Did you know that June is Hip Dysplasia Awareness month? And did you know that risk factors for having a baby with hip dysplasia are: 1st pregnancy, genetics, breech presentation, or having a girl? When I found out Isabelle was breech, all I knew is she would be a c-section. I worried about her safety and my recovery from the surgery. It was not until AFTER she was born that the doctors told me she was at risk for hip dysplasia and needed to do a hip ultrasound. (If you want to follow our whole hip dysplasia journey, check out the hashtag #freeiblegs on instagram.)
It was not until AFTER she was born that the doctors told me she was at risk for hip dysplasia and needed to do a hip ultrasound.
We got our ultrasound at 5 weeks, went to the orthopaedic doctor later that week, and imagine our surprise when we left with Isabelle in a pavlik harness (see below.) I felt awful for Isabelle. I think I was more upset than she was. It looked so restrictive. I was sad we couldn’t take it off for diaper changes or baths and she felt so much less snuggly. She actually adjusted to it really well though. She wore it full time for 6 weeks, then 16 hours/day for 3 weeks, then 8 hours/day for 3 weeks. It seemed like eternity at the time, but now it seems like it was just a blink.
I was sad we couldn’t take it off for diaper changes or baths and she felt so much less snuggly.
Once it was off, we had to wait to see if she would need further treatment. It felt horrible to not be able to do anything during that time. The next possible steps would have been a body cast or surgery. I tried to remind myself how well she adjusted to her harness, and that a body cast wouldn’t be the end of the world. I really didn’t want her to need surgery though. Luckily for us, after much waiting and several more xrays, she needed neither. Despite the time she spent in the harness, she still pulled to stand at 5.5 months, crawled at 8, and walked at 11.5.
The doctors say she still has mild hip dysplasia in her right hip but because we caught it early and treated it, she would live a normal life.
The doctors say she still has mild hip dysplasia in her right hip but because we caught it early and treated it, she would live a normal life. When it is not caught early, surgery may be the only option. I encourage all moms with breech pregnancies to ask their doctors about hip dysplasia. If mine hadn’t told me about it, we would never have known.
No Comments