thread: flat head....

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Sep 2009
    watsonia north victoria
    2,161

    flat head....

    So DD is 15weeks and has a flat head, but on one side....

    she prefers to lay on one side of the head and it takes a fair bit to tell her otherwise

    ive moved all of her hanging toys to the oposite side of her play mat, her comforters are on the oposite side in her cot as well..... but she still likes to look to the right!

    has anyone got any suggestions as to what i can to do encourage her to look to the left??

    we are trying to get her on her tummy more and more, it is hard coz she isnt a major fan of the tummy, but we are slowly increasing the time she will lay on her belly....

    thanks in advance!

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2008
    8,986

    I've heard that putting babies to sleep at the opposite end of the cot can help with flat heads.

  3. #3
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    melbourne
    11,462

    DD1 had the same problem, i took her to a baby chiro (use an osteo these days) to get her nexk fixed which was causing the problem, i used to use a rolled up balnket or unheated heat pack to keep her head to the other side,

  4. #4
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Dec 2008
    Melbourne, VIC
    4,637

    Hi sweets, we had the same problem here. We just happened to be going to the pead for something else and I mentioned the flat spot and he said to change the cot around so he would use the other side of his head to sleep on. I tried putting him to sleep on the other side before I changed the cot's position but he would just turn his head to his fave side. GL!!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Jun 2009
    In a cottage in a wood
    760

    DS had the same problem due to torticollis- in fact he wouldn't look to the right at all, whether he was lying down or upright! We went to physio and were given some really simple exercises. Just things like making noises on his 'bad' side so he'd turn to look at them, and always approaching him from that side as well. Make sure your daughter gets a fair bit of time 'upright' DS didn't like tummy time either, so we made sure he got lots of cuddles (which when you think about it, is tummy time too! double bonus!)

    It might be worth getting checked out to see that there isn't an underlying problem.

    Oh, and DS head was very noticeably flat for a couple of weeks when he was about 10 weeks old. The skull is still moving around and forming, so don't stress too much at this stage. He now has a beautiful head =)

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Feb 2010
    on a big patch of paradise.
    3,720

    I had the same with DD2. It is even harder with your 2nd or more because you just don't get the time to hold them as much. DD slept though the night from 4 weeks and always had her head to the left. No matter how many times I tried to turn it the other way she still went back to that side. I moved the cot around, nope, I tried a towel rolled up but she just mooshed her face into it so that ended that. I gave up trying to fix it at night and just focused on the day.
    Because it is on one side, you can have her lay on her side (opposite side to flat spot) instead of tummy time. I use a boomarang pillow for her. Or a rolloed up towel/blanket. My DD2 spends just about all day on her right side now and I am very happy to say that her flat spot has gone. Her skull hardening also helped. I also got a soft thin pillow for her pram that way she did not have something hard putting pressure on her head. But I will say that I DD2 has her day sleeps in the lounge room, so I am always with her and can watch her.
    You just need to be consistant. You have noticed it early enough to make a difference.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    Perth
    3,686

    Baby chiro worked wonders on our DD too. She was a vacuum delivery and wouldn't you know it, her neck was so stiff when the chiro first looked at her. Any wonder she favored one direction!

    DD was much better after about three visits and looking/sleeping in both directions in no time

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Sep 2009
    watsonia north victoria
    2,161

    wow thanks for all of your replies!!

    there is some things i have and havnt tried in ur replies so ill be trying the ones we havnt tried yet to see how we go!!

    and ill be making a appt with my osteo so she can give her a once over as well!!

    we see her paed in 2 weeks for her 4month jabs so ill get him to give her a once over as well!!

    thank you all again!

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Aug 2008
    Melbourne
    1,539

    I was going to suggewst a chiro as well.

    I have a question for Olive - why would you recommend an osteo over a chiro? What's the difference?