Our patient blogger, Karyn, and her husband welcomed a baby boy late last month! She’s here to share her experience of being a brand new mom while continuing her orthodontic Invisalign treatment with us at Feldman Orthodontics.
Hi everyone! It’s been a wonderful month of sleep deprivation, diaper changes and oh yeah, a beautiful baby boy! Now that we’re getting back into a routine and are feeling more normal (sometimes I even know what day it is!), I wanted to share how my treatment has been going.
One of my favorite things about Invisalign is how low maintenance it is compared to traditional braces. With all that’s been going on recently, the last thing I had time to worry about was going to the orthodontist. When your calendar is full of baby showers, registry trips to stock up on baby supplies and then several days in the hospital, you don’t have time for new wires or broken brackets.
Invisalign allows me to get my trays in advance, usually a few months at a time. That way, all I need to do is remember to change them myself every two weeks, and watch as my teeth keep getting straighter and straighter!
Based on my experience so far, here are a few tips for new moms (or anyone going through a transitional time):
*Buy a couple of toothbrushes and smaller tubes of toothpaste. Keep one in your purse, your hospital bag, your diaper bag and in a spare bathroom at your home. There will be times when you have to eat and aren’t at home, so having that toothbrush right next to you will be a lifesaver! Having more than one at home is helpful for me too. Sometimes I’m upstairs doing laundry and listening for little man to wake up from his nap. Heading down to our bathroom can be a hassle.
*Try and stick to a schedule. Our son is on a feeding schedule of every three hours right now. For instance, I know he’s going to eat at 1pm, so I make sure I have my lunch around noon. That way I can hurry up and brush my teeth and put the trays back in as soon as I’m done eating. Being organized seems like a big challenge, but it helps me keep up with my treatment.
*Don’t nap without your Invisalign. Again, seems like an obvious piece of advice. But sleep deprivation will take over at some point and you’ll find yourself waking up from the chair in the nursery without meaning to fall asleep.
*Don’t get lazy! I confess there were a few times when I was so busy attending to the baby’s needs that I thought, “I’ll go put my trays back in just as soon as I’m done with this diaper change… load of laundry… pile of dishes.” But then a half hour would go by and I’d realize I never did. Don’t do that. Invisalign only works when you’re wearing them!
My next check up with Dr. Feldman is in September! I’m looking forward to getting my attachments taken off at that point and also being slightly less tired. 🙂
