What to Know
They say to trust your instincts as a mother, but one woman’s family and even doctors seemed to refuse to believe her when she thought something was wrong with her newborn. The woman, Kazlyn, posted a video on TikTok where she wrote in the caption that she sensed something was wrong when her daughter was two weeks old.
Unfortunately, she was all but gaslit into thinking everything was totally fine. But let’s be real, because as moms, we tend to know best. Even if some of our instincts feel more like fears of the worst outcomes, sometimes those fears are rooted in an uncanny feeling that turns out to be right. In a perfect world, all of the scariest instincts would be wrong, but that’s not the world we live in, my guy.
Her family claimed she was “Googling too much.”
@kazlyn.m she was only 2 weeks old when I knew something was wrong. her head was too narrow, too flat on the sides. she couldn't lay on her back because it protruded out in the back so much. she had a strange ridge on the top of her head. I started researching and by week 3, I knew she had a birth defect. my family insisted I was "googling too much" and I was scaring myself, that her head shape would "fix itself" but I ignored them, and brought it to my doctor, who brought it to a pediatrician who sent her for a CT scan. the scan that confirmed everything I already knew. she was born with sagittal craniosynostosis, which had caused her skull to prematurely fuse in the womb. I remembered her birth, 10 horrific hours of labour, screaming at the nurses she was stuck on my pelvic bone. unimaginable pain, failed epidural after epidural, and finally an emergency C-section. I had assumed my body failed to deliver her but it suddenly made sense now. her surgery is in a couple weeks, which will follow up with helmet therapy to reshape her skull. thankful for the support I have during this time & for trusting my instincts. #fyp #craniosynostosis #motherhood #babytiktok #craniosynostosisawareness ♬ original sound – n1n4603
Kazlyn’s video shows clips of her with her daughter, including her daughter getting tests done at a hospital in order to figure out what could be wrong with her. Kazlyn wrote in the caption that her daughter was just two weeks old when she could tell something wasn’t right. Her head was “too narrow” and one part of it has something protruding from it. Even so, doctors didn’t think there was an immediate cause for concern.
“I started researching and by week three, I knew she had a birth defect,” she wrote in the caption. “My family insisted I was ‘Googling too much’ and I was scaring myself, that her head shape would ‘fix itself,’ but I ignored them, and brought it to my doctor, who brought it to a pediatrician who sent her for a CT scan. the scan that confirmed everything I already knew. She was born with sagittal craniosynostosis, which had caused her skull to prematurely fuse in the womb.”
Clearly, it’s all about advocating for your child any chance you can get. A doctor might be right nine times out of 10 when it comes to common symptoms or what they see as a bit of a worry wort of a parent. But that other small percentage where they shouldn’t have sent that young mother on her way is where Kazlyn comes in.
Other moms commented to give Kazlyn some virtual pats on the back for trusting her intuition. Some even shared that they experienced similar situations before their own babies were diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis. For then, too, part of getting that diagnosis was going with their gut instinct.
“Mamas always know when something is wrong,” one user commented.
Another added, “Mama always knows best and at best you would’ve found out she was healthy. Better also to wear a helmet now when it’s not going to bother her as much and helmets work really well. I’ve seen it. Hope her surgery goes without a hitch. Get better soon, sweetheart.”
The lesson here, according to another user’s comment, is to always trust your instincts as a mother, especially when it comes to your child’s well-being. It’s one thing to fear the worst without anything to back it up. But when there is something clearly shoved into your face about your baby’s condition, what choice do you have but to immediately advocate for them nonstop?
