Let's Bring in the New Year

One of the highlights of this year was bringing my little girl into this world.  Just this morning I was looking at her tiny, perfect ears and thinking wow, she is a miracle.  We have had our ups and downs- me adjusting to motherhood, her adjusting to life outside the womb, and dealing with wearing a harness full time, but all in all I wouldn't change a thing.  Sure, the harness sucks.  But it is a temporary solution to what could have been a very serious problem.

I belong to a board on babycenter.com for mothers of children with Hip Dysplasia.  Some of these mothers really have it rough.  Their children had later diagnosis, or the harness didn't work, and their children are in casts and braces.  I read their stories of trying to comfort a baby who has a cast from under her belly button to both of her ankles, failed surgeries, the trails and tribulations of their daily routines, and it really pales in comparison to what Colleen, Jason, and myself are going through.  Sure the diaper changes are rough, adjusting the harness is tricky, dressing is a bit of a challenge, and Colleen hates wearing it- but the end is in sight.  We probably won't have to subject our daughter to painful surgery, casting, recovery, and the like.  What astounds me the most about these mothers is how positive they are, and how supportive they are of each and every mother who is on that board.  It makes me realize the good in people, and how important it is to reach out for support, and give support in return.  These perfect strangers have made my being able to deal with Colleen's "imperfection" so much easier.  

Colleen only has about 5 more weeks in the harness.  We go back on February 2nd for the next checkup and hopefully both hips will be totally healed.   We had a rocky end to this year of 2010, but I plan on bringing in the new year with optimism and hope that not only will my hip baby be healed, but all of the hip babies have speedy recoveries, and healthy hips.  

Something Like Normal

Three weeks in a harness feels like an eternity.  Each day it is the same- diaper changes, shuffling baby left to right, up and down to make her more comfortable, her hour of "freedom" and her anger when I have to put her harness back on, and the constant need to get Colleen to nap otherwise she turns into a monster.  I know there is little difference in my routine than a mother whose baby does not have Hip Dysplasia, but nevertheless the harness makes things even more difficult.

One thing that helps is getting out.  Last week Colleen and I went to the nearby outlet and went shopping.  I decided that instead of the stroller, I was going to break out my baby Sleepywrap and wear her.  That way Colleen would be snug, warm, and secure against me, and I did not have to worry about her being warm enough in her harness.  That is a constant worry of mine- warmth.  I use the sleep sacks daily, but Colleen likes to have her legs free to stretch as much as possible.  So I usually dress her in leggings, socks, a long sleeved onesie and usually a sack.

The response I got from wearing Colleen was interesting.  I had people come up to me and curiously ask me about why I was carrying her, some people thought it was cute, and I overheard one girl question why I would wear my baby after carrying her inside of me for 9 months.  It amazed me how my business means so much to perfect strangers.  I wondered what kind of response I would have gotten if I put her in a stroller and people saw her in the harness.  I don't know why I care so much about that- I just don't want anyone to look at her differently and ask questions.  I know she will never remember, or even realize what is happening, but for some reason I feel overly protective and somewhat defensive about her and her harness.  Overall it was nice to get out.  I ended up buying Colleen 9 month clothes- which is kind of amusing because she is only 3 months old!

One of my favorite things about the harness is that it actually makes it easier for Jason to hold her.  He likes grabbing her harness and swinging her "airplane" style.  Colleen loves it.  In fact, she adores him.  While she yells at me when I put the harness back on her, she coos and laughs at Jason.  He just has the magic touch.  I think she senses my apprehension about the whole thing.  Colleen is a very sensitive baby.  She is able to pick up on subtle things and mood shifts better than any other kid (or even adult) for that matter.  With that in mind, it is important to treat Colleen and the harness like a normal occurrence.  For me it was hard to get used to- no one wants to think of their child as having something wrong with them.  And while I know that Colleen will eventually be ok, it still stings some times- especially when I see her frustration and desire to be free.

Lessons Learned from a Baby

1. Sometimes a good swing and nap is all you need to make your day.
2. Boobs are so much more than eye candy.
3.  Gas let out is so much better than gas kept in.  No need to be polite.
4. As long as the harness does not prevent you from eating, sleeping, cuddling, pooping, or peeing, it's all good.
5. You could have all the toys in the world, but all you really need is a couple of goofy faces to get a smile.
6. Anything could be turned into a game if you are imaginative enough.
7. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the words to a song, the baby doesn't know them either.
8. Made up stories on the fly are sometimes better than books- you get to amuse yourself at the same time with what you come up with.
9. Patience really IS a virtue.
10.  Cuddling is soothing to the soul.  Taking time to sit and cuddle can do wonders for everyone.
11.  Sometimes everyone just needs a good cry.  Or laugh.  Or smile.  Sometimes all at once!

Week One Complete

I cannot believe it has been one week already since my little girl was put in the Plavik Harness.  She is 11 weeks old today!  The past week has been tumultuous to say the least, but it looks like things are starting to look up.  Here are some things I learned this week:

1. Colleen is one tough cookie- the harness barely phases her any more.  Even during her one hour of "freedom" daily, she still holds her legs in that position.  Once she realizes she can fully extend them, her face lights up with joy and she happily kicks for an hour.
2. Baby Legs Leggings are the bomb.  What a great concept- leggings for babies.  These work extremely well- even if your baby is not in a harness.  Keeps the baby nice and warm, and easy diaper access.  Bonus!
3. Just because a baby is in a harness doesn't mean she is exempt from leaks, blowouts (no, not the flat tire kind), puke, or spit up.  Be prepared.  It is inevitable.
4. Teaching a baby who hates to sleep on her back is hard work, but is rewarding.  In a way the harness is a blessing because it is forcing me to do this now instead of waiting.
5. Pack and Plays are also the bomb.  Especially if you have a two story house.  It serves as a changing area, play area, and sleep area all in one.  And it is so easy to pack up.

I seriously should be getting compensated for these endorsement "plugs".

6. The harness is evil, but necessary.  You will hate it more than your baby does.
7. Babycenter.com has a great group for Hip Dysplasia.  Actually there are great groups for just about anything on there.  I belong to the HD board, the Breast Feeding board, and the Birth Group board.  It's a great way to converse with people going through what you are going through all the while maintaining your sanity (at least trying to).
8. Onesies are a girl's best friend.
9. Just because I hate something (our new swing, disposable diapers, washing the same 2 Halo sacks over and over) doesn't mean Colleen does.   I need to remember that as long as she is happy, I should be too and not worry so much about her.
10. I love my baby more now than ever- I am amazed at each new step of growth, and am amazed at her resiliency.    And although I worry about everything, I know she will be ok.

More to come!

What Not to Wear

One of the most fun things about babies is dressing them in the cutest outfits you could find.  Onesies, footed sleepers, dresses, cute layette, sweaters with animal ears, the list goes on and on. Once people find out you are having a girl- it is pink galore!  Light pink, dark pink, baby pink (yes there is a difference), pink pink pink!!

Dressing a child in a Plavik Harness is a bit of a challenge.  For one thing, most of the time, even though they are a certain size, you have to go much larger because of the way the harness grabs the clothes, and the extension of the hip creates a longer rise.  The clothes must go under the harness (mostly), because you do not want the straps of the harness to rub against the delicate baby skin.  With that being said, it makes the baby wearing anything on her legs nearly impossible.  This is because you do not want anything to interfere with the all important diaper change.  You cannot take off the Harness during the day (well shouldn't), and Colleen only gets one hour of freedom from her imprisonment daily.  Plus getting the Harness on and off is an adventure to begin with and should be avoided at all costs.  So here is how she is dressed- long sleeved onesie, a pair of my trouser socks cut up (I cut them at the foot and use that side up on her thigh so the elastic does not pinch her cute thighs), a pair of her socks, and a sleep sack.  The Halo sleep sack works wonders.  It is roomy, warm, and fleece.  It is sleeveless so she does not over heat.  Be aware that the sack does bunch up a little, so when I am holding her I sometimes pull it down so it does not cover her face.  During the day if it is warm, I will take her out of the sack and gently wrap her legs in a large receiving blanket.  We love the Aden and Anais ones.  They are made of muslin and are extra large.  They are a little pricey, but worth it.

I have read that large dresses work well, and leggings.  I ordered the leggings and am waiting to try them out.  The leggings will go over the harness, and hopefully help with the velcro (which is absurdly annoying).

Tip- do not wear anything that will pill or bunch while holding a baby who is wearing a harness- the velcro has a mind of its own and loves to grab onto anything.

Avoid dressing anything too fussy on your baby.  Simple is better.  If you long for the cuteness- invest in cute onesies, decorate the sleep sac, buy some cute leggings (I got Colleen pirate ones!), or cute hats.  If your child tends to be a messy eater, use lots of blankets or bibs to cover the harness while eating.  Washing the harness is a pain and formula on a harness would probably get really nasty.

Bottom line- I realized I was more worried about what she is wearing than she was.  As long as your baby is warm and comfortable, they really don't care that they have the same three onesies they have been wearing over and over.  They do not care about the cute elephant footed pajamas they cannot wear, or that an entire of step of clothing is now not being warn.  They want to be clean and comfy. They want  to wear something that will not abrade their legs or neck (watch out for that- the shoulder straps love to pinch little neck folds).  You may want to invest in the extra onesies only for your sanity- so you are not doing laundry every two minutes (well, I still do, but that is an entirely different blog).

The Trifecta

4 am wake up call= bad.  4 am wake up call with a wet and hungry child= really bad.  4 am wake up call with a wet, and hungry child in a Plavik Harness= disaster.

There are few things more annoying than trying to change a soaking wet infant while she is wearing a harness.  For one thing diapering a baby in a harness is quite a challenge.  The diaper must go under the harness for one thing.  All of those pretty cloth diapers I bought are now sitting by the wayside because the gap between the harness and the onesie and Colleen's body is quite narrow.  I am sure there is some way I could finagle this and get it to work, but quite honestly, the diapering is complex enough.

To take Colleen's diaper off is also quite the challenge.  First you have to fight with the flailing legs that pumping up and down and side to side.  You have to race to get the diaper off (while the tabs try to wind themselves around the various velcro straps of the harness), and get another one right under her in case she goes again.  The trick is to NOT get the harness soiled at all.  Try telling that to an infant who is already pissed because she is dirty and wants to eat NOW.  Jason's advice is to fold in the tabs so they are not sticky before attempting to take off the diaper.  Great advice- but quickly forgotten at this 4 am wake up call.  Needless to say, right as I was getting the new diaper on, Colleen let go a waterfall that would have impressed Niagara.  So off comes the diaper again, off comes the harness, which is now trying to wind its way around me like a contemptuous snake, and off comes the onesie.  By this time, Colleen is really ticked off.  She is wet, hungry, cold, naked, and did I say hungry?

I sat there for a moment and debated.  Yes, a clean onesie, sleep sack and diaper were a must.  But would she be ok if I left her out of the harness for a few hours?  I glanced at the harness, which lurked menacingly in the corner of the bassinet, and decided yes, a total nuclear meltdown would be a lot worse than a few hours harness free.

Crisis solved.  Until about 7 am when she pooed on yet another onesie, and then threw up on the next.

Colleen's impressive bodily functions:3
Onesies and Plavik Harness: 0


Lesson learned: quieting a nearly screaming infant who is traumatized by urine and hunger is far more important in the long run than a few hours without a harness.

Lesson learned: Must get more larger sized onesies, because the smaller ones don't work with the harness unless you don't snap them up.  This gets even more annoying because then her shirt rides up and she gets cold.

The Diagnosis

Jason and I were elated to find out I was pregnant with our first child.  Along with our elation, came the worry.  What if our baby wasn't healthy?  What if we somehow screwed her up with our warped sense of parenting?  Was it cruel to bring a child into this turbulent world?

Fast forward to 8 weeks postpartum; where a dark fear came true.  Our pediatrician recommended Colleen have a sonogram to screen for hip dysplasia.  It turns out that hip dysplasia is common with breech births and c-sections.  It is also more common for first born girls and those who have hip problems within the family.  Needless to say, Colleen was a prime candidate.  Could the odds be any more in her favor?

The sonogram yielded the bad news; Colleen has hip dysplasia.  Further visit to the pediatric orthopedic confirmed it, and thus began her sentence in a Plavik Harness.

A Plavik Harness is a velcro soft shell harness that wraps around a baby's body to spread its hips in an attempt to correct the dislocation in the hips.  It is large, cumbersome, and comes in annoying gender based colors.  Why pretty the damn contraption in an attempt to also gender stereotype a child who could care less that her extremely restrictive and annoying harness is pink?

Colleen was a champ in the doctor's office despite the hour long wait, and game show host of a doctor. Seriously, a cotton houndstooth suit?  Despite numerous warnings, Colleen only fussed at the end of her visit, when she realized she was starving and no one was feeding her just yet.

I think I was more of a mess than she was.  Seeing her wrapped into a contraption, confining her little legs, and knowing that she will have to remain in the harness for at least six weeks, almost killed me.

Thus begins this blog.  This blog is designed to shed light on a little discussed condition (if you don't believe me google it- there is information yes, but nothing compared to other infant conditions).  It is meant to share what a family is going through, and is not intended to be a textbook regurgitation of what you can find on the internet.   Anything, including methods I use, opinions I have, or reactions of my daughter are expressed just for information and insight only.  I neither encourage or discourage things I do, or doctors do.

Thank you for reading.