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Original poster

Best pillow to help flat head syndrome?

35 replies

Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 10:06

DS is four months and has what I thought was quite mild flat head but I think it's getting more severe now it looks like a bit of his head has been sliced off back right because that's where he sleeps despite all my repositioning
His ears are still aligned etc so that's good but I want to order some pillows to try and help

Wondered if anyone had any good results with any they could recommend?

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 15/04/2020 10:08

I wouldn’t use a pillow with a four month old. Rather a flat head than SIDS.

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 10:09

I'm.not.going to use it at night I'm going to use it for supervised naps/pushchair etc

OP posts:
mindutopia · 15/04/2020 10:30

Don’t use a pillow but do lie him so he isn’t on that bit of his head or wear in a sling so there is no pressure at all. It’s a bit impossible now but when things return to normal I would take him to see a cranial osteopath. They can fix the tightness in his shoulders and neck that is causing him to only lie on one part of his head.

Thescrewinthetuna · 15/04/2020 10:33

Mimos pillow made a huge difference to my son. He was born with a low birth weight and tightness in one side of his neck so that combined with stretches (just using a toy to distract him so he would turn to his unfavoured side) helped. Tummy time and stretches on their own didn’t help much but the Mimos pillow was amazing on top of those.

dementedpixie · 15/04/2020 10:36

I had one of these

lillakuddisbabypillows.co.uk

BaronessBomburst · 15/04/2020 10:36

Does he sleep in with you? DS started to get a flat head and one of the things that helped was constantly moving his cot around our room. He would always turn to face me so moving the cot forced him to lie in different positions.

TeddyBeans · 15/04/2020 10:40

I bought a little pillow with a hole in it which is supposed to help with flat spots but the only thing that made a significant difference to my son's head was a chiropractor. He started going at 4.5 months and within a few weeks his head was a much better shape. He has top up appointments every so often (he's just turning 2) to keep it corrected. Might be worth looking into once lockdown is over

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 10:41

Thanks for advice he sleeps in a cot next to the bed
He doesn't seem to have tight muscles because he can turn his head to follow toys etc
I do put him in a sling but I wondered about a pillow for playmat etc because I don't want to stop him using it
I seem to spend my life repositioning him at the moment and it just doesn't work and his head is getting worse

Did anyone use a bumbo seat?
I'm trying to up tummy time but he's in a fist chewing phase so although he can lift his head he drops it to chew his fists!

I'm having him nap on me so he's on his front and trying my best to limit the time he's on his back but he's a good sleeper so at night he's on the flat bit for six to nine hours and each morning it looks a bit worse

OP posts:
Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 14:13

Thank you!

OP posts:
ChelseaCat · 15/04/2020 14:19

Are you managing to do much tummy time?

Tolleshunt · 15/04/2020 14:22

If it helps to reassure you, my DD did this and had a very pronounced flat area towards one side at the back. I was very worried but once she started sitting up it improved a lot, and once her hair thickened it wasn’t noticeable. Now she’s four there’s no problem discernible at all.

Having said that, a visit to a specialist osteopath it’s chiropractor to loosen his neck wouldn’t hurt.

Kpo58 · 15/04/2020 14:25

I used a mesh baby pillow when I started it noticing to DS as I didn't want a suffocation risk.

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 14:36

I struggle with tummy time he’s a refluxy baby and it tends to make him a bit sick but I’m
Persevering with it the only thing is at the moment he just wants to chew his fists so he immediately lowers his head to chew them!
He has quite good head control and lifts it well
When he lies on me etc but I do need to build up to longer periods of time as he only tolerates it for 5-10 minutes currently

Thank you @Tolleshunt he actually has a fair bit of hair although not all over and it’s still noticeable although the bald bit is the flat bit IYSWIM
He was a breech baby as well and the bald/flat bit is where they said his head was rubbing against me so I think he’s probably always had it I just noticed it once it got more severe

OP posts:
Pinkblueberry · 15/04/2020 14:41

My DS was the same, it really does even itself out a lot once they spend less time lying down.

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 14:51

Thank you @pinkblueberry I’m feeling really guilty about it as though I’ve been lazy and just left him lying back the whole time but we play with him and hold him and put him in the sling etc

OP posts:
awkwardbuttons · 15/04/2020 16:51

It's really unavoidable for some babies, but I use the pillow linked to above for awake time (change mat, playmat) and use a carrier for naps and it has made a huge difference in a matter of weeks.

THNG5 · 15/04/2020 17:01

With my first, I bought a sleep curve mattress for night and a little heart shaped pillow for daytime.

steppemum · 15/04/2020 17:47

ds had a totally flat head, veyr pronounced. From birth he woudl only sleep flat on his back with his head flat.

It was a bit like a self filling circle too, the flatter his ehad, the more it naturally lay flat on the bed. I didn't really realise how flat it had been until dd was born with a veyr round head and her head naturally fell to one side or the other when asleep.

Anyway, as soon as he moved round more when he slept, it started to round out, and wasn't noticable at all by the time he was a toddler.

one suggestion I did see was to roll up a towel and tuck it behind their back, rather than do anything with their head.

Clarez456 · 15/04/2020 17:56

My baby had plagiocephaly. I ordered a memory foam cot mattress so he could lay straight on that without a pillow. I also had to pay for a Starband which is like a brace for their head. Babies can grow out of mild cases so if his ears are still aligned you might be ok. There’s no harm in laying on a pillow during the day under 100% supervision or a bumbo or bouncy chair.

OnlyJudyCanJudgeMe · 15/04/2020 18:11

Bumbo chairs and the like are hellish for their spines.

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 15/04/2020 23:29

I'm fighting a losing battle with the repositioning at night. I've moved him four times and very single time he's moved back after a couple of minutes

I'm just worried because it seems to be getting worse day by day now we have noticed it and don't want it to start affecting his ears/forehead etc

I'm going to order a pillow and look at the special mattresses
I've also done my best to keep him.from.laying down today and when I put him on his playmat and in his pram.did the rolled up blanket trick which seemed to help

OP posts:
DixieFlatline · 15/04/2020 23:31

Do NOT go to a fucking quack for ‘neck loosening’ for fucking fuck’s sake. It is of NO benefit and could kill your child. What a stupid fucking thing to suggest.

Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 16/04/2020 00:17

@dixieflatline not sure who your comment is directed at but I haven't said anywhere I intend to, I'm asking about pillows and supports

OP posts:
Original poster
Aberforthsgoat · 16/04/2020 08:52

It’s worse again this morning :( it’s like the side that’s flat is pushing the other side out so it looks wider/sharper that side and is now really noticeAble
I’ve ordered a mimos pillow so really hoping that makes a difference I’m worried he’s going to look really deformed by next week at this rate

OP posts: