I had noticed it for a while but was hoping it was my imagination. The day my mom mentioned, “I think the baby has a flat spot,” I had the biggest pit in my stomach. I couldn’t pretend not to see it anymore.
After a couple of visits to the pediatrician and bringing up my concerns, they dismissed them and told me that the baby’s head would round out on its own. After about a month of the wait-and-see game, I took matters into my own hands and made a consultation appointment to see if the baby needed a doc band, though the answer was pretty obvious.
Upon our first appointment, the specialist told us that the baby had a significant flat spot and recommended we start the doc band sooner than later. I was nervous and upset. None of my friends’ babies wore helmets (the slang term for a doc band, though the band is open like a crown and not closed like a helmet), and it felt uneasy to me to have to go through this experience alone after I had been experiencing all of my other parenting firsts with friends.
The tech explained that my daughter wouldn’t have to wear the band 23 hours a day and could get an hour break during the day and small breaks when bathing. Each doc band is individually formed to fit a child’s head based on several 3D scans and applies light pressure to a baby’s skull in specific areas to round or even it out.
I had so many thoughts rushing through my head, worrying about what people would think when we were out and about. Would they stare or say mean things? I didn’t feel prepared.
We got a call about a week later that the doc band was ready to be picked up. When they put it on, it was as if they didn’t do anything. My daughter did not try to grab at it or pull it off; she seemed unbothered. I was pleased with how cute it made her look. It squished her cheeks and made her face look cute and chunky. We chose a pink doc band to give it a little more pizazz, but I did not decorate it. Though, since our time with the doc band, I’ve seen some plenty more with awesome decorations!
Going out in public was not what I imagined. People did not stare. So many parents would come to me and tell me stories of their children’s experiences with the doc band. It was very comforting and heartwarming to feel a village of other parents with us on our journey.
After 12 long weeks (my daughter wore it for four weeks longer than most children do), we finally got to see the full transformation from the first scan to the last, and it was AMAZING. There was such a big difference. Her head will always be slightly asymmetrical, but with her hair covering it, no one will ever notice.
Thanks for sharing this. How is her torticollis? What did you do for the torticollis?
Thank you for your response. She underwent about 9 months of weekly physical therapy with a professional, and we did stretches a few days a week, though we did them mostly in the beginning, only, when she was too young to resist and counteract the stretch to where she would hurt herself. The result was astonishing, as you would never know that was even an issue. She’s 3-1/2 now.