DDH

Cecilia has been diagnosed with a condition called Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip or DDH. Essentially what it means is she was so squished in the womb that the ball of her left femur couldn't fit into the right place in her hip when it was forming and so is not in the right place now. We need to get them together and keep them there so they will stay and grow around each other properly. If we had caught this before she was 6 months old they would have just put her into a harness for up to 3 months and her hip would have grown over the ball. But now that she is older she is too strong for the harness and there is a possibility that tissue has grown between the socket and the ball. This means she will have to have a surgery. They put her under anesthesia and try to place the ball in the socket. They then inject a dye and take an X-ray to see if it "sits" well. If it does then they put a cast on her and they are done. If it doesn't they snip a tendon that can cause the area to be tight and see if they can get a good fit. If still not then they give her an epidural and make an incision and clean out the fatty tissue that is in the way. The first two possibilities are called a closed reduction and the third, more invasive, is called an open reduction. Either way she will have to be in a cast from her belly to her ankles for three months with a cast change at 6 weeks (because she will grow out of the cast).
Shaun and I are obviously upset by this news. A million thoughts go through my head at the same time, so many that I can't express them here. This is a fairly common condition (1 in 1000 births) so there is a lot of information online and a support group for "Hip baby" moms. These resources have been so helpful for us as we come to grips with life over the next three months. The symptoms are pretty clear and the treatment is very standard. Both of these facts comfort us that Cecilia has been correctly diagnosed and will be treated properly. I feel the Spirit has confirmed this to us and put our minds at rest that this is the best for our daughter. Additionally through the support group I can talk with other moms and get advice from them on how to diaper, clothe, clean, feed and entertain Cecilia while she is in a cast.
I'm most concerned with two things. First, sleeping. Many moms say this is the hardest part because it is difficult to keep them comfortable (understandably so). Additionally as you know Cecilia is in love with her swing, which she will not fit into with a cast on. I have renewed and doubled my efforts on that front and we are finally making significant progress. Thank Heavens! But we won't know the position of her legs in the cast until the surgery. They may be straight out, or bent up like an M shape or anywhere in between. This makes it hard to prepare for sleeping positions . We just pray the Lord will help us when the time comes. My second major concern is the number of blowouts Cecilia has on a regular basis. She poops up a storm during her morning nap and frequently the diaper can't hold it all. Regular blowouts in a cast is going to be a nightmare. It isn't like I can take out the cotton lining and wash it. I have done a lot of research on this and hope I found some good pointers for keeping the cast clean. Let's just say feminine products and Depends are used as well as double diapers. I think Heavenly Father is helping me out here too because since we started to feed her more cereal her poop has gotten thicker and says in the diaper better.

Entertainment is going to be tricky, as will taking her anywhere. The vain side me thinks about how many comments we get about how cute she is and knows these will turn into "what happened to her?" But like I said, that is the vain side of me and probably needs to be humbled anyway. Besides she will still be adorable. We bought a chair specifically designed for spica kids (that is the name of the type of cast) and hope she likes it. At least she can sit up and play in it. I recently posted about how she loves to walk now. That will be impossible and will probably frustrate her. We probably never should have done it with her. We'll try to underemphasis it now. Cecilia loves walks outside so we will just have to figure out a way to bundle her up and take lots of walks. Maybe I'll get in shape :)

Everyday we think of another aspect that will change or be more difficult. But we just remember this is what is best for our daughter and 3 months isn't that long. The long term outlook is really good if we get it taken care of. She shouldn't have any problems as she grows up and her hip should grow to be normal. Both of those facts are very encouraging and will sustain us during the hard days. I'm just so grateful we found it now before she is really walking or crawling as it would be much harder. This is the main reason we decided to move forward ASAP. So her surgery will be December 8th at Primary Children's Hospital here in SLC. If she just needs the closed surgery we can take her home same day, if they have to do the open she will come home next day. Please let us know if you know someone who has gone through this as I love to get as much advice as I can. And pray for Cecilia that the surgery will go well and she will adjust quickly to being in a cast.