Physio on babies

[Mommafirst]

My seven month is supposed to get cpt twice a day, 2 minutes in
each spot for a total of 12 minutes.  Doesn't sound bad to me
in theory, but trying to get a 7 month who just learned to crawl to
sit still is impossible.  The only way I've found to get her
to just go with the treatment is if I am holding her while I stand
up, leaning the opposite part of her body against my chest.
 This is getting old.  I KNOW she has no choice, I KNOW
we do this everyday, just wondering if any more experienced have
any tricks that worked.<br>
<br>
Just a little info:  she doesn't cough at all and timing is
very tough because she only takes breastmilk and still eats every
two hours -- PT wants us to wait 2 hours after eating before doing
physio -- so I always have a hungry baby.

 

[MOME2RT]

Does she like bubbles? Do you have someone that can play with or distract her while you are doing CPT? Make it a game....sing to her or make silly faces at her while your doing them. What about a childrens dvd w/ other kids in it? I know she's young but babies LOVE to watch other babies. HTH Good luck!

 

[Mommafirst]

Thanks for your response!  I have a little boy named Reece too
(mine has an s) -- just love that name!  Anyway, I do
have two older siblings that can try to distract her -- she just
adores them.  I'll try that, but the patience of my 5 and 3
year olds is probably not going to last an entire treatment.
 I'll give it a try though.   She doesn't have any
interest in baby shows or tv at all, I haven't wanted to push it on
her, but as she develops an interest I will certainly use that as a
diversion as well.

 

[Ratatosk]

We do CPT 3-4 times a day. The first treatment of the day is at 6 a.m., so DS is usually sleeping thru it. We put him on our laps, with a pillow in our bedroom. The second treatment of the day is done after work -- that's usually the worst 'cuz DS is busy wanting to play. We do CPT while he watches cartoons. And the last treatment of the day is usually around 9:30 or 10 and he usually falls asleep during it, if he isn't already sleeping.

As far as eating -- we do the first two treatments before he eats, although we have done CPT as early as half an hour after eating/drinking a bottle. Lately he's been having a bedtime snack, but doesn't seem to have a problem if we do beatment a little bit afterwards. If you know when your child is going to eat, time the CPT an hour or so before.

Probably just a matter of getting your child used to cpt. Many a time I've had to grab DS's legs and pull him back while he's trying to escape. L

 

[ashton2005]

oh boy i know how you feel my 10 month old just got started on TOBI and that adds anoher 15 to 20 min on to his 2 treatments a day and he is such a busy body also so i will be interested in what everyone has to say.. we watch baby einstein.. i never though about waiting until that late at night and he would hopefully fall asleep i just thought that he would be more crabby.. and im going to have to start getting him up earlier just to get the TOBI spaced out 12 hours... ne way thats a whole nother issue sorry..

 

[Ratatosk]

We do tobi after the 6 a.m. cpt treatment. DS and DH snuggle in our bed while they do tobi. DS usually sleeps thru it. The evening one is a little more difficult -- we do CPT and let DS choose a show or a movie and he usually demands a snack, which ruins his dinner, but at least we get him to sit still for his tobi.

 

[anonymous]

Baby Einstein and Cedarmont kids videos did it for my little ones. The real problem for me started when they were about 12 months. Then they would run away. I would also give them their treatments after they had fallen asleep at night. Much easier!
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 5 and Jack, 3 both with cf

 

[Nicole]

We were always told that doing CPT an hour after eating was fine.

 

[Allie]

Hannah and Michael said Ry would try to make a break for the door as a baby too. One thing that worked for them was being a team. One would distract him with shiny paper or a rattle, or make faces, or something, and the other would beat him. Maybe?

 

[Mommafirst]

Yes, Allie,thanks!  Teamwork will probably have to be our best
approach -- when we are both around, which isn't during her
treatment times because we work at different times so someone is
always with the kids.  I'll just have to move her treatment
schedule to fit a time when we can both do it.  Maybe while
she sleeps as suggested above might be a good idea.
  Problem is, she doesn't sleep!!  Maybe she'll fall
asleep doing CPT instead of nursing her to sleep!  Hmmmmm,
that would be a better habit to get into in my opinion.

 

[anonymous]

baby einstein also worked wonders for us. Anything to keep them entertained.
We do pysio for 20 mins once a day, and thats tough.

So it must be hard for the mums that have to do it more than that. Especially when they are so active and wanting to run around and play.

We fing that doing her treatment just before bed is best, as she is tired and much more settled.

Good luck!

 

[dyza]

the thing you have to remember is that you need to do it regardless of how you feel, how much she struggles and crys.

We have had our ups and downs with our 15 month old boy with his PT, I find that giving him my watch works wonders, Ok now he thinks it is a toy and will play with it and hide it. we also time it for his naps and we ussually get him to sleep ....eventually.

The theory is that when they get up to being a toddler or even say a 4 yearold they should be used to having this done and will cooperate better .

 

[anonymous]

This will drive you nuts, but Erin loved it when whe started CPT. We put in a video of "THE WIGGLES" and turned up the volume. That was the only thing that kept her occupied until she became use to the CPT. It will get better and easier. Erin just had to learn that she had no option, kind of like bedtime/naptime. You comfort them and try different things, but in the end it has to be done. One parent or her older brother (he was 6-7 then) would get up and dance with the Wiggles. Kids love it when adults act silly <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">. Good luck!

Karon (mom to Erin, 4 w/cf and Jon, 10 w/o CF

 

[amber682]

I make sure my son isn't hungry or thirsty before I begin. It also helps a lot if he's tired, like right before a nap or bedtime. Sometimes he'll fall asleep while I do it, then its so much easier! I usually just put the tv on a cartoon he likes. He loves cars and trucks, so sometimes I put on the speed channel, its usually airing some sort of race. I pull the rocking chair up about 6 ft back from the tv and do it there. I find its easiest though if he's tired and full (but not just finished eating because then he may spit up!)

 

[amber682]

Oh, I just wanted to add that if he's tired it puts him to sleep, so when he's tired but won't/can't sleep, I'll do an extra cpt and it'll knock him right out! I did this everyday while he was admitted to the hospital because he would have a hard time taking a nap there.

 

[Mommafirst]

Wow!  I can't believe it puts him to sleep!  Alyssa won't
stop wiggling and trying to crawl away!!  She's still really
little, and hopefully she'll get used to it and be more receptive
as she gets bigger.  My husband and I are trying the team
approach.

 

[amber682]

He'll only fall asleep if I do it right before his nap or bedtime. I wait until he's already acting tired and cranky. Otherwise about halfway through it can turn into a battle to see who gets their way (me doing cpt or him getting down to play).

 

[dyza]

Its been a few days now How are you getting on any better with any of the suggestions.

 

[Mommafirst]

Thanks for asking, I've tried most of the suggestions but its still
a battle.  We are gung ho on the team approach, but there
aren't all that many times that my husband and I are home together
to do so.    She still falls asleep nursing, but
I've tried doing it before I nurse -- but she gets cranky and
aggravated.   I'm also not sure that I'm doing it right,
as lame as that sounds -- she doesn't cough, it doesn't seem to do
anything.  But I'll just keep plodding along.  We have
clinic next week, and I'll meet with the PT.  I'm pretty
frustrated,  but all I can do it keep trying everything.
 Part of it is her, she is a very willful baby -- she doesn't
like food, so she doesn't eat;  she doesn't like to sleep, so
she wakes up all night.  Looks like this is just one more
thing to fight about!!  LOL!

 

[Ratatosk]

We usually do CPT as a team. One person holds the nebulizer the other beats ds. We've been doing this since he was a week or so old, so it would calm him. We have had times where he's difficult. Sometimes I'd belt out the Halelujiah chorus using his name to drown out his screams, or we'd sing old McDonald's farm -- once we had an entire group of teenagers join in to help entertain him over the 4th of July. Nowdays television works and I've taped some of his favorite shows in case it's not on -- we're into American Dragon Jake Long and Pokemon these days.