how do they sleep

[carrielulu]

im boggled here...my babe has to wear helmet for 6 months after surgery. she will be 3 months old when she gets her surgery on oct. 3rd.

how is this little thing supposed to sleep?:( she sleeps with me in bed...has never slept by herself in a crib. where and how is she supposed to sleep...im so sad to think i'll have to leave her to sleep in a car seat or something all night....

:(

[Candice]

Hmm...now might be a good time to get her to start sleeping in a seperate bed (but in the same room with you). Have you seen those co-sleepers that basically attach to the side of your bed? If not let me know I'll dig up some info for you. The reason I say this is that it may make things a bit easier on her when she is recovering in the hospital after surgery, considering she won't be able to sleep with you then, just one less change she'll have to deal with. Let me know if I can help you at all. Kendall has never shared a bed with DH and I, but she was in her bassinet right next to me up until her surgery, after the surgery she slept there as well for a few weeks, as she had problems at night, waking up scared, etc. Around the third week post op, we put her in her crib in her nursery and she did just fine. Of course, every baby is different, but I think it will be much easier on you both if you start integrating the changes before the surgery.

[carrielulu]

aww..how old was yours when she got her surgery?

do they have to sleep upright when wearing a helmet?

hmm i havent heard of those cosleepers you're referring too..sounds interesting..

how long did yours need to wear the helmet?

[Katie]

With Dillon, we didn't transition to overnight wear until he was very well adjusted to wearing it all day. Once he got to the point where he seemed comfortable in it, he wore it for naps, then later overnight. He didn't have to sleep upright. the helmet is actually not too thick or bulky, and since it is shaped just for their heads they usually do pretty well once the're used to it. I'd say once you get the helmet, keep it on for short periods at first, slowly transition to a few hours at a time, then naps, then bedtime too. It may take longer for full time wear that way, but it beats an angry baby trying to take it off all the time. Dillon probably should have worn his longer, but just after he turned one, he learned to pop it off and it was all over :lol

[Candice]

Hey Chelsea:

Because they did the full CVR with the strip craniectomy, Kendall doesn't have to wear a helmet, so I can't answer the sleeping question. Her surgery was first scheduled for when she was 3 months old, but it was rescheduled due to her NS having a family emergency, so she ended up having her surgery at the end of her 3rd month. Here is a link to a company called "Arm's Reach" that manufactures the co-sleepers. I know there are other brands out there, but this is the one I have heard the most about. Check it out when you get a minute, hope this helps!
http://armsreach.com/

[carrielulu]

ahh thank u ! well i am not sure, but i thought she hads to wear the helmet 24/7? i guess i will find out more. yes i heard the endoscopic method required no helmet, but i guess with multiple sutures the had to perform ear to ear way :( too bad...im nervous but sure feel better being here and hearing all your stories, etc. i guess being 3 months old, they heal better? quicker? and dont have to wear the helmet as long....im sure hoping she wont require another surgery - they said 20-30 percent chance...

[Dean'smom]

Hi! My son had to wear a molding helmet for 7 months, he had the endoscopic surgery for coronal, which requires wearing the molding helmet to encourage proper head growth after the suture is released. I'm not going to lie- sleeping was a little tough at first, but he did get used to it- we had to have a second helmet made, which fit him much better, and was able to adjust to sleeping in it.

[Katie]

ahh thank u ! well i am not sure, but i thought she hads to wear the helmet 24/7?

She probably will have to wear it 24/7, but it makes life easier for all if you work your way up to 24 hours a day rather than jumping in to it. A gradual increase in hours will also help to make sure it fits her properaly and isn't causing and "hot spots".

[carrielulu]

wow..lots to learn i guess....live and learn...sigh..poor things hey :(

i hope she can still sleep with me...or do they need to sleep upright?

[Dean'smom]

No- Dean slept laying down- the part of the helmet that hits the mattress, is quite thin, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[mayashekhina]

Candice, Thanx for that info on the co sleeper, Im now applying for funding to have one (fingers crossed). I was asked if there was a one off item I could have what would it be for Beth and Ive asked for this!! (fingers are now crossed)

[Satori]

I don't understand why you can not continue to co-sleep, its pretty easy, you just need to be able to support the childs neck. You can either use your arm if its thin enough or roll up something like a receiving blanket to make a neck pillow. I don't see how sleeping alone in a crib is going to make a difference. I bet if you ask this over at the special needs forum over on mothering.com you will find parents who have gone though it since most are dedicated co-sleepers:)

[Candice]

Glad the info helped you Rachael! They sure are neat, and I think with the next bub I may get one! We had her bassi right next to the bed but it was a bit lower, and with the co sleeper it's height is adjustable. I take naps with Kendall in our bed, but she can't sleep with us at night because my husband is not really aware of things when he sleeps...one time I brought her into bed early in the morning after a feeding and fell asleep and I woke up just as DH was about to roll over on her, I FREAKED! Maybe I should have kicked HIM out of the bed and made him sleep in the guest room...HEHEHE. Anywho, I am keeping my fingers crossed that funding comes through, and WHEN you get it, let me know how you like it!

[scdillon]

Hi There,

It was almost a year ago my son had the endoscopic surgery. He was in a helmet for 8 months. He took maybe a day to get used to the helmet. Seriously, it was super easy. We had a "mini co-sleeper" however, since I was nursing most of the time he stayed in bed with me. I worried about how I would do it all while he was wearing a helmet, and you know what...I worried for nothing. It was really simple. The helmet was cold and not very comfy for me but it never stopped him nor I from doing whatever needed to be done. Honestly, I think us parents are more hung up about it than anyone else. I did get some nasty scratched under my arm from the velcro on his helmet, but that was it!

OK, one last thing! A neighbor of mine recently came over to me and showed me a magazine which was selling helmets! They were not selling them for medical reasons, but to protect the head when kids start to crawl and walk. I think it was called a "noggin protector!!!!!" We loved having our own helmet during this time.

It's not so bad! And the time really flies by!

[Kaitlynn's Mommy]

Hello, I see it's been a few months since this post was posted, but I was just wondering if your little girl had her surgery, and if she has the helmet yet? Kaitlynn has had hers for about 3 weeks now, and she slept all night the first night she had it on, and has slept all night since! So personally we have had no problems with it! GOOD LUCK!

[myangelSGY]

Hi and Welcome! My 6 month old just recently had surgery and is now in a helmet. It does not bother her at all during the day the first night was rough and I gave up at around 2 am when she was just to say the least aggravated. The next night she stayed in it till 4 am and the next 6 am and is now wearing it the 23 hours they say to wear it. I was so amazed at how light and flexible it is she is used to wearing it now and when you take it off she gets this cute confused look on her face. As far as the sleepers go to www.onestepahead.com (http://www.onestepahead.com) and they have a great selection.
Good Luck,