David's Plagio Pages: a repositioning success

From the time he was diagnosed at 2 months old until he turned 6 months old, we used a side positioner so David slept on alternating sides. After that, from habit he always sleeps on his tummy, or he sleeps on his side.  We also used to put his favorite stuffed toy in his field of vision so that he could see it when he is lying on the side we want him to be.
 

Car seat/infant carrier

When David is in his car seat , we have used a rolled towel to force him to look the other way.   Since we didn't want him to develop a flat spot on the other side, we also alternate the use of the rolled towel with some bubble styrofoam, the kind they sell to put under your bed sheets (we cut a square piece of it and put it in the head region of his car seat covered by a receiving blanket).  When we used that we let him choose his own position.  Finally, we got the Boppy "Noggin nest" that we also use in the car seat, that we used for a long time, but he just outgrew it now.  We just tried to vary our way of positioning him, so David doesn't get tired of it, and also that no other flat spots developed.  He really use to favor one side when we started the repositioning, but now doesn't seem to have a preference if we let him choose.
 
 
 

Floor time

We rarely lay him flat on his back during the day, we never did it when we started repositioning.  When he was younger and not as heavy, I carried him in a frontal pouch while I worked around the house. Sometimes I end up just holding him more, and he does lots of tummy time.  He used to hate tummy time when we started it, but just loves it now.   We alternate our ways of doing tummy time, sometimes doing it directly on the floor on a receiving blanket, sometimes using a boppy pillow, and we also bought the "Tummy mat" from Boppy that David loves playing with.  Sometimes, we also do tummy time in my bed while I have things to do in the bedroom.  Once again,  we change it as much as we can, change the toys we use, change the orientation so he has something new to look at.  He now really enjoys tummy time and plays for good periods of time in that position (he even likes to watch his baby Einstein video on his tummy now).  When we started tummy time, he use to  fuss a lot, and I would get down on the floor with him and cheer him and play with him.  Now, he is quite independent.  Recently, we started doing a little bit of activities while he lays on his back, but now he never stays in the same position anymore, and rolls constantly from his front to his back (and vice versa), and since his flat spot is better he doesn't choose to rest on it.  He also likes to sit up to play now, so it's another way where he does put pressure on the back of his head.
 

Apparatus: swing, bouncy seat, exersaucer, high chair, stroller

We did a big effort to limit time David spends in the swing, and bouncy seat.  We did use them sometimes (when I was showering, or fixing supper, or when nothing else would work to help David fall asleep), but as little as possible especially at the begginning of our repositioning.  In the swing, we would use a rolled receiveing blanket behind his shoulder and the bubble foam.  We would also position the swing so that to look at us, he would not be on his flat spot.  In his bouncy seat we used a "U" ring (mini boppy pillow), that we placed at the back of his head.

David also loves his exersaucer and we give him some time in that too.  We started using it when he was able to hold his head well, and we would put a little pillow behing him to help him keep is balance.  It was a great place to put him down so I was able to do some chores around the house.  When we started using his high chair, he was older and woudn't rest on his head, but rather preferred to lean forward (we don't put the tray on yet).

We also tried to limit the time David spent in his stroller.  It did mean sometimes planning my day differently, like not going shopping if David had spend enough time on his back that day (the not shopping part was a huge sacrifice for mommy who just loves it : )  I still hold him a lot and even carry him sometimes for part of the way if we go somewhere and he is his stroller for a long time so that he doesn't rest on his back for too long.  But there also, he has started to sit straight now, and doesn't rest his head most of the time.

 We also change David's diaper from the side on his changing table, and also do it so that to look at us, he is not resting on the flat spot.

That is mainly what we did and are doing now...  If  we know that one day David has spent more time on his back than usual, because we drove more, or of where we were, then I'm more careful the next couple of days in reducing the amount of time he spends on his back to compensate.  It was not always easy, but it got much easier as David is growing older...  It was definitively worth it for us : )
 
 

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