thought she was just being slow to pick it up. I also think the funky posturing on her back is more a protest to laying down. Secondly, how do you fit in your child's exercises into your daily lives with two (or more) babies to look after? Right now the PT wants me doing his exercises after each diaper change and there are like 10 of them. I feel like it's all I do all day.
If you made it to the end of this, thank you. I am so blessed to have this group of women to turn to when things get rough.
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Re: MoMs with LOs who get physical therapy, please help. LONG
Thank you so much for your reply. I'm glad I'm not alone in this (and you had THREE babies for goodness sake!).
They were born at 36w6d. So very nearly 37 weeks. My husband does his best to help but currently his schedule keeps him out of the house all day until nearly bedtime.I don't have any family in this state but perhaps it's time to take a few friends up on their offers to help. I've been thinking about getting a postpartum doula to help me feel like I have a little more time also. There is one locally that specializes in twins. I'm so glad to hear that the PT helped your daughter. I know that once I get out of my overwhelmed funk I'll do whatever it takes for my amazing little ones.
I'm so sorry you are dealing with this stress! DS1 is in PT for torticollis. We take him to a pediatric PT clinic, 2x/ month. We've been very fortunate in that his therapist deals with many twins with tort, so she is very understanding of the difficulties in doing exercises with two needy babies. DS2 has horrible reflux, so I'm often having to flip him to clear his throat/ wipe him down/ change outfits. This makes finding the time to give 100% of my attention to DS1 very difficult. The second I start exercises with DS1, DS2 seems to need an outfit change! Our therapist also recommended doing exercises with diaper changes, but DS1 hates the exercises and I don't want him to associate them with diaper changes (we were doing them around eating times and he began to resist eating because of it).
Anyway, our boys generally follow an eat, play, sleep pattern and I do the exercises whenever he plays. I just try to make up playtime activities that allow for the exercises (not so difficult with the tort, but I'm not sure if this would be an option for your LO's exercises). So, during tummy time, I put him so he has to move his head to the right to see me/ his brother/ toys. During the tilting exercises, I blow raspberries on his cheeks while holding his head to tilt his ear to his shoulder. Sometimes it distracts him, sometimes not. I'll also sing songs that include motion and that helps include both boys (hokey pokey, wheels on the bus...) I usually give DS2 a toy during this so it keeps him occupied and makes him feel like he is being engaged as well. And, (judge away), I will let DS2 look at the lights from the TV if it allows for a couple of minutes per day to do DS1's exercises. I figure the benefits outweigh the negatives in that case.
As far as the delay, I'm not sure it is so very concerning at this point. What does the pedi say? Your LO was 3+ weeks early, so I would think that would allow for one month delay and twins allow for a bit more. Does your therapist work with a lot of twins? I feel this has been very helpful with our physical therapist, as she has more realistic expectations for his development and progress (my boys were born at 36w and our PT is always reminding me that it is a bit early for things whenever I express concern that he is not doing something).
12dp5dt: 765; 15dp5dt: 1979; 17dp5dt: 3379...TWINS!!!!!
Our perfect baby boys were born at 36w1d!!
I don't get to post here often, but first off, your babies are so cute! My boys were 6 weeks early and both ended up needing OT and speech. My guys didn't have full head control till 4months I believe.
I had a really hard time coming to terms with my boys needing the extra therapy. I felt guilty and so scared. The ended up in early intervention. We had OT once a week and speech twice a week till they were 3.
Now they are in PRE K. Max still needs a little bit of help but Sam is doing amazing. He is starting to learn to read with his teachers!
Good luck!
Like the others said, you really do have a lot on your plate! I would go ahead with the eval but from what you've described, I could see it going either way. That doesn't sound like a significant delay to me yet but I'd want to follow through on the PT's instincts.
One of my boys has been in OT, PT, feeding therapy and EI family training but he didn't start till he was almost 3, so it was a little different.
Both of my babies receive PT. Do they go to daycare or have a sitter? Our doctors highly discouraged mine from attending daycare until they were 7 months. During that time DH watched them during the day while I worked and then I watched them in the evenings. We just tried to do some of their exercises right when they got up. Our house was a disaster because neither of us really has time to organize or deep clean, but we survived. I would definitely have her evaluated. PT has allowed our preemie to stay on track and even sometimes be ahead of schedule developmentally.
Anyway back to my first question. Now that they go to daycare she does their exercises with them also so that way I am not quite as stressed about spending all my time with them making them work.
Mine each do PT, feeding specialist/speech, developmental, one sees an eye specialist and then they have their coordinator. It seems like we have no freetime.
My 3 get PT through early intervention in my home. I had them evaluated at 7 months because My boys werent rolling and none of them could sit indepently. They are now 9 months, 7 months adjusted. I am a PT myself, however I only work with adults. Ten exercises sounds like a lot!!, I would ask her to choose which are the most important, and then ask your PT to give you ways to incorporate them into your day.
I dont have time to do specific exercises, i try and work it into stuff i already do during the day.For example, my one sons left trunk muscles are weaker then the right. I don't do any specific exercises for him, but when I pick him up off the floor I roll him towards his right into sitting, so he puts his right hand down towards the ground, and then help him come to sit while he uses his left sided muscles to sit up... Also, if I'm holding him sitting or standing on my lap, I lean him to his right and then back to the middle, we make a game out of it and he thinks it's fun.
I also try and focus on just 1 thing per kid per week. This is way less overwhelming. This past week it was tummy time with pressure on the hips for Sean, tummy time with pressure through the arms for Eli, and keeping Alexa on her knees when she is turning while crawling. If I have 5 minutes to focus on one kid, I work on the task for the week for those 5 minutes.
There is never enough time in the day! Don't stress if you don't have time to do all the exercises all the time. A few minutes here and there really can make a difference.
Like I said, I'm not a pediatric pt, but I am a pt. if you have any specific questions I would be happy to try and answer
First of all, so sorry that you have to go through this! I only have 1 child in therapy but it is quite challenging to occupy the other while still trying to pay attention to what the therapist is doing.
My son does have CP, we found out at about 7 1/2 months. I knew something was up well before that but once they explained the CP and I read about it, it made so much sense. They did an MRI to confirm, so I suspect if they are considering CP that they will do an mri. Please feel free to pm me if you have further questions about cp... it was extremely overwhelming to me at first, but just remember there is a wide range!
Anyway he has come a long way with a few months of therapy
And let me tell you, I have no time to do all of the stretches that we should each day. I have school and work and average about 3 appointments per week for Austin that I have to take both kids too plus having to drop off/pick up DH from work. Between me, DH and the nanny we do whatever exercises we can with him whenever we can! We have just realized that is all that we can do. But with the 3 of us trying to squeeze in anything we can, we are doing something right I suppose! The biggest challenge for us is that O wants to stand or walk all of the time. A is content playing by himself so we just have to really make sure that we are paying enough attention to him even though O is crying and begging for attention! I feel guilt every day that I am not doing enough, but all of us, we can only do what we can, you know! But every little bit counts, and don't forget you have to have time to just enjoy your kids.
Hugs, good luck and please feel free to pm me anytime