Flat head 17 week old baby - any tips?

[Lucille3]

Hi there - wondering if any mners can offer some advice...

4 weeks ago I asked the HV for advice re: my sons slightly flat head, she said it was fine, common, will grow out of it, just cosmetic, won’t see it with hair bla bla bla.

Had my check in with cranial osteopath today (last seen 5 weeks ago) and they flagged it up as a concern and suggested I get a pillow.

I’ve just spent an hour looking at various things online and worried myself silly (as well as feeling regret for not following my instinct and treating it 4 weeks ago!) can you tell I’m a FTM?!

So I want to get something to try and stop it getting worse but am I too late?!? My LO is pretty big for his age and quite a wriggler, so I’m not sure if a sleep curve mattress would be any good, and I’m worried he’ll just wriggle off a mimos cushion.

I’m just at a bit of a loss and want to do the best I can for him :(

I don’t have any advice but just wanted to say that if you look in the MN archives you might find sone previous threads.

Thanks JJJ, I’ve been reading through the old threads for most of the day and worrying myself sick! I think I need to go to sleep and look at it all with fresh eyes in the morning. Thanks for responding :)

Give him lots of tummy time in the day. There is lots of guidance for flat head syndrome and the best thing you can do whilst he is still going is do the tummy time. Get a decent play may or just lay them tummy down on a firm but soft surface and let them wriggle like a bug for a while. It will do wonders.

Thanks FTMF30, I’ve been looking at all sorts of mattresses, pillows, posts against pillows, there’s so much conflicting information! Plus I’ve already spent a fortune trying to get breastfeeding to work so I don’t want to waste any more of my savings as each but is making my maternity leave shorter!!

But more tummy time is an easy one to do - I’ll get him wriggling around more and keep my fingers firmly crossed!

My DD has a terribly flat head around that age, it’s perfectly rounded now she’s close to a year old. Started getting a lot better around 8/9 months when she was sitting up almost constantly. I’m also an anxious FTM and I was convinced mine would be the one that didn’t get better, expensive treatment would be required etc! Try not to worry until he’s sitting up a lot for a couple of months in a row/if it’s getting considerably worse even though he’s sitting up more.

Thanks Fi - does the FTM anxiety ever bloody go away?!? It’s exhausting! I have a little clevamama pillow to use in the pram and on his mat, so hopefully that’ll help a bit. He’s also just started going in the jumperoo so building up all his muscles. Glad your daughter has a lovely round head now 😊

Haha me too - she was a right conehead from the side for a few months! Her little forehead was all jutting out too. She was still cute though 🤪 and to be honest it wouldn’t have been as noticeable if she’d had lots of hair.

Well now I’m worrying about her upcoming MMR jabs and settling in at nursery so I’m guessing no, the anxiety doesn’t go. In fact, it seems to increase! I’m getting more used to it now...

I’m sure your little boy will have a lovely round bonce in a few months too and you’ll be able to forget all about it... and move on to worry-pastures new 🤗