A Little Mommy Talk

Today's question:

What was it like going home from the hospital for you? Did your baby have any medical issues?

Emerson was born at 7:39 PM on Feb 20, 2006. She spent her first night in the Special Care nursery as she was grunting (common with C-Section babies). Other than the grunting, she had low blood sugar and a slight heart murmur. Overall, I felt like we won the baby lottery.

Home was the hard part. The first week SUCKED and I had no clue what I was doing and yet they sent this baby home with me. I was in a lot of pain from the C-section and I was really emotional. However, by week 2, I was feeling much better, physically and mentally.

(If anyone from my baby board is reading this, a collective sigh was probably made when they realized I was about to babble about Hip Dysplasia AGAIN. LOL I would talk about it often when Em was in the brace. To the point of boredom for them...well, they never said so, but really, how exciting ARE my kids' hips?)

At 7 weeks of age (2 days shy of her 2 month birthday), Em was diagnosed with Hip Dysplasia. She was firstborn, breech, and female. Three of the main risk factors for Hip Dysplasia. Now, personally, I never heard of this in humans before my daughter was diagnosed. I honestly thought it was a canine disease as I had only heard of dogs getting it. How foolish I was.

Thankfully, the Pediatrician looking after Em in the hospital insists on an ultrasound at birth for all female breech births. Her first ultrasound was inconclusive, and we had to go back for another a few weeks later. I am SO thankful for his persistance, as early intervention is critical for treating Hip Dysplasia.

Em was fitted with a Pavlik Harness 2 days shy of her second month birthday. You can see the Harness in the pics below:

The harness kept her legs abducted, opened wide, and bent. Her legs couldn't straighten in the harness. It was to be worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with 1 hour a week being free for baths. (Meaning bathing her once a week which SUCKED as she had reflux and would get pretty smelly! lol). It also prevented her from using any 'fun stuff', like her swing, and later on, the Jumperoo and Exercauser. She did still fit in the bouncey seat.

The first few days were the worst as Em got used to the harness and not being able to 'stretch'. (She would often try to stretch, realize she couldn't, then she would start crying). By Day 3, she was a pro and was handling it much better than I was.

I hated the harness. I despised that it put a barrier between my daughter and I. My little baby girl could only be in certain positions, and breastfeeding was a nightmare, I had just gotten used to one way and I had to relearn new positions. She wasn't my floppy lil baby anymore - the brace kept her rigid. I was mad that I couldn't put her in all the cute clothes I had for her, and I was mad that my baby had to go through this. Looking back, and ESPECIALLY going through everything with Maddie, I laugh at this now. How silly I was. It was a brace. My baby was still there, she was breathing and for the most part pretty content with it. But at the time, it seemed like such a big deal.

She wore the harness for 8 weeks full-time. Then, after her hips were deemed 'fixed', she was weaned from the harness, only wearing it at night for 4 more weeks. 12 weeks in total. It seemed so long at the time, and so short now. Her orthopedic surgeon laughed so hard when I told him the story of the first day of weaning her from the harness. About 3 hours of freedom and Em started screaming. NOTHING would make her happy. So, in desperation, I put the harness back on her and SHE STOPPED CRYING. My child was finally free, and she wanted to be bound up again! He said he was going to tell all the newly diagnosed patients parents that story. lol

I am always so thankful that it only took that time in the harness to cure her Dysplasia. Many families, who might not have gotten diagnosed as early as Em, or just have a more stubborn case, go through much more than we did including multiple surgeries and spica casts. The Pavlik Harness is 95 percent effective if treatment is started and finished by the time the baby is 6 months old. Em was 2 days shy of 2 months when it was put on, and she was 5 months when it was taken off. She was a bit delayed in some physical milestones, but she was bound up for 3 months! She is now hitting her physical milestones at an absolutely normal time!

I'm still thinking we won the baby lottery. :-) How thankful I am for that.