A One Woman Helmet Ambassador

Sometimes when I'm out and about doing my daily business with Ella in tow, I feel like I am the personal ambassador of the helmet movement. The things people say are funny, kind, rude, and occasionally very very odd. Luckily the most common things I overhear or people ask me are:

"Why is she wearing a helmet?"

"Is that baby wearing a helmet???" (usually talking to someone else and pointing, hoping I don't overhear)

"Is that helmet protecting her head?"

"Does she have a flat spot? My (cousin, sister, friend, granddaughter etc) had to wear one as well."

"Oh, I see she's wearing a helmet for a flat spot! You know, you are supposed to turn them in the crib so they don't get those" (I love that one).

"Is there something wrong with your baby's head?"

I think most people assume the helmet is to protect her head from bumps. Most times I just smile and tell people what the helmet is for. I'd rather people ask me, and become educated on what its for, then assume horrible things. Although sometimes all the explaining in the world doesn't help people 'get' it. The other day at the Early Years Centre I had this conversation with another mum.

Mum: "May I ask why your daughter is wearing a helmet?"

Me: "She has a flat spot on the back of her head. The helmet is correcting it."

Mum: "A ….flat spot?"

Me: "Yes, a flat spot. From lying on one portion of her head too much as a baby. She had trouble moving her head well, because her neck muscles were tight on one side."

Mum: "Neck muscles?"

Me (starting to get annoyed): "Yes, they were short on one side so she had trouble moving her neck all the way around"

Mum: "How did that happen?"

Me (knowing this is not going to be understood, but going for it anyway): "It could have been congenital, in utero, during the birthing process, who knows?"

Mum (knowingly): "Well I'm glad her neck is re-attached then!"

Me: Smiling Politely.

Ella smiling politely at the Early Years Centre, despite the ridiculous conversations that go on there.

Another time we were at WalMart getting Ella's picture taken. Yes, my 7 month old daughter was required to SIT ON A STOOL and take passport pics that will look nothing like her in 3 months time. She looks like a mini baby terrorist. But I digress. Because we took them at Walmart, we got a free photo sitting which I booked for a few days later. When the session was completed, the lady took me aside when she saw me putting the helmet back on and asked:

Walmart Photographer Lady: "Is there something WRONG with her head?"

Me: "She has a flat spot on the back of her head. The helmet is correcting it."

WPL: "Oh, I see. Well, that's okay then."

Me: "Umm, yes its not too bad?"

WPL: "I wanted you to know that I'm very good at working with children with disabilities. My brother has cerebral palsy, and once! I had an autistic child here taking pictures, and I thought, he should have pictures! He's autistic! So I wanted you to know that I am very comfortable taking Ella's pictures."

Me (has no idea what to say): "Oh…"

WPL: Pats hand and walks away.

At this point, I'm not sure what to say. Her implying that Ella's flat spot was a disability that she was overcoming as a photographer was a bit too much to take in. I think she thought she was being kind? Oh Walmart Photographer Lady! You are too much for me to take in! 

I'd like to think that the people in the Greater Toronto Area are now a little more informed about the usage of helmets in babies. But perhaps that is just good thinking, . Regardless, I continue to be the helmet ambassador, and Ella is continuing to rock those onsies. Besides, who wouldn't stare at a cutie like this?

This mama is logging off for now! And until then, I will continue smiling politely and waving my helmet ambassador flag.

:)

Is there anything sweeter?

I snuck in while Ella she was sleeping because I couldn't help myself. A bit blurry, but I was standing in the dark, stalker style trying to capture this.

:)

Our Custom Onesies Have Arrived!

We ordered two onesies from www.simplycolours.ca . I absolutely love this site. Fast, quality kids clothes that you can customize to say whatever you want. Haha, I should work for them. Anyway! They have arrived and I absolutely love how they turned out. Ella does too!

And the second one:

So I found this picture of Ella's head pre-treatment and immediately compared it to one I took yesterday.

(Ella's head 3-4 months approximately, Ella's head 1.5 weeks into helmet therapy)


 Maybe I'm crazy, but I see a difference already? Wishful thinking, maybe. What do you think?

What a Difference a Week Makes

So wow, its been a week since we got Ella's helmet. I can't believe our appointment at Sick Kids was last Monday already. I've been amazed at how quickly Ella has adjusted and even more so how her wearing the helmet has already become the new norm. Regardless, in the last week I have learnt a lot.

1. The first day is the worst. And you only have to go through that once.

The first day was overwhelming. I wasn't sure if I was putting the helmet on right, and my anxiety / unconfident hands putting it on made her cry. Every time. It was worse because I was on my own at home and I was trying to fumble to get it on. I ended up putting her in the exersaucer and sneaking the helmet on her that way. Everyone was so supportive, and wonderful but it was overwhelming that the majority of daytime helmeting was put on my shoulders. It's easy to say "Don't worry! She'll adjust!" when you're not the one fumbling to squash your baby's head into an orthopaedic helmet. She also developed a sore under her chin, which made me feel even worse! Doubts ++.

A quick email to the orthotist with the pic and a bit of cornstarch on the strap fixed that up right away. His encouraging words got me through that first day.

2. Ella doesn't feel bad about wearing it, so why should I?

At first, I felt horrible every time I looked at my baby. I thought "Poor thing! Is she uncomfortable? Is she mad? Or sad? Is she confused as to why her mother is torturing her? Did I betray the mother / baby trust that I worked so hard to gain?" I spent a good 24 hours feeling sad when I looked at her wearing the helmet (and the helmet was super ugly at this point so that might have contributed). The next day I decided, I just wasn't going to feel bad anymore. There are much worse things in this world than helmeting, and she looked pretty darn cute regardless. When I stopped feeling sorry for her, she did too. And from then on out, it really wasn't so bad anymore.

3. Corn starch + baby sweat = Ella looking like she's been in a flour mill accident

In order to keep the helmet 'gliding smoothly' you are supposed to apply a fine layer of corn starch to the forehead portion of the helmet. Odd, but okay. It works great. That is until you pull it off and Ella looked like a flour truck exploded on her, and there is cornstarch solidified onto her head. Perhaps she should start wearing goggles?

(FYI Ella is not a vampire. She was eating beets in this picture. Beets, which I might add, come out the exact same way they went in. Yuck.)

4. Ella can do everything in the helmet that she could without it.

This includes jolly jumping, petting the dog, crawling, rolling like a crazy person in her crib, babbling at FULL VOLUME (LOL her favourite!), bouncing on daddy's knee. You name it. The other day she was sitting on her own, and then for some reason decided she was done with that and fell over. She hit her head on the carpet and didn't even cry! How convenient that she was wearing her head protector!

5. People stare less than you'd think.

People stare certainly. Its not everyday you see a baby strolling on by in a helmet. Possibly they are wondering where she has parked her Vespa. Regardless, most people when they notice me staring either smile, or comment on how cute she is. (Which I whole heartedly agree with). One older woman asked me "how often we had to change it." I thought she meant the stickers so I said "As often as we'd like!" But I think she meant how often does she grow out of the helmet? Regardless, it was an awkward moment until we paid for our groceries and walked away. Steve said we should have answered "Depends on how many times she's soiled herself that day." Oh hindsight, how funny I could be if I was only getting more than 4 hours sleep a night.

No sleep for you Mama! Sleep is for the weak!

And a few more Ella pics for good measure!

Happy Long Weekend Everyone!

Martha Stewart ain't got nothin' on us

So there is one person in this household who religiously subscribes to Martha Stewart living. Its not me. Or Ella. Or Wyatt. Regardless, Steve and I were both super excited to paint her helmet. Unpainted it looks very boring, and also very 'medicinal'. Besides, what woman in this world wants her one accessory that doesn't change to be colourless? No one, I tell you! And certainly not my fancy girl!

So Steve and I set out with a game plan. Bright pink helmet. Name on the front in decals or stencil, and stickers on the rest of the helmet. If it were my helmet I'd paint it teal and brown,  but alas it is Ella's and I feel that she would like a more pink / flower / girly combo.

So it began! Because Ella is weaning in to weaning the helmet we got started the first night. 

First was to gather our supplies and paint and get the helmet ready for painting. 

 (FYI fushia kiss is possibly the most awesome name for paint ever?)

First coat of paint on! I was terrified that we had actually made the helmet worse instead of better and poor thing had to wear it around ghetto style for a full day before we could put another layer on.

Second coat of paint made it MUCH better. Phew.

Second coat of paint + Ella lettering (thank you Michaels!)

Finally, a coat of modge podgy and some stickers.

Is there a cuter model out there? I don't think so!

Wyatt agrees.

So all in all we are super happy how it turned out! Hopefully Ella enjoys her fancy helmet for the next 4-6 months!

A One of a Kind Helmet

So on May 1, we had our first consultation with the Orthotics Department at the Hospital for Sick Children. We were nervous, and not sure what would happen, but we knew that this appointment would be the deciding factor as to whether or not Ella would be 'helmeted' for the next 6 months of her life. They were the experts, not us, and we trusted their opinion. When the orthotist suggested the helmet, we decided to go for it. What were we going to say to Ella when she was 18, and wanted to shave her head? Sorry, kiddo! We didn't want to get you a helmet as a baby because it would have been hard on us, so enjoy your flat spot and the fact that your glasses are always crooked and you can't wear jaunty hats! Regardless, our orthotist was wonderful. Straightforward, to the point, and realistic. He made us feel so much better about the whole thing and he was absolutely wonderful with Ella. I had a quick cry, and then we were on our way to making the plaster cast of her head for her custom helmet.

First they draped her to protect her clothes and Steve's as well.

From there, they added a stockinette to her head to protect her hair. As you may notice, her cheeks seem to be too big for the hole.

Layers of plaster were then added to her head to ensure the helmet was custom fitted to her head shape. Her patience wore out at this point, and she cried and cried! My poor baby. She was a champ though and settled as soon as it was done. 

From there, we had 1.5 weeks helmet free and then we were back to Sick Kids for our helmet fitting. This time was filled with worry, doubt and fear. Would she be uncomfortable / sad in it? Would it hurt her? How would we deal with this responsibility and the looks / questions / stares of our family, friends, and general public? The time ticked closer and closer and all of a sudden it was Helmet Day!

We were warned this next appointment would likely be 2-2.5 hours. What do you do to keep a 6 month entertained for that time period? Especially when that time period is right in the middle of her afternoon nap.

Steve kept Ella entertained by teaching her to blow spit bubbles. Wonderful!

The orthotist came in and showed us the mold of her head, and the degree of flatness we were dealing with. This is Ella's current head shape. :(

However, the good news is that her head is 'moderate' and not severe! We are more likely to be closer to four months for correction, than six, which was our first consolation. Our goal is to be out of the helmet in five months for our family trip to Myrtle Beach.

So the appointment began and we started the initial fitting. This took an hour of measuring her eyebrow line, neck line, ear holes, and head centre. Because the helmet currently covered her eyes and ears, she was MAD!

This took about an hour. Then we were allowed to take a break for thirty minutes while he put the finishing touches on the helmet (smooth edges, attaching straps, sanding).

Again she screamed, but this time we managed to settle her down with her pacifier.

After 30 minutes of instructions (ugh so overwhelming!) We were allowed to leave. We tested the helmet in the car seat (safe!) and then took it off as instructed for our drive home. Tomorrow we begin the process of weaning her on the helmet. 30 min - 1 hour on, 20 min off, repeat. No helmet for naps or night sleeping. By day 2, start trying the helmet on naps and on day 4-7, start trying at night.

Phew. Busy day. 

So what do you do about a flat head, anyway?

So my daughter has a flat spot on her head. A spot, that's fairly noticeable, despite family and friends reassuring me that its "nothing!" "it will get better!" "you worry too much!". Well it is true that I worry too much (what new mother doesn't!), but it doesn't change the flatness on the back of her head. Like most babies these days, she's been put to sleep on her back. Great to reduce SIDS risk, not so great for head shapes apparently! Because Ella was born with torticollis (a shortening of the muscles one side of her neck), it caused her to sleep with her head to the right at all times. Much like Zoolander, she could only turn in one direction! Eventually that position caused the right side of her head to be flat. She has been in physiotherapy since she was 2 months old to fix the range of motion of her neck and I've been working with her daily as well. Ironic that a baby with torticollis was born to a physio? Ha! Her neck is getting a lot better, but unfortunately the damage had been done. Short of her wearing sassy hats, bows, and hairbands, there is nothing you can do to fix this flatness past six months short of getting her a helmet.

The decision to go for a helmet is not one to be taken lightly. Our journey started at Ella's two month well baby checkup. At this appointment, I brought it up to my family doctor that Ella never turned her head left, and that she was developing a flat spot on the back of her head. He diagnosed her with torticollis (which I already knew, despite my husband telling me that I was subscribing to "fretful mother's magazine") and referred us to a paediatrician along with a referral for physiotherapy. This being outside my realm of comfort, seeking a paediatric physio was the best course of action. I kept thinking that her flat spot would get better, it would be nothing to worry about, and she wouldn't need a helmet because she would be fine! The paediatrician didn't mince words. I believe her exact words were "Your daughter has a significant flat spot and facial deformity. You can do what you want, and you certainly don't have to go the helmet route. It really depends how much deformity you are comfortable with."

Wow.

Who could say that to this beautiful face?

Talk about a slap in the face! Who tells a new mother that their daughter has a visible facial deformity, even if its true? I left the appointment extremely upset, and with a referral to Sick Kid's Hospital Plagiocephaly Clinic.

It took a few months to get an appointment for this clinic. By that time, Ella was six months old, and I had hoped that because her flat spot had improved somewhat (no longer did she have a facial 'deformity'!), the clinic would say "Hey! Its gotten better. Just give it a few more months and she'll be fine." The orthotist walked in the room, took one look at Ella and said "So you're here about a helmet I see!" Ha! He described the flatness as moderate, and basically told us what the paediatrician had told us, in a lot nicer way. Her head was flat. It was going to stay flat. Its a cosmetic problem so we can either leave it as is, or fix it with a helmet.

After much deliberation we went the helmet route. We received the helmet two days ago.

And this is our story.