Hi erod,

Thanks for your post and I'm sure you will see some replies soon.

In the meantime, if you haven't seen it already, there is some information on our website with tips on this topic here:

https://www.ndcs.org.uk/information-and-support/childhood-deafness/hearing-aids/getting-your-child-to-wear-their-hearing-aids-and-cochlear-implants/

If you need any further support, please feel free to contact our Helpline team.

Neil

Hi erod, 

My daughter is 9 weeks old and was diagnosed with mild/moderate hearing loss. We got hearing aids 3 days ago.
I just wanted to say - I know exactly your struggles already. I am also breastfeeding- there is no chance to do that and hearing aids remain in the ears. Actually any oportunity and they fall out. With no expirience of hearing aids I have a constant doubts if the moulds fit. 

Also with baby turning the head, being carried around we just see the hearing aid constantly on the floor. 
I purchased double sided body tape. Thinking of using it to stick hearing aid behind the ear. 

I may be totally wrong (I am still in shock over diagnosi) but at this age it is more for babies to get used to hearing aids. the audilogist we had seen told us to take it easy. 

I am sending you virtual hugs. 

Hi erod,

I can't offer any tips regarding breastfeeding but what I can say is that our daughter was diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss & had hearing aids at 9 weeks old. We were lead by our daughter, in the beginning it felt like she was never going take to wearing them but we persevered & eventually she wore them more. Some days she didn't have them in at all, others for quite a while. She is almost 8 now and is flourishing. if you look on Etsy or Facebook you can buy headbands with loops for the hearing aids to tuck into, not sure if this would help you? If you are struggling with tight fitting moulds, you can ask audiology for some Otoferm cream. 

Remeber that you are doing fantastically, we have to learn all these things as we go along. Keep asking questions, I asked lots! 

Hi erod and Circa,

First of all, I wanted to say you are both doing amazingly!! It's hard enough dealing with a newborn, let alone a surprise diagnosis of deafness! I really want to reassure you that even by putting the hearing aids on for a little bit each day, you're doing great.

I should explain - I have 2 boys, now 8 and 4, both deaf and diagnosed at birth. Our eldest has a severe loss on his right and profound on his left, and our 4 year old has a moderate loss in both ears. Turns out this is due to a gene called Connexin 26 that both me and my husband have and gives any children we have a 25% chance of being deaf - we had no idea!

It's a shock, you need time to come to terms with it, to get used to the sympathetic apologies from the profession, friends and family, but it really isn't something to be sorry about. Your children will have the most amazing life!

So with my now 8 year old it was all very new and scary and breastfeeding was an issue with the hearing aids (he got them at 13 weeks) so we ended up just putting them in when he was laying down or out and about in the pram. I took them out to breastfeed and some days he didn't want them in at all, we just tried again the next day.

My youngest son (now 4) was a lot more clingy and lived in a sling on me for pretty much 5 months so he wore them a lot less but we were well practiced with our first son so it was all a bit less scary.

Like Circa said, body tape was a godsend for us! We stuck the hearing aids to their head. It could get caught on their hair sometimes but as the hair doesn't actually grow where you're sticking it, it's not too bad. With my second child we bought a hearing aid headband (there's a few on Etsy) which was great whilst he was really young but as he got older he found that more annoying than the hearing aids and tape so we ditched it.

As mrsp says above, Otoferm cream is also great and we still use it on my boys ear moulds now. At first audiology gave them to me but I started buying them myself as we visited audiology less and less. It's a little pricey but lasts for ages as you use such a little amount. It just makes sure there's a good seal with the mould and the ear so that you don't get that annoying feedback sound (which annoys us more than them!).

It can be challenging once they start taking them out by themselves and I always remember the stress of losing a hearing aid in a sunflower patch (never to be found again!) but you can only do your best and keep trying to put them back in, though after a few attempts I'd leave it and try again later.

I feel like I'm rambling but reading you messages took me back to feeling scared and alone (this forum wasn't around when mine were little!) and wanted to reassure you that everything will be ok! My two are in a mainstream school (with an excellent deaf provision), both use speech but I have also learnt sign language (only in the last few years) which I hope will keep them connected to the deaf community whilst living in a hearing environment. 

If I can offer any other advice I would love to try and help as best I can - only from a parents perspective as I'm not qualified in any way! I've never met anyone in audiology with deaf children, so whilst their recommendations are helpful, they might not be practical!

Take care, Sarah x