Sorry to hear about your daughter - it does seem amazingly common, but it doesn't make it any easier when it's your child! I was absolutely devastated when I found out that my 1 year old would have to be in a cast for 12 weeks (we are 3 weeks in), but, honestly, after the first couple of days, we all adjusted so well, esp Olivia, that I can't believe I was so upset about it. I think it was fear of the unknown that I found hardest - I had all the same questions you have, and more!!
To try and answer you questions...
Surgery - I found the hardest thing was going in with Olivia for the gen anaesthetic - it was pretty distressing watching her go to sleep and she really fought it. She wasn't nearly as unhappy as I thought when she came round though - I thought she'd be screaming, but she was just a bit grumpy.
Clothes - she wears normal body suits and tops, some of which need to be one size bigger than normal. I find some all in ones (the ones with legs and feet with poppers all the way down) fit, and some don't. For legs - trousers are no good, but I found some brilliant baby leg warmers that are working a treat and look fantastic too - search "baby legs" or "huggalugs" on the internet.
Breastfeeding - I'm afraid I haven't had this issue as Olivia is weaned, but someone gave me some advice earlier on in this forum, so try looking over past posts.
Development - Olivia was crawling and just starting to pull herself up to standing before the cast. Obviously she'll have 3 months setback, as she is unable to move now, but I have been told they catch up really quickly, and in a few months we won't know the difference between her and other little girls her age. Although it has been sad to see her not moving around, in my mind, a couple of months temporary development delay is worth it if she can grow up with a completely normal hip...
Olivia was pretty miserable the first couple days, but we found out that she was in fact suffering from tonsilitis on top of everything - I think she was far more bothered by that than the cast. Once the anti-biotics had sorted out her throat, she was back to her normal smiley self, and barely seems to notice the cast. She is sleeping really well, completely normally, and she is giggling more than ever before. In fact perhaps more so, as I find we are paying her more attention than before (she is our second child, so didn't get much of a look in before!!)
Carseat - fine with a bit of extra padding - the hospital physios will sort you out. Highchair - she may not fit in this. You can sit her on beanbags and in the pram though - again, the hospital will help you pad out your pram so it fits ok.
At the end of the day, remember it's just for 6 weeks. It is far more distressing for you than for your daughter, and she will not remember this whole experience at all. Most importantly, what I keep telling myself is that this is something that can be fixed and there could be something so much worse wrong with a baby - if this is the worst thing that happens to them, then they're doing ok I reckon!
Hope the above helps - please feel free to ask any questions at all - I had loads, all of which seemed really petty at the time, but I kept asking and I felt so much better prepared when the time came. Also do loads of searching on the internet - it is so much less of a shock if you've seen lots of pictures of babies in casts. By the time I saw Olivia, she looked so much less weird than I was afraid she might look!
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