Therapy for Baby

I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to share about the personal situation we have been experiencing over the last few months, however, after reading several families' blogs dealing with issues similar to ours I was inspired to share our story....

Because I am a new mom, I have been immersed in reading several parenting books and magazines and I also subscribe to a few websites that walk you through your baby's stages of development. As I was reading the "What your Baby Should be Doing" section of month 6 in What to Expect the First Year, I realized that Nicholas was not yet lifting his head up when on his belly, and as a matter of fact, he hated to be on his belly and refused to move. He just laid there and cried until one of us picked him up or turned him over so he was laying on his back.

So at Nicholas' 6 month check-up I casually mentioned this fact to his pediatrician. I quickly realized this was not normal and that his doctor was somewhat concerned when he handed me a referral card for the Infant-Toddler Early Intervention Program of Clark County.

Skip to me...20 minutes later...driving home with huge tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't help but wonder, "Had I done something wrong? Why didn't I put him on his belly more when he was younger? What if something is really, really wrong with him?" And then more tears. I felt so troubled by the news that worried questions like these kept going through my head for two weeks until we had our first appointment with the ITEIP.

There I met a wonderfully delightful woman named Leslie. Leslie sat down with me and explained that Nicholas is really not so rare. "These days, she said, we see a lot more kids like Nicholas simply because babies are sleeping on their backs." I felt a surge of relief at her words and listened intently as she explained to me how the program works.

First, we had to choose a service provider for Nicholas' evaluation. I chose the Educational Service District 112 because during my training as a teacher I had taken several classes at the ESD and know the people that work there to knowledgeable and well trained. I also liked that fact that the representatives from the ESD would come to our home for any testing Nicholas needed. That meant less driving for us and baby could stick to his schedule.

Then, after we chose the ESD, another fabulous woman named Susan came to our home to evaluate Nicholas in 4 developmental areas: cognitive, social, fine/gross motor, and adaptive. She asked me a series of questions about Nicholas and observed him while he played in his ExerSaucer and on the floor. I was relieved to learn that in 3 of the 4 areas: cognitive, social, and adaptive he tested at 8+ months. In one area: fine/gross motor skills he tested at only 4 months which was a delay of 3 months at the time. Infants delayed 2 or more months in one or more areas qualify for services. Some things he should be doing that he is not yet are: sitting upright on his own (for more than a few seconds), lifting his head up when on his belly, lifting his body off the ground on all fours, and reaching up for us when wanting to be picked up.

After Susan left she explained that a physical therapist named Katie would be out in a week to observe Nicholas and after her evaluation was complete they would determine what services he would qualify for and he would receive assistance based on the combination of their findings. I felt relieved but still had so many questions and could not wait to meet the physical therapist. I kept wondering why our baby was not mobile and if it was somehow my fault.

A week went by and Jeff and I continued to work with our baby on a daily basis. Moving him here, rolling him there. More tummy time than Nicholas had ever asked for and we could see slight improvements but no overwhelming successes.

Everything changed for me the day I met Katie. She bounced into our home with a beautiful smile and a warm, friendly handshake and I knew everything would be okay. She chatted with me about her two little ones at home while I woke Nicholas up from his nap. She gently held him and talked to him while he woke up, getting acquainted with him in her own little way. Nicholas took to her right away and smiled at her with his toothless grin. After our sweet baby was fully awake she began moving him this way and that, trying to get him to reach for the shiny jingle bells she brought, all the while talking with him and praising him when he would move the way she wanted. After several minutes of observation she started in with the diagnosis..."Nicholas has low muscle tone. That, coupled with his laid-back, easy-going attitude, makes for one mellow baby. He's not moving because he's content with being held or laying on his back."

What?! I thought.

"Would it have helped him if I put him on his tummy more as a newborn?" I asked.

"No, she replied, his low muscle tone is the cause for his lack of mobility."

I wanted to kiss her! After a period of several months Jeff and I had been agonizing over what if we had done this and why hadn't we done that...only to find out Nicholas just has low muscle tone! We had already realized he was laid-back but weren't sure that would contribute to his lack of mobilty! Hallelujah!

Before she left she told us to have him spend as much time on his tummy as possible and gave us a few movements to practice with him. She wants him to begin to strengthen his core muscles which will help him in all areas of movement.

Now our darling little boy has an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) which is similar to an IEP for school-age kids except that it's geared toward infants and families. He has 10 goals set in place for one year and will be working with the wonderful physical therapist, Katie, until he meets all his goals and is caught up developmentally. She will come to our home once a week for an hour to work with him. We will also be working with him at home on a daily basis to help him strengthen those little muscles of his.

Hopefully, within the next few months we will have a mobile boy on our hands...but for now we will enjoy our little cuddle bug and give him lots love and praise as he begins this new adventure in his young life.