Child in Pavlik Harness

Congratulations on your new addition! I'm sure your hormones are still influencing your emotions. Also there's some degree of guilt you are feeling due to your daughter's hip dysplasia. There's nothing you could do to prevent something like this. Remember in the big picture she won't remember any of this and it's much easier to fix now then later. Trust me on that, I treat kids with multiple problems including orthopedic. When they are not moving yet and still infants they are much more cooperative and moldable. When it comes to bonding with your child...you are doing it just not so much at bathtime. A good way to bond with your child is through massage...if you're allowed to use a little lotion, just a little, just gently massage her on the areas you can! Also she's never to young to start reading to her as your special time together. This too shall pass....someday your look back on it and think we made it through!

Hi M.,

Just think of the good it's doing her in the long run. Imagine the heartache you'd feel if you didn't keep her in the harness for the required time and then she has serious problems when she grows up.

Right now, you probably still have a lot of hormones traveling through your system and the situation may be much more distressing because of that. Not that that explanation helps, huh?!! : )

As for giving her a proper bath, don't worry about that. She's not sweating or anything, so giving her a "bath" the way the doctor advised will be fine for this short period of time. And really, this IS a short time period for her whole life--and yours.

Just be strong on the outside and a wreck on the inside. That's how we all get through motherhood at one time or another!! : )

D.

Hi M.,!

I have a veryt good Friend whose daughter went through this. She wrote you a reply (that you can see below) She did not want to join this group. Her name is Dorothy Evans and she is wonderful! Feel free to email her!
Hugs-H.

M. -

First, and foremost, congratulations on your new addition!

Secondly, I know this is a really hard time for you, but you will get through it. Just take one day at a time.

I am also a first-time mom with a daughter with hip dysplasia. My daughter (born January 2004) was diagnosed with right hip dysplasia by our pediatrician at her 9 month well visit. My father died suddenly the next day (I never got a chance to tell him) and she had surgery and was placed in a hard body cast the following month for 5 months. I fell apart when we went to get her after surgery - she was screaming and the only thing that calmed her was nursing. I had the hardest time getting her in position to nurse, but we figured it out. (And, yes, I nursed her through the entire 5 months in the cast.)

It was a very hard time for all of us - in a hard cast, she did not fit into the normal carseat, high chair, stroller, etc. so we had to modify everything with pillows. Bean bag chairs were a godsend. I also could not give her a bath at all - only use a washcloth on her arms, feet, face and hair. She had to wear 3 diapering products (a Serenity pad tucked into her cast, a Size 1/2 diaper to keep the pad tucked in the cast, and a Size 5 diaper that wrapped around her entire waist to keep everything in place). Needless to say, I took one day at a time and counted down the days until that cast came off. :-)

So, you might be wondering, "How in the world did you do it?" Well, I kept things as normal as possible. I took her to our local library for storytime, I went shopping with her, I danced with her at home, watched way more Dora and Sesame Street than I ever thought anyone could - anything to keep her occupied and stimulated visually since she could not move at all. I also took some time for me - ask for help. Not everyone will be comfortable with caring for your daughter, but you will find some very dear people who will help you.

Some things to know - this condition is more common than you may think. I can't tell you how many people I met while she was in her various casts that either had the condition (or some variation) or knew someone who did. Also know this condition is highly hereditary and is common in first-born females. There is a ton of resources online to do research - just google hip dysplasia and you'll get a ton of articles. Go with the ones written by medical institutions - they're typically the most informative and accurate.

Also, you have the best doctors on the planet in DuPont. We took my daughter there (after an absolute nightmarish experience at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and they have been outstanding in their care, concern and expertise in this field. Dr. Bowen (head of pediatric orthopedics at DuPont in DE) has 30+ years experience researching and handling cases just like ours - his granddaughter had the condition as well. Your daughter is getting the absolute best care.

Feel blessed also that the doctors found the condition so early. The earliest a child can get treated for the dysplasia, the better. By being in the harness for the next 3 months, she will most likely not need any additional treatment. In addition, you will be able to enjoy all the important milestones (like rolling over, crawling, walking) just like every other mom, but it'll just be on a different timetable. My daughter took her first steps on the 1 year anniversary of my dad's death - she was 21 months old...

My best advice for you - take care of you and take care of her. Nothing else matters right now. And, before you know it, your daughter will be running circles around you. Mine is now and she just turned 3!

Wishing you all the best,

Dorothy

Dorothy Evans
Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant
970 Telegraph Road, Coatesville, PA 19320
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I know exactly how you feel. My daughter was breech and was born with double hip dysplasia. The day after she was born the doctor sent an orthopedic specialist in to see me. He told me she would have to be in a brace and by that afternoon she had been fitted with one. It kept her legs slightly bent like a frog. That's the best way I can think of to decribe it. I was not allowed to take it off of her or adjust it myself. A month after she was born we had to go see the specialist so he could check her. This continued till she was 3 mths old. Each month the specialist would check her, make sure she was developing right and her hips were staying where they should be. He would also make adjustments to the straps as she grew. I cried that I could not give her her first bath. And each month I would come home from the specialist and cry cause she still had it on. The best thing I found to do was to lay her down on a towel and gently sponge bathe her. In between sponge baths I would wipe her down with baby wipes. The only thing I was allowed to do was open the velcro on the bottom of her feet so I could wash them. I wasn't allowed to open any other part of the brace. A couple of times when she had a leaky diaper, if anything got on the brace I would just use baby wipes to clean it off. I was exstatic when it was taken off of her! I gave her her fast bath that night. Unfortunately she did scream her head off the hold time cause she wasn't used to sitting in water, but eventually she adjusted to it. My daughter is 10 now and she has never had a problem once with her hips or legs since that time. If anything she's actually quite flexable. As hard as it was for me to deal with her being in that brace, it did benefit her in the long run. It'll be ok.
D.

Dear M.:
I have not been through what you are going through. However, I feel that the one thing that can help you deal with your emotions is the knowledge that your beautiful daughter will have no memory of this event. She will grow up with a very strong hip.
Another option, and I don't want this to sound trite, (I hate writing in messages and e-mails as you cannot hear the tone of the persons voice so keep in mind that I am saying this with the utmost love) is if you do not have faith in God find it. If you do, hand your feelings over to him and he will carry you through this time. I know that 3 months seems like a long time. But, compare it to the amount of time you spent pregnant and it will put the time frame into perspective.
Use a calendar to mark the days until the harness comes off.
Above all, treat yourself for each day that you love your daughter without the worries of her harness. Feel free to message me directly if you need to. I am a medically retired Physicians Assistant Certified in both PA & AK.
God Bless You,

J. T