If your baby or toddler has hearing loss, you've probably been told that hearing loss is a journey.

We agree!

Along the way, there are little moments to stop and reflect. Some are lighthearted, some are pretty emotional!

If you've been on the journey, chances are you'll recognize a few of these. What do they mean to you?

#1 - When You're Waiting for the Results of Sound Booth Testing

Here's a shout out to all the parents who sit with their child in a sound booth for an hour or two of audiological testing.

You've seen it all—aided testing, unaided testing, bone conduction testing, Ling sounds, toys, videos, stickers.

Lights, beeps, monkeys with cymbals in light-up glass boxes (we're serious!).

And SO many emotions.

From infancy into toddlerhood, we did it (at least) every three months. And yeah, it got easier.

Our daughter's diagnosis and her hearing loss levels are beyond her control. We want to acknowledge that and empower what she will be able to control—her attitude and effort towards it.

Sometimes we get a hint of how our daughter tests during the session, but we usually stay quiet. We hold our questions until her Audiologist and SLP wrap up their work.

By the end, we're at the edge of our seats. We wait for our daughter's team to come in and give us the news.

How did she do?
‍Is her hearing stable? 
Was there a drop? 
Do we need to adjust her hearing aid settings?
Did we get all the tests done?

As our baby grew into a toddler, we became more conscious of how we phrase that first question—"How did she do?"

She did great! She showed up and participated!

We keep the tone of our conversation positive.

So maybe now we'll ask, more carefully, "How is her hearing today?" or "You did great! Let's ask the doctors what your hearing looks like today."

Our daughter's diagnosis and her hearing loss levels are beyond her control. We want to acknowledge that and empower what she will be able to control—her attitude and effort towards it.

Testing results, the ups and downs of decibels, are footsteps on her journey.

#2 - The Moment After Your Baby's Hearing Devices Are First Activated

The Internet sets high expectations for hearing device activations!

Yes, there are adorable, heartbreaking hearing device activation videos out there. We've seen the big reactions from kids listening through their hearing aids or cochlear implants for the first time.

Many hearing device activations are subtle. And that's fine. You can bet that, behind the scenes, those kids' families feel big emotions!

We love them too!

But not everyone experiences that. Many hearing device activations are subtle. And that's fine. You can bet that, behind the scenes, those kids' families feel big emotions!

Big reaction or small, it's a moment to remember. And it's what you make of it. Here are 9 tips from Daisy Bell for when your baby gets her first pair of hearing aids.

We recently re-watched the video of our 3-month old daugther getting her first pair of hearing aids. Her reaction was subtle, but powerful. It's more vivid to Mom & Dad now, 19 months later, than on that busy day. We see the little signs more clearly now—the expression on her face, the way she blinked her eyes.

In that moment, her world had changed. And so had ours!

#3 - That Pause Right After You Tell Someone Your Baby Is Deaf

"My baby is hard of hearing, those are her hearing aids."

[Pause]

You never really know what to expect.

We've heard it all by now.

Most people have little awareness of pediatric hearing loss. Some reactions can be... weird. We got used to it. You're an ambassador from a far-away land! Time to take a breath, tell your story.

Most people are accepting and interested in learning more about a child's hearing loss—especially kids!

Some people are shocked, taken aback. They seem to need comforting (but WAIT, shouldn't it be the other way around?).

Most people have limited awareness of pediatric hearing loss. Some reactions are... weird. We got used to it. You're an ambassador from a far-away land! Time to take a breath, tell your story.

Coming soon: Ways to lighten the conversation about your child's hearing loss

#4 - Those Times You're Waiting for Your Baby to Repeat a Ling Sound

We're a little nostalgic for those days when Ling sound checks were all about getting our baby to detect a Ling sound—the first step in learning to listen.

It was a routine, with familiar toys—a new part of our lives as parents. It was very cute watching our baby participate in the first footsteps of her hearing loss journey.

We were part delighted and part... cautiously optimistic.

In the back of our minds, we'd wonder... would this be the day when her hearing dropped further? What would we do then?

As time went on, we became more comfortable with that feeling. It helped to acknowledge the uncertainty. We talked with our audiological and speech therapy teams about what they could do if our baby's hearing did drop further. We talked about it with other parents of children with hearing loss.

Nowadays, the Ling sound checks are about much more than detecting the sound. Our toddler repeats Ling sounds back to us!

"Listen!.... Ssssssssssss..... It's your turn!"

And then we pause, in that moment wondering: What's she gonna say?

Want to read more about the different steps in learning to listen—and how we use wait time in speech therapy? Check out our article "How Can a 4-Month Old Deaf Baby Do Speech Therapy? 5 Things We Learned."

#5 - When You're Waiting for Those Earmold Impressions to Harden

So many earmold appointments! Back when she was just a few months old, our hard of hearing daughter had new earmolds made for her hearing aids every TWO WEEKS!

We adjusted to the routine, and framed it as a special activity for our family.

We practiced giving stuffed animals and dolls earmold impressions—checking their ears with a toy otoscope first.

We got dressed up, we took pictures, and we talked about her pretty earmold designs before and after.

As our infant grew into a toddler, she became more aware of the earmold impressions. That can have its ups and downs!

But one thing stays constant: those moments when you're waiting for that earmold material to harden!

Is it silicon? Polymer? We're still not quite sure, but we know we need to hold our child still for it.

And... wait!

Then, finally... ta-da! A beautiful mold of your baby's ears is ready. Now, for the fun part, let's talk about earmold designs!

Need some ideas for your child's next earmold appointment? Check out our article, 5 Ways To Make Your Baby’s First Earmold Visit An A+ Experience!