It has been almost exactly a year since I wrote a post about the astronaut we were welcoming into our lives.
Reid's toritcolis/plagiocephaly diagnoses were not earth shattering, world ending, terrifying issues to deal with.
They were little teeny tiny bumps on our road, blips on our radar.
And they were totally fixable.
After four and a half months in the very stinky astronaut helmet, which more than anything made me cry because I could not cuddle my sweet babe, our physical therapist wasn't seeing the result she wanted to see with his neck stiffness. In December, she recommended we put him in a "tot collar," and that's when I said, "Thank you, but no thank you," grabbed Reid, and called a craniosacral therapist a friend had recommended to me months earlier.
Her name is Cathy, and she did beautiful things for Reid. Using her energy and the healing power of touch, massage, and manipulation, she would relax Reid to the point of sleep, and he literally became modeling clay in her hands. She was able to manipulate the fascia in the skull to pull everything to where it should be, and she released all of the tightness on the right side of his neck. After four months, Cathy released us from her care, and we were left with a now-toddler who had a loosey-goosey neck, a full head of hair, and a beautiful skull.
Reid at 6 months, just after starting helmet wear. You can see how flat his head is in the back.
Reid today, at 16 months, with a very pretty head.
My mom shared recently that she had read something crazy like 75% of babies today have some degree of plagiocephaly due to the "Back to Sleep" campaign that has reduced the risk of SIDS. The article also went on to blame "lazy" parents who refused to put their babies on their tummies.
No comment on that one from this mom, baby "experts."
There is something to be said for following maternal instinct, mother's intuition, whatever you want to call it.
There is also something to be said for alternative medicine and therapies.
But that is a topic for another day.
Today, we are just happy to have our astronaut, who took us on quite the journey into the unknown. We will keep shooting for the moon.
