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Sleeping Problems - My baby is deaf

I also found out that my baby boy ( Liam ) is deaf in both ears I know how you feel he is 6 weeks olds and due to have molds for his hearing aids this week, like yourself we also have no history of deafness in either of our families!! I am trying to be strong but when I really think about it I also shed a few tears, thinking about his future!! Liam is my 2nd baby my 1st boy is fine, I almost wish I did not take him saying mumma and dadda for granted.
Liam was 8 weeks premtrureand was put on antibitics which can cause deafness in 1 in every 1000 babies, but I do not think I will ever be able to prove that this was the cause,
When talking to liam I some times stop beacuse he can not hear, but them I just have to treat him normally, he loves cuddles but not sure about being walked round when you holding him!!
He sleeeps really well but I guess He can not hear anything until he gets his hearing aids.
How long did you have to wait until your son got his hearing aids???
It would be great if you could try and get e mail me back, we are in the same boat and face the same problems ahead!!
talk soon Jennie
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Replies

  • Hi allow me to introduce myself, my name is Tara and I'm PROUD to be deaf. Both my husband and I are deaf, we have 3 children 2 girls who are hearing and a son who has a hearing problem. This kinda upsets me that you guys think that being deaf is a sad thing or an bad condition. Let me tell you guys this, it ain't a bad thing! I mean look at it this way your child can now communicate with both hearing and deaf. There are programs to help the deaf people adapt to the hearing world such as speech therapy ( I can talk like a hearing person because my parents forced me to take speech during school years), hearing aides, interpreters, etc. There's even schools for the deaf...I graduated with high honors at a HEARING public school! There is NOTHING wrong with being deaf! Now you as a parent have a choice, whether you wanna make the effort to learn sign language and embrace your child's deafness or brush it off like it's a terminal illness...trust me, your child will remember this as he/she grows up.
  • Hi Tara I think you are incredibly unfair to come on here and judge how people feel when finding out comething is wrong with your child!!



    I'm very sorry that others feeling upsets you but who the hell are you to judge! every situation is different i dont want to sound rude but being deaf yourself you expected that you children wuld have similar problems for us the diagnosis was a huge shock which is why you feel a sense of devestation!



    Your comment about making the effort with sign language is a joke as well, I have chosen NOT to introduce sign language yet with my son as he was implanted with cochlears so young and wanted him to hconcentrate on listening and speaking first! your comment makes out that we cant be bothered and lazy.



    I cant stand people like you and yes im coming across as rude and willnever dream of that up until now but everyone comes on here for support not to be made to feel like crap for having natural feelings!!!!



    My son is hard work and is completeley different to his siblings but doesnt mean he is loved any less and in fact has more attention than the others do!
  • hi ive just found out yesterday morning that my baby boy of 3months is deaf in one ear and only has slight hearing in the other and i am truly heartbroken i have basically held him since then i feel very guilty, he also sleeps in my bed (i breastfeed too) he sleeps so well with me i just dont bother putting him in his bed anymore i find that where ever i lay him he wakes daytime or night time so in the night i pretty much hold him through. ive also got a 2 year old with perfect hearing who sleeps right next to me in his bed! you need to just figure out whats best for you im happy with my son to be with me in my bed although the health visitors spit fire at me i honestly feel like he is only safe with me and mothers know there own children. my health visitor did suggest to me to place my pillow i slept with in his moses basket but make sure he cant fall down sides etc he will smell you and i wrapped him up real snug so he felt secure with a blanket and thats what ive been doing in the daytime it seems to work i also pop a dumbie in his mouth for extra comfort. i hope i have helped you slightly image
  • hello i no u posted this a few years ago but i am 17 and have recently found out that my son has severe to profound hearing loss the condition is called auditory neuropathy, i to am having trouble putting oliver in his cot at night he sleeps in my bed he is now 17 weeks as your child is now a bit older do u have any tips on how to make him sleep in his cot xx

    many thanks

    katie x
  • Hi there,

    I also have a baby (hes one of a twin) who was diagnosed with auditory neuropathy at nine weeks old, i think i already knew that there was a problem with his hearing but it was still a terrible shock and i know exactly how you are feeling!!!



    He has always been much harder to settle than his twin brother in the end i spoke to the audiologist, she recommended that i keep a little night light on (he seemed to panic when he woke and it was dark) i also brought a fisher price music show which had lots of lights on this seemed to help him and gave him something to focus on, i also always put him in his cot awake and just sat next to the cot until he was settled and although it took a little while he now goes in his cot awake and can settle himself, he does have a really soft comforter as well and i always make sure that it is right next to his face so that he can feel it!!



    On a really positive note Max is now eleven months old and his hearing has improved amazingly, he turns to loud noises is making babbling noises says mama dada etc, he was fitted with a baha (hearing aid)at 5 months old and this did seem to help although he no longer wears it or keeps it on!!!!!

    He still sees the audiologist every 12 weeks and the last time we went she couldn't believe how much progress he had made we will see her again at the end of this month and the ent clinic as he also has congestion so they may fit gromits at around 18 months old and this should also help.



    Anyway i hope i have been some help and i hope you get a good nights sleep soon!!

    good luck

    Lennie
  • Hi everyone. I don't have any advice to offer but just wanted to let those who've recently posted know my little boy Owen, 14 weeks, is profoundly deaf in both ears (sensorineural hearing loss, ie permanent). So if you ever want to chat, maybe we're going through some of the same things? He has hearing aids but they give a lot of feedback noise and he gets agitated when they're on. We will be discussing cochlear implants but he also has a severe heart condition (he has Noonan syndrome and both his heart and hearing are related to this), so he might not be able to have the general anaesthetic.

    xx
  • Hi, I just found out that my grand daughter who lives with me is severly deaf in both ears. We have not seen an ENT yet, will next month. Baby is 5 weeks old. She is very difficult to lay to sleep, she likes to be held all the time unless she is able to be kept occupied with a toy she can see. I want to do as much as I can as early as possible for my grandchild to help her develop at a normal pace. I live in NY and wanted to know if anyone had any advice in terms of what can we do to help our baby. Sure the ENT will probably send her for HA's but in terms of her daily life with us, what advise do you have to help her develop her other senses as we are new to this situation. All advise is appreciated.
  • Hi there! I just read your post which I ow was quite some time ago but I was wondering if you remember the name of the antibiotic your baby was on after birth? My son was born premature and was also on antibiotics but no one ever told me that this may have been the link to his profound deafness. Just curious to get more information. Appreciate your time and hope all is going well with your little one!
  • Hi, we just found out our little boy is profoundly deaf when he turned 3 months old...he is now 6 months old and is wearing hearing aids, although we are told that it is more to help with possibly stimulating the senses than him "hearing" as the most he might be able to pick out would be clicks. It has been a very difficult and stressful 6 months as he was born premature with other health issues (cardiomyopathy and 2 brain bleeds) we also just found out that he has turned eyes and is severely far sighted so he is also now wearing glasses...I feel like I have been robbed of my baby as he looks so grown up already! We are also waiting to hear more about cochlear implants and have a meeting in October with a specialist when we will find out if our baby us a candidate. Our son also has a lot of trouble sleeping, he seems to prefer to sleep with myself and my husband, especially if he wakes up in the middle of the night. The other thing we have noticed is that he seems to cry ALOT...for hours sometimes without barely taking a break...very exhausting but I wonder whether there is something else going on with him or if other deaf babies cry this much too. I think this is a great resource to meet other moms in the same position...thanks to everyone for opening up!
  • You truly have my sympathy, I am also a first time mom, and can't imagine the difficulties you have been facing. Have you looked into any hearing impaired support groups in your area?
  • MADSBELLSNGEORGE UR JUST TOTALLY WRONG! READING UR POST MADE ME LAUGH! I AGREE WITH TARA 100%



    FOR ANY PARENTS THAT HAVE A CHILD WHO IS DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING WITH NO BACKGROUND OF DEAF FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD LEARN THE DEAF CULTURE BC NO MATTER WHAT THAT BABY IS UR BLOOD THE ONLY THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM U GUYS IS HE/SHE IS DEAF OR HH. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO BABYS ARE DEAF AND THEY DONT TEACH THIER CHILD SIGN LANGUAGE THEY ARE STUPID! HOW ARE THEY GOING TO COMMUNICATE?????? HARD OF HEARING OK THEY CAN TALK BUT STILL I THINK THEY SHOULD LEARN SIGN LANGUAGE BC ITS A BEAUTIFUL LANGAUGE. HAVE U GUYS HEARD OF THE SHOW "SWITCHED AT BIRTH" U SHOULD LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT.



    I AM HEARING. MY FAMILY, MY MOM SHE IS HARD OF HEARING, MY DAD HE IS FULLY DEAF, MY 21 YR OLD SISTER SHES FULLY DEAF, MY 16 YR OLD SISTER SHES HARD OF HEARING AND I HAVE A BABY SISTER WHO IS 4 AND SHES HEARING. I AM PROUD OF MY DEAF/HH FAMILY!!!! WE CAN DO JUST ABT ANYTHING JUST LIKE THE HEARING PPL THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THEY CANT HEAR!!!! MY FRIENDS ARE AMAZED THAT I KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE THAT THEY WANT TO LEARN THEMSELVES. MY FRIEND WHO HAS NO FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE DEAF IS MAJORING IN DEAF CULTURE IN COLLEGE. MY FRIEND HAS A BABY WITH HER BOYFRIEND WHO HE DOES NOT HAVE DEAF FAMILY MEMBERS.



    I AM PROUD TO BE AROUND DEAF PPL. I RATHER HANG AROUND WITH DEAF PPL THAN HEARING PPL AND IM HEARING!!! U GUYS MAKE IT SEEM THE DEAF IS A PROBLEM????????????????? LIKE I SAY AGAIN THEY ARE JUST LIKE US EXCEPT THEY CANT HEAR!!!!!!!!!!



    MADSBELLSNGEORGE MY FAMILY IS HAPPY THE WAY THEY ARE THEY WOULD NEVER GET THE COCHLEAR IMPLANTS! IF UR BABY IS FULLY DEAF ALL HE IS GOING TO HEAR IS A BIT OF GARBLE MOST DEAF PPL WILL NOT GET THAT!











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    Hi Tara I think you are incredibly unfair to come on here and judge how people feel when finding out comething is wrong with your child!! I'm very sorry that others feeling upsets you but who the hell are you to judge! every situation is different i dont want to sound rude but being deaf yourself you expected that you children wuld have similar problems for us the diagnosis was a huge shock which is why you feel a sense of devestation! Your comment about making the effort with sign language is a joke as well, I have chosen NOT to introduce sign language yet with my son as he was implanted with cochlears so young and wanted him to hconcentrate on listening and speaking first! your comment makes out that we cant be bothered and lazy. I cant stand people like you and yes im coming across as rude and willnever dream of that up until now but everyone comes on here for support not to be made to feel like crap for having natural feelings!!!! My son is hard work and is completeley different to his siblings but doesnt mean he is loved any less and in fact has more attention than the others do!
  • hi i am not a mum of a deaf baby, but i have a few friends who have deaf babys/children, they all find music next to the child, ie for the vibrations helps very well to settle a new baby to try and give some routine, also controled cry they were told to try along with they music and only play it when its bed time so they know the difference, it is a shock to find out you child has a hearing problem or to be totaly deaf, i myself at 21 have decided to got to college at a night course to learn sign language, its excelent and i advise alot of people to do the same, cause fair enough if yo uhave chosen hearing aid for you child they are not going to be able to hear everything so basic sign is always good so you can comunitcate easily with them and to not get frustated as even with a hearing toddler it is difficult but with a deaf todddler child it is alot more confusing, deaf children get more agitated, like if you ignored you child when they need a pee, they would take a hissy fit till you listened to them, its not a minus, everyone will come across difficult times with there children it just so happens that some are earlier than other, on one hand its good they found out so early some children go half way through school being treated like dirt cause the teachers and pupil just think there stupid before its reconsied there actualy deaf, this way you can prepare yourself and your child for the years to come. xxx
  • Finding out that your perfect baby is not "perfect" by the standard you are accustomed to is hard. There is a grieving process when any challenge is presented. It takes time to digest and come to grips with any news that is perceived as negative about your baby. However, time is exactly what cannot be wasted if your baby is identified with a hearing loss. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, or any auditory training is not a guarantee. What is guaranteed is that your child will begin to develop and language acquisition years are at stake. The only 100% effective way to ensure that your baby has communication and language equal to that of a hearing baby is to give them access to a visual language. Learning sign language will take time and is not easy to accept, but a lifetime of language delay is the worst thing that you can do for your child. Potential gains in hearing with aids/CI can always allow for your baby to rely mostly on speech and auditory communication, but if that doesnt prove successful then in the meantime you lost crucial language acquisition years that you will never get back. Deafness is not harmful, it doesn't pose life threatening challenges, and is not anything to be ashamed of. Your baby is perfect. Perfectly planned and perfectly created. Now, your job is to make him/her feel perfect. Don't be audistic, be proud. (My son is profoundly deaf, in college, and very successful. Our whole family uses ASL because we never wanted him to feel left out.)
  • Maybe some kind of calming visual stimulation like one of those fisher price aquariums might do the trick?

  • Just5 read other people's posts judging this person for being devistated her son is deaf! JEEEZ people calm down she was asking how to get him to sleep not for the third degree. I understand people with children with life threatening conditions would probably give their eye teeth to have their child just be deaf but still settle down. I can understand how hard it would be to come to terms with the fact your child will never hear music or your voice.

    I think though what makes it sadder is people's intollerance and I am so proud my very healthy eldest daughter is so understanding because of her brother's intellectual disability. She always stands up for disabled children when they are picked on and also learning sign language even though no one in our family is deaf because a little boy in her class has bad cerebal palsy and can't speak so he uses sign language and she wanted to be able to know what he was saying to her. She has made goo friends with his carer and she helps her learn sign language in class breaks. I think she is an amazing child I tried to learn sign language and failed miserably for some reason I have trouble with other languages even sign language my brain just can't get around it but I am so happy to encourage Emily because people with disabilities do deserve to be like everyone else and if they were treated like everyone else the person who posted this thread would not have to be so sad her child is deaf. Now my son is 7 he is getting picked on in a main stream school and I am wondering if putting him in a main stream school was the right thing to do image

  • hi sorry to hear of ur sons deafness my son is now 2 and he has had hearinf aids and they didnt help him he was the same and took us ages to get him in to a retain we had to try and sign to him that it was bed time and feeding time and stuff and now he has to waer the implants on both his ears its hard work and can be very upseting as he has now started to get in to the habbit of banging his head off the floor its hard but u just need to keep at it and be paient and it will all come in time 

  • First of all, I can understand for many parents especially those with no experience with deaf people, it can be a huge shock to discover your precious little one is deaf or will not have "normal" hearing.  It is definitely a huge adjustment and a life long one.  It can be also very confusing for a parent with a deaf newborn with all kinds of advice coming at you from different directions.  

    All parents want what's for their children so keep in mind language development is very important for success in their adult lives.  Now disclaimer about myself - I am Deaf myself and my parents are hearing.  Someone said earlier in this thread their baby is profoundly deaf at 60 dB.  That's nothing, I'm at 112 and 113 dB myself meaning I never heard a sound in my life.  My masters degree is related to language development so what I am about to say is based on sound research, not bunch of myth and spectulations.

    i really can't stress how beneficial it will be for you and your family to take time to learn sign language.  American Sign Language (ASL) is ideal but most of you likely will wind up using what we call "Pidgin Sign Language" which is not a language technically, it's more of ASL signs used in spoken English grammatical order instead of using ASL syntax.  The main thing is that parents and siblings are able to communicate with their deaf loved one.  With a language foundation, you will be able to communicate, share information, teach your deaf child.  It is also a path to developing a nurturing and positive relationship with your child.  With that said, it won't be easy and will require a significant investment of your time and energy.  There are way more things you can do but I will not go into those unless there is an interest.  

    I am sure some of you are like but what about hearing or speaking?  Each deaf child is unique.  A very small number will be able to learn how to speak without ASL support.  Very small and I strongly recommend do not gamble your child will be among that minority.  A good number of deaf children will be able to acquire speech with ASL support although not all will be able to speak fluently and many will have that funny "accent."  Some simply will not speak at all.  I am one of those, I can say some words but I definitely can't speak well at all.  Keep in mind I have a masters from University of CA San Diego, hold a fulltime job, and own a house.  So it is not end of everything.  Anyway, keep in mind English is primarily an oral language, not written language so you cannot really pick up English primarily by reading and writing.  You need phonetics and deaf children can pick up phonetics if they have a language foundation in a language accessible to them which is ASL for most of them.  Again, this is from decades of research.

    What about hearing aids and cochlear implants?  Well, naturally I have my own opinion which I will not go into here.  Some deaf children do benefit from those although you probably want to keep in mind cochlear implant surgery is very invasive, does not guarantee anything, many individuals have gotten infections, some developed facial paralysis from nerve damage, and in rare cases there have been deaths.  A director of the cochlear implant clinic at a children's hospital in San Diego told me even after rigorous screening of deaf children, 82% did not benefit from their cochlear implants.

    Basically what I want readers to take away from this is regardless of what you do re: hearing aids, cochlear implants, and or speech therapy, invest into using ASL.  It will pay off dividends even although if your child happens to be one of those very few ones who can learn how to speak on their own.  There are many benef

  • I am a first time mom to a 4 month old daughter that was diagnosed with moderate/severe deafness. I understand each person deals differently when faced with a challenge, but for my husband and I, there was not one second of a pity party, not one tear shed out of sadness. We went into action mode immediately and, within 8 days of her diagnosis, she was fitted with hearing aids.  I don't know  yet whether she will learn sign language, but I am all for it and would enthusiastically learn it along with her.  We are a French-American couple moving to Spain next month and so it definitely adds a few extra challenges in the language and speech acquisition department.  But hey that is life. 

     

  • My baby is having a mild and moderate.. The ent suggest to put hearing aid i dont know what do... My husband and i are normal and no one to us both side have a hearing problem. Can someone help me..? 

  • Hello my name is Jessica I have one son who couldn't hear then I decided to get him Cochlear Implants this is my first child and it was very hard decision to make and all the families going through this I hope and pray things get better a Cochlear Implant is a hard device to get you have to go to also 10 doctors in order for you to get them but even when don't get them you don't really have reaction that comes when a baby discovers so many new voices what I'm whether you have the Implants or it never will change the love you have for children but it does bring into a new experience and you have to ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get there and also think about the risk when device going in it's coming out until it breaks and need to be replaced sign language it easy and fair enough you can teach yourself and the one's you love how to do it it's all about watching development and catching that first hand learn that first reaction to sound that first that choice matters most and the only who decide is you so don't because people say you should do it because this is the life you want for your children. May God Bless You All

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