My 1 yr old god daughter has to be in plaster for 10 weeks. Any tips?

danielle1977

My son was diagnosed with this (at a younger age though).
I found this website helpful http://www.steps-charity.org.uk/links/4-15-developmental_dysplasia_of_the_hip_ddh.php There is suggestions on here about how to keep the plaster clean around the nappy area-as you can imagine it can get a bit grotty.

Clothes: become a bit of a nightmare for boys, but girls can were skirts (buy a larger size),
-sleepsuits, buy a largersize
-the vests with the poppers at the bottom, buy vest extenders for example here http://www.angeltots.co.uk/ourshop/prod_356523-Vest-Extenders-White.html but I think I got mine off ebay

The baby won't remember this time in her life, but I can imagine with an other baby that is starting to get a bit mobile, to take it all away can be a bit frustrating, DS1 really liked his fisher price take along swing but not sure an older baby would-lots of toys?

Bean bag-for baby to sit on, makes a difference to being laid flat, baby may be able to sit upright
High becomes a complete no-DS1 was fed in his pushchair, he managed to fit in a micralite, his lovely graco travel system got used for less than 3 months, ask the OT department in the hospital if they have anything that can help, sometimes they have the pushchairs for less able youngsters (disabled children)
Car seat, we managed to get a securo from mamas and papas, they no longer produce it but similar things are about DS1 had to sit on my knee on the backseat
Blue badge-unless its changed you can't get ont, same for help from social care-ask health visitor and surgeon if they have any suggestions (my sons surgeon was fab with the medical stuff-with the practical stuff he said I don't have a clue)

I think that covers all the practical side-emotional side for mum-for me it was harder. People asking 'did you drop him' and the health visitor telling me I was over feeding him, I said he has no movement in his legs he isn't buring off energy, she wouldn't listen, just not knowing how I would manage after surgery was hard. I cried the day a lady in tesco said 'my daughter had clicky hips too', 'not what have you done!' My son had a splint on, not a cast-we could take it off to wash him, with a baby in a cast the baby will have to go back every few months for legs to be recast, baby has to go to sleep for this-stressful, ds1 had 2 operations. I thought ds12 would be stressed at not being able to move but it didn't bother him.

When going round Tesco etc I couln't buy as much as I had to carry it all on the pushchair, but one day a tesco assistant pushed the trolley for me when I explained that he couldn't go in a trolley.

My son went to nursery with clicky hips, I used to take the swing and pushchair, plus all the other baby stuff and they were wonderful.

Hope this helps and if you or babys mum have any questions pm me

rach29

My daugter had this surgery at 10 months old (she's 17 now, dances, ski's trampolines, you get the picture)

Danielles advice is great, and your neice is very lucky to have family around her to help. I also found the pushchair a godsend, but had to adapt mine with a pillow to make it comfy for her. TBH most things were trial and error, and I got no help from the GP, Health visitor or otherwise :0( The STEPS charity looks fabulous for help & advice, something I would have loved!

Do please PM if you have any questions or need any more advice, I'd be happy to help. The best advice, however, is that although later than you might wish, this surgery can be very successful and in the main children go on to lead perfectly normal lives.

paddy's_mum

Danielle's post made me cry with the hurt of things I had forgotten! One of my daughters was a late diagnosis Congenital Dislocation of the Hip and it was a nightmare for three and a half years, although she too is now running about at 98% perfection and is expecting her second child.

I will never, as long as I live, forget struggling to get my frog plaster child on the bus one day and having two old ladies saying at the tops of their voices (you know what the volume control on the hard of hearing elderly is like!) ''what a terrible mother she must be. Look, both that toddler's legs are broken. Oughtn't to be allowed, woman like that!'' I got off at the next stop, walked home and sobbed for hours both at the jibe, but also by wondering how many others had looked at us and jumped to the same appallingly unjust conclusion.

In practical terms, I second the suggestion to have bean bags as seating, both for the comfort of the child and to help avoid bed-sores forming. My hubby built a raised bed and nursing platform so that caring for her was made much easier once she was at my hip level. Lifting a child in a frog plaster is difficult if you have to go to floor level to do it. Try very hard not to do as I did and have an accidental pregnancy ... caring for a CDH child is not good news for the womb or the spine.

The child's mother may find that she is unable to return to work until the treatment is completed since most people are reluctant to mind a child who is so awkward to care for, not least because a frog plaster makes the child vulnerable. Don't, for example, cook while the child is nearby - too easy to spill boiling water on a helpless child and if they manage to pull themselves upright but then lose their balance, they cannot bend in the middle and consequently go down like a felled tree taking the impact on the back of the head or the face.

She may also find, as I did, that the child needs turning over in bed several times a night and since they are incapable of doing this for themselves, a parent has to get up and do it - the end result is the same all pervading tiredness you get with caring for a newborn and never getting an unbroken night's sleep.

Keep a bluntish wooden knitting needle to hand - children in frog plasters itch and there is no other way to deal with the particular misery an unscratched itch can create. A little ingenuity with clothes is needed but the obvious things suggest themselves as you go along and in any case, a blanket covers most needs. I found keeping my girl's feet warm was a more pressing need and I suggest that this mother buys a quantity of oversize warm socks. Disposable nappies are a godsend too.

Abandon trying to do things the obvious way - a little thinking outside the box goes a long way to achieving practical solutions - eg washing a child's hair takes two people - one to hold the child on the draining board and the other to wield the water jug and the shampoo.

I kept my girl occupied with all sorts of things that can be done while laying on your tummy such as wooden puzzles, large lego bricks, ring-the-bell type toys, toy drum kits etc. You do eventually though inevitably spend a lot of time with the child on your lap just giving much needed constant attention and reassurance. You may also find that the child's vocabulary come on in leaps and bounds when necessity forces the child to learn quickly how to communicate effectively.

There is no escape from this diagnosis since the result of neglecting it is for the child to become permanently crippled. However, the greatest gift that friends and neighbours can give this mother is, above eveything, their understanding and the occasional few hours of child-care or housework so that mother gets a break.

I wish them courage through this time of trouble but also the reassurance that a special bond of love develops when this amount of devotion and care is given to the child who so needs it. My very best wishes to you all.

johnswife

Thank you very much, Rach & Danielle, I will certainly pass on all that information.
Glad to hear your children got through it alright.

I do think it will be more stressfull for us adults.

johnswife

Thank you paddy's mum, honestly people and their comments, how hurtful.
It's good to hear that your daughter is well now.

Gingham_Ribbon

My friend's son had various operations on his leg at that age, due to a genetic problem. Last time I saw him, he was sprinting around like none of it had happened.

I don't have experience of how to get by as we don't live close to each other. But I would like to add that, when I was holding the baby once, while his leg was in plaster, and he was only a few months old, I got some dirty looks and one woman even came striding over to me demanding that I tell her how my baby ended up in plaster.

Something to be prepared for I suppose. Some people may assume there has been neglect or abuse and they'll love to feign outrage. I wish I'd had a more witty retort ready.

Edit - sorry Paddy's mum. I should have read the rest of the thread before commenting. What an ordeal.

I wish them courage through this time of trouble but also the reassurance that a special bond of love develops when this amount of devotion and care is given to the child who so needs it. My very best wishes to you all.

Very moving. Thank you for posting this.

clw1

Good luck to you all in what will no doubt be a stressful time.

To keep the LO entertained then how about buying a portable DVD player so that the LO can watch some of her favourite programmes - charity shops are fab for childrens DVD's.

babyshoes

I have no experience to go on, but a couple of things spring to mind.

You say you live a fair way away, which will probably be frustrating for you as you can't just pop over and help. Some cleaning companies will allow you buy a 'gift voucher' for X number of hours of cleaning, which the mother can use as she needs them, perhaps one hour a week or a few at once when she is expecting visitors or just gets to a point where the mess is too much for her. They seem to cost between £10 and £15 an hour around here (near London) but may be cheaper elsewhere. If they have a garden, you could do similar with a gardening service.

Also, dry shampoo will extend the amount of time between hair washes, which will probably be quite awkward and therefore stressful for all involved. They do leave the hair a bit dull & lifeless and you have to brush the powdery stuff out really well (use a medum to soft bristle brush for this not a hard brush), but that is still better than having greasy, dirty hair!

Could you take the other kids occasionally for a weekend? They will probably feel a bit left out, so a day of treats will be good for them. Try things like zoos and parks, and lots of treat food that they wouldn't normally have. Just don't send them home on a sugar high - the last meal before heading home should be a sensible one!

Amanda65

My (now) 10 yr old niece was in a frog plaster. Agree with the posts about pillows and cushions in pushchairs to make her more comfy and we found a high chair with a lift up tray (think it was probably a travel one) was the easiest one to her her in and out of.

On a less practical but equally important note, we bought cheap lacy tights and cut the toes out so the her legs looked pretty .

She coped brilliantly, it took us all a little longer to get our heads round it but as someone else said children are very resilient and adapt so easily. And having had her round today with her beautiful straight long legs in her skinny jeans it was so worth it :T