Our story
We’ve been
where you are
We’re Joel and Vanessa, Brisbane parents of two. Our daughter’s flat spot caught us off guard. By the time our son came along, we knew what to look for. Maybe you’ll see a bit of your own story in ours.
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Or email usOr email
support@theperfectnoggin.com.au
- Brisbane-based
- Both our kids had flat spots
- A real person reads every email
Why we do this
Why we brought Perfect Noggin to Australia & New Zealand
When our daughter’s flat spot showed up, we were new parents, overwhelmed and frustrated. Everyone told us something different. Our paediatrician didn’t seem worried, and we didn’t feel taken seriously. If we’d stopped at his advice, we’d have lost the months when her head was growing fastest. And there weren’t many options here in Australia.
Fortunately, we found the Perfect Noggin. Watching her head round out, alongside the work on her neck, blew us away, and we wanted to make it more accessible here. Now we want more parents to hear about flat spots sooner, to feel understood, and to have something they can do early that doesn’t cost the earth.
From our family to yours
We know how it feels
You’re learning to be a parent, often for the first time, and flat spots are more common with first babies. You’ve just bought the pram, the cot, the bassinet and the car seat, and maybe paid to go private for the birth. Then you’re told it could cost thousands more, for something nobody seems to have heard of, until suddenly everyone has an opinion. Usually that you’re not picking your baby up enough.
That’s the conversation we want to change in Australia and New Zealand.
Joel & Vanessa
Joel and Vanessa Hope, Perfect Noggin Australia
Our daughter, the first time
It started with a nappy change
Our hearts sank. Was this our fault? How did we not notice this earlier?
- 1
2 months
Someone else spotted it first
Our daughter was 2 months old when a family member noticed, during a nappy change, that she always turned her head to the right and struggled to look left. Her chin was tilted, her neck seemed tight, and then we saw it: a flat spot on the side of her head.
Our hearts sank. Was this our fault? How did we not notice this earlier?
- 2
The advice
We did everything we were told
Our paediatrician said it was plagiocephaly and suggested repositioning, more tummy time and a wedge pillow. We tried all of that, plus rolled-up towels and a flat head pillow during wake windows. Every time, she flipped straight back to her favourite side.
- 3
The neck
Her neck got better. Her head didn’t.
Then we found out she had torticollis, a tight neck muscle that made turning hard. Weekly osteo visits and stretches at home helped her neck, but the flat spot stayed.
Before the Perfect Noggin
We literally tried everything
Please don’t copy us. We didn’t know any better at the time, and we were taking advice from everywhere, from paediatricians to people online. We only used these during playtime, never while she slept. They’re not recommended, and there’s very little clinical evidence that any of them work.
- 4
The next step
Running out of options
When we looked into a helmet, the deposit alone was $200, and the full cost was nearly $3,500 with follow-up appointments. We were already exhausted and financially stretched. It felt like we were running out of options.
- 5
One night
A post in a Facebook group
Scrolling a parenting Facebook group one night, we came across the Perfect Noggin, designed by paediatric craniofacial surgeon Dr Gary Rogers. Parents were sharing their before and after photos. It sounded almost too good to be true, but we decided it was worth trying.
- 6
14 weeks
Peace of mind
About six weeks in, we noticed the first small changes. She used the Perfect Noggin for 14 weeks, alongside the work on her neck, and week by week we watched her head round out. It gave us something we didn’t expect: peace of mind.
Our daughter from above at week 1 and week 14 on the Perfect Noggin, alongside weekly appointments for her neck. Every baby is different.
Our son, the second time
This time, we knew what to look for
When our son came along, we knew what we were looking for. So when the first signs of a flat spot showed up, along with a tight neck, we didn’t wait and see.
- 1
The signs
We knew what we were seeing
Our daughter taught us what to look for. This time we caught the first signs of flattening, and a tight neck, early.
- 2
His neck
A physio, without waiting
This time we got him to a physio for his neck early on, instead of waiting to see if it sorted itself out.
- 3
About 6 weeks
Starting the Perfect Noggin
He started on the Perfect Noggin at about 6 weeks, while his head was growing fastest. This time we weren’t trying to bring his head back round. We wanted to stop a flat spot setting in to begin with.
Side by side
Same family, two very different starts
What changed between our first baby and our second.
Our daughterThe first timeFirst time
Our sonThe second timeSecond time
When we noticed
At 2 months, after a family member pointed it out
Early, because we knew what to look for
What we saw
Always turning right, a tight neck and a flat spot
The first signs of flattening, and a tight neck
What we tried first
Side wedges, rolled-up towels, a flat head pillow and endless tummy time
We skipped the wedges, towels and pillows
The neck
Weekly osteo and stretches, once we knew it was torticollis
A physio, early
The Perfect Noggin
After everything else. She used it for 14 weeks
From about 6 weeks
What we were aiming for
Bringing her head back round
Stopping a flat spot setting in
How it felt
Panic, guilt and running out of options
Calmer. This time we had a plan
Only just noticed a flat spot? You’re where we were with our son. Been trying everything for weeks? We’ve been there too, with our daughter.
5 quick questions, about 30 seconds.
What we know now
What we’d tell a friend
Two babies in, this is what we’d say to a friend who’d just noticed a flat spot.
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It isn’t your fault
We asked ourselves that too. Flat spots are common, and they mostly come from babies lying on their back, which is exactly where they should be.
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Get the neck checked
A favourite side often comes with a tight neck. Both our kids needed help with theirs. A paediatric physio can assess it and work on it.
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Take a photo from above
Every week or two, from the same angle in the same light. It’s the easiest way to see real change instead of guessing.
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Earlier is easier
A baby’s head grows fastest in the first few months, and flat spots usually look their worst around 4 months. The sooner you start, the more growth there is to work with.
-
Trust your gut
You know your baby best. If something looks off, ask your GP, child health nurse or a paediatric physio. You’re not overreacting.
-
Ask us anything
Email us your baby’s age and what you’re noticing. We’re happy to talk it through.
Other parents
You’re not the only one
The same worries we had, in other parents’ own words.
I feel like I am hardly noticing his head anymore after it being all I could see and think about.
Not having to reposition her constantly and also just feeling I was doing something about it make me feel so much better.
It’s worth every penny and stopped me having sleepless nights worrying about further flattening too!
See all 76 results
Shared by parents, in their own words.
Designed by
Dr Gary Rogers
Paediatric plastic and craniofacial surgeon
- 23 years
- supporting babies with flat heads
- 250+
- peer-reviewed papers
- 5
- clinical studies of earlier versions
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The earlier you start, the more head growth is still to come.