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.
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