A little while ago we introduced you to Mimos Pillow Canada and how it helps prevent and correct Plagiocephaly (Flat Head Syndrome). I need to first thank everyone for your amazing support on that piece as it was read by thousands – thank you!
I feel it is so important to bring awareness and information to light on a few parenting topics that sometimes gets missed under the radar. This is why I was honored to have the opportunity to interview a mom and the Canadian distributor of Mimos Pillows, Jessica.
In this interview we discuss her personal experience with her son who had Plagiocephaly and some helpful advice to other parents. We also take a deep look into her business, Mimos Pillows Canada.
Tell me a little bit about your family.
“My husband and I have two adorable sons. Ethan is now 4 ½ years old and just started Junior Kindergarten and loves it and Oliver is 15 months old and chases Ethan around wherever he goes. We also have a golden doodle named Jackson.
What signs or symptoms did you see in your son that alerted you to something not being right?
“When my first son Ethan was eight weeks old, my sister and her family had come to visit and meet him. We brought them up to our cottage for a few days and I remember the exact moment I looks at Ethan’s head, looked at my sister and said, “do you notice that one side of his head is flat?” It made me instantly panic as I remember when he was born my midwives said to me, “wow, he has a perfectly round head.” When I noticed his flat spot I had never heard of this happening to babies before so I was paranoid and instantly hit up google finding that it was actually quite common and that I needed to do something about it sooner than later.”
What were the steps that you and your family do to help your son’s Plagiocephaly (flat head)?
“The first thing I did was make an appointment with our pediatrician and she recommended that I find a Health Professional (either a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath) that specialized in pediatric cranial sacral therapy and treating torticollis and would provide me with some stretches to do with him. I made an appointment and started taking Ethan in 3 times per week. Torticollis is when a baby has tight neck muscles on one side, making the baby always position their head the same way. This can be caused by them being used to that same position in the womb.
After noticing Ethan’s plagiocephaly I continued looking on the internet to see if there was anything else I could do beside the cranial sacral therapy and physiotherapy to help his chances of rounding his head out and avoiding helmet therapy. I came across Mommy forums in the UK discussing this “miracle pillow” called Mimos. I was lucky to find someone in Oakville selling one second hand that she had ordered from Europe so I bought it right away and began to use it WHENEVER my son was on his back such as the crib, swing, stroller, play mat, etc.
It totally worked!
After having my second son Oliver, his little head was also perfectly round and I was determined to not go through the stress of having to correct plagiocephaly again. Instead began using the Mimos Pillow from day 1 and was so amazed when his round little head stayed round. What a relief!
When Oliver was about eight months old and still had a round head. On a whim, I emailed the head office of Mimos in Barcelona, asking if they had a Canadian Distributor and they replied that they didn’t. So after explaining my experience with Mimos and my background, I was told by the company that in the 25 countries that they sell from around the world were distributors who were parents who also fell in love with the product. From there the contract was signed and I become the Canadian National distributor.”
If you could tell a younger self some parenting advice, what would it be?
“Parenting requires an immense amount of patience, and just when you think you have gotten yourself out of one difficult phase, another begins. Yoga and deep breathing has personally helped me with this. Also my mom’s favourite saying about parenting runs frequently through my head, “this too shall pass.”
I would also say that parenting is also the most amazing thing and watching a child discover themselves, the world and love is truly magical. There is also nothing else quite like two sons laughing with each other. ☺”
What would you like other parents to know about flat head syndrome and about Mimos pillows?
“A lot of parents don’t know that Mimos can be used preventatively which is key. Starting from day one in the newborn phase is the best way to avoid flat head syndrome altogether and avoid the associated stress. Mimos should be on every expecting mom’s baby registry.
Infants’ skulls are softest the younger they are so using Mimos especially between 0 to 4 months is so important. As the fontanels (soft spots) in the head close, the skull is less malleable.
Some babies are born with cranial asymmetries due to birth trauma or their position in the womb so finding a health professional that specializes in this immediately combined with Mimos is the best course of treatment for that.
When using Mimos for corrective purposes, we always recommend pairing the use of Mimos with treatment from a health professional. Mimos is part of the treatment plan and obviously cannot cure any underlying issue such as torticollis.
I have talked to so many moms who did not know of flat head syndrome and who did not know of Mimos and went through the stress as I did. I hope to share my personal story with expecting moms all over Canada to avoid them the stress of having a child with plagiocephaly.”
Anything else you would like to add for our readers.
“Mimos is now a Class 1 Medical Device in Canada and is the ONLY infant pillow on the market that is medical grade. Mimos has been studied in clinical trials to prove its effectiveness. Mimos has been rigorously tested in international laboratories for breathability, anti-suffocation and the risk of CO2 rebreathing.
Mimos is made in Spain and was invented by a man and his wife after undergoing helmet therapy with their son which was a horrible experience. Helmet therapy is when a baby has to wear a helmet for 23 hours a day for around three months.
My goal is to spread awareness about baby flat head syndrome and lower the statistics of babies who have it. A Canadian study in 2013 concluded that 46.6% of babies now develop this. This is mainly due to infants always being on their back to sleep (as recommended for SIDS prevention) and spending a lot of time on their backs in infant swings, playmats, etc. Premature babies who spend time in NICU’s also really benefit from using Mimos as they are constantly lying on their backs.
People often ask me about sizes, will their babies need more that 1 size, etc. Usually if your little one starts from day 1, size small may be the only size they need. Size medium is for older babies (4-5 months old) with a larger head circumference that are using Mimos correctively.
I had many parents come up to our booth at the Toronto Baby Show and say, “Oh! I got one of these at Toys’R’Us.” Mimos pillows are only available online (and safety superstore in Oakville) and they are not available anywhere else thus far.
Awareness is key so thank you for writing this to help spread awareness.”
A heartfelt thank you to Jessica from Mimos Pillows for opening up and for allowing us into her family story. We hope the information provided here will bring more awareness and prevent babies from getting Plagiocephaly.
Please remember that the Mimos Pillows are only available online and the ones at other retailers are not the same. You definitely don’t want to miss out on this chance to buy a Mimos Pillow for your little one.
Until next time…Happy Parenting!
– Momma Braga
