flat head at back in 12 week baby

[LimesMum]

Please an anyone recommend anything for this? I've been looking at pillows, there is one called mimos that has good reviews but is very expensive... Does anyone have recommendations for anything similar or has anyone used a mimos and had success?

DD's head it very flat at the back rather than on one side - I thinks it's due to excessive car seat use and cocoonababy

Thanks in advance

[T1mum3]

Really the best thing to do is tummy time, and you could ask your HV for some repositioning exercises.

[Lisad1975]

I used a clevamamma one with my lg from
birth. Its a heart shape with jole cut out in middle .
Lots of tummy time too
Her head is bootiful and was rather elongated at birth !

[PinkSwimGoggles]

tummy time every time you put him down

[uhoh2016]

My ds was like this it was practically right angled- trust me it will not stay like that their heads are so soft at that age. As he grows it will disappear my ds is 9 now and has a completely normal head

[T1mum3]

uhoh - while some children's heads even out naturally, so don't. It definitely needs to be taken seriously and the right steps taken to minimise the possibility that it becomes more permanent. Sorry, OP, but you are doing the right thing by not ignoring it.

[SpaceDinosaur]

A lot of my clients have visited these people: London Orthorics

[ScarletForYa]

I found a sheepskin better than the clevamama pillow. I think they're about €45 in Ikea.

[PotatoBread]

I noticed this in my DD from when she was about 5/6 weeks. I now use a Lilla Kuddis pillow though it doesn't seem to have made any improvement. I think the pillows are more of a preventative measure tbh and to stop it from getting any worse rather than making it normal again.

I've had an appt with a cranial osteopath with another booked next week. Some may dismiss this as hocus locus but I'm willing to give it a try.

Lots of tummy time and repositioning - making sure baby doesn't lie in same position all the time.

Some recommend helmet therapy as the only cure but it isn't available where I live and costs at least £2000+ in England.

Would love to say that 10 weeks later after the pillow, tummy time and repositioning that my DDs head has rounded out more but it hasn't yet. It just hasn't got any worse.

[Lisad1975]

Cranial oesteopayhs are excellent and can make a huge difference xx

[uhoh2016]

I agree it shouldn't be ignored but don't agree it's something to panic about. I'd assume most 12 week olds have a flat head and the vast majority will rectify by themselves as they grow

[Mumto2uk]

Please don't ignore it. I didn't act quickly enough as everyone said it will just sort itself out. However, I purchased (sorry it is expensive) a sleepcurve mattress. They do Moses basket/crib/cot mattesses and this I feel helped to stop it get any worse.

[Mumto2uk]

Good news is that you have enough time for it to self correct with tummy time, special mattress/pillows etc.

I got a babymoov pillow for the pushchair and if in baby bouncer. The minute my little one was strong enough I had her in a standing bouncer when I had to do things instead of a seated bouncer. I also (although hard) tried to keep her out of the car seat as much as possible.

[Slightlyperturbedowlagain]

If this is any help both my DS had flat heads from that sort of age. DC1 we just followed the health visitor recommendations, did tummy time, etc which didn't really help. He is 10 now, has very thick short hair and it's got better over time, but we had a mare getting cycling helmets that fitted (head too broad). With DC2 we were super-aware. Had the special mattress for Moses basket and cot from birth, tummy time, the lot, and he still got it and it was a much more obviously odd shape than DC1. We sold my car to pay for the helmet treatment with him (checked the orthotic practitioner was properly registered and did full assessments) also we had moved and treatment was available fairly locally, which it wouldn't have been for DC1. The nursery we went to wasn't as supportive as they could have been and kept taking the helmet off DC2 in the day, which was annoying, and possibly had some effect on the treatment but overall it did make a big improvement, but not 'perfect' over the 6 months treatment, but is pretty good now he is 7 and has grown since. I'm happy with the choices we made both times. If we had to choose again I would probably go for the helmet at about 9 months if the head shape looked very odd, if not too far to travel regularly and I could afford it, but not for a small imperfection as it does gradually improve over time and not if the other factors would be an issue.

[Slightlyperturbedowlagain]

I also agree that car seat time is best kept to a minimum

[jaykay34]

My eldest son had this as a baby (13 years ago) and I had actually forgotten all about it.
Just for reassurance, his head is totally normal now.
I think I just encouraged tummy time (although it was frowned upon back then), but didn't do anything spectacular to nurse it.

[LimesMum]

Thanks all

Trying tummy time and side lying but she isn't a fan at all!!

I'm still convince it's the cocoonababy mattress that has caused this!

[daisiesinherfootsteps]

We also got the Lilla Kuddis pillow when I noticed this with DC1 at a similar age. I would agree with the PP who said it's more preventative but should hopefully stop it getting worse. DC1s head did improve as soon as she got mobile, and with hair now looks completely normal, but if I look really closely, I can still tell. We were very close to seeking medical help when it started to improve. I blame her love of the bouncy chair (was the only place she would nap!) and she always leaned to same side so flatness was asymmetrical. When I noticed I started repositioning head once asleep.

With DD2 i had the pillows at the ready but she co-slept (her idea not mine!) and consequently has the most perfect head shape I've ever seen!

It probably will right itself, mostly, but there's no harm in having it looked at just in case.

[Daniellejoanne23]

My sisters child, my nephew who's now 1 has an extremely flat head at the back.
She was worried and bought all sorts of pillows but he always seemed to lay back onto the flat part. Doctor was even conceded and referred her to see a specialist months ago and about a month ago she finally saw the specialist & they said he's fine.
Try putting him on his stomach. My nephew now has hair so you can't notice it as much.

[user1466690252]

How much tummy time should they have? Ds2 ia the same age as and ive noticed this . What do the sheepskins do? He sits in his bouncy chair or lies on hia play mat when i have to do stuff with my other children so I can't leave him on his tumny but nor can I sit with him for long?

[thearty1]

My first son had this, and I bought lila kuddis pillows, but only after he'd developed the flat head. He's 3 now and has a normal head shape btw!

I've been using the lila kuddis pillows and doing a lot more tummy time from birth with my second baby, and there's no sign of any flat head so far.

[Pinklemonade16]

This happened to my dd and I got so worried and stressed about it. I used a babymoov lovenest pillow which are about £15.99 and it helped a lot her head was normal again within around 5 weeks. She's 8 months now with a lovely round head lol try not to worry x

[Foggymist]

Get a sling, more tummy time up on your chest rather than on floor, as little car seat time as is recommended/possible.

[Loops81]

We had this too, her head became flat on one side and it drove me crazy. GP/midwife were no help at all. We used the Mimos pillow, did cranial osteopathy and saw a physio, who was brilliant. Started so see gradual improvement once she started crawling and sleeping on her tummy/side. She is 2.5 now and it is barely noticeable - pretty sure it will round out completely in a year or two. So like others have said, don't panic but do take steps to stop it getting worse. Really wish the NHS would advise new parents about this early on!