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pavlik

Daily Life

Belles has had her harness 2 weeks today!

Posted on June 30, 2017

We are 2 weeks into the harness, which means 25% of the way done with full-time wear! Woo! It’s already going by fast. They adjusted the harness today and we will go back in 2 weeks for another adjustment and possibly have her fitted for the next size harness (which would also be nice because this one is getting pretty dirty). Then at 6 weeks, we will have one more adjustment and sometime between 6 and 8 weeks, they will schedule an ultrasound to confirm she will be ready to wean to part-time wear at 8 weeks.

We are 2 weeks into the harness, which means 25% of the way done with full-time wear!

I asked if there was a chance of her hip dysplasia returning following treatment and they said she would have the same odds of getting it again as any other kid who has never had it, which is great. I also asked about restrictions following treatment and they said other than no swaddling (as if an almost 5 month old baby wants their movement restricted like that anyways), she will have no restrictions. Only 6 more weeks until she gets some harness-free time!!

Daily Life

A Pavlik harness and the long road ahead

Posted on June 16, 2017

Her last harness-free nap

We just left the orthopedic doctor. Isabelle has hip dysplasia in her right hip and will need to wear a Pavlik harness to correct it. She’ll start with 24 hours a day for the first 6-8 weeks, then 16 hours a day for 3 weeks, and then 8 hours a day for 3 weeks. We’ll go back every 2 weeks for adjustments to her harness and every 4 for ultrasounds to monitor her progress. The success rate for the harness is very high and the doctor said her hip dysplasia is mild to moderate so it’s unlikely she will need casting or surgery or any more serious interventions after she finishes her time in the harness, which is great. She will also be done with full time wear before she will be hitting milestones like crawling so it shouldn’t delay her development. I can’t help feeling bad seeing her uncomfortable though.

She’ll start with 24 hours a day for the first 6-8 weeks, then 16 hours a day for 3 weeks, and then 8 hours a day for 3 weeks.

First nap in the Pavlik harness. She doesn’t seem to mind it too much so far.

The appointment was kind of hectic. K was crying because she wasn’t getting enough attention, Isabelle was crying about her harness, I was crying because I felt bad for Isabelle. And then I had to listen to and remember all the care instructions over the sound of the girls crying and Katie pulling on my leg… Hopefully Isabelle will get used to her harness over the next few days and we’ll get used to bathing her and changing her diaper around it. And it should go by fast. Not the way I expected the appointment to go as our doctor thought we would be able to get away with double diapering, but we want what’s best for Isabelle and this is what the orthopedic doctor says is necessary.