When people see Juno in her Spica cast, the first thing they ask is "What happened to her??" The second thing they ask is "How do you put he...
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
Today I’m going to share the coping strategies we used during Freddie’s two (yes, two) spica casts. In case you found this blog post by Googling some combination of “toddler,̶…
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
Caring for a child in a hip spica cast can be challenging, but it is totally doable! Here's everything we've learned from our spica journey.
I decided to get all crafty and see if I could build a spica table. I’m not so bad at creating crafty things when I actually get on and do it, it is procrastination that is my e…
Part 2 of our Spica Cast Story Twelve long weeks have come to a close, and Maddison is officially out of her spica cast. Good bye purple cast, hello legs! We are so much closer to being done with hip dysplasia – and hopefully it’s for forever! On the twelve-week recovery journey, the last six… Continue reading Our Journey With The Spica Cast: The Conclusion
Feel free to giggle. As if our five days earn me the right to pose as an expert on the subject. But, I am one who would check into hotels on tour, and even for a short stay, would survey the room, …
I hope that none of my regular readers (all 10 of you ;-) ) ever need this information, but I wanted to share what we have learned from our experience of having a toddler in a spica cast – ju…
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
a blog about all things baby and home posting reviews, recommendations and general parenting and design advice in a non-judgemental form.
There are so many things that a parent needs in order to care for a baby in a spica cast! Thankfully a lot of what we already had for Addiso...
Tonight's post is all about my top 'must haves' for my spica baby. My spica baby that hopefully will only be a spica baby for 5 1/2 more weeks! :-) Before Lucy was casted, I bought everything and anything that people said to buy, hoping to make our lives in a spica cast easier. Well, I have narrowed my faves down to six items that we use almost daily. These are Lucy's 'must haves!' Again, I hope someday these posts will help someone who is freaking out facing a spica cast. Lord knows I was... Now I am getting worried/scared/paranoid for her cast change which will happen this Monday. I hope her hip is stable and the cast is easy for us to maneuver. Yep, I have heard the second cast is usually shaped different... grrrrreat.... anyway, I hope my top 6 spica picks work for you! Have a happy night! IVY ROSE SPICA CHAIR. I can't say enough awesome things about this! Of course, we had it painted with bulldogs on it, since Lucy's brothers are bulldogs! This is where Lucy's eats and plays, and ROCKS and ROCKS! SMART TRIKE! I have found that Lucy hates being in her stroller. She wants to feel like a big kid now, and leaning back in her stroller just ain't cuttin' it. This trike is how we do our walks now. My husband cut the sides down so it holds her in perfectly! (As you can tell, she is super happy in it!) Anything to distract her from this sucky cast! CAST COOLER. I was skeptical at first, but even on her plaster cast I feel a breeze with this thing! You hook it up to a vacuum and wooooooo!!!!!!!! Cold air blowing... We live in Arizona so cold air blowing anywhere, anytime is welcomed. :-) It also helps to dry the cast out. Red Wagon! She can still have her friends ride with her! She loves it! Brica fold n go travel chair. LOVE IT. It folds flat and it's portable. We take this to restaurants and people's houses to visit since she hates leaning back all the time. This way she feels part of the group! This is awesome!!! There is no sides on the chair either, so it's perfect for a casted babe. MUST HAVE. Video game bean bag chair. When she does have to lean back, it's not so bad in this. We tried a regular bean bag and to me, there wasn't enough room! She got so hot and sweaty on it, and I hated having to re-position the beans in it all the dang time. This one is a bit more $$, but stays a perfect shape, supports her legs, and wipes clean.
And now for a topic that has only been addressed once on my blog before, and perhaps will never be mentioned again: underwear. Tips for caring for a child in a spica cast abound on the internet, thankfully. A lot of those kids are younger and still in diapers, so I didn't see a lot of specific info on how to dress a child who is potty trained. Hopefully this post will help those who need a visual idea before they go cutting up their child's clothes! I was given a snap pliers for putting snaps on cloth diapers, but it has come in very handy for modifying clothing to fit over the cast. To make this snap-on underwear I chose a pair about 2 sizes larger than what my son normally wears. I cut it open along the sides, sewed in side panels (the blue sections) from an old T-shirt, and added snaps to each side. I made the blue pieces extra long and trimmed them to size after trying it on him. So far it has worked fine, although one part of the elastic waist is raveling...I should have sewed it down better. We tuck a small diaper inside the cast, underneath the underwear, because even potty trained 3-year-olds have those "I have to pee I have to pee I have to pee" moments, and right now he can't run to the potty! We really don't want to get the cast wet. The underwear holds that diaper from moving and makes him seem dressed a little more normally (for him) than using pull-ups or diapers over the cast.
Here is a collection of the Spica activity stations we have created. You might have seen some of theses in separate post, but I wanted one post of all the stations so that I can reference them to people if needed activity ideas. The Minui HandySitt is the best highchair for a Spica cast. Not only does it attach to any chair and is portable, but you can also purchase the connecting legs and it morphs into a kids floor chair. I think it is pretty genius and I am so thankful for a fellow hip-momma for posting this on their blog. I debated on getting it for a few weeks and then realized it would be great for the Spica cast and when she is out. Plus, when she is all done with using it as a highchair, the girls can use it as a floor chair. Multiple purposes equals a perfect purchase. The bear in the top right is Aubrey's Spica cast bear that was provided to us by Scottish Rite. Rodney got a small dog bed to use on the island as a place to put Caroline if needed. I can put her here if she is on her back, but if she is on her tummy, she moves and slides around the island. She is safe on her back but not on her tummy. Rodney cut a regular infant swing to make it fit Caroline. We had to wrap the bar by her feet with Duck tape, so I decided to Duck tape the entire swing. I think the chair is very styling now. :o) Caroline's Ivy Rose Spica chair. It is the Jelly Bean shape and came unpainted. LOVE it and I think it is a total must!! Rodney and his dad made Caroline an awesome scooter board. Caroline likes it and moves back and forth on it. Aubrey likes to "roller skate" around the house. Again, Rodney and his dad rigged a wagon to be a moveable play center. They put hocks in the inside corners of the wagon to attach the play gym. Rodney added pillows to each side of the bath seat to keep her toys within reach. Caroline likes riding in it and it is a sanity saver while I am shower in the mornings.
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
I hope that none of my regular readers (all 10 of you ;-) ) ever need this information, but I wanted to share what we have learned from our experience of having a toddler in a spica cast – ju…
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
Waist band: Grey Pants: Pink Supersoft pants made to fit over the Spica Cast. The main pants are made in high-quality cotton fabric with a little stretch. The waistband is a very stretchy cotton fabric that will sit over the top of the cast comfortably. The pants are put on over the head and snapped close from ankle to ankle. The pants come in 4-6 years, 6-8 years and 8-10years and 10-12 years As you know, the cast can be any shape or size depending on the angle the surgeon is trying to treat. If you prefer not to choose one of the sizes listed, you can find a measurement sheet in the photos so you can measure your little one once the cast has been fitted, I can then supply the closest pants to the measurements or make a pair from a new pattern. Measurements sheets available here: https://www.hiphappyclothes.com/pages/sizing-help Sometimes a bar or two bars are fitted, if this is the case, I'll arrange the snaps to suit it. Of course, there is no problem at all returning the pants for any reason, even if they are made to measure. If I can answer any further questions, just message me! Caroline More colours available in my Etsy store, Hip Happy Clothes If you need custom colours, let me know! Dispatched from Ireland in the EU.
After rushing to the ER I learned my toddler had fractured his femur and would need a hip spica cast. It's been a hard summer!
After rushing to the ER I learned my toddler had fractured his femur and would need a hip spica cast. It's been a hard summer!
a blog about all things baby and home posting reviews, recommendations and general parenting and design advice in a non-judgemental form.
Make dungarees for your baby to wear with funky t-shirts over a Pavlik harness
Hip Dysplasia, DDH or clicky hips .... call it what you wish but this condition is frightening and life-changing for children and their families. Here we are sharing our first hand experience of ddh treatment.
Cotton Imported {Promotes Longer Sleep} Arms Up Swaddle Sleep Sack. Our uniquely designed, patented baby sleep sack swaddle promotes longer sleep. This arms up swaddle to sleep sack allows your baby to self soothe and keep their arms up in their preferred natural position. It calms the startle reflex, while encouraging back sleeping {Transition Swaddle for 0-6 months} The most versatile baby sleep swaddle sack on the market. Not just a newborn swaddle sack, but when your baby begins to show signs of rolling over, you can start to transition your baby to arms out, one sleeve at a time, to let them get familiar with the arms free position. It is the only baby transition swaddle, transition sleep sack you need {Easy Diaper Change} Side zipper for easy diaper changes in the middle of the night. It has a double layer of super soft all natural cotton for extra durability and perfect for babies sensitive skin. Our cotton swaddle sleep sack does not include velcro or zips on the arms to ensure no irritation is caused to your babies arms or hands. {Healthy Hip Development} Have you noticed how your baby is comfortable with their legs in a natural spread position? or if you have a baby like ours with hip dysplasia. Our swaddle is like a wearable blanket and is extra wide from the waist down to promote full hip and leg movement and to ensure your baby is comfortable. IHDI recognizes our Swaddle as a 'hip-healthy' product. When your baby sleeps soundly, so do you! {Quality Organic Cotton} 95% Organic Cotton, 5% Elastane, Size Newborns to 6 months, 1.0 tog rating, Includes two (2) side snaps so it can fit snug on smaller newborn babies, Includes side YKK zipper to allow for easy diaper changes. Made in India
When people see Juno in her Spica cast, the first thing they ask is "What happened to her??" The second thing they ask is "How do you put he...
Having a baby or toddler with hip dysplasia is challenging and for many there are hip spica cast care concerns including how to look after your baby in spica.
Failure to thrive Maddison’s feeding continued to deteriorate after her spica cast came off. I had tried everything I could to help her, but Maddison continued to spit up anywhere from 75-100 times per day. I kept hoping things would start to improve, but they weren’t. She was starving, and we were beginning to get… Continue reading Hospital Stay 2017
Spica cast toddler tips and tricks on how to handle your kid in a cast. Items to help with being in a cast. Tools for washing, bordom, and transportation.
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Hopefully none of you will have to experience the joy of a spica cast first hand. If you do, here are a few tips I picked up from my own experience. Spica casts (pronounced spike-uh) are used for a variety of reasons, but are most commonly used to immobilize the hips and thighs. The babe got a hairline compression fracture in his femur, and this is what he looked like after getting his cast: His is considered a 1/2 spica cast, because only one leg goes to the ankle. I would argue there is nothing HALF about it. For hip issues that involve legs needing to be turned, sometimes a bar is placed between the legs to encourage twisting. I've never been in a cast myself, but I always hear about people itching. It doesn't help when you begin with bad eczema. Within a few days, the babe was looking like this: Overusing steroid skin cream can thin the skin and make things worse. Every 3-4 days we would mix lotion and cortozine in a 3-1 ratio and spread it as far down as we could reach. After each sponge bath he would get a light coating of lotion and a cool blow dryer to make sure all the moisture was out of the cast. There are certain 'rules' for caring for a spica cast: don't get it wet, don't stick anything down it (powder, things to scratch with, etc.), try your best to catch all of their 'mess' out the bottom end, and love your child when they become stinky!! Well, that wasn't enough for me. We had weeks left in this thing and my poor baby's skin was literally going to rub off! So, as they say, necessity was the mother of invention! First thing I did was get duct tape and wrap it as far in the cast as the inside diaper would cover (blue duct tape to blend in). I didn't want his skin rubbing against duct tape, but the smaller inside diaper went up his chest about 5 inches and about 1/2 an inch down his legs. This made a waterproof barrier at the bottom that could be wiped clean during changing. Then, I took a newly washed dri-fit athletic shirt (one that is made to wick away moisture) and cut it into four large trapezoid shapes (think triangle with the top cut off). I fed the shirt through the cast, pulled it tight, and taped the edges together with duct tape (black/white checker). I was careful to be sure the inside of the shirt was facing his skin so the wicking would work properly. This did two things: 1) keep the itchy gauze off of his skin 2) give a protective layer I could remove and wash if we had any accidents. I did the same on the front and back and changed the 'inserts' weekly (or in the event of a mess). The shirt made two sets of inserts, so there was a backup on hand at all times. They went into the laundry with our normal load, except for the set that went through a blow-out... those went straight to the trash. You can see in the pictures above, the spica requires a double-diaper. The inner diaper is 1 or 2 sizes smaller than the normal diaper size the baby would wear. We were only 1 size smaller, because our cast had quite a bit of room between his tummy and the cast. Some casts focused on immobilizing the hips may be tighter and won't allow for a diaper to be tucked in so far. On the outside, you have a 'catcher' diaper that misses anything the inside doesn't catch. It also loosely holds the inside diaper in, so it doesn't fall out. Ours was 2 sizes larger than regular. The silver lining is that bowels are less active with less motion, so keeping a good diet is key. The last thing we wanted is a constipated baby!! One of the other things people don't think about is the fact that you cannot bend in half with a torso cast. That means no high chair, no stroller, no car seat... so, the hospital provided a 'car bed' for us to use. With all of the marketing car seats do to inform you of their safety features, I was honestly scared strapping him in this tiny bucket. It is literally a plastic tub with a liner and two loops to go through the seat belt. He hates not being able to see out the windows, but that's better than not being properly harnessed in his normal seat. Another life saver was a wagon. It was easy to slip the babe in and wedge a pillow behind him. We went for walks around the neighborhood and even used it inside when I didn't have the energy to tote him around the house while I did chores. I also created a desk/command center for the babe when he was on the couch. Since he can't bend, he can't reach things in his lap. So, he was restricted to holding one item at a time. I took a medium sized mailing box and cut out holes for his legs. I also cut off one of the corners. Then, I wrapped it in wrapping paper and coated it in packing tape (essentially waterproofing it). It allows him to keep food and toys within reach, and has given him the independence to choose what he wants to play with whenever he is ready. Luckily, babies and children are resilient. Within a week the babe was crab-walking around the coffee table, and within 2 weeks he was pushing his toys around the house. I think spica casts are a test in patience, but once you get it figured out you can develop a routine. If you ever have to deal with a spica cast, know that it is only temporary. It is protecting and healing your baby, and that makes any headache/backache/mess worth it!!! It is important to note that I am not a medical professional, just a mom who made it work for her baby! If you are unsure about anything, please check with your doctor first.
Today I’m going to share the coping strategies we used during Freddie’s two (yes, two) spica casts. In case you found this blog post by Googling some combination of “toddler,̶…
