I now have 8 1/2 triplet girls and there are 2 important things I wish I knew when I had babies. After a lengthy visit with the othrodontist I decided that I would share these mistakes I made so you can prevent a lot of pain in the future.

1. When your babies start walking invest in some good walking shoes. I am talking ankle supported walking shoes from stride rite. Make them wear them. I have one girl that has a foot that turns in (Ortho surgeon said she is flexible and that is the way she is) and the other has pronated feet has worn braces off and on needs inserts in her shoes and has very tight leg muscles. When they started walking I asked my ped what shoes are best he said "no shoes are best" I took that to mean they should not wear shoes. I think he meant that there is no one brand that is best, none that he would endorse.

2. Do not let them thumb suck. I know that it helps limit the crying, and is self soothing. My daughters that do thumb suck need palate expanders and now are dealing with open bites and tongue thrusting. After the barbaric expander was removed, we are now putting in a top tongue thrusting device and some kind of spurs/spikes on the bottom to prevent the tongue thrusting. Now I wish I would have stopped it and never allowed it. The one daughter that never sucked her thumb has no need for the devices other that braces for a short time.

So, I recommend getting good walking shoes and no thumb sucking.
Good luck to you,
Jennifer ggg, 8 1/2

Jennifer,
I just had my kids evaluated by a PT and ST team. I asked them about shoes versus bare feet and they said bare feet are best at home. So you might not have misunderstood your pediatrician. Good to know - thanks.
Petra
DS 08/02
DD 05/04
BBG 05/09 32.1 weeks

That's good to know! Mommy guilt is so hard to deal with! But I kept mine barefoot or in Roobeez and they have such bad foot problems anyway.
I just wonder if "corrective" type shoes would have helped. I don't notice until they stand beside children with normal feet LOL!
Jennifer
ggg, 8 1/2

I know, Mommy guilt is horrible! But if it's not one thing, it's another. In all reality, some kids unfortunately are just predisposed for certain problems. There probably was not much you could have done about it.
As for thumb sucking, that's difficult to break, even if you get on it right away. Some kids are just tenacious. I know people who have tried EVERYTHING to get their kids to stop with little or no success. Heck, I sucked on two fingers for probably 8 years and had major dental work as a result:P.
But you are right, parents who know about these issues at least can TRY to do it differently.
Petra
DS 08/02
DD 05/04
BBG 05/09 32.1 weeks

I agree that Mommy guilt can sure get you. I have one with a paci that will probably need some corrective dental work...but she also got the crooked teeth of one of the grandfathers...very distinctive so we know it actually is hereditary. The other two got my crowded teeth and will need braces and likely an expander at some point. Neither sucked a paci or thumb...all genetic. The tongue thrusting though...that is interesting...our FTT baby did it a lot when learning to eat solids, but that was because she was full and really WANTED the stuff out of her mouth. Once the pump feeding was gone the thrusting left within a day or so too. Interesting.

Additionally, all three of ours grew up mainly barefoot and still are usually that way. The NICU followup doctors said bare was best unless there were issues. I guess the key is to catch it as soon as you can and it sounds like that is exactly what you did.


Susan

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message

  

I think that you did the right thing with bare feet as well. My husband is a physical therapist and we always walk around the house and even exercise in bare feet (except running). And we are absolutely keeping our kids barefoot around the house when they start to walk. So I think that you heard your pedi right about the shoe thing.

Also, I sucked my thumb when I was kid until my baby teeth were falling out and my adult teeth were coming in, then I stopped, but I never even needed braces and my teeth are still straight. I think some things are just the luck of the draw unfortunately. Hopefully that might alleviate more of your Mommy guilt. It is the worst feeling!!!

Susan
GGB @ 36w 2d

The thumb sucking is weird. My sister sucked her thumb and just had a retainer. I never sucked my thumb and had braces twice and headgear (the second orthodontist used rubber bands instead of headgear). The first ortho I had basically called my mom a liar and said I had to have sucked my thumb, the way my jaw was out of whack.

Amy

Mom to Julia, ^Caitlin^ & Gabrielle



http://onealaskanmom.wordpress.com

I don't know about the shoe thing, but I almost let my daughter who has an oral aversion suck her thumb just because she would. She was at a point she didnt want anything in her mouth but she started putting her thumb in there and sucking it... I decided against letting her continue it and worked and worked and worked until I finally got her to take an orthodontic pacifier, just so we could avoid the orthodontic problems, at least due to that.

Shely~ Mom to 1+bbg