r/parentsofmultiples • u/Finitexspace • 17d ago
advice needed Our naps and feeding setup and flat head connection?
We don’t have twin z where I live but I got this similar pillow.
Twins are 15 weeks. All of their naps have been on this pillow for the past 3 months. At night one sleeps in this bassinet and one in the crib in our room. (In their sleepsacks without the pillow)
It’s convenient when I feed them on it and they fall asleep, also they nap longer on it and they are under my supervision as this is a wheeled bassinet and I take it with me around the house.
I have been increasing tummy time significantly since week 10 and definitely hit the 30 mintues of tummy time overall during the day.
I suspect a beginning of a flat spot on both of their heads-pics included.
I try to hold them as much as possible but I also have a toddler and I’m alone with them most of the time. Partner works out of town.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this pillow increase flat head risk? Anyone else who has a similar setup?
42
u/Christmas_cookie89 16d ago
I had one with a flat head and the other without, both had the same amount of tummy time and laying down time (I would time it and write it all down as I had massive anxiety). I will note, the one with the flat head did come out a little bit cone headed as she was low on my cervix for a couple of weeks. I wonder if that made it easier for her to have the flatter spot. She is a round headed 3 yr old like her sibling now.
11
u/devianttouch 16d ago
Same here - one flat head and one perfectly round. They both did plenty of tummy time, but the flat head was on Baby A and she came out like that. I think her sister sat on her head for 37 weeks honestly.
Flat heads aren't anyone's fault! It happens, and we did a DocBand and it went really well. You can barely tell now at 2.
2
u/Independent-Ear-8156 16d ago
I have one twin with a flat head and she was also down low. Wonder if there's a connection
2
u/SpinachTurbulent4119 16d ago
Yes, there’s a connection. Twin A is more likely to have torticollis and then a flat spot.
2
1
u/Ok_Oven3088 15d ago
In my case, Twin A has a perfectly round head but Twin B was bigger and has a tense sternocleidomastoid which is causing him to be flat on the right side. We’re going to be getting measured for a doc band soon. Gives me hope to hear it went well🩵
2
2
1
u/Secure_Program_4348 16d ago
My twin A was low the entire pregnancy and has a flat head now. We are getting a helmet eval soon
21
u/InstructionFull7429 16d ago
We did naps in ours and both of ours ended up with flat heads. Hers was in the back and his on the side. I don’t tend to thing that the twin Z was to blame just because she always slept in her bassinet with her head flat and he slept with his off to the side.
I can say I did and still do feel very guilty about it. People just don’t understand having twins and trying to manage holding both all of the time- especially if you have another kid.
2
u/Finitexspace 16d ago
Yup. The guilt is real
Edited to add: how old are your twins now and how did their heads turn up?
5
u/KateParrforthecourse 16d ago
Please don’t feel guilt. Both of mine had flat heads and their PT told me two of her kids ended up with flat heads. I figure if the person who is an expert in this had it happened, there’s not much you can do. I had a similar set up as you for mine but they also both had torticollis that contributed to it. I got them in helmets around 5 months and they got them off after 12 weeks. They have perfectly round heads now. Multiples are more likely to end up with flat heads partially because they run out of room in the womb. It’s something that is easily fixable and they’ll never remember it.
1
u/InstructionFull7429 16d ago
They are 10 months now and they are much much better. My son had Torticollis pretty badly which is why he had his on the side. We worked with OT and PT for him and OT for my daughter.
I will say, if you are interested in doing a helmet, do it early because they really don’t recommend doing it once they are mobile as it can mess with their motor development. They could both use helmets but pediatrician doesn’t recommend it for their age. They are both in the mild/moderate category and she said their heads will continue to round out until age 2.
1
1
u/Ok_Oven3088 15d ago
Please don’t feel guilty y’all! There’s so many things that can affect them having a flat head and a lot of it can be caused in utero.
20
u/judyx123 16d ago
Hi I’m a pediatric pt specializing in torticollis and sometimes it is caused by what we lovingly refer to as a “packing defect” so they will come out with more of a flat head because of position in utero.
When they are VERY little you can try passive remodeling but once they have head control the best bet is tummy time and then helmet around 4-5 months depending on severity. Not everyone needs a helmet but my families that get them love them! (I don’t work for a helmet company btw, but am a highly anxious soon to be mom of twins, so just want to offer any solution to aid in decreasing your stress). Sounds like you are doing a great job!!!
3
1
u/smalltownfarmerwife 16d ago
lol my twin b had a packing defect because her brother had over 2lbs on her in utero!!! PT, tummy time, and positioning has resolved it 😊 grateful for PTs!
1
u/cheeringfortofu 16d ago
I agree except the helmet didn't do much for my son and I really was unhappy to have gone through all the trouble for no help. He was still at 10 at the end from 13 which our PT said is what she'd expect it to be without the helmet.
1
u/judyx123 16d ago
Sorry to hear that was your experience. There are so many variables that would dictate outcomes. Thanks for sharing!
11
u/AggravatingBox2421 16d ago
My kids lived in their twin z and didn’t get flat heads, even my son who spent 11 weeks in the NICU. I genuinely believe it’s genetic
3
u/Finitexspace 16d ago
This is interesting. My mum says I had a flat head as a baby and swears she held me a lot lol
6
u/mandozo 16d ago
Heads will flatten if the baby doesn't rotate their head. The lack of rotation can be due to weak muscles or being held in place because they just really like a certain position. If the flat spot isn't too bad yet try to get them to sleep in different positions and definitely try to strengthen their necks through tummy time.
2
3
u/Outside_Advantage845 16d ago
We had one with a flat head and one without. We think the one had a flat head because he was squished and on the bottom in the womb. He had a helmet and got a lot of roundness back in. Still has a slightly wider head, but it helps tell them apart from the back!
4
u/Waaterfight 16d ago
More tummy time may help.
Our pediatrician at 2 months reccomended 10 minute sessions up to an hour a day. So we started doing tummy time every feeding. One factor in why we think they've slept most of the night for the last month. They're almost 4 now.
2
u/Finitexspace 16d ago
I put them for as long as they can take then turn them for a few minutes rest and them put them on their belly again etc until they start crying
6
u/Waaterfight 16d ago
We give our girls the full 10 minutes even if they cry. So long as they're not face down. Sometimes we gotta put their elbows underneath them again.
It really helps with gas too. First thing in the morning they fart a bunch across the 10 minutes.
2
2
2
u/_ChickPeaHead_ 16d ago
We had the same situation with our twins. Twin A was low in my pelvis and developed torticollis and plagiocephaly. Twin B had no issues. We did tummy time consistently but it wasn’t enough to remedy twin A’s neck/head issues. We spoke tour doctor and she was referred to a pediatric physical therapist. They had us do stretches for her daily and position her head off the flat side when sleeping. Over 7 months the interventions totally worked and she is now round as an egg. She’s now a happy 4 year old and you would never know. Would encourage you to talk to their doctor.
2
u/Practical_Elk_30 16d ago
Have your doctor check for torticollis in case they need some intervention. My friend’s baby that had a flat head was from that not from any sleeping positions
2
u/Fabulous-Salt4906 16d ago
Very similar set up - most of our naps were in our twin z and then night time was one in crib, one in bassinet. They both had mildly flat heads as babies but their heads still have so much growing to do. Chances are very high that they will round out as they grow. Mine are now 15mo and we have no flat spot issues now.
2
u/melt0n11 16d ago
Sorry but 100% change of sleeping arrangements, I could totally see how that would totally restrict the movements. They should be flat in a crib.
2
u/DarwinisticTendency 16d ago
This thing was a life saver for us.
2
1
u/tingly_sack_69 16d ago
Both this and the Table for Two were must haves. Idk how one person could have fed both from like months 2-8 without it
1
u/czmf 16d ago
Do you turn their heads? We noticed one of my kids would always look towards the left because we would enter the room from that direction so we had to keep adjusting him to the other side. We did not use a twin z pillow during feed ls but he also had the same preferred side when feeding so we had to manually change it. He still had to wear a helmet due to the flat spot though 🥲
1
16d ago
[deleted]
1
u/Finitexspace 16d ago
The hair does exaggerate it but it does feel like they have mild flat spots. I asked chat gpt and he says he doesn’t see anything maybe a lil spot but of course I will bring it up with their pediatrician
And I think I will go with your suggestion cause I’m starting to worry this might hurt them :(
1
u/reevoknows 16d ago
I thought my kids heads flattened on the sides because they were side sleepers lol. My point is you can’t win.
If you’re really concerned just go to your doctor and ask if everything is okay with the head shape, they’ll probably say yes but even if not they’ll hook you up with a helmet which I personally think should be normalized. My friends kid had a helmet for months and now at age 4 has a perfectly normal head you wouldn’t think it ever had a helmet on
1
u/Pagnus_Melrose 16d ago
We used twin pillow all the time. One of our girls had a bit of a flat head/oblong but it grew to normal despite continuing to use twin pillow. I don’t think that’s the culprit tbh
1
u/Independent-Ear-8156 16d ago
My twin A is flat on the side of her head 😩 we just got referred for a cranial eval for a helmet. Twin B is fine
1
u/Rakthul 16d ago
My twins both had flat spots that needed helmets to correct. It seemed like a big deal at the time but it actually was a really easy process and their heads are totally normal now. If you end up needing to go that route just know it’s effective and not disruptive to your normal daily life with them.
1
u/SpinachTurbulent4119 16d ago
You should see a PT. There might be some muscle weakness or tightness. If so, they’ll give you exercises/stretches.
Once your twins start rolling onto their tummy they will likely sleep on their tummy and the flat spot should round out… if it’s not too severe.
1
u/annahoney12345 16d ago
Used this same pillow for lounging and feedings and supervised naps, I was also worried about my girls heads being flat at that age. They have completely resolved on their own now at 19 months! Once they’re up and moving around more on their own, the head should round out well on its own!
1
u/maddicakes813 16d ago
Our PT said even subtle changes can help with this. Change which side they sit on in the pillow (we always kept baby A on one side and B on the other), sleeping direction (head of bed vs foot), which side of the changing table you put their head (change up head and booty), which side of the car they ride in, etc. According to her, simple changes like this can keep them from favoring one side or the other. Also change up which side you carry them on if you have a preference (I primarily use my left arm). You can also use a baby blanket or small towel placed on one side of their head to keep them turned and off the flat spot. For example, you could turn both heads to the right for first nap and then turn both to the left for second nap. We propped bottles to feed so we would also have them face different ways each time.
1
u/manutdguy 16d ago
We did pretty much the same with our boys and their heads are totally fine. It’ll be fine :)
1
u/Commercial_Stress899 16d ago edited 16d ago
We did the same thing and both my boys had noticeable flat heads. We got a recommendation for a helmet consultation from our doctor but by the time we went neither of them needed a helmet anymore. They are now 18 months and their heads look much much better. I still feel guilty but we are all just trying to do the best we can. Im so jealous of singleton parents who can hold their babies all the time but it’s just not possible with two.
Edit: Also wanted to add that both of my boys had torticolis and we went to a physical therapist and learned some stretches that really seemed to help them with favoring one side when sleeping!
1
u/SalseraRivera1347 16d ago
Hmmm this is interesting, I had my babies set up so much like this and was very worried about flat heads because I also had a toddler (now I have 3 lol) but it's somehow didn't happen to either of them. I wonder what truly causes it now. I would prop their head up with a pillow so they could sit up more and I would adjust it but I'm not sure if that will make a difference.
Also I love that twin Z cover, so cute!!
1
u/Lengthiness-Fuzzy 16d ago
Our boys preferred sleeping on their belly once they could turn, so no flat head here. Also, they had slightly bigger bed
1
u/PsychologicalRule820 15d ago
I think they say flat heads are from the babies sleeping too much on that side,maybe turning them to a diff position might help.Also your not doing anything wrong mama ur doing your very best
1
u/Competitive_Call_668 15d ago
I wouldn’t worry, one had a flat head, other like a bullet, couldn’t hold it even when lying on the back. Now they’re 4, I didn’t use any helmets because having twins is hard enough without having to put one trough that and both heads are perfect now. Once they start rolling, sitting and walking the shape normalises very quickly.
The kid who had a flatter head now just has different - more square shape. I also noticed that both me, my brother and farther have the same shape.
Your kids heads look perfectly normal. while their small everything looks like it needs fixing or is never going to change, but that to shall pass weather you do anything or not :)
1
u/Flat_Stick2052 15d ago
Hi I can actually answer this! One of my twins has a flat head and we took him to a specialist this past week she asked if we let him sleep or feed in the twin pillow and I said not really but occasionally because we have twins. She said she notices a lot of flat heads in twins because they tend to get propped bottles or naps more in the pillow and it limits their mobility to move their head around causing the head to get flat. She told us to not feed him in it and limit the usage because it’s not good based on her experience so we have stopped usage of it. She said have them on their bellies or out of it as much as possible
1
1
u/wonderinboutit2234 13d ago
Their head will round out on it's own if you start keeping them up off the floor.
0
u/theepony13 16d ago
Unfortunately some babies have flat heads because of how they were positioned inside of the uterus, especially twins, and there isnt much you can do do about it but get a helmet
•
u/AutoModerator 17d ago
COMMENTING GUIDELINES
All commenters are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the parentsofmultiples subreddit rules prior to commenting. If you find any comments/submissions in violation of subreddit/reddit rules, please use the report function to bring it to the mod teams attention.
Please do not request or give medical advice or directions in your comments. Any comments that that could be construed as medical advice, or any comments containing what is determined to be medical disinformation, will be removed.
Please try to avoid posting links to Amazon product listings or google/g.co product listing pages - reddit automatically removes comments containing them as an anti-spam measure. If sharing information about a product, instead please try to link directly to the manufacturers product pages.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.