Hip Diplaysia Support Group #3

Karalee - Just wanted to reaffirm what others have said - it is not your fault. My daughter was discovered to have hip displacia at 6 weeks. She was put in a Pavlik Harness. Like you I was concerned about I would be able to cuddle her and hold her and breast feeding. Well I really did not need to be concerned. In terms of holding cuddling just minor adjustment but very easy, people have actually commented it is easier to hold her with the harness on than without (she's less flopping in the back with it on). What we missed the most was not being able to bath her but she surprised us and still loved the sponge bath we were giving her. In terms of breastfeeding, in the lead up to her being fitted with the harness I got a supply of expressed BM ready in case I had troubles and had to bottle feed her. In the end didn't need it I really did not need to change my position (she has always been a excellent feeder). If you have any questions PM. My journey with the harness has not been as long as some (has been fitted for 7 weeks and looks like will only be needed for another 5 weeks) but if I can assist would be happy to.

Melissa - Question for you, do you know the % of coverage Olivia has. Just interested as Olivia was fitted at about the same age as Georgie and followed a similar time frame 6 weeks full time and now up to time out of it (Dr said can be a couple hours a day). Dr said has probably after the next 6 weeks she won't need, having read your time frames I wonder whether it will really be the end.

Hi everyone-
Firstly- Just wanted to say thanks for everyones support with DD and her recient situation,she is doing great now and it still smiling which makes us laugh and smile to.
karalee, I understand how you are feeling as I felt the same when my DD was placed into the Pavlik harness at 4 months of age. I was so upset and thought that I had done something wrong with her that may have caused it. I realised quickly that it was a common condition and is treated quickly. It is getting past the blame factor that is the hardest but you are not to blame at all. The question about how to cuddle her? Believe me any form of cuddling is all she needs. Being in the position she is in you will find what fits you both and will still enjoy her. My DD was put in a Pavlik harness at 4 months then into a Rhino Harness thereafter. In both cases I still managed to breastfeed her. It maybe uncomfortable for you but not for her as she molds to your body and how you hold her. Be patient as she wants to be near you and you will eventually find the right fit. It is amazing just how well they cope with the harness on. Keep your chin up as we have been through this and it will get better I promise that. It has been 3-4 months for me and I am able to give advice to other mums in your situation. You are doing great just remember that. :)

Rachelle- Glad to see that Taylor is doing well. keep up the great work.

BubbaGirl- Thanks for your support, it was hard to hear that she had to be placed into the Rhino Cast. We were hoping that she would be out of it by Christmas but she will be in it for a little while longer. It was heartbreaking. But I know that as long as she is happy and smiling then that is all I need in life. She is happy at the moment and has now produced 2 teeth so she is still developing as usual. We are pleased as punch.

Hey bridee... I may sound pessimistic(sp?) coz when Olivia had her first scan at 2 days old, they said it was a mild case and would probably only need double nappies!! The scan 10 days later showed that her coverage was at 22% and the ball wasnt sitting in the cup. After the first 6 weeks in the harness full time, the coverage went to something like 47%, then after the following 6 weeks it was around 67%. The next 8 weeks with it on overnight showed that the hip was in place and the coverage was the same as the left hip (I think normal is 75%). The only problem is that the ball of the hip still needed to get more cartilage on it and become rounder iykwim. So thats the reason for the second lot of 8 weeks. The hip is stable though. I just wishthey had have been honest with us to start with. We now ask straight out questions like: whats the liklihood of surgery? They say unlikely. We asked that coz our physio said that usually bubs are in Pavlik harnesses for no more than 16 weeks. If they need intervention after that, then ususally surgery or a different type of harness is required. We wanted to know why shes been in the Pavlik for so long, as its no the usual thing....28 weeks all up. The specialist said to us that her hip is coming along fine and doing all the right things to make it better, but is not quite there and doesnt justify a different type of harness coz this is doing its job, just taking a little longer.
Sorry for the long winded explaination. Yes georgie sounds like Olivia in time frame respect. I think you just have to ask loads of questions, like what was the coverage to start with, what does it need to get to to be considered "normal" Whats the next step? You might be fortunate that Georgies hip is fine and she can come out of the harness, however theres always...it just needs a little longer...that one makes you cry!
Its so hard when you just want the best for your baby and you want them to be happy and comfy. Its also very challenging on us too. I always hated having to explain to people. Olivias my first baby and boy has this been an experience. I wouldnt change it for the world and if this is the worst thing that is wrong with her, then i am so thankful. I have such a beautiful happy girl. And if my next bub has the same thing....I hope not, but at least I will be prepared....although I dont know what its like to have a newborn whose legs look like a cooked chicken!lol.
Good luck everybody, big hugs to your bubs.
Love Melissa

Thanks Melissa for the explanation. Georgie's right hip is at 67% coverage and left 72% which has been deemed normal. It is interesting the different approaches. Your Dr allowed only night time usage when at 67% whereas ours has said all sleeps. Mind you we are only giving her 10-15 mins each time she is awake out of it plus bath time just coz it is easier (I find it a hassle to take the harness on and off given clothes need to come on and off). I figure it is not doing her any damage being it in during the day and perhaps can even ensure our best chance of getting her out of it completely within the next 6 weeks.

Hi guys. I just want to give all you guys going through this some reassurance.
MIL was born with hip displaysia. She didn't get the harness or anything else she needed & at 42 has had her first hip replacement 2 1/2 years ago. She has had alot of probs & lives on pain killers.
BUT, Her 2 youngest also were born with it. SIL alot worse than BIL. They wore harnesses, SIL till around 9 months I think. & they are now 14 & 11 & are both active & sporty kids. SIL played every type of sport til she hit the teen years & puberty & decided it wasn't cool to play sports. BIL plays footy & rides bikes etc.
DD1 was born with 54% in here right & 45% in her left which is normal, so I got lucky coz it runs in the girls in DH's family & neither of mine had probs. SIL & BIL are half siblings & copped it from both sides.

So it is nothing you did while preggers it is genetic & if everything goes OK now they will be normal kids who can do whatever they want.

BTW Even with MIL huge probs & years in hospital she still gave birth 6 times naturally, so if any of you had it as babies & have had a doc tell you you can't. Don't necessarily listen. I know someone else who was born with it & told she wouldn't be able to have kids, so she didn't. Now she's met MIL she regrets listening.

kartier, thank you so much for the kind words. im glad to know that cuddling and breastfeeding at least wont be painful for her. appointment with the ortho is on wednesday, so im sure i'll be poting something that night. i just hope its good news instead of bad.

HI everyone
My name is Rebecca and DD is 2 weeks old. I just have a quick question. When we were in the hospital, the paed said she could here some clicking in DD legs. She said she would arrange an x ray for 3 weeks to check if anything was wrong. (We have that Xray on Wednesday). I was just wondering how early your babies were diagnosed with hip dysplasia? I tend to think that if it were more urgent, wouldnt the paedeatrician have gotten my DD in for an xray straight away?

Becky - my daughter was diagnosed at 6 weeks. In the hospital the paed's said they throught her hips were fine but coz she was breech had a ultrasound at 6 weeks (this is rountine) it was then it was picked up. From what I understand (could be wrong) but as they grow it can get better itself so that is possible why he is leaving it for a few weeks. 5-6 weeks is still very early to pick it up. It is just when it is left months or even years that it gets harder to treat or should I say it takes longer to rectify.

Hi Becky,

My daughter was not actually diagnosed until she was 18 months old. From my understanding of this condition, sometimes when they are really young, it can resolve on its own it a few weeks which is probably why your pediatrician wants to wait for the x-ray. You wouldn't want a false positive diagnosis to treat a condition like hip dysplasia from them doing the x-ray too early. Hope that helps. You are very fortunate to get an early diagnosis if your DD does have this.

Rachelle

Thanks guys
Is there any other warning signs that she might have it? For example, would she cry out in pain or anything out of the blue? We have her xray tomorrow, but I am just worried....

Hi Rochelle,

Of all the current entries, sounds like our bubs are the only one's in spica's, so we have the added challenge of trying to keep them as clean as possible without a proper bath.

This is the one thing I used to get the most anxious about, especially after Summer had a leak in her's before we'd even brought her home from the hospital (and it was of the brown variety).

Most people advised me to use sanitary pads but I found they were not wide enough and needed changing very frequently. With a little trial and error I have found the best nappy style to avoid leaks and the best way of cleaning the area.

I use a normal size nappy for summer's weight (crawler) and feed that into the spica so it is placed on her like a normal nappy. (I do remove the tabs first). I also place it in reverse so that the front part of the nappy absorbs more of the urine from her lying on her back so much of the time. Then I fold up nappy liners into a snake shape and tuck them into the sides so they catch any leaks coming out of the nappy which is very rare if she is changed often enough. This has been almost foolproof and I was surprised how clean the area was after 6 weeks.

In terms of keeping clean, I use a product called Newways which is chemical free. I use the bubblebath in warm water and wipe over all the skin and tape that I can get to and let it air dry. I also dribble the water from wet cotton balls over her private parts to remove any smells.

Its very important to take the nappy off a couple times a day and just let the air absorb the moisture and any smells. (You need to place some towelling underneath and tucked in to avoid soiling and sit with Taylor so you don't get any nasty surprises). I find sweat smells more than anything else so its important to not let her get too warm.

I have also used some eucalyptus oil dapped on the inside of the taped area which helps absorb smells (or at least cover them up). Also find cornflour is good as a power to absorb moisture and absorb smells.

Hope some of that helps.

You are coping so well - once you get into a new routine it is so much easier on everyone.

I found the change of spica much easier that the first -shorter recovery etc etc although Summer's legs have been brought in closer and this spica seems much tighter around her body than the last. I have 3.5 weeks to go and cannot wait to get rid of this horrid thing (as well as all the time consuming changing that goes with it.

Chat soon.

Karen and Summer Rose

Hi Becky,

My DD did not have clicky hips or any pain associated with her displayisa. Signs for her were uneven skin fold in the legs and one hip higher than the other (appearance of shorter leg) but these signs were very slight. She was not diagnosed until 6 months.

Whatever happens tomorrow just be confident that with an early diagnosis it is 95% curable.

Good luck and stay strong for your little one

Karen

Well, Taylor has been doing well in her cast but developed a case of the stomach flu yesterday morning. The diarrhea leaked into her cast. I tried to clean it as best I could with Vinegar and Water and then dried it with a hair dryer but it still smells horribly and we have one more week until her cast change.

Becky-The orthopedic surgeon that we saw told us that since babies are born with hip dysplasia, that they don't have any pain with it. As far as some of the symptoms besides clicky hips, uneven skin folds around the buttocks, uneven leg lengths and when you put their knees together (with feet flat) then one knee may look higher than the other. Hope that helps and that your x-ray goes well.

Karen-Thanks for all the spica advice. I have found an almost foolproof way too, to keep Taylor from leaking. I use slightly smaller diapers during the day since they are easier to tuck up inside the cast. I also put her to sleep on a foam wedge so that her urine will run down into the diaper instead of back into her cast. At night I use a diaper doubler and then before I go to bed, I change just the doubler which she sleeps through. This way we both get a full nights sleep since I don't wake her up at night to change her diaper. Now that Taylor has a stomach bug and the diarrhea leaked into the cast, I really don't know what else to do about the smell. I think I will get some baking soda today and try that along with some lavender oil. It does smell really bad but luckily we have one more week to go and then she will be in a new cast. The hospital has also given me rolls of moleskin. It's really soft on one side and adhesive on the other. I put it along the rought edges of the cast but have also found that it works well for a barrier when I put it in the back of the cast. That way if she leaks onto the moleskin, I can just change it and the cast doesn't get soiled. I think her second cast will be much cleaner now that I have all these tricks and have found what works for us.

Take care and hang in there!

Rachelle and Taylor

Hi all
We had our xray today, and the Dr said her left leg is fine, but her right leg definately has some clicking, and that there is a bit of a hollow in the hip joint. She said it was nothing really major, but I would have to discuss what to do next with my GP. (We now have an appointment with her next Wednesday).
Grrrr, Im worried now. I dont know what thats supposed to mean.

Hi Becky,

I suspect you will you be referred to an Orthapaedic Surgeon as they are the dr's that treat hip displacia (don't be concern about the surgeon part they don't have to operate).

Hi everyone. Hope your week is going well!

I'm not sure if any of you are Facebook fans but I've recently joined up and yesterday/today I have found 2 hip groups - one called "Hip" babies and the other I love a Kid in a Spica Cast. There a quite a few children on there that are older - I thought it may be helpful for you Rachelle.

We're counting down the days here. Sophie's appointment is on the 27th Nov...fingers and toes crossed she'll come out of the brace. That would bring her round to 7 months with it on.

Becky - welcome. All the best for the appointment next week. It's great they picked it up so early. Sophie was detected with hip dysplasia at 4mths when the maternal nurse noticed her uneven legs - a nice slim leg and a normal fat roll leg (to be honest I never noticed). Too when she measure her one leg was slightly shorter than the other. But they can't detect the above until at least 4 months when they start to get a bit of fat on them. The orthopaedic surgeon then left if for another 4 months in the hope that it would rectify itself but unfortunately it didnt'. So Sophie has been in a Rhino brace since she was 8 mths old - she's now almost 15 mths old. She's adjusted very well to the brace (better than me) and although her development is well behind other kids her age I'm sure once the brace is off - she'll be off and will take no time to crawl/walk etc.

Anyway, I must get to bed. Hugs to all who need them. love Susan xxxx

Thankyou everyone. I have my fingers crossed Chels is ok next week. I dont know if I am as brave as all you guys.
Sue- how long does your DD need to be in the brace for?

Hello All,

Well i have some great news! Azaliah now only has to wear her brace for her night time sleeps now and i am so happy about it!! Her appointment went really well and the Orthapaedic surgeon was very impressed with the development. He coverage is better than expected but it is still just a tiny bit to flat on the outside. He has promised me that our new years present will be no brace at all! I had expected that she would need ot be in the brace at nights but it doesnt matter because atleast now she gets to go in her jolly jumper and walker. It Gives us both a bit of time out from each other. I also went out and bought her some shorts- i am so over putting her in dresses!

Today she has been pushing her self along the carpet using her back legs. She cant pull them up underneath her as they are still out froggy like but she is still using them as best she can. It's so cute but has caused a couple of nasty small carpet burns on her forhead.

Rachelle- Im glad to hear that Taylor has adjusted well! You seem to have most things figured out, expecially when it comes to keeping the cast clean. I bet you cant wait for a new one!

Becky- I know what its like to have this little new born and find out that something is wrong with her. My baby was diagnosed at birth and we were off to see the orthapaedic surgeoun within 2 weeks of her birth. They waited to see if it would correct itself but by 4 months and after seeing her first X-ray it was obvious she needed to be braced, so now we are halfway through our journey. Goodluck and once you get your head around it it truely is fine and you learn to cope so well!

Karen- i hope the next 3 and a half weeks flies by for you! I can only imagine how much you are counting down untill the Spica is taken off!

Susan- Good luck for your appointment on the 27th! Fingers crossed these will be Sophies last few weeks in the brace.

Take care to all of you!

Hi everyone,

I am so glad to have found this forum to find that so many other mothers are feeling the same way as I am. I only found out yesterday that my 3 month old daughter Scarlett has Hip Dysplasia and I can't stop crying!

I have only just started to feel comfortable being a new first time mum and now I feel like everything is going to change. I feel silly bacause I have been told this is totally correctable but I feel like I have been robbed of my happy healthy daughter. SHe is so smiley and content and I worry that she will hate having her harness on (we are having it fitted on Monday).

I just fed her and changed her nappy and couldn't stop thinking about how much more difficult everything is going to be. SHe really loves having a bath and now that is out for a while. She is so animated and happy kicking her legs around on the mat and now she won't be able to. SHe has even just started to start to roll on her side and she will no longer be able to do that. No chance of taking her swimming like I had planned and I just bought a heap of new clothes that she won't be able to wear.

I know once she has the harness on and I start to figure things out I will feel better but right now I feel so sad that I am about to lose something. I know I need to be possitive and my little froggy sill be OK in the long run but it's just hard.

Nicole

Nicole - Welcome. We all know how you are feeling, it is upsetting when you first find out. But trust me Scarlet will adjust really well - kids are so adaptable. I will be thinking of you in Monday. Please let us know how you go. I was really surprised how my daughter coped getting the harness on, which really helped me cope. I ended up thinking if she isn't bothered by it then why should I be.
Lets hope your journey is a short one.

Hey Kylie congrats at Azaliah only having to wear the brace at night. It is so nice to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Olivia is 6 weeks into her second lot of 8 weeks of night wearing. I cant believe how quickly she has caught up in development. She still has frog legs but is slowly coming in. She rolls both ways and commando crawls and crawls backward. The flat spot on the back of her head is coming good too. And she can sit on her own for about a minute at a time.
Welcome Nicole and becky, and good luck. Its tough initially, but you do get used to it. And its a great forum in here...ask as many questions and I am sure you will find the answer.
bye for now
Melissa

Welcome Nicole. You're so not alone in how you're feeling at the moment. I think we've all shared how upset we all were at first and the tears just kept flowing. But as you can see - we're all doing pretty good now and like Bridee said - once you see how well your little baby adjusts it really does make it all so much easier to deal with. My Sophie went into the brace at 8mths and it totally upset me more - cause I knew that was the age where she'd learn to crawl, walk etc. and that she was robbed of that opportunity! But now at almost 15mths she's adjusted really well and learnt to get around in her own little way. She can't walk or crawl but she bum shuffles everywhere! It's super cute! Big hugs to you and I'll be thinking of you on Monday.

Becky you asked how long Sophie had to wear the brace. Each time we go for our Orthopaedic Surgeon visit I hope that it's the end but each time I'm disappointed - another 4 months is usually what he says. But fingers crossed this time he'll have good news. She's been in a rhino brace for 7 months now. She's in it 20 hours a day - so the broken 4 hours she's out of it is totally party time - she's off and scooting around the house like crazy!

Kylie fantastic news! Celebrating with you!

Anyway, must get to bed.
love and hugs to everyone,
Susan

Hi all,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. We had the harness fitted on Monday and I thought she was going to take to it well at first. She didn't fuss at all when it was fitted and even fell asleep in the pram as we were leaving. Then we got home! She basically didn't stop crying for the next 14 hours. She was already tired but every time she started to nod off her reflex to kick or straighten her legs kicked in and she would wake her self up with a huge shudder to her whole body and begin screaming. We tried taking her for a walk to get her mind off things but the same thing happened. She wanted to sleep but would wake herself up every minute or so. I ended up keeping her in the pram all night and rocking her when she would startle. She did fall asleep by about 3:30am and had a few hours sleep. I think she is finally getting over that part of being in the harness but when she is awake she is still so miserable.

We went to the orth surgeon yesterday and he said she would most likely be in the harness for 12 weeks. I don't know if it is 24/7 for that entire time - I hope not. He also said she might have to go into another brace for a while after that depending on how she goes. Reading everyone's stories has already taught me not to set my hopes too high when seeing the doctor.

Scarlett finally got some longer sleeps in last night as is actaully settling much better when I put her down although she will not go to sleep in her cot yet. I am still putting her to sleep in the pram in her room. After a few more days I'll try the cot again.

Anyway - you can expect me to rant and rave here a bit over the coming weeks/months as I think people who have not experienced this can't really understand. All anyone can say is that it is all for the best in the long run etc (which I know) but they don't have to live through it all day every day.

Nicole

Hi Ladies!

Taylor finally got her new spica cast on yesterday! She did have to go under anesthesia for it and had a hard time after she woke up. But, she is doing great today and is back to normal! I convinced one of the nurses to get us purple casting from the cast room and they were able to put it on Taylor. Purple is Tay's favorite color and she is very happy about it today. It's so much better than the plain and boring white. So now, we are 1/3 of the way through the cast process. She'll go in for another cast change on Dec. 11th and then by mid-January she will have it off! Even though it's two months away, I look forward to being able to take her brace that she will have on, off and being able to give her a bath!



Nicole-I know how hard it can be to see your baby uncomfortable and not be able to make them stop crying! Scarlett is quite a bit younger than Taylor was, but all the same, they still have to adapt. I am sorry that Scarlett is having a hard time and pray things will get better for you both. Hang in there. Let people help you/bring you meals/clean for you. I found this very helpful and that way I could focus my attention and helping Taylor cope. I know it will get easier once Scarlett adapts to it.

Kylie- Congrats on the great news for Azaliah!!!

Susan- Thanks for the facebook info. I am a member on facebook and will check out those forums! Good luck for Sophie's appt on the 27th!

bjrose- Thanks for the info. It's good to hear that you know of people who have lead normal lives with hip dysplasia, but, for those of us that actually have to walk through this process with our daily, it's extrememly difficult emotionally on us moms and our babies, something that really nobody can understand until they've had to go through it.

Becky- Good luck with your appt. today! Let us know how it goes!


That's it for me ladies. I will keep you all posted and hope you have a great week!

Rachelle and Taylor

Nicole, big hugs to you. It's so hard that first week after the brace is put on. Sophie was waking every 1/2 hour the first week - considering I was emotional anyway that week - the no sleep was just a shocker! She did eventually start sleeping through again - but I think it took at least a week and after that I got a bit tough and let her cry it out a few times, because I was just way too exhausted and so was she. It only took a few nights and she was sleeping through again. Try and get as much rest as you can through the day and like Rachelle said - if people offer to help - let them!

It's sad to say - but I now am really nervous about her getting the brace OFF and how it will affect her sleep! lol Anyway, I'm sure we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Less than 2 weeks til our appointment!!!!

Rachelle, it seems Taylor is adjusting so well! What a trooper! It's so cute that she was excited about the purple cast. It's the small things isn't it!? I'm under Susan Johnson Tanner (Aust) on Facebook if you wanna be my friend :lol: lol

Have a great weekend ladies. Susan xxx

Grrrr!! So annoyed! I rang the Dr just before we left, and the x rays got sent to the wrong place. NOT HAPPY. So now we have to wait until next Wednesday. Another whole week of worrying........

Hi There,

I am another newby. My daughter Jasmin was diagnosed yesterday with hip dysplasia at 6.5 months old. SHe has been to her 6 week check etc but it went undetected. It wasnt until someone at childcare picked up on her different length legs last week that we had it checked out and sure enough diagnosed. We see an orthopedic surgeon this coming Monday (they certainly like to get teh ball rolling quickly once they find out as she only had ultrasounds and x-rays yesterday). I was just wondering if anyone can tell me what to expect. I kind of have some idea that she will likely have an open/closed reduction and then a cast for 3 months but that is about all I have any ideas about. Dont even really know if this is a reasonable assumption or if it is possible she wont even need surgery? Anyone with a similar experience that can let me know what they went through?

Thanks
Ingrid

Ingrid- Welcome to BB! I am sure every case is slightly different, but from my understanding, the Ortho. surgeon will probably take her to the OR and attempt a closed reduction followed by the casting and then if that doesn't work he will do the open reduction. But being that she is 6 and 1/2 months old, they may try to do the brace. From what I have been told, babies over 6 months require the cast. Good luck to you and keep us all posted.

Susan- Thanks for your facebook info. I would love to add you as my friend! :) Taylor is still crazy about her purple cast. We are almost to the 1/2 way point and I am excited to get it off so that I can at least remove the brace to give her baths.

Becky- I'll look forward to hearing from you next Wednesday. Sorry you've had trouble getting your results! Cherish the time you have with your little one now, just in case she may be put in a brace in the next few weeks. :)

Take Care all!

Rachelle

Hi Ingrid,

My daughter was 5.5 months when diagnosed and comes out of the spica (plaster) in 2 weeks after almost 3 months. She will be eight months old this week.

Like Jasmin, the problem wasn't detected at 6 weeks even though she had uneven creases and an ultrasound. Apparently it was evident but an incompetent radiographer did the scan. By 5.5 months her shorter leg was quite evident.

Every experience is different and each specialist will recommend different treatment times and options. We are under the Sydney Westmead Orthopaedic Unit and Summer's treatment is 3 months spica then 3-6 months Dennis Brown Splint. It will depend on how bad the hips are as to the treatment however it is probably likely she will go into plaster due to her age.

At first I just cried for the whole week leading up to the closed reduction surgery (they cut the muscle to allow proper positioning of the legs) and for the first few days after we brought her home. I found her nappy changing absolutley barbaric and honestly wondered how I would cope for the next 3 months of not being able to bath her and care for her the same way.

But we worked it all out and I can honestly say it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. We have a food proof method for keeping the area clean and we treat Summer as normal as possible. She even drags herself around on the floor in the spica.

The hardest thing to accept is the delayed development but in the grand scheme of things it is such a short period of time in your child's life after which they will be caught up to the others soon enough.

Just put yourself in the good hands of someone who knows what they are doing and you will be fine.

Summer has coped so well and I have even contined breast feeding her throughout the time (had its challenges) so just stay strong and take it one day at a time.

If I can help anytime just send me a note.

BubbaGirl

Thanks for all your input. We go and see the orthopedic surgeon today so will find out what the next course of action is.

BubbaGirl, Jasmin was only checked by the Pediatrician for her normal 6 week check and I know he checked her hips but I am not sure he looked for uneven skin folds. Anyway, I dont really blame him for missing it. It was our childcare that picked up the uneven legs so I am grateful (in a strange sort of way) to them as we hadnt really noticed her uneven legs. It is obvious now that we know but being first time parents everything seemed fine and she was developing quite normally. I expect our treatment to be somewhat the same as Summers. Fortunately we have done quite a bit of research and study into this since we found out and we have some idea of what to expect. I guess it is going to be a bit different once we get her home. We dont know what exactly to expect as far as things like using her existing car seat, high chair etc. I guess we will just have to find out what works for us. Breastfeeding I can imagine will be quite difficult. I have already weaned her day feeds and she is only feeding morning and night. However she has had a really bad cold in the last week making it difficult for her to breastfeed so we have been giving her bottle and I have been expressing. I have also had a cold so my supply has really dropped (without her feeding as much and me being sick). I am kind of wondering whether it might be a good time to wean her completely (as much as I really enjoy the last feed of the night).
It is so hard to see your child sick. We had a few tears last week when we first found out and she was really sick with her cold on top of that. It makes you cry when you see them cry and there is nothing you can really do for them. I know she is strong and she will probably cope better with it than us. I also realise as you said that in 2 years time no one will ever know because she will be talking, walking and running like all other 2 year olds.
Anyway, must run. Time to get the little one to childcare for perhaps her last stay for a while. She goes Mondays and Wed but we will have to see if they are still willing to have her and if I am still willing to leave her.

Thanks again
Ingrid

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you all know that even though I wouldn't have believed it Scarlett is pretty much back to her normal happy self after only a week in her harness. She is smiling and cooing again, has stopped screaming on the change table and is even sleeping in her cot again. I don't know if it is just me but she seems to be sleeping more soundly now???

Ingrid - I hope everything goes well at the orthopedic surgeon today. I can imagine how you are feeling right now. I think the anticipation of your baby going into a cast/harness is worse than the reality. All I could do before hand was imagine the worst. But once she's in it, each little step is encouraging. I don't know what it is like with a cast, but Scarlett just fits into her car seat with the harness on.

BubbaGirl - you must be exctied that Summer gets her cast off in 2 weeks.

I found breastfeeding a little hard at first - finding a comfortable position for both of us - but now it seems to be going well (luckily becasue I left it too late and Scarlett won't accept a bottle).

Do those of you who's baby is in a harness put clothes (singlet/jumpsuit) on under it? My physio said it was OK to thread it under the harness by undoing the chest strap even though the booklet I got said not to?

We go back to the orth surgeon tomorrow to check the ultrasound results for hip position.

Have a good week everyone.

Nicole

Nicole - I put clothes over the top not underneath. We had to go up a size so some things look quite big but I ensure nothing has collars as they are too big around her neck/face. Romper suits have worked good the short legs go to her ankles in the harness. I also love Bonds clothes as they are stretchy, before it got hot she was always wearing bonds pants/leggins and seperate top. I also found pants and tops better than all in 1, made her look less bulky.

In the hot weather we are having at the moment I just have her in a body suit with no legs. I'm noticing her feet are quite sweaty which is making the harness smelly but not much I can do about (I think).

Ingrid, welcome to the board. Sophie was diagnosed at 4mths because of the uneven skin folds too - don't worry I never noticed them either. She then went into a brace at 8mths of age (the o/s had hoped that it would rectifiy itself - why he waited another 4mths) and has been in a rhino brace for 7mths now (she's nearly 15mths old). It may not be necessary for your baby to have an operation or even go in a cast. Sophie just went into a brace. Anyway, I'm sure your visit to the o/s will help put your mind at ease. It is really scary at first and quite overwhelming emotionally but you seem like you've done a lot of research. Big hugs to you! Also, I still breastfed whilst Sophie was in the brace - it was a bit hard at first to find the right position - but it certainly is possible. I found pillows helped. All the best!

Nicole, that's fantastic that Scarlett has settled down and everything seems normal! Yahhh! The first week is really tough, but they're amazing how well and quickly they adjust. Quicker than us mums :lol:

We have our xray on Wednesday - fingers and toes crossed. We then have our orth surg visit on Monday, Godwilling it'll be the last one in the brace. I really have mixed emotions and too scared to get my hopes up. Anyway, hope you're all having a great week. Susan

We are back from the surgeons appointment.

It appears Jasmin's hip is not really dislocated but rather her hip socket is not quite growing around the ball properly. She will go in for surgery next week where she will have key hole surgery to cut one of the tendons in her inner thigh. At that stage she will go into a Spica cast for 4-6 weeks. After that he is recommending 6 months in a Denis Browne splint. We think we are coping well but will see once the time comes. He says there is only a 50% chance this will fix the problem and she may require more invasive surgery and another cast and spint at 18 months. Has anyone gone down this path where multiple attempts at fixing the problem have been required? I think its going to be hard enough to do it once let alone have her go through it again (and at an age where she should be more mobile?). Any advice etc is appreciated.

Ingrid

We see the specialist this time tomorrow. Hoping all is good and olivia will be out of the harness for good. However, as previous experience has knocked me down, i wont be getting too excited. I think this is the 5th time we have been to the specialist. In coming across negative, I am sitting her and am proudly watching my almost 8 month old sitting up on her own, without falling for the past half an hour, bouncing away to play school:) She certainly has come a long way.

Good luck to those who are having ops soon or are getting fitted for splints/harnesses. I will let you know our news tomorrow afternoon.

Love to mums and bubs

Melissa

Hi everyone,
I just wrote a big post about how Chelsea's Xrays were fine, but just as I was posting it, the Dr rang and said that no, there is something wrong with her right leg, and to go straight in Monday morning for an ultra sound. :(
Apparantly the measurement for a normal hip is 60 somethings (dont know if you guys know what this means?) Well Chelse'a right leg is at 55.9. Again I dont really know what this means, but its reason enough for them to want us in for another ultra sound and an appointment with the paedeatrician.
Any ideas what these measurements are? I guess I'll be spending a bit more time with you guys......

Becky - I expect they are talking about the % of coverage the hip has. Normal I've been told is around 70%. My daughter currently has 72% coverage on the left hip which we have been told is normal and the right hip is at 67% which is considered mild. I wasn't told orginally what the coverage was but in 6 weeks the right hip has gone from severe to mild and the left from mild to normal. Georgie has been in a Pavlik Harness.

Hey ,
Just to let you know the doc has given Olivia the all clear and she no longer needs to be in the harness after a total of 28 weeks. We are so happy. We get an x-ray and see the specailist in May 2009...it seems so far away.
Good luck everyone and thanks for your support.
Love Melissa

Hey Melissa, that is fantastic news. Very happy for you and Olivia.

That is great news Melissa!! I am sure you are so happy to have the brace off of her! Congrats and keep us posted as to her development now that she has the brace off!

Take Care,

Rachelle