So Lizzie, who will be 6mo on the 5th, got her helmet this morning. For the next week or two, the doctor said not to have her wear it overnight but he did say to have her wear it during naps. Well, it's nap time and I ran into a problem. Do I let her use a pillow when she is laying down like that? It seems like it would be very uncomfortable for her neck otherwise.
I put her down for a nap with a pillow (Keeping a close eye on her) and called the dr. His response was that no one had ever asked him that before and that none of his other family's had ever mentioned using one. He's been doing this for years. Surely I can't be the only one to notice how uncomfortable it looks?
So, does anyone on here know the answer to this question?
I'd be more concerned that recent findings say the helmet doesn't help with the issues it's supposed to address.
But no, no pillow.
No pillow. Your child can suffocate. Regardless of the comfort issue you shouldn't use a pillow.
My guess would be no pillow.
I've never heard of any pillows for anyone under 18 months old - too much of a suffocation risk.
http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/2012/09/safe-sleep-bedding-p...
My daughter has slept with her face on the floor, and the rest of her body on the bed... Draped across two chairs, so hat her legs and chest supported her body but her torso was sagging between the two.... Laying in her toy box (full of hard toys... Soft animals go into a different box)... She regularly contorts herself into the strangest positions, to the point that I keep a photo diary of some of the screwed up ways she sleeps.
As an infant, as soon as she was able to she would maneuver herself so that her face was squashed against the bars of the crib, laying on her stomach, with her neck craned back. It drove me nuts moving her back, only to walk into the room and see her like that again.
Believe me, what looks uncomfortable to adults is completely irrelevant to young kids. Heck, it wasn't really that long ago your daughter was sleeping upside-down, squshed into a ball. ;)
I definitely wouldn't use a pillow. At most, if it REALLY bothers you, tightly roll up a hand towel, secure it with hair ties, and place that as a support for her neck. But honestly, I wouldn't even go that far unless she just can't sleep without it.
None of my 3 kids used pillows until they were over 2. Before that is a suffocation risk, to the best of my knowledge.
So, No. I would NOT use a pillow.
Also do some research on the helmets, not all doctors believe they correct the problem(s).
http://www.boston.com/health/2014/05/01/study-corrective-...
No, no pillow.
Also, I would have the helmet removed.
We were strongly pushed to have one put on our youngest. I researched it, talked to other peds, nurses & doctors. They felt the same as I did: no
real research that supported that I HAD to have it put on my child. We
opted not to & that child is absolutely fine! PM me if you have any questions. Again, I would do w/o the helmet.
What seems uncomfortable for us, isn't at all for the baby. If she's sleeping, than she is comfortable. Don't worry about how it looks to you. I've known two babies that had helmets, both slept in a crib just like they would without it. My son would fall asleep sitting up, and then his head and torso would end up folded down between his legs. Looked horribly uncomfortable, but he woke up happy every time.
My son did not use a pillow when he used his helmet. He was six months when he started wearing his helmet. We had him sleeping in in overnight by week 2 and wearing it 23 hours a day. He never used a pillow and never seemed bothered when sleeping.
For what it's worth, I noticed a big difference in my son's head shape after 7 weeks and I'm glad I used it. Yes it smelled, but Walmart brand baby wipes took away the smell much better than anything else.
I suspect your pediatrician hadn't been asked this before because you are not supposed to use a pillow until they are at least a year old. I am pretty sure my son had his first pillow at about age 2. So, no pillow, no problem.
