Dean’s Cranial Helmet: A Small Chapter for a Big Future
This week our son Dean officially started wearing a cranial helmet.
He’s 9 months old now, and this is something I have been thinking about for a very long time.
Dean’s head shape has always been a little misshapen. It actually started before he was even born. When I was pregnant with the twins, he positioned himself in my pelvis in a way that created pressure on his head. When he was born, we could see that one side of his head had flattened and the shape wasn’t completely symmetrical.
In those early months, we hoped it would correct on its own.
And sometimes it does.
Babies grow fast, their skulls are still soft, and a lot of head shape issues improve naturally as babies gain neck control, roll more, and spend less time laying on their backs.
So we waited.
But as the months passed, it became clear that Dean’s head shape wasn’t correcting the way we hoped.
The Decision I Thought About for Months
I didn’t jump into the decision to get a cranial helmet. In fact, I spent months thinking about it.
When you’re a parent, every intervention feels like a big decision. You ask yourself all the questions.
Is this really necessary?
Will it fix itself with time?
Am I overreacting?
Is it worth putting my baby through this?
Dean’s head shape falls somewhere between moderate and severe, which made the decision a little clearer for us.
One thing that weighed heavily on my mind was something people don’t always think about with head shape issues. His ears are slightly misaligned because of the shape of his head.
And that can affect things later in life.
If Dean ends up needing glasses one day, which honestly feels likely since he inherited my genes, glasses might sit unevenly on his face. Even something simple like sunglasses or a bicycle helmet could fit strangely if his head shape stayed the same.
Those small everyday things started to matter more and more the longer I thought about it.
Insurance May Not Cover It
Another factor in the decision was the financial side.
We currently have HMO marketplace insurance, which means there’s a good chance the cranial helmet treatment might not be covered at all.
But at the end of the day, we decided to move forward with it regardless.
For us, the long term benefits outweighed the cost.
More importantly, I didn’t want to spend years wondering if I should have done something when I had the chance.
I also never want Dean to grow up and feel self conscious about his head shape or question why we didn’t try to correct it when we could.
This felt like one of those parenting moments where you make the decision that brings peace of mind, even if it’s not the easiest one.
What the Helmet Is Like
The cranial helmet works a lot like Invisalign braces.
It gently guides the growth of a baby’s skull into a more symmetrical shape while their bones are still soft and growing.
Dean has to wear his helmet 23 hours a day, which sounds like a lot, but babies adjust surprisingly well.
He only gets one hour per day without it for cleaning and skin checks.
The entire treatment will likely last somewhere between 12 and 16 weeks.
When I think about it in the context of his whole life, or even just his babyhood, that is such a small window of time.
Just a few months.
A tiny chapter in the grand scheme of things.
The Adjustment Period
Right now we’re in the beginning stage, which means there’s an adjustment period.
It’s new for him.
It’s new for us.
There may be some fussiness while he gets used to wearing it, and I’m sure there will be moments where I question if he’s comfortable or wonder if I made the right decision.
But I also know this phase will pass.
Babies are incredibly adaptable.
And before we know it, this will just be a memory.
A Short Season for a Lifetime Benefit
When I zoom out and look at the bigger picture, this really is such a small moment in Dean’s life.
A few weeks of wearing a helmet now could help him avoid potential issues later.
It gives his head the chance to grow more symmetrically while we still have the opportunity to guide that growth.
And honestly, it also gives me peace of mind as his mom.
Parenting is full of decisions like this. You gather the information you can, weigh the options, and make the best choice you know how to make.
So this is the path we chose for Dean.
And now we just take it one day at a time.
Wish us luck getting through this new phase
Thanks for reading. I share daily reflections on twin life, growth, and the quiet beauty of motherhood. Subscribe to keep following the journey.
Twin Tested Life 
Leave a comment