Hello,
My son is going to have surgery for hypospadias and I was hoping that someone has a recommendation for arm restraints for when I change his diapers. I saw that there are some that prevent the elbow from bending but I am pretty sure that he will still be able to reach his diaper area. Please let me know if there is anything out there that will work because I cannot seem to find anything.
Thanks so much:)
I don't know about restraints - but at about that age (your kiddo is about 8 months?) I could slide socks onto my son's hands while I changed his diaper. He'd be too busy trying to figure out how to get them off to notice anything else during the diaper change.
just did a google search - honeycuffs.com comes up as a baby hand restraint systems - i've never used so can't offer an opinion. best of luck to you.
We use the arm restraints that prevent kiddos from bending their arms in the hospital a lot, but they probably won't work for diapers. They help a lot to keep kids from reaching up towards their face and pulling tubes out. Even if the arm is straight, he'll still be able to reach into his diaper. You can try to use the baby changing table mattress if you still have it. Lay him down on it with his arms down towards his side. Take a receiving blanket or blanket big enough to wrap him and wrap around his chest/stomach area with his hands straight down near his sides. Wrap all the way around him pretty snug and then buckle the buckle on the pad. He won't be able to move his arms, at least long enough for you to change his diaper safely! We do this a lot in the hospital, as well, and it doesn't hurt them. Prayers for a speedy recovery!
You might try a toy or stuffed animal on his chest just to get him interested and keep his mind off whats happening with the diaper. Will you need to put ointment or a bandage on now and then? It helps to have it all open and ready when you get ready to do the diaper. Ive had kids who try to grab at themselves everytime you opened the diaper and just to keep that from happening I would roll up a big bath towel and lay it under their arms and across their chest so their hands couldnt reach over it and they would just start playing with the towel. You have to sorta hold it down with your elbow while the other hand cleans up and does what you need to do. Maybe the recovery time isnt too long and he wont even bother with it. Good luck hope it all goes well.
The hospital gave us ours. I put them on him so it went over his hands to remove his grabbing power - not the way they are built to work so he would be trying to slide them off but I moved very quickly with the diaper changes - faster than he could shake them - and he was older. When I could, I had another adult hold his hands while I changed him or vice-versa.
Did you ask the nurses? When our son has had similar procedures, the team at the hospital usually had some good insights (even if it is a fancy way of tying a pillowcase) for these types of situations. If not, they can sometimes put you in touch with other parents who may be able to help...
