Trying to help a flat head!

[Alex&Jack]

Hi,
My DS has a bit of a flat head at the back, i'm a bit concerned about it and I wondering if anyone has slept their baby on their side due to this. Or if anyone has used the thing (forgot what its called!), that prevents them from rolling onto their tummies. Its got material they lay on, with bumper things either side. I know that they tell you to only let them sleep on their backs, but I would alternate between positions. I'm not even sure if he likes sleeping on his side yet
Also I give him tummy time every day, but he doesn't like it for that long and can get upset pretty quickly
Thanx and I would be very grateful for any advice being a new mum

[christy]

Matilda never slept on her back. Even in hospital they had her on her side when she was first born due to heaps of mucos. With her reflux she wouldn't sleep if placed on her back, so she would sleep either on her side but mostly tummy. Before she moved much we would put her on her side with a towel rolled up tight behind her so she had support, once she was more mobile we would just try to get her to sleep on her side.

BTW we were co sleeping at first & in the hospital & she slept on her side & we would swap & go to the other side.

[Trillian]

Firstly a bit of trivia for you, in the time between having my #2 and #3 babies (20mths), hospital practice had changed from laying baby on their side to sleep, to only laying on their backs.

There is a head rest device you can get for babies to stop their heads getting flat at the back, as it has apparently become a problem with some babies getting really flat heads. I do not know where you would get one from though. maybe you could ask at a baby shop.

good luck and enjoy your baby.

sherieb

[Lucy]

Alex,

I haven't had this issue with my babies, although Olivia slept on her back until she was 12 months (in a hammock) and same with Charlie.

But my neice was in a bassinet/cot, and my SIL was worried about her flat head, for ages. She took her to a couple of different GPs, who all told her the same thing: DON'T WORRY!

My neice is now nearly 2 and her head is now totally normal, plus it is covered in hair (she is a beautiful little girl!). You'd never know she had such a flat head as a baby....

HTH...

[getinmybelly!!]

DD always slept on alternate sides. So will this baby.

[Sana]

Practically all the babies in my mothers group had flat heads at the back, as we all slept our babies on their backs. As they grow older, their heads naturally go back to a normal shape. The SIDS awareness people don't recommend putting one of those padded things in the cot to keep baby on his or her side. I think that in a few months your baby's head will be fine. Eventually they start to move around in their sleep, and even end up on their tummy. By the time they start doing this on their own, it is apparently safe for them, but I wouldn't do it on purpose.

[JandJ]

I read that to try and fix a flat head, though they usually rectify themselves, try alternating the end of the cot that baby sleeps at. The article said that a lot of babies focus on something particular in the room they sleep in so they will face the same way all the time. They said by either placing other interesting things around the room to encourage them to look at other places not the same one they will sleep on different parts of their head. As I also have said above try putting bubs head at the opposite end of the cot for one week at a time. They said that it is really rare for a baby to have a serious problem with a flat head though. Hope this helps!

[BellyBelly]

My two would always wake up on their tummy, nothing I could do! But they never had head problems and the cot was always a safe place to sleep. I think the major risk factors are smokers in the house and excess / unsafe bedding. You can only do so much!