Ok, first things first, for those of you who were interested in our visit to the ped's office today about Maya's flat head. We discussed it at her 6-mos visit and decided to give it another month hoping that she's start sitting up unassisted, thus taking the pressure off her head. Well, that hasn't happened yet, so I started looking more closely at her and recent photos we've taken and realized that her face is no longer quite symmetrical. You wouldn't notice it if you weren't looking for it, but dh are a little concerned that not only is it not getting better, it seems to be getting worse. She favors that side of her head not matter what position you sit her down in, even when sitting upright in her stroller.
So, upon examination, it seems that the muscles in her neck are still tighter on the right than the left, making it difficult and prob uncomfortable for her to turn her head to the left. I believe it's called torticollis. The way to check for it is to lay her on her back and slowly turn her head from one side to the other. She should have an equal range of motion in both directions. Maya can touch her chin to her shoulder on the right, but not on the left.
They've referred us to a physical therapist for the muscle issue and to a neurologist for the flat head. I'm sure the PT can help us out with some exercises, and I'm hoping they can make some suggestions as to how we can position her in her crib to minimize any additional pressure on the flat spot. The ped also mentioned the banding, but there's no place local that does it. The closest centers are in Miami and Atlanta, both an 8-hour drive from here. We'll see what the neurologist has to say and take it from there.
Oh yeah, and it turns out they did the math wrong last time we were there (their scales are metric). She only weighs 14lbs 7oz (she is 7 mos and 1 wk today), putting her back in the 10th %ile for weight.
I posted on the product recommendations page for sippy cup recommendations - haven't checked for any responses yet. However, several friends have told me that it's easier to start with a faster flow one until they get the hang of it, then switch to a leakproof one.
Deb - During Maya's growth spurt, she was ravenous. She did wake in the middle of the night to eat a few nights, but at the time she was still ebf with no solids, so it took a few days for supply to equal demand. She also had a cold and was teething the same week, so things were rough all around. Since you can increase her intake immediately, hopefully it'll be a little easier.
Michelle - I find that errands distract Maya well too. We have the 2nd car, so we're mobile, but it is so hot here (96 today, v. humid, heat index well over 100), I hate to leave the house in the afternoon. Doing something outside is out of the question, but even to go to the store or the library, we have to get in the car.
Christine - When Maya had her cold, what helped the most was propping up her mattress. It doesn't have to be very high - 6" ought to be enough - just enough to help her head drain. Before I did that, Maya was waking up every 45min because she was so stuffed up.
Nikki - Is there any way FIL could participate in the bedtime routine? Perhaps help with the bath (if you do a bath)? Would he have any interest in helping?
