I will admit to being well over the plaster. It is heavy and awkward; it is taking a physical toll on both Mr Gin and me. Mr Gin’s back is suffering and my hands are painful. The positive notes are Mr Gin’s biceps are bigger and I can do 30 second planks.
Squeaky himself is amazing and very resilient; he is crawling, commando style in the cast and getting into all manner of fun. We have started child proofing our cluttered older parents’ home. Moving all manner of bits and pieces and putting them away from prying and curious fingers. He also has recently learnt to flip himself from his belly to back, so strong!
We have found the whole thing a steep learning curve and were very thankful for those who shared their knowledge with us; we are passing on what worked for us.
Smell and nappies.
Leaks of wee are unavoidable, having a boy I think even more so. Having use cloth nappies before this I found the waste hard! It took us a while to work out the size of nappy we needed. He was a size 4 and we started with 2s but settled for 3s when the swelling came down. Tip one is don’t buy nappies in bulk until you are sure you have the right size, too small or big both cause leaks.
When we had lots of leaks we were recommended adding extra absorbency through sanitary napkins or incontinence pads. This was not something I was keen to do, more waste and cost! We found we could add our cloth nappy boosters into the disposable nappies. I was thrilled with this as it solved our overnight night leaks along with waking him just before we went to bed for a nappy change and no longer offering bottle at night wake ups. We also have the cot on a gentle angle at the recommendation of the hospital.
As Squeaky is a lad we discovered that making sure his bits pointed down was vital after a couple of astounding leaks. When you have to push the nappy up into the cast it is easy to drag his bits with it. This leads to weird situations and questions you never though you would ask your beloved when doing two handed nappy changes.
So, you can imagine the spica cast began to stink as we learnt all the tricks; we use febreze and Teatree oil to mask the smells. We have an added issue that Squeaky is scared of a hair dryer so we can’t dry it out like that. We mop up with dry flannels and then spray febreze on the nappies and Teatree on the damp cast. Tea tree oil is antibacterial so helps a lot.We came home with a second disposable nappy on the outside and I quickly bought second hand cloth nappy wraps that have served us well keeping in the tucked in disposable in place. And of course they get febreze too!
Play and sitting.
We started with beanbags for sitting before Squeaky had his surgery and found them very helpful but difficult for him to play in. We got some lap trays but they are proved to be a little tough for a one year old. We still use the beanbags although we have to be careful of him wiggling out of it and flipping himself!
We have a cot mattress for the floor that makes it easier for him to lie on his tummy and he napped on early in the process but we have not used it that much.
What we have used a lot is a Spica Chair that we hired. Many people have one that family have made, we had a look on eBay for second hand one but there was none. The Royal London had a pamphlet with a link to the Smirthwaite Company who has a hire scheme. They are British owned company who make an astounding range of chairs and stuff for people with special needs. The chair has meant Squeaky can sit and play and be comfortable (until he tips himself sideways!) It has been a boon since he started crawling as he can be contained for periods. I love to take it in the kitchen while I cook. I put his pots and pans on the table and he is chatty and throws them off when he thinks I’m ignoring him. It wasn’t cheap but it was half the price of buying one.
When we bought a high chair we researched one that would work for the Spica Cast, it is Joie Mimzie and it has worked well for us. Out and about we use a knee. There really are no other options and we cope fine with that.
Sleeping
Squeaky is a tummy sleeper and when he came out of surgery it became clear that we needed to get him comfortable and on his belly meant a lot of propping up with towels and blankets. When home that moved onto an Ikea pillow but it was a bit narrow. We used a variety of different things and it became clear they were all lacking, so I got crafty and made a pillow. A sort of Y shaped one. This has served us very well, it is narrow enough that his legs can hang and his tummy supported and wide at the top for cuddling the pillow, it is not dissimilar to the way he sleeps on his parents.
I also looked at Sleeping bags for Spica casts and decided it was not a cost I could justify for three months so drafted a pattern and made one myself. Not pretty but it works!We also have raised his cot to newborn level as he can’t sit to save our backs.
Clothing
We got given some Hip pose Tracksuit pants that are designed for Spica casts, for which I was very grateful for. With help from a friend I made a pattern and made some more exciting ones from cord and Jersey. (Also I have had to repair the knees from Crawling.) We also have two dresses, dresses are awesome and great for nappy changes and show off his cute nappy covers! We used dresses in his Palvik and we were keen to do it again.
We also tried Marks and Spencer's Palvik trousers but they don’t go big enough for a cast but the high legged body suits are perfect and don’t stretch the legs. We also used body suit extenders on our normal bodysuits.
My only other hints are reach out for support, find people on line, talk to your friends, take your kid out, be prepared to explain the cast but get out. Take photos, I have written a hip journal for Squeaky in his future as my mum cannot remember my journey. It is hard work, physically and emotionally and Mr Gin are looking forward to the end of it.
